Dutch TV’s Seering Trump Documentary

While US broadcast media is running sprints to attract viewers with the constant droning of Trump and his cabal lying their way through the first months of his administration and lying 45 (Trump) into US History, Dutch TV broadcast Part 1 of a series about Trump’s possible connections to international racketeering. US Cable news networks busy their production teams and on-camera hosts (and book hawkers) with dozens of highly paid “contributors” sitting around spewing opinions like quacking hens with a Fox near the coup, while real journalism unfolded via the program: The Dubious Friends of Donald Trump. 

Alternet dot org

The Dubious Friends of Donald Trump, Part 1: The Russians. The first installment of the investigative reporting series, produced by Zembla.

The documentary’s YouTube description barely does justice to the film’s investigative reporting. While American journalists are following Trump’s tweets and tantrums, they followed the money into a world where the lines between outright profiteering and organized crime are blurred. What they found on a fact-based money trail reveals much about who the real Trump is and how he operates.

Read more here.
Video except via YouTube

We will follow the story while anxiously awaiting Part 2.

Closing Note: US Broadcast media is pathetic. All the glorious millionaire hosts spew their opinions, (in some cases based on research), host their over populated panels and construct stories like the plot of a TV series (tune-in next week for more). Even the former king of investigative TV news, 60 Minutes, has morphed into nothing more than a news four celebrity hosted segments of entertainment. Actually, I suspect the old adage of, “you know your day is ruined when 60 Minutes shows up at your door” no longer exist as a beacon of journalistic investigation. CNN has the broadcast market of offering panels which often view as something akin to a Jerry Springer production with liberals vs conservatives as marquee viewing attractions. Donald Trump’s ascendancy to the US Presidency has proven to be a gold mine for CNN and its cadre of on-air panel combatants. MSNBC, admittedly biased here, manages to offer the most investigative programming primarily via The Rachel Maddow Show. The network also has more book hawkers than its competitors, and that speaks to celebrity. 

All said we are what we mentally consume.  As a current events geek and committed hater of all things conservative, US broadcast media consumes virtually all of my TV viewing. It is truly sad the nation doesn’t have media which focus on old-school journalism with far fewer ratings hunting and show host book hawking. 

Did Putin Know Before Gas Attack? AP Says “Yes”

 

After well over a half century of distant relations between the United States and (the Soviet Union) Russia, the following campaign rambling from a total NYC carnival barker caught the attention a nation.  Of course, we had no idea how deeply intertwined are the possibilities of Trump and Russia. Looking back the early signs were actually prophetic. 

Fox News video

Since an uncomfortable number of matters regarding Russia have been discussed and many are still being investigated, let’s now skip forward to last week’s chemical weapons attack in Syria.
The AP is reporting Vladimir Putin was well informed of Assad’s intent to use Chemical weapons and he was informed well before the chemicals were released (via bomb).
The AP

 Excerpt

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has concluded Russia knew in advance of Syria’s chemical weapons attack last week, a senior U.S. official said Monday.

The official said a drone operated by Russians was flying over a hospital as victims of the attack were rushing to get treatment. Hours after the drone left, a Russian-made fighter jet bombed the hospital in what American officials believe was an attempt to cover up the usage of chemical weapons.

The senior official said the U.S. has no proof of Russian involvement in the actual chemical attack in northern Syria.

But the official said the presence of the surveillance drone over the hospital couldn’t have been a coincidence, and that Russia must have known the chemical weapons attack was coming and that victims were seeking treatment. 

The official, who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly on intelligence matters and demanded anonymity, didn’t give precise timing for when the drone was in the area, where more than 80 people were killed. The official also didn’t provide details for the military and intelligence information that form the basis of what the Pentagon now believes.

Read more 

An Ode For Times; Don’t Expect “Going High”

Via An Unknown Author

I listened as they called my President a Muslim.

I listened as they called him and his family a pack of monkeys.

I listened as they said he wasn’t born here.

I watched as they blocked every single path to progress that they could.

I saw the pictures of him as Hitler.

I watched them shut down the government and hurt the entire nation twice.

I watched them turn their backs on every opportunity to open worthwhile dialog.

I watched them say that they would not even listen to any choice for Supreme Court no matter who the nominee was.

I listened as they openly said that they will oppose him at every turn.

I watched as they did just that.

I listened.

I watched.

I paid attention.

Now, I’m being called on to be tolerant.

To move forward.

To denounce protesters.

To “Get over it.”

To accept this…

I will not.

I will do my part to make sure this great American mistake becomes the embarrassing footnote of our history that it deserves to be.

I will do this as quickly as possible every chance I get.

I will do my part to limit the damage that this man can do to my country.

I will watch his every move and point out every single mistake and misdeed in a loud and proud voice.

I will let you know in a loud voice every time this man backs away from a promise he made to them.

Them. The people who voted for him.

The ones who sold their souls and prayed for him to win.

I will do this so that they never forget.

And they will hear me.

They will see it in my eyes when I look at them.

They will hear it in my voice when I talk to them.

They will know that I know who they are.

They will know that I know what they are.

Do not call for my tolerance. I’ve tolerated all I can.

Now it’s their turn to tolerate ridicule.

Be aware, make no mistake about it, every single thing that goes wrong in our country from this day

forward is now Trump’s fault just as much as they thought it was Obama’s.

I find it unreasonable for them to expect from me what they were entirely unwilling to give.”

Author unknown.