I think its pretty clear by now that our President has been compromised by Russian Intelligence and that he is working actively against the interests of the United States. Whether this activity is best explained by ideological commitment to Russian politics, financial debts to the Russian State, extortion by Putin to disguise political favors and manipulations on Trump’s behalf, or simply an attempt to justify the “legitimacy” of Trump’s electoral college victory, is irrelevant. The crime is obvious, we can quibble later about the motives.

No one questions the legal or constitutional validity of Trump’s election, it is a rare but not unprecedented technicality, a flaw, in our system of government, but Trump is clearly highly sensitive about it and terrified it will threaten his “legitimacy”. He must cling to the illusion of an overwhelming mandate to justify both his extremist policies and outrageous public statements. He will clearly do anything he can to distract us from questioning that legitimacy. This has made him vulnerable to influence and coercion by our enemies even if he is not a traitor in the strict legal or traditional sense.

But all these considerations are quickly and increasingly irrelevant. Trump is not merely a criminal who has seized control of the White House, this can happen in any form of government and with any ideology. The true danger here is that the Trump coalition now extends to a substantial minority of the American electorate, a small cadre of economic and political power brokers, and an elected majority in the legislative and judicial branches of government, at both the national and local levels. This majority may despise the actions of the Trump Presidency, but they are so committed to his ideological policies and financial agenda that they are determined to look the other way and allow him to remain in power. These people will certainly turn on him if he should falter, to cover their own asses, but until the President is threatened successfully they will make excuses for him and refuse to actively oppose him. These people are not limited to government officials, many of them used to post right here on the Zone. The nation is littered with these cynical opportunists. They are the real traitors.

Its not surprising that Russian Intelligence operatives have infiltrated our political system to work for outcomes more favorable to their interests, like sowing discord, foreign and domestic, or swaying elections. They have done it in other places, and at other times, too. So have we, if fact, so have other countries. That’s what political espionage is all about, THAT”S THEIR JOB! And its the job of our guys to stop them, or to do it to them. What’s unique about this point in time is not the actions of spies and traitors, its the rush by the victims to cover it up in order to protect their own reputations and interests and partisan ideologies.

I want to make one thing clear, because this is the most accusatory statement I believe I have yet made on this forum. My concerns are not ideological. I recognize that what is happening to our country right now is not a question of Right or Left, Conservative or Liberal. I am well aware tyranny can arise from either end of the political spectrum, and it often has. But what we are seeing now in the USA is a political coup being staged by a fascist cabal led by, but not limited to, the President of the United States, supported by active measures from a foreign power, and facilitated by the acquiescence and indifference of the self-interested in both business and government.

If we lose our freedom it will not be because of the conspiracies of a minority of criminals or the active collaboration of a plurality of villains, but by the cowardice, laziness, and selfishness of the rest of us.