# Trump associates may have coordinated with Russians, according to US officials **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 23, 2017, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799 "2017-03-23T00:28:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 187
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3724 "2018-01-29T19:36:41Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > To the extent that one can figure out what the Fascists believed outside of “kill lots of people” (which, I believe, was really just a German thing), it seems to be single party rule over a nationalistic, xenophobic, and collectivist populace. The party decides by sort of a “gut instinct” what the proper/wholesome way of life is for the good people of the homogenous society, and so long as you do a good job of acting in that way and making the country look good, you’re free to do business and live your life as you want. If the country needs you to do something, then you, your business, your family, your club, whatever it might be, will work in the nations honor diligently at its direction. It sounds like you’re making a model of fascism that works and is self sustaining. I sense something missing in your design. Have you thought it through? Why work on such a model if you don’t want to follow all the logical lines forward? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3725 "2018-01-29T19:56:04Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > It sounds like you’re making a model of fascism that works and is self sustaining. I sense something missing in your design. Have you thought it through? Why work on such a model if you don’t want to follow all the logical lines forward? I’m reasonably sure that I didn’t design the government of Japan. I’m sorry that Japan is largely self-sustaining. So is Sweden. So is Thailand. Anarchism doesn’t seem to be. People gravitate towards hierarchical systems. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3726 "2018-01-29T20:06:25Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I’m reasonably sure that I didn’t design the government of Japan. > > I’m sorry that Japan is largely self-sustaining. So is Sweden. So is Thailand. > > Anarchism doesn’t seem to be. People gravitate towards hierarchical systems. I’m sure I didn’t mention Japan. I said you are working towards a description of fascism that is cuddlier than normal, regardless of the nations you are bringing in to support yourself. I think that most fascist govts collapsed because of contadictions and built in obsolescences, that you are loathe to talk about even as you describe the way a “good” fascist govt might run. You are arguing the case for crypto fascism, or at least the soft reception of it, by citing dangers of other kinds of govt, monarchy and anarchy etc which may or may not be possible as alternatives. You know that’s ridiculous I assume. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3727 "2018-01-29T20:57:46Z")
If you want to call Uyoku Dantai cute and cuddly, then I guess so be it. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3728 "2018-01-29T21:06:20Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > My sense is that Fascism is a trigger word for you, so I may as well talk to you about it as talking to a Christian Fundamentalist about the Church of Satan. The only possible result of the excursion would be that I get reported to the police for sacrificing goats, despite not being a member of the Church of Satan nor agreeing with their philosophy and none of it having to do with sacrificing goats. > > Given that, and given that this is a thread about the Trump investigation, I’ll decline to comment further on this topic. Fascism is a trigger word for democracy. How it is for monarchies and anarchies I don’t know. What kind of goverment do you live in? Trump is an example of totalitarian aspirations. Don’t want to talk about it? OK, but this is the thread where we talk about it. Church of Satan??!?! ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3729 "2018-01-29T23:42:13Z")
Remember those sanctions that Congress universally voted for? The ones on Russia? Yeah, Politico reporter is reporting that the White House decided that Russia feels bad enough already, and those sanctions [won’t be imposed](https://twitter.com/eschor/status/958110759489294336). ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3730 "2018-01-29T23:46:57Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Remember those sanctions that Congress universally voted for? The ones on Russia? Yeah, Politico reporter is reporting that the White House decided that Russia feels bad enough already, and those sanctions [won’t be imposed](https://twitter.com/eschor/status/958110759489294336). Wait, what? Aren’t those sanctions a law that passed Congress and were not vetoed (reluctantly) by TRump? ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3731 "2018-01-29T23:48:44Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Wait, what? Aren’t those sanctions a law that passed Congress and were not vetoed (reluctantly) by TRump? I’m sure that the GOP in Congress will give their brows a good furrowing. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3732 "2018-01-29T23:54:37Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > I’m sure that the GOP in Congress will give their brows a good furrowing. Why should they even do that much? It’s not as though the legislative and executive branches are co-equal under the Constitution or anything! Obviously, the Executive owns and operates the legislative branch—so the members of the legislative branch had damn well better know their place. (My disgust at Ryan, McConnell and the rest could scarcely grow any more intense than it is already, or so I assume. But perhaps they _will_ manage to exceed their previous levels of toadyism, given this new opportunity.) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2018, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3733 "2018-01-29T23:59:30Z")
Makes a kind of twisted sense. Il Douche swears nothing ever happened, so why should the Russians be punished? Also, there’s enough light sweet crude money in the Arctic oil deal to give Exxon a seat at the UN. So, yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3734 "2018-01-30T00:04:39Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Remember those sanctions that Congress universally voted for? The ones on Russia? Yeah, Politico reporter is reporting that the White House decided that Russia feels bad enough already, and those sanctions [won’t be imposed](https://twitter.com/eschor/status/958110759489294336). Not appearing on the main site yet (nor anywhere else), but if so then with the vote to release the Nunes Memo, this is possibly the most aggressively corrupt day in Washington since Comey was fired. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3735 "2018-01-30T00:13:42Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > with the vote to release the Nunes Memo Not only that, they’re blocking the Democratic memo that would show the Nunes memo to be bullshit and the House Intel Committee is going to investigate the DOJ and FBI. Corrupt motherfuckers. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3736 "2018-01-30T00:16:44Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > Not only that, they’re blocking the Democratic memo that would show the Nunes memo to be bullshit and the House Intel Committee is going to investigate the DOJ and FBI. Corrupt motherfuckers. Really, neither should be released. But yes, the excuse that the Democratic rebuttal can’t be released because it would compromise sources is rather shallow. The one (possible) upside of this is that it gives a strong motive for someone to start leaking the hell out of all of the confidential materials accessible only to Mueller, the FBI, and the Gang of Eight. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3737 "2018-01-30T00:35:19Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Not appearing on the main site yet (nor anywhere else), but if so then with the vote to release the Nunes Memo, this is possibly the most aggressively corrupt day in Washington since Comey was fired. HuffPost reporting. Trump Administration Signals It Is Not Imposing New Sanctions On Russiahttps://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-admin-russia-sanctions\_us\_5a6fba5de4b05836a255df52 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3738 "2018-01-30T00:35:43Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Why should they even do that much? It’s not as though the legislative and executive branches are co-equal under the Constitution or anything! Obviously, the Executive owns and operates the legislative branch—so the members of the legislative branch had damn well better know their place. > > (My disgust at Ryan, McConnell and the rest could scarcely grow any more intense than it is already, or so I assume. But perhaps they _will_ manage to exceed their previous levels of toadyism, given this new opportunity.) No worries, Devin Nunes will step in and fill any toady void. [https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/29/politics/house-intelligence-committee-devin-nunes-memo/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/29/politics/house-intelligence-committee-devin-nunes-memo/index.html) > [@](#): > > The House Intelligence Committee voted Monday evening to publicly release a classified memo written by Republicans alleging abuses by the FBI in their surveillance practices, **but voted against releasing a competing memo written by the committee’s top Democrat**. Emphasis mine. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3739 "2018-01-30T01:09:22Z")
I’m beginning to wonder just how far Vladimir Putin managed to shove his hand up the Republican party’s ass – perhaps so far that he now controls the movement of their lips. Remember what I said in December folks: pay attention to this year’s elections. Russia is going to fuck with the elections big time and the Republican party will actively encourage it. Even if the Republicans lose, they will declare that the elections were rigged by Russian interference and then claim that we can’t trust the results. **We’re heading toward an unprecedented moment of truth for the republic.** ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3740 "2018-01-30T01:17:47Z")
And, with complete mastery of understatement, CNN adds this: [Source: Trump inclined to allow Nunes memo to be released](https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/23/politics/trump-nunes-memo-declassified/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3741 "2018-01-30T02:07:21Z")
He’s waiting to see if he’ll get away with it. He could also come out with a statement deploring revealing secret methods, and therefore, even though the memo totally and posolutely proves his absolute and utter innocence…he cannot release it, that would be wrong. You’ll just have to take his executive proclamation that it is a _complete_ exoneration. Next! ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3742 "2018-01-30T02:20:04Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Remember what I said in December folks: pay attention to this year’s elections. Russia is going to fuck with the elections big time and the Republican party will actively encourage it. Even if the Republicans lose, they will declare that the elections were rigged by Russian interference and then claim that we can’t trust the results. **We’re heading toward an unprecedented moment of truth for the republic.** In what way do you think they’ll try to influence the election this time? And I seriously doubt the Republicans would use that particular excuse; I think a different one, almost certainly, equally lame. > [@elucidator](#): > > He’s waiting to see if he’ll get away with it. He could also come out with a statement deploring revealing secret methods, and therefore, even though the memo totally and posolutely proves his absolute and utter innocence…he cannot release it, that would be wrong. You’ll just have to take his executive proclamation that it is a _complete_ exoneration. > > Next! You really think he’s that subtle? ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799/3743 "2018-01-30T03:02:18Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > In what way do you think they’ll try to influence the election this time? And I seriously doubt the Republicans would use that particular excuse; I think a different one, almost certainly, equally lame. Putin isn’t dumb. He knows that the Democrats will, in all likelihood, win the mid-term elections and that this would put more pressure on his regime. This is absolutely certain now that Putin is dealing with some of the largest protests and political challenges he has faced in at least 5 years and perhaps since his early days as Russian president. The Republicans are now Putin assets. He doesn’t want to lose these assets. Republicans and the billionaire donor class don’t want to lose power in the US. All three – Putin, the Republicans, and the donor class – fear losing a legitimate election. Thus, the key is to de-legitimize the election. Putin, with the help of Republicans, is going to go after election infrastructure in various stages - they don’t even have to be swing states. Putin could remove Democratic voters from the polls, but that’s probably too brazen. Simply hacking, or even attempted hacking, could call the results into question. That’s what the Republicans want: they know they’re going to lose so they want a legitimate reason to question the election results. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=186) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-associates-may-have-coordinated-with-russians-according-to-us-officials/782799.md?page=188)