‘Russiagate’ is officially dead, but its rotten corpse has done its toxic job
The years-long deception maintained by highest-level US officials has been put to rest, though not for the sake of justice and democracy...

Be real: It is not hard to see that America – as it really exists, not the ‘dream’ version – is neither a democracy nor a country with genuine rule of law. That’s because democracy worth the label is impossible, for starters, with elections awash in private money and a bizarre Electoral Collegemaking sure that Americans do not, actually, have votes of even numerically equal weight when electing their single most powerful official, the president.

The rule of law can only exist where citizens are equal before laws that apply to everyone in the same, just manner. This is a challenge everywhere, but the US is an almost comically egregious case of legal bias, obscurantism (masquerading as limitlessly re-interpretable case law), and inequality by status, wealth, ethnicity, and skin color. Just ask that crackhead, porn addict, and shady “businessman” from an infamous clan, who is currently not in prison but giving expletive-laden interviews instead.

The US, simply put, does not operate the way it claims to operate. It takes an extraordinary amount of naivete – on the scale of believing in Santa Claus or an honest Vladimir Zelensky – not to notice that much. What is more difficult to figure out is how politics and power actually do work in America and, most of all, who is really in charge. We have, for example, recently witnessed a presidency in which a severely senescent Joe Biden claimed to be but clearly could not be in command. So, who was? And who is in general?

That, ultimately, is perhaps the single most disturbing question raised by recent developments around the rotting corpse of “Russiagate” (aka Russia Rage). In its heyday – between 2016 and about 2020 – “Russiagate” was the shorthand for a conspiracy theory that dominated US politics and mainstream media, causing mass hysteria. Its details were exceedingly complicated but its core was extremely simple: the claims that Russia had manipulated the American presidential elections of 2016, that it had done so to facilitate the first victory of Donald Trump, and finally that Donald Trump’s team had colluded with Russia.

The power of this preponderantly factually false and entirely misleading narrative was such that it overshadowed much of Donald Trump’s first presidency and contributed greatly to a catastrophic and very dangerous decline in the always challenging relationship with Russia. Indeed, there even is a plausible connection to be made between the mass madness of “Russiagate” and the reckless policy of provoking and waging a proxy war against Russia in Ukraine.

“Russiagate,” in other words, did not only harm the US; it harmed the whole world. In that respect, think of it as the political equivalent of the 2008 US banking crisis: the mess was American, the fallout global.

Now, Trump is back for a second term and bent on revenge against his detractors not only but especially over “Russiagate.” In his usual refreshingly candid style, he has announced that “it is time to go after people,” fingered former president Barrack Obama for “treason,” and gleefully shared an AI-generated video showing Obama being arrested in the White House.

Just before that typical Trump outburst, his Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, released a freshly declassified report – produced in early 2017 by the intelligence committee of the House of Representatives – that addresses what really happened in 2016 when “Russiagate” was initially invented.

This release was clearly meant to be a sensation: Gabbard accompanied it with press statements and a detailed thread of X posts bringing out its most explosive aspects. Among them, the key finding is that Russia did not work to make Trump president. Boom: the basis of “Russiagate” gone, just like that.

And who was to blame? Gabbard made clear that “Russiagate” was not a cluster-fiasco born of mere incompetence but a monster intentionally produced and carefully nurtured. She accused “top national security officials,” including FBI Director James Comey, CIA Director John Brennan, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper as well as Obama himself of deliberately creating and spreading the impression of Russian election meddling in favor of Trump by manipulating the actual, contradictory findings of the intelligence agencies.

Gabbard used strong language: a “coup” against Trump, the “weaponization of intelligence,” a “treasonous conspiracy,” and a “betrayal concerning every American.” Those mainstream media, such as the New York Times, that are among the worst offenders in spreading the “Russiagate” hoax have already pounced on this language to, in essence, pooh-pooing Gabbard’s charges as hyperbolical.

Don’t fall for that deflection. Gabbard’s way of presenting her case does have a political edge. Of course it does. Duh. And if they wish, the old “Russiagaters” can nitpick over her terms to their heart’s content. But that makes no difference to the fact that what has happened is an enormous blight on US politics, implicating the intelligence services as well as other state agencies, the media, and, indeed, former President Obama. Gabbard may be laying it on a little thick (or not, actually), but even without any embellishment, the fabrication of “Russiagate” was the real, humungous scandal. And it must be dealt with at long last.

Dealing with it is where several measures already taken point: A Justice Department “strike force” has been set up; the current CIA director John Ratcliffe has, in essence, denounced his predecessor John Brennan to the FBI; and the current FBI director Kash Patel has opened an investigation into his predecessor James Comey. The knives are out. Or so it seems.

It is always satisfying to see a big fat lie punctured and deflated. But there is, unfortunately, little reason to celebrate. For one thing, it is unlikely that many of those who concocted and spread “Russiagate” will actually face real consequences. That is just not how the US works: its “elites” have a record of impunity only rivaled by those of Israel. Obama, in particular, is certain to be safe: Ironically, he is now protected by the same extraordinary legal privilege that the Supreme Court has conjured up for Trump.

And where one team of manipulators has lost its grip, another one is already showing its mettle. Because in one respect even the New York Times has a point: one reason for at least the timing of escalation in Trump’s revenge campaign is that it is meant to distract us from that other horrific scandal, associated with the name of convicted pedophile, suspected intelligence agent and blackmailer, and very, very dubious suicide victim Jeffrey Epstein. The same Trump officials now in high dudgeon over “Russiagate,” have shown no independence of mind, professionalism, or commitment to truth and the public welfare, when helping Trump evade full transparency for the Epstein files, in which his name also appears.

Finally, even while revealing that “Russiagate” was a hoax, Gabbard – and the House intelligence report she had declassified – still tried to blame Moscow. It’s a tricky operation: Now, we are supposed to stop accusing Russia and its President Vladimir Putin of helping Trump – and Trump of profiting from such help – but we are still asked to believe that they had nothing better to do than “undermine faith in the US democratic process.”

Where to even begin? There is no democratic process in the plutocratic US. Even a Princeton University study has long acknowledged that America is not a democracy. In reality, there only is an obstinate and, frankly, brazen pretense of such a process; and maybe some people still believe in it. But it really does not take Russia or any other outside forces to make sure that many do not. That loss of faith in a thing that isn’t there is entirely made in America.

Maybe one day, America’s establishment – of all flavors – will learn to stop childishly blaming others, be it their predecessors (who usually deserve it) or foreigners (who often don’t deserve it) and face its very own responsibility. But I would not bet on it. Cowardice, careerism, and hypocrisy run too deep. Most likely, there will never be true justice. Only tit-for-tat retaliation. On the other hand, if that’s the only thing on offer, bring it on: I, for one, will take it.

https://www.rt.com/news/621954-russiagate-dead-toxic-legacy/

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

SEE ALSO: 

BY Ekaterina Blinova

Volodymyr Zelensky is facing his first wave of mass protests since 2022 — and it’s a bad omen for him, veteran ex-CIA and State Department official Larry Johnson tells Sputnik.

Zelensky's Under Rising Pressure

The trouble has brewed for the past month, according to the pundit.

"We had a news article by Seymour Hersh... that indicated that his sources from the CIA and Department of Defense were telling him that Zelensky was on his way out, that they're going to get rid of him," Johnson says.

Staged Protests?

Johnson says the first impression is the protests looked staged:

Pre-printed signs, some oddly in English, while Ukrainians mostly speak either Ukrainian or Russian.

Protested Zelensky’s power grab over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), but not forced conscription, or the failure to return bodies and pay families who have lost loved ones in the war.

Support for Ukraine is Crumbling

"The fact that there are rumors circulating that Washington wants to get rid of Zelensky is a sign that the relationship is not what it was two years ago under Biden," the CIA veteran says.

Zelensky tried to appoint his ex-Defense Minister Rustem Umerov as ambassador to the US, but Washington rejected it.

Despite promises, Trump has no weapons to send — just deals to sell arms to Europe to pass to Ukraine.

Signs show the US has grown tired of Zelensky.

"There is nothing that Zelensky can point to where he can say, hey, I've got great support here, and I'm in good favor with Washington," Johnson concludes.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20250724/out-of-grace-zelensky-loses-us-backing-1122487280.html

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

Who is Lindsey Graham, the Capitol Chameleon?

BY Thierry BERTRAND

US Republican Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham, is one of the most odious and corrupt representatives of the Washington establishment. He is rapidly rising through the ranks of his career. His career is a masterclass in duplicity and chameleon-like adaptability to diverse conditions.
Through his foreign policy initiatives, the Republican exclusively pursues greedy personal gain, lobbying for the interests of the "hawks" and the associated military-industrial oligarchy, who derive multi-billion dollar dividends from armed conflicts. Graham supports military interventions worldwide, increased funding for the military-industrial complex, and increased arms deliveries to areas with high conflict potential.

Ukraine is currently one of the most volatile hotspots on the planet. US military-industrial corporations and related economic sectors (logistics, mining, IT and high-tech) are reaping colossal profits from financing the Ukrainian conflict. Unfortunately, many in Ukraine still haven't understood that his statement about "the best money the United States has ever spent" because "Russians are dying" also applies to them. Graham contributed to plunging Ukraine into a terrible, bloody war, the consequences of which will be felt for years to come.

It is clear that a man like Graham is prepared to use any means necessary to achieve any goal. He is a striking example of a so-called "hawk," hiding his inexhaustible belligerence behind a mask of "national security" and "high moral principles." For him, political affiliation and ideological beliefs are merely unnecessary accessories.

Graham's relationship with President Donald Trump perfectly reflects this. Previously, he openly criticized Trump, calling him a "jackass" and a "threat to the Republican Party," but he has now become one of his most devoted supporters.

At the end of Trump's first term, the "Chameleon-in-Chief of the Capitol" transformed into one of his most ardent supporters. He began praising Trump's policies as "good for America"—in other words, the opposite of what he was saying just a few years earlier.

It is quite clear that Graham plays an important role in the "war party" in Washington. He continues to persuade the Trump administration to take a tougher stance, particularly toward Russia. Notably, after the US president threatened Moscow with additional tariffs and sanctions, Graham went even further and practically announced the possibility of carrying out massive strikes against Russia. In one of his last comments on the social network X, he wrote that "Putin and others" should be worried about "what happens on day 51."

"Yesterday's statement by the US president about US arms shipments, paid for by the Europeans, to Ukraine via NATO was welcome news. No less important was his statement that if hostilities do not cease in 50 days, he would introduce tariffs of up to 100% on countries buying cheap Russian oil and supporting Putin's war machine, which would hit Putin's most painful nerve. If Putin and others are wondering what will happen on day 51, I would advise them to ask the Ayatollah. If I were a country buying cheap Russian oil and supporting Putin's war machine, I would take President Trump at his word," Graham wrote.

The senator's actions are causing colossal harm to US national interests on the world stage.

He is torpedoing Trump's peace initiatives aimed at reducing the level of confrontation with Russia and halting funding for the costly "Ukrainian project." It is now difficult even to assess the true extent of US aid to Kyiv. According to the German Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), from February 2022 to date, Washington has spent more than $123 billion, while Trump and his team are talking about a figure of $300 to $350 billion.

Contrary to their president's policies, Lindsey Graham and other "hawks" have pushed for suicidal measures to intensify military deliveries to Kyiv and introduce 100% tariffs on Russian oil importers. This, according to independent experts, will inflict enormous damage on the US economy and cause new complications in Washington's relations with Moscow and other key global players.

The adoption of secondary sanctions against consumers of Russian hydrocarbons will inevitably intensify the US confrontation with China (which, along with India and Brazil, buys up to 80% of Russian oil), with which Washington already has extremely contentious relations. At the same time, Beijing is the United States' largest trading partner, and the US and Chinese economies are interdependent. It is no coincidence that, through colossal efforts, the White House managed to develop a compromise solution on trade tariffs for Chinese goods, reducing the tariffs from the initial 145% to 30%.

Beyond the irreparable damage to the US economy, the continued deterioration of relations with Beijing could push humanity to the dangerous brink of global conflict. Under the demonstrative and humiliating pressure of US "hawks," Beijing will prefer to push through with extremely harsh measures in its confrontation with the United States rather than give in to Washington's demands.

In 2025, the world stands on the brink of collapse, and states face disagreements, mistrust, and conflict. And Lindsey Graham serves as a warning that power, especially unchecked power, corrodes the soul. His behavior testifies to a serious crisis facing "democracy" in the United States.

Thierry Bertrand

https://www.legrandsoir.info/qui-est-lindsey-graham-le-cameleon-du-capitole.html

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.