MAGA is freaking out because they're being judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin.
Sep 8, 2024
Today's Vic
Worth repeating:
Sep 7, 2024
Overheard
I've reached the age where
everything I think happened
"a few years ago"
actually happened in the 90s.
Sep 6, 2024
Tik Tok (via Twixter)
Dear Trump supporters, this is what you are teaching your children to think is presidential. 😳 pic.twitter.com/qR5n7TGdzv
— Bill Madden (@maddenifico) September 6, 2024
Today's TweeXt
It's not healthy to be mad all the time. But we have to commit to staying mad for a while - and it may be a long while.
And we have to teach the youngsters to be mad too.
Every fucking word this woman said. EVERY. FUCKING. WORD. 🔥🔥🔥🙌🙏👏👊🌊🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/hBmVDY9MrQ
— Bill Madden (@maddenifico) September 6, 2024
Sep 5, 2024
Tips
Politics Girl - Leigh McGowan - brings it.
First, I have to indulge in some braggadocio in order to illustrate why I would've been half-a-gazillion% in favor of "No Tax On Tips" back when I was bringing home 6-figure year-end bonuses.
I'm not here to lie to you - it was glorious to the point where I would've jumped at the chance to vote for somebody who promised me that I could save $45,000 on my tax bill ($90,000 in today's money).
Note:
I promise you - the point here is not that I was a great and powerful wizard back then. I thought I was, but of course I wasn't. And neither are these other bozos who've won the career lottery (mostly by sheer dumb luck) who believe their ultra keen acumen and clear-eyed pragmatic deployment of geometric logic sets them apart from blah blah fucking blah.
It's a load of horseshit. It was horseshit then coming from me, and it's horseshit now coming from them.
The point is that there's a lot of guys now who're just like the guy I was then. I guarantee their eyes light up when you tell them they can make even more money than what they're already making just by donating a few thousand dollars to Trump's campaign, and talking shit about all those little people who don't deserve what you've got, because they just don't understand what you understand.
Imagine what goes through a Wall Street hotshot's mind when he stops to contemplate having an extra 3 or 4 million dollars in his pocket come next April.
It's a fucking disease, and we need to stomp on it while we still can.
More Belle
As is usually the case, MAGA talking points are wrong pretty much across the board.
Trump is wrong.
MAGA is wrong.
GOP is wrong.
Republicans just fuck it up - every time.
Dems are better for the economy.
Today's Brando
Two Russian nationals employed by state-controlled media outlet RT are charged with conspiring to violate U.S. laws by secretly funding and directing pro-Russian content on social media platforms.
The Department of Justice has unsealed an indictment charging two Russian nationals, Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, with conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and money laundering in a scheme to covertly influence U.S. audiences. Both Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva remain at large, according to the DOJ’s announcement today.
The indictment reveals that Kalashnikov, 31, and Afanasyeva, 27, who were employees of Russia's state-controlled media outlet RT, played pivotal roles in funneling nearly $10 million to a Tennessee-based online content creation company, referred to in court documents as U.S. Company-1. The content company, unbeknownst to its viewers, was funded and directed by RT to produce pro-Russian videos aimed at American social media users. This company is believed to be TENET Media, who touts right-wing hosts Lauren Southern, Tim Pool, Benny Johnson, and others, as part of their roster.
The indictment remarks, "On its website, U.S. Company-I describes itself as a 'network of heterodox commentators that focus on Western political and cultural issues'" This phrase matches with the TENET's slogan, which appears on their website.
The indictment further states: "KALASHNIKOV, AFANASYEVA, Founder-I, and Founder-2 also worked together to deceive two U.S. online commentators ("Commentator- I" and "Commentator-2"), who respectively have over 2.4 million and 1.3 million YouTube subscribers. Founder-I and Founder- 2 contracted with Commentator-I and Commentator-2 to produce videos , using Commentator-1's and Commentator-2's own names and leveraging their existing audiences, for license and publication by U.S. Company-I."
These subscriber counts mentioned in the indictment match the number of YouTube subscribers for the accounts of Benny Johnson and Tim Pool, respectively.
"Russia has long sought to exploit our free and open society by secretly influencing public opinion in the United States," said Attorney General Merrick Garland. "The Department of Justice will not tolerate these covert efforts by foreign adversaries to manipulate our democracy."
The DOJ alleges that between October 2023 and August 2024, RT transferred nearly $10 million to U.S. Company-1 through a network of shell companies in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Mauritius. The funds were allegedly used to produce and distribute content designed to sow discord among Americans, amplifying domestic divisions on issues like immigration, inflation, and U.S. foreign policy.
“Russia’s influence operations, as orchestrated by RT, are sophisticated and deceptive,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “The defendants in this case used fake personas, shell companies, and misleading information to push Russian propaganda to millions of Americans.”
Since its launch in November 2023, U.S. Company-1, believed to be TENET Media, has posted nearly 2,000 videos across platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and X, garnering over 16 million views on YouTube alone. The DOJ notes that while the content appeared to offer commentary on domestic issues, it was aligned with the Russian government's goal of weakening U.S. opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The defendants are also accused of deceiving two U.S.-based online commentators with large followings into producing content for U.S. Company-1 without disclosing RT’s involvement. The DOJ alleges that RT used a fictional persona named “Eduard Grigoriann” to conceal its role as the company’s true financial backer.
Within the indictment lies a troubling sequence involving directives from Elena Afanasyeva, alias "Helena Shudra," to manipulate content creation at U.S. Company-1, aiming to tailor videos to specific agendas. Notably, in early 2024, Afanasyeva orchestrated the creation of tailored content that included a video featuring a "well-known U.S. political commentator," who MeidasTouch can identify as Tucker Carlson, during an bizarre visit to a Russian grocery store in which Carlson said he was "radicalized" by how low the prices were in Moscow.
This particular piece was strategically circulated within U.S. Company-1’s Producer Discord Channel, prompting internal concerns among the staff about the overtly promotional nature of the content. Producer-I, a staff member at U.S. Company-1, expressed reservations about posting the video, describing it as “overt shilling.” Despite these concerns, the directive from the higher-ups was clear, with Founder-2 instructing to proceed with publishing the video to align with the broader influence campaign, underscoring the depth of control exerted over the content output to serve specific propagandistic purposes. This episode exemplifies the sophisticated methods employed by RT’s operatives to exploit the credibility of well-known U.S. figures to further their propaganda efforts under the guise of regular social media content.
The indictment underscores RT's ongoing efforts to continue its influence operations in Western countries, despite formal bans and sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. According to the DOJ, RT’s editor-in-chief boasted about creating an "empire of covert projects" to shape public opinion in the West.
Both Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva face charges of conspiracy to violate FARA, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The FBI is leading the investigation into the case, and authorities are actively seeking the whereabouts of the defendants. This case is part of a broader effort by the U.S. government to counter foreign malign influence operations aimed at undermining American democracy.
Read the full indictment here.
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