Ukraine

This weekend's music thread goes out to the brave people of Ukraine defending their nation and the brave people in Russia protesting to stop this ongoing massacre of innocent people. Share songs about cities and countries around the world, as most of the world comes together to support Ukraine and cheer on Russian citizens rallying opposition to Putin and his criminal war.

What stood in Putin's way as the biggest threats to his moving forward with his plan to usurp Ukraine, Eastern Europe and more? The European Union, NATO and the United States. If he could weaken all three of these, if he could get them to become divided and hobbled, he could have far more confidence about marching forward with this conquest of half of Europe if not more. He would be unstoppable.

This weekend's music thread is dedicated to the remarkable Ukrainian people who are showing the world what real heroes look like. Share your favorite songs about fighting, winning, being heroes or whatever songs you want to send to our brothers and sisters in Ukraine to show you support them.

The 2020 election is an existential moment for the United States. Next November will decide whether this country recovers its sovereignty or is dragged deeper under Russian influence. 2020 will determine whether the Russian/Republican vision of remaking U.S. democracy into a dictatorship will be fulfilled or buried.

Trump has a fundamental disrespect for the American government. The "phony" Constitution, he said. He reeks of it: a cheap gangster who hates everything that we stand for. It's the most obvious salient about Trump. He hates the United States of America.

If Rudy Giuliani's criminal associates, and troops enlisted from the ranks of Russian and Ukrainian cyber-terrorists, were conspiring to fix the U.S. Presidential Election long before the 2016 election itself, then Giuliani has known all this time.

It's not even about, "winning," with Trump and his followers now; it's about cheating and getting away with it.

"It's not like people think," the boxer knows, "it ain't about knocking guys through the ropes, or fighting dirty. It's about getting hit; taking a hard hit that jars your senses a little, and standing back up again. It's about throwing a punch he'd never expect when you don't have the strength to raise your arm. It's about you maybe getting hit three times for every one that you land, but making him pay."

This issue isn't just about whether anyone can prosecute criminal behavior by a President while in office, it's about Trump using the Office of the President to help himself politically in what may constitute dereliction of duty and treason.

Would Flynn have contacted the Russian ambassador without Trump or anyone on his team knowing about it? And after making those calls, would Flynn have just gone to sleep in his Stalin print pajamas? Or might he have instead contacted Trump to say, "Mission accomplished!"