Having just been named an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal crime, Donald Trump, demonstrating that he’s not just a criminal but a moron, tells a rally in West Virginia about how his mother used to gestate poultry

Just imagine if Barack Obama’s campaign chairman, David Plouffe, had been found guilty of eight criminal counts in federal court. Now imagine that this wasn’t even the biggest story of the day, as someone else in the Obama White House had, at pretty much the exact same moment, plead guilty to a series of election-related felonies, naming Barack Obama an unindicted co-conspirator… Just imagine the uproar on the right at having an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal crime in the Oval Office… Well, all of that just happened to Donald Trump, and, as far as I can tell, not a single person in the Republican leadership has yet to say a ward.

Trump just had what might have been the worst day of his presidency so far, which, given what we’ve seen over the past two years, is saying a hell of a lot. His campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, was just found guilty of eight criminal charges, making him the sixth person convicted in the Mueller investigation, and, at pretty much the exact same time, a few hundred miles away, his personal attorney, Michael Cohen, pled guilty to eight charges, stating in court that, among other things, he’d acted at the direction of “the candidate” with the intention of influencing the election when he made arrangements to stop both adult film actress Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal from talking with the press about their affairs with Donald Trump. And it’s that last bit that’s the really huge deal, and the reason why the Cohen plea is getting more attention than the Manafort conviction.

While it’s certainly bad that one of the President’s closest associates (Manafort) was found guilty of five counts of tax fraud, three counts of bank fraud, and one count of failing to properly register a foreign bank account, it’s not quite as bad as being named an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal case, which is what just happened, making Trump the first president since Richard Nixon to face such a situation. And, as New York Times writer Maggie Haberman just stated on Twitter, it has people in the White House spooked. “Trump folks are worried about impeachment more than before,” Haberman said. “The thinking goes like this: this is something tangible, not a theoretical. And it didn’t come from Mueller. Does not mean it will happen, but this has moved to a different stage in their minds.”

As for what specifically Cohen said in court, he stated clearly that the payment to McDougal was made “in coordination with, and at the direction of, a candidate for federal office.” He then added that the payment was made “for the principal purpose of influencing the election.” With regard to the Daniels payment, he then said that it have also been made “in coordination with and at the direction of the same candidate,” and for the same reason… to influence the election.

So, again, Michael Cohen, the President’s fixer, not only plead guilty to tax fraud, having made several false statements to a bank, and numerous campaign finance violations, but he said that he did it on orders from Donald Trump himself. And, according to Cohen’s attorney, Lanny Davis, there may be more revelations to come. CNBC’s John Harwood is reporting this evening that Davis has “suggest(ed) strongly that his client has information for Mueller on Trump campaign collusion with Russia, and Trump’s knowledge of plans for Russian hacking before the hacking occurred.”

So, yeah, it’s kind of a shitty night for the President.

But all is not lost. Team Trump is testing the waters with a new defense. Here’s what Trump surrogate Alan Dershowitz had to say to the views of Fox News this evening, just after the news broke. “Every candidate violates the election laws when they run for president,” he said.

Oh, and lest it get lost in the shuffle, Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter has just been indicted for falsifying finance records and misusing a quarter-million dollars that were contributed to his campaign. Given this, and the fact that Republican Congressman Chris Collins was indicted last week for insider trading, we’re left with an interesting little factoid… It seems as though the first two members of Congress to endorse the Trump campaign, Hunter and Collins, are now headed to trial, facing serious corruption charges.

If you watch Fox News, I’m sure you think this is all a “rigged witch hunt,” but here are the facts as we know them at this very moment;
Donald Trump’s campaign manager, Donald Trump’s assistant campaign manager, Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor, and one of Donald Trump’s foreign policy advisors have all either plead guilty, or been found guilty, of felonies. And there’s no indication that things are winding down anytime soon.

Lastly, I’d just like to say that Cohen absolutely deserves everything that he’s going through right now. He’s a vile man who made his career bullying the less powerful men and women who ran afoul of Donald Trump, and it’s with great satisfaction that I’m watching all of this unfold right now. While there are any number of stories out there about people Cohen has done wrong by in his quest to protect Donald Trump, I’d like to take this opportunity to share the story of Clare O’Connor, a former Forbes writer who Cohen once threatened. Here’s what she had to say today, upon hearing news of Cohen’s guilty pleas… “Just taking a beat to remember the day three years ago when Michael Cohen told me he’d ‘ruin my life and take everything I have’ because I wrote about Macy’s dumping his then-employer’s sweatshop suit brand. You reap what you sow, you absolute monster.” Indeed.

And you can’t see this, but I’m raising a beer right now to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who once received the following from Michael Cohen. I know it’s probably little consolation, having lost the presidency to this criminal organization, but, damn, this has got to put a smile on her face… It must take all the self-control she can muster not to drop him a line, letting him know that his “room and board will be free!

One last thing… Donald “the very stable genius” Trump, while refusing to respond directly to the fact that he’d been named an unindicted co-conspirator, did have some incredibly thoughtful comments to share with his supporters in West Virginia this evening concerning the gestation of poultry.

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55 Comments

  1. Anonymous
    Posted August 21, 2018 at 10:04 pm | Permalink

    And the MAGA army met this news by chanting “lock her up” at the Trump rally in West Virginia. #unfuckingbelievable

    https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/1032049848181293057

  2. MAnon
    Posted August 21, 2018 at 10:12 pm | Permalink

    Rest easy, folks. This is all part of Trump’s master plan . As he told us, nothing is as it seems.

  3. stupid hick
    Posted August 21, 2018 at 11:00 pm | Permalink

    Don’t get too excited. You should leave your bubble and visit conservative web sites once in a while. Try 15 minutes per week. Here’s a representative comment, and my impression is 90% of Republicans agree:

    “I don’t care who, or how many whores Trump paid off, I don’t care how many campaign finance laws he’s broken….. because it’s like this, I hate you guys more, for trying so hard to make me think it matters one iota. “

  4. Frosted Flakes
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 3:40 am | Permalink

    I knew it all along.

    His guilt was obvious from the beginning.

    Trump colluded to win the election!!!

    He colluded with his own attorney.

    Thick as thieves, Trump and his attorney conspired to influence the election.

    There is more folks. I heard from a source that Trump’s own wife, who sounds sort of Russian when she talks (!), helped Trump, during the campaign, pick out flattering suits and ties for the debates, and key speeches, in multiple acts of collusion to influence American voters and thereby influence the election.

  5. John Galt
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 5:57 am | Permalink

    I told you all the President Trump would be vindicated! Finally, now that everyone in the Trump campaign is headed to prison, we have the resolution we’ve been waiting for!

  6. Lucky Pierre
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 6:01 am | Permalink

    And then of course there are fools like FF who are only half a wit smarter than HW.

  7. NYT
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 6:04 am | Permalink

    NYT editorial: “Only a complete fantasist — that is, only President Trump and his cult — could continue to claim that this investigation of foreign subversion of an American election is a “hoax” or “scam” or “rigged witch hunt.”

    I guess that makes a lot of you complete fanatasists.

  8. M
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 6:12 am | Permalink

    Meanwhile, in West Virginia, Donald Trump was talking about how long his mother would “gestate” their Thanksgiving turkey.

    https://twitter.com/bettybowers/status/1032064478282752000?s=21

    You elected a criminal and a fool, folks. It’s time to admit the obvious.

  9. M
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 6:24 am | Permalink

    Lindsey Graham has now weighed in, explaining his refusal to act.

    “The American legal system is working its will in both the #PaulManafort and #MichaelCohen cases.

    Thus far, there have yet to be any charges or convictions for colluding with the Russian government by any member of the Trump campaign in the 2016 election.”

  10. Eel
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 6:50 am | Permalink

    I’m sure that turkey gestation is code for something in the world of the Q.

  11. Frosted Flakes
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 7:02 am | Permalink

    Lucky,

    I don’t know if you are a genius or a fool. Your posts have never given any indication one way or the other.

    I do think it is looking more likely that Trump is guilty of campaign violations. I am not sure how that will play out. I do however, think it is crazy to believe that catching Trump only on campaign violations will lead to an epiphany on the part of Trump supporters that they made the wrong choice in voting for him. They will need proof of something much more incriminating than that, I think, to have a change of heart. If raiding Cohen’s office only shows crimes of misuse of campaign money, or poor accounting then I think it will only confirm Trump supporters already held belief that our justice system has a double standard that is designed to protect the Clintons and Washington elite.

    In my mind, we need to have a restored faith in the Justice system, as a country. Whatever is at the end of this moment in history, as events will unfold, I hope we get back to the point where Americans can begin to have a restored faith in the Justice system. That is the real prize for anyone except the corrupt fools—you know, those fools who think the prize is to crucify Trump by any means necessary.

  12. Ok then
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 8:00 am | Permalink

    Michael Cohen’s lawyer Lanny Davis to NPR this morning:

    “I know that Mr. Cohen would never accept a pardon from a man that he considers to be both corrupt and a dangerous person in the oval office… under no circumstances would he accept a pardon from Mr. Trump.”

  13. John Brown
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 8:34 am | Permalink

    Gestating turkeys? Isn’t that what he’s been doing to all these trumpist this whole time. Stick a fork in ’em, they’re done.

  14. Trump just tweeted
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 8:40 am | Permalink

    Donald J. Trump has responded.

    “If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen!”

    This is real.

    https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1032247043992023040

  15. Jean Henry
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 8:58 am | Permalink

    An old friend went to that WV rally. Drove 300 miles to get to it. He’s pumped. Hard core Trumpers are undeterred. They are all talking about a young white jogger in Iowa being killed by an illegal immigrant.

    I have little faith left that, even if indicted and convicted, his supporters will give a shit. He’ll just be a martyr to them, and we’ll have President Pence.

  16. Lynne
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 9:33 am | Permalink

    Yup. Trump supporters are scum of the earth and they will continue to support this criminal as long as he continues to appeal to their racism and sexism. Or will they? I guess we will see in the midterms.

  17. EOS
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 9:47 am | Permalink

    So Manafort was with the Trump campaign for 5 months and gets convicted of things done years before that had nothing to do with Trump.

    Trump’s lawyer, paid a woman who threatened to go public with information that was embarrassing to a married man. As frequently the case with the wealthy, it is easier to pay a person than deal with negative publicity. I imagine this wasn’t the first time Trump paid for something like this, but it was the first time he did so as a presidential candidate. A good lawyer would have advised his client not to do this. Instead Cohen arranged a nondisclosure agreement with Stormy Daniels for $130,000 and with Karen McDougal for $150,000. And Cohen declares that the primary reason for paying the women was to influence the outcome of the election? Gimme a break. Trump’s conquests with multiple hot women helped his image in the eyes of many. In addition, Cohen admitted guilt to tax evasion and misrepresentation to obtain loans, both of which had nothing to do with Trump.

    Nothing here is an impeachable offense. There is no collusion between Trump and Russia. Be quiet, sit tight, and wait for the indictments of the real crimes and collusion of the former administration. What Trump is guilty of pales in comparison. You know what they say about glass houses….

  18. John Brown
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 10:03 am | Permalink

    Freely giving classified info on mideast ops to Ruskies in the oval office would be plenty to impeach if the congress wasn’t also in pootins pocket. But we know that trumpist brains don’t work right and never will. Thats what makes this situation extremely volatile and why you remaining pacifist pansy ass libtards need to get gunned up. Thats something those trump and god addled brains can understand.

  19. Jcp2
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 10:09 am | Permalink

    So immorality is okay as long as the actions of the immortal support your Christian position. Got it.

    Also, the conspiracy for world domination and pedophilia resides in Q anon land. Newsflash, it’s not so secret. It’s the Church.

  20. M
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 10:22 am | Permalink

    You didn’t read closely enough, Jcp2. They weren’t just women, they were “hot” women. That’s the difference. Christianity’s Hot Clause.

  21. M
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 10:27 am | Permalink

    I have a question for you, EOS. With what degree of certainty can you tell me that, if these exact same things had happened under the Obama administration, you would be responding in the same way. I’d like some assurance from you that, had Obama cheated on his wife with a porn star, and a good number of the people in his campaign and administration either plead guilty to felonies, or been found guilty of having committed felonies, you would have responded in the same way.

  22. EOS
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 10:30 am | Permalink

    I never said immorality was OK. Just that I don’t think that not being Christian enough is an impeachable offense.

  23. EOS
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 10:34 am | Permalink

    I have been calling for the prosecution of a good number of people in the Obama administration for years. I think there are many who have done far worse than these two. But I don’t recall ever saying the Obama should be impeached for the crimes of others.

  24. lynne
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 10:44 am | Permalink

    As long as Trump continues to appoint judges who are keen to make women second class citizens and as long as Trump keeps pardoning rich white men and basically as long as Trump continues to support a racist patriarchal society, he will not lose support no matter how illegal the actions of his minions or how illegal his own actions are. That is just how it is.

    We are talking about a group of people who think that a woman seeking power is a bigger crime than breaking campaign finance rules as evidenced by the fact that they *still* are demanding that Hillary Clinton be locked up even though she committed no crimes even as they ignore convictions in the Trump camp.

  25. BrianB
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 10:57 am | Permalink

    She gestated a turkey in her womb and roasted it in a tanning bed. True story!

  26. Jim Monsoon
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 12:35 pm | Permalink

    EOS out of curiousity – what was your position on impeaching Bill Clinton?

  27. Lynne
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 2:35 pm | Permalink

    I am not the only one who sees this as Trump supporters seeing powerful women running for office as a bigger crime than powerful men covering up affairs.

    https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/08/what-trumps-supporters-think-of-corruption/568147/?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=the-atlantic-fb-test-312-4-&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_medium=social

  28. Jean Henry
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 8:17 pm | Permalink

    Senator Joseph McCarthy’s approval ratings were 46% at the beginning of the Senate hearings attempting to expose communists. By the end of 1954, when the press and most of his colleagues turned against him, they were still 36%.

    I’m not sure Trump’s levels of unqualified support should surprise us. He’s still unlikely to hold the house or win re-election.

  29. EOS
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 9:34 pm | Permalink

    https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/6zttea/joseph_mccarthy_was_right_all_along/

  30. Jcp2
    Posted August 22, 2018 at 10:00 pm | Permalink

    So when McCarthy was trying to identify people working with “commies” in the 1950s, it was bad to shut him down, but when Mueller is trying to identify people working with “commies” today, we should shut him down. Got it.

  31. Jean Henry
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 5:40 am | Permalink

    EOS now asserts that McCarthy was right. He was the victim of a witch hunt not the perpetrator.
    Awesome.
    I suppose we should expect no less from someone who thinks the Earth is 6000 years old and that a fetus is a person.

  32. stupid hick
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 7:13 am | Permalink

    Of course it makes sense, if your view is that liberals were the enemy trying to deliver our nation to the communists in the 50s, and it is liberals who are the enemy now who are unfairly trying to portray Trump as a communist collaborator, when it was actually Hillary who colluded with Russia. She gave away all our uranium to the commies. The Mueller witch hunt is just a deep state effort to cover for Hillary’s traitorous crimes and smear Trump as the commie-lover. Take the mic, EOS.

  33. Eel
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 8:10 am | Permalink

    I would give almost anything to go back in time and rewrite history so that news of an Obama affair with a porn star came out, just to see EOS’s reaction.

  34. The Situation Room
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 8:13 am | Permalink

    What evidence does Michael Cohen have that the President knew in advance of the controversial 2016 Trump Tower meeting?

    “At this juncture, I can only say that [Cohen] was present during a discussion with [Donald Trump Jr.] and [Trump],” Lanny Davis says.

  35. Max
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 8:39 am | Permalink

    I thought this was an interesting read about differing perceptions of corruption. I don’t expect anyone that currently supports Trump to be able to process this:

    https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/08/what-trumps-supporters-think-of-corruption/568147/

    This has probably been posted here before, but here’s a quote from Alexander Hamilton:

    The truth unquestionably is, that the only path to a subversion of the republican system of the Country is, by flattering the prejudices of the people, and exciting their jealousies and apprehensions, to throw affairs into confusion, and bring on civil commotion. Tired at length of anarchy, or want of government, they may take shelter in the arms of monarchy for repose and security.
    Those then, who resist a confirmation of public order, are the true Artificers of monarchy—not that this is the intention of the generality of them. Yet it would not be difficult to lay the finger upon some of their party who may justly be suspected. When a man unprincipled in private life desperate in his fortune, bold in his temper, possessed of considerable talents, having the advantage of military habits—despotic in his ordinary demeanour—known to have scoffed in private at the principles of liberty—when such a man is seen to mount the hobby horse of popularity—to join in the cry of danger to liberty—to take every opportunity of embarrassing the General Government & bringing it under suspicion—to flatter and fall in with all the non sense of the zealots of the day—It may justly be suspected that his object is to throw things into confusion that he may “ride the storm and direct the whirlwind.”

  36. EOS
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 8:46 am | Permalink

    It seems that SH is woke. The Democratic strategy is to accuse your opponent of doing the exact thing that you fear that you will be held accountable for. A year and a half of listening to MSM accuse Trump of collusion with Russia will wear down people’s tolerance to hear about Clinton’s collusion.

  37. EOS
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 8:52 am | Permalink

    https://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/obama-2008-campaign-fined-375000-085784

    Obama didn’t handle other people’s contributions correctly. Trump is accused of using his own money to influence the election – WHICH IS PERFECTLY LEGAL!

  38. EOS
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 9:02 am | Permalink

    Eel,

    Or if Kennedy had an affair with Marilyn Monroe?

  39. John Brown
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 9:03 am | Permalink

    EOS, get your head outta your ass. Your boy is a ruskie stooge who’s entire empire is propped up with laundered rubles. If you think a race or culture war is good for the country you are an accomplice to treason. Manaforts career specialty was subverting democracy for pootins interests. Nobody wins a civil war, but you holy rolling nut jobs will be easy to ID and target. You want that?
    https://www.snopes.com/news/2018/08/22/election-law-violations-compared-obama-2008-vs-trump-2016/

  40. EOS
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 9:11 am | Permalink

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2016/12/22/the-daily-mail-snopes-story-and-fact-checking-the-fact-checkers/#4b2bb14f227f

    John,
    You are the only person who has mentioned a civil war. It’s very out of place on this blog. I just have a point of view.

  41. John Brown
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 10:05 am | Permalink

    EOS, and this blog is the whole world after all. Did you not read Alexander Hamilton’s vision of a despot? Do you not think that millions of armed resistors will stand up to restore America from the despots minions? Guaranteed it will suck to be a minion at that point. You better hope the Trumpist in Congress reconsider their cost benefit analysis of supporting this Ruskie asset despot before it goes too far.

  42. Jean Henry
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 11:35 am | Permalink

    EOS used the term ‘woke.’

    I’m just gonna sit with that one for a minute…

    EOS definitaion of being an independent thinker is reaching for any possible explanation to confirm her narrative/belief system, no matter how far fetched.

    She has that in common with lots of people who refer to themselves as woke.

    Enlightenment is a journey not. Static state as implied by ‘woke.’ It involves seeing past ones own experience (no matter what that is) to understand the experience of others, especially those with whom one disagrees. ‘A person who claims to have reached enlightenment [aka to be woke’ ] has simply reached the limits of their vision, of their capacity for enlightenment’— roughly, the Buddha

  43. EOS
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 12:20 pm | Permalink

    No Jean,

    You don’t get to define my terms. “Getting woke is like being in the Matrix and taking the red pill. You get a sudden understanding of what’s really going on and find out you were wrong about much of what you understood to be truth.” Not a static state at all, but a continuous perception independent of the lies fed to the masses by MSM.

  44. John Brown
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 12:26 pm | Permalink

    Jean, ahh the Buddha. On the individual level I like the quaint self exploration and discipline encouraged by his teachings. But its still a ethnocentric religion, and currently the force behind the worst ongoing ethnic cleansing on the planet against the Rohingya in Myanmar. And a perfect example of how when the State is coopted by a one religious or ethnic identity there can be no expectation of peaceful coexistence for members of other faiths or ethnicities. This is exactly why these evangelical nut jobs power grab in the USA must be throttled once and for all.

  45. John Brown
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 12:29 pm | Permalink

    EOS, the Matrix is fantasy, just like the bible and god. There is no redpill, just viagra. Jean is right on the money in that truth is a journey and a struggle. Anyone who tells you theres an easy shortcut is lying and you are a sucker.

  46. EOS
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 12:37 pm | Permalink

    @ John,

    https://billygraham.org/decision-magazine/march-2014/the-fool-has-said-in-his-heart-there-is-no-god/

  47. Lynne
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 1:14 pm | Permalink

    Well duh, EOS. IF you were trying to create an institution to brainwash people, one of the first things you would do would be to convince them that anyone who doesn’t have the same faith is foolish. It is a technique designed to fool people and is not evidence of anything. I have seen as much evidence for gods as I have for leprechauns and fairies. Not believing in leprechauns and fairies is just as foolish as not believing in God.

  48. Lynne
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 1:24 pm | Permalink

    I do sometimes wish there was a god because I imagine from looking at American Christians that the way it works is that God holds MY values and punishes everyone who doesn’t. So Hell would be for those who would deny women the right to agency over their own bodies, those who would allow poverty to exist in the richest country in the world, those who would reject two people who love each other just because they are the same gender, etc. I mean, you get to pick and choose which bible verses you want, right? That Franklin Graham guy seems to take that approach for sure! It must be nice to believe in a fantasy that there is some supernatural being who is also an A-hole! I expect that other religions can be similarly perverted in any way folks want. *shrug*

  49. John Brown
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 1:27 pm | Permalink

    EOS and Lynne, and by extension, “if those fools don’t believe my version of god I can dehumanize them and kill them”. See christian vs muslim history and Buddhist killing Rohingya today.

    But back on topic, people love a good huckster, like Agent Orange, to pander to them. But that’s always a shitty choice for leader a multi cultural secular country. Unless you’re prepared to go full Rohingya on our asses, cause I refuse to live in a fantasy land theocracy.

  50. Concerned Michiganian
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 3:58 pm | Permalink

    Bernie would have won and we wouldn’t even be talking about campaign scandals or corruption! Hillary should have dropped out.

    #Sanders2020 #Shouldhavelockedherup

  51. Jean Henry
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 4:56 pm | Permalink

    Buddhism is a philosophy not a religion. It does not define a beginning or end to the universe and worships no god. It was in fact from inception open to all, not a particular class or nation of people. All that said, it is a cultural instiitution or set of institutions, always in flux with good and bad actors and the same assertions of power and dominance inherent to any such body, religious, spiritual or otherwise. Tribalism is a human failing not an exclusively religious one.

    I’m not Buddhist. I respect the teachings and the foundational idea that spirituality is discovered and enlivened through practice. I especially respect Buddhism’s skepticism of belief and belief systems. I’m that, it is separate from most other forms of spirituality.

    What is happening in Myanmar is not the fault of Buddhism. Our spiritual practices (any kind) are limited by our flawed humanity. I do not believe that a world without religion would be peaceful. But that’s a belief, so take it as you will. It seems humans are inclined to spirituality as a way to explain things. I don’t see the point in fighting that impulse. I personally take a great deal of spiritual satisfaction from agnosticism. It allows for an open ended exploration of ideas and promotes a sense of wonder.

  52. John Brown
    Posted August 23, 2018 at 5:56 pm | Permalink

    Jean, I’m not looking for a zen riddle. They have Monks in monasteries , supported by plebs, who then lead genocide on Muslims. Fits any functional definition of religious violence. In my book it stops being a philosophy when it kills people based on identity. Other ethnic Rahkine Myanmars are saying it’s the monks motivating the genocide. So they suck either way. I hope they come back as ground hogs on my block.

  53. Jean Henry
    Posted August 28, 2018 at 5:19 am | Permalink

    John Brown: that’s not a by-product of Buddhism or religion but if tribalism. If any identity that produces ethnic violence qualifies as religion, you better broaden your list of religions. My point stands . It’s not religion; it’s humans and especially humans in groups within institutions. Religion/spirituality should offer some remedy. It’s telling that it doesn’t do that very often.

  54. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 28, 2018 at 8:18 pm | Permalink

    Hahahaha, what’s going on?

    https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/lanny-davis-says-he-was-wrong-about-trump-tower-meeting-n904521

  55. Hyborian Warlord
    Posted August 28, 2018 at 8:31 pm | Permalink

    This FBI/DOJ shit is pretty fuckin’ SWEET!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvE7dNjR8iE&frags=pl%2Cwn

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