A Commentary on the Passing Scene by
Robert Paul Wolff
rwolff@afroam.umass.edu
Thursday, August 3, 2017
I WONDER
Donald Trump does not act like a man who is in bed with Vladimir Putin, in cahoots with him, nor does he act like a man who owes Putin money. Trump acts like a man who is afraid of Putin. What is he afraid of?
I'm afraid of Putin too. I bet that if I met him, I'd be even more afraid. He's the kind of person who scares other people. That's his game.
Trump tries to scare others too (his game in the debates), but Putin is better at the game.
In addition, one could imagine that Putin has some information about Trump that would be very embarrassing for him. Putin seems like the kind of person who looks for the other's weak point and when he finds it, collects all the information he can about that person's weak point in order to threaten to reveal it at just the right moment.
What is Trump's weak point? Something sexual maybe? Some really ugly crime Trump committed (say, having someone murdered)?
I would have thought dodgy sweetheart deals with Russian banks would-be quite enough. Trump's sensitivity about his tax returns suggests something along these lines.
Trump features as a character in Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities. If recollection serves Trump explains to the central character (hardly a hero) that the latter's father (a retired lawyer) once dissuaded him from using his Mafia contacts to 'solve a problem' PERHAPS by getting somebody whacked.
Pee tapes. These exist. I'm almost certain. Leaving aside the reliability of the Steele dossier (which seems to be quite reliable), T***p was on the Howard Stern Show back in 2001 along with a tabloid reporter named A.J. Benza. Apparently the two were once on friendly terms, but here they were arguing over who knows what (something ridiculous, I'm sure). Anyway, during the argument the following exchange occurrs:
Trump: I assume A.J.’s clean. I hope he’s clean. Benza: Meanwhile, he bangs Russian people… Stern: Russian people? Trump: Who are you talking about, Russian people, A.J.? I don’t know anything. Benza: He used to call me when I was a columnist and say, “I was just in Russia, the girls have no morals, you gotta get out there.” [Trump’s] out of his mind.
I encourage you to listen to the exchange (URL below). It's clear that Benza is being sincere. In fact, the "no morals" comment is sort of hard to hear; it's clear Benza is speaking to Stern almost in an aside -- which he wouldn't do if he were puposely trying to defame T***p to the audience. And keep in mind this is from 2001. Thus, common sense tells us that at the very least, T***p fears Putin has kompromat on him. And I'd bet he actually does.
Well,Trump said "Stay away from my finances" - which is a can of criminal worms, according to the Dutch investigation. But I would put my money on the pee tapes.
And then there is this, which makes the financial and/or the pee tape a more likely focus:
I'm afraid of Putin too. I bet that if I met him, I'd be even more afraid. He's the kind of person who scares other people. That's his game.
ReplyDeleteTrump tries to scare others too (his game in the debates), but Putin is better at the game.
In addition, one could imagine that Putin has some information about Trump that would be very embarrassing for him. Putin seems like the kind of person who looks for the other's weak point and when he finds it, collects all the information he can about that person's weak point in order to threaten to reveal it at just the right moment.
What is Trump's weak point? Something sexual maybe? Some really ugly crime Trump committed (say, having someone murdered)?
I don't know, but it has to be something.
ReplyDeleteI would have thought dodgy sweetheart deals with Russian banks would-be quite enough. Trump's sensitivity about his tax returns suggests something along these lines.
ReplyDeleteTrump features as a character in Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities. If recollection serves Trump explains to the central character (hardly a hero) that the latter's father (a retired lawyer) once dissuaded him from using his Mafia contacts to 'solve a problem' PERHAPS by getting somebody whacked.
Pee tapes. These exist. I'm almost certain. Leaving aside the reliability of the Steele dossier (which seems to be quite reliable), T***p was on the Howard Stern Show back in 2001 along with a tabloid reporter named A.J. Benza. Apparently the two were once on friendly terms, but here they were arguing over who knows what (something ridiculous, I'm sure). Anyway, during the argument the following exchange occurrs:
ReplyDeleteTrump: I assume A.J.’s clean. I hope he’s clean.
Benza: Meanwhile, he bangs Russian people…
Stern: Russian people?
Trump: Who are you talking about, Russian people, A.J.? I don’t know anything.
Benza: He used to call me when I was a columnist and say, “I was just in Russia, the girls have no morals, you gotta get out there.” [Trump’s] out of his mind.
I encourage you to listen to the exchange (URL below). It's clear that Benza is being sincere. In fact, the "no morals" comment is sort of hard to hear; it's clear Benza is speaking to Stern almost in an aside -- which he wouldn't do if he were puposely trying to defame T***p to the audience. And keep in mind this is from 2001. Thus, common sense tells us that at the very least, T***p fears Putin has kompromat on him. And I'd bet he actually does.
http://www.gq.com/story/howard-stern-donald-trump-russia-brag
What is T***p afraid of?
ReplyDeleteThat's easy. Putin can prove that T***p shot JFK.
Anonymous: ha ha....good one!
ReplyDeleteWell,Trump said "Stay away from my finances" - which is a can of criminal worms, according
to the Dutch investigation. But I would put my money on the pee tapes.
And then there is this, which makes the financial and/or the pee tape a more likely focus:
http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2017/08/03/seymour-hersh-debunked-russia-gate/
I just hope all this doesn't incite a "wag the dog" attack on NK.
Money laundering.
ReplyDelete