WORLD CUP AND TREASON

Defining Treason and why a part Russian Soccer lover is afraid to go to Russia

@FIFA,@US SOCCER,@TRUMP@UEFA@ECU

Russia is really big news these days. Of course, there’s Trump and Russia – and the world watches on with bated breath in that regard. Special Counsel Mueller continues to creep ever closer to the President himself and the web of dastardly Russian intrigue that he has spun in cocooning himself in the Oval Office. The suggestion of treason now permeates the political air hanging over the American body-politic.

Then there’s the recent nerve gas murder attempt in the UK on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, and his daughter Yulia. Both were brazenly exposed to a potentially deadly chemical attack in the tranquil, non-threatening broad day-light of quintessentially English Salisbury. Rightly so, accusatory fingers are now firmly pointed in the direction of Moscow. Consequently, Russian diplomats world-wide are re-acquainting themselves with airport departure lounges on their way back to Sheremetyevo airport.

On top of that, this summer sees the jewel in the international soccer crown, the FIFA World Cup. And it takes place in…you’ve guessed it, Mother Russia. As if Russia wasn’t drawing enough international limelight as it is.

Somewhat surreal, but at the same time very alarmingly, we now arrive at a point in time that if you are anyone of the following in Russia this summer – a travelling England football fan; a critic of Putin; and yes, somewhat unbelievably, a critic of Trump – then things do not bode at all well. Safety becomes a genuine concern.

It is now a reality that, wild as this seems to be in twenty-first century America, an individual speaking out about the current President can potentially be hazardous to that person’s health. Be that physical, mental, financial or public. Shockingly, six years prior to Trump ascending to the Presidency, his erstwhile porn-star lover Stormy, was receiving threatening “pleasantries” in a supermarket car-park to “Leave Trump alone.” Malice of forethought was clearly intended.

So, let’s get back to where we / Trump find ourselves in the great scheme of things. Mueller’s net is no doubt tightening. But the 64,000 question is this – who could be in jeopardy for being indicted for actual treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors once Mueller starts reeling them in?

Trump’s son-in-law, Jared “my voice to many is a mystery” Kushner, has been identified as having worked to set up a back-channel with Russian government officials in December 2016, covering a whole host of issues. Just about a month before Trump swore his oath to uphold the Kre…the Constitution. So, let’s be clear, that’s a month before the sitting Obama administration had finished its tenure in power.

Trump is many, many things – the vast majority of them bad. That said, one thing he does have going for him is an instinctive survival radar. And those that appear on his radar screen, and that most definitely would include Jared, hold a great measure of Trump’s confidence. It is therefore crack-a-rib laughable to entertain the idea that Trump would not have known that Kushner was making those overtures to Russia.

And then we can always look at some more Jared highlights on top of that.

In late October 2017, Kushner hightailed it off to Riyadh, Saudi-Arabia, being Trump’s Special Envoy for Middle Eastern peace and all that.

Kushner went on to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed for a cosy chin-wag. Upon conclusion, the Crown Prince detailed to his confidants that Kushner had identified to him, willingly or not, dissidents opposed to the House of Saud, particularly the Crown Prince himself. Saudi domestic security services (and yes, some of them are bad guys, believe it or not) could have a field day with that sort of information.

And they did . Torture and imprisonment was used to convince Royal billionaires to leave and give up their money. Qatar -after Jared was turned down for a business loan had The US,Saudi and UAE turn against them

It just doesn’t stop there though. The whole Trump carnival is simply one jaw-dropping potentially treasonous display after another. Trump’s gelled-back biological protégé, Don Jr, along with Kushner (there’s a surprise) met with Russian lackey lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, in June 2016, after she offered dirt on the Clinton Presidential campaign that would help his Trump’s campaign. 

Article 1, Section 9, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution reads that:

“No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince or foreign State.”

Boys – that’s pretty clearcut that what you have been doing, and that’s what we know of, has been definitely nefarious and likely treasonous.

Where else to stare at open-mouthed as one contemplates the potential sheer magnitude of Team Trump’s possibly treasonous activities in the buildup to Don the Con gaining the White House?

Paul Manafort – Trump’s former campaign manager? Shady financial links with Russian rouble-interests, including highly suspect payments from the pro-Kremlin Ukrainian president. Now charged by Mueller and facing a potentially long time inside federal penitentiary if those charges (likely) stick.

Michael Flynn – Trump’s first and most short-lived ever National Security Adviser (racking up a whole 24 days in position), also shared a predilection for rubbing Russian shoulders when he truly should not have been. Hence the guy is now indicted by Mueller for lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia’s ambassador to the US.

The treasonous role call of villainy continues relentlessly…

Stephen Bannon, one of Trump’s chief strategists pre and post-election victory, has now been identified as a key player in Cambridge Analytica’s ploy to harvest social media data in an attempt to connect the dots of American voter profiles in the 2016 Presidential election. If you’re helping Trump get elected, you’re helping Putin’s agenda – no question.

The greatest democracy on Earth is presently being taken to cleaners by white nationalist demagogues, indicted treasonous Trump-ites and social media wonks and analysts committed to manipulating American voters. Oh and add to that the Kremlin as a prime manipulator – have no doubt about that.

Not sure that’s quite what the Founding Fathers had in mind as to democracy while the British tea-crates bobbed up and down in Boston harbor.

And the political grubbiness of the Trump regime simply does not stop there, back in the throes of the Presidential campaign. Let’s take more a very recent appointment – that of neo-conservative John Bolton as National Security Adviser to Trump.

Putting aside his still to this day specific dedication to Bush’s decision to invade Iraq in 2003, and his general overarching commitment to obliterating any county that isn’t â€œUnited States of America”, there is something very troubling to consider.

Bolton disturbingly appeared in a Russian pro-gun rights video in 2013, for the benefit of Alexander Torshin – a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association and big-time ally of President Putin and other key Russian power players. Seriously, this stuff should only be appearing in a fever-induced dream.

One other key Trump supporter that warrants a dishonorable mention in dispatches is one Robert Leroy Mercer- everyone’s least favorite Brexit encouraging, Trump promoting billionaire. Like Bannon, Mercer saw dark arts in using the data gathered by Cambridge Analytica to not only influence Brexit through Facebook but also to proudly do the same to get Trump elected on the other side of the Atlantic, stealing 50 million users data. It could be yours

And then there’s Trump – the Great Narcissist, sitting precariously astride all of this. 

The wonderful thing is, the US really is a nation of laws and not men. In my opinion, Trump’s treasonous days are numbered, despite his huffs, puffs and outrageous protestations to the contrary. In a stunning moment of realization, it is entirely feasible to think of future history books making detailed reference to the prison time of the 45th President of the United States of America.

That web that Mueller is working his way through. It’s sticky and it’s tangled. Yet once he is there, at the epicenter, there is only one real conclusion that we can arrive at. Drawing in all the strands, considering the wealth of evidence, prominent members of the Trump campaign, up to an including Donald himself, are guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors, including possible treason no less.

Should we be worried, soccer fans or not? Yes, yes we should. The very fact that the office of the greatest, most powerful position in the world is may now be occupied by a treasonous corrupter, really not even that good as a bad comedic Bond villain character, aka Donald Trump, is deeply worrying.

But with possible treason and impeachment on the horizon, how does Trump process and deal with that? He’s already an authoritarian in the make who’s shown he is very happy to dispense with or toy with dispensing with the democratic due process. What dangers actually lie ahead?

I’d suggest a break to go watch the soccer this summer to try and get away from all the stress of having a treasonous regime entrenched in the White House.

But as we know, like Trump’s election win, that’s a really big Russian deal.

Just how Trump likes it.