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Rob Roy's avatar

Sounds most promising. I look forward to the program.

My question is: Why is the US so afraid of Israel; how did this happen, and will it change, and if so, how?

(Still trying to find The Russia house's 2nd episode. Can you help?)

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mrjest@fastmail.com's avatar

Part of the answer to your question is also part of the answer to Trump's religious devotion to Israel: $$$. AIPAC owns US Greater Middle East Policy and practices. They achieve that with every round of elections. They pay their lobbyists to bribe the peeps in both houses of congress, both parties, to write the legislation AIPAC demands, and Israel gets. Guess who is the US's greatest enemy right now?!

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Rob Roy's avatar

Mrjest, actually I know that, but farther back is the origin. I think we've been trained by the Holocaust pushed on us endlessly by the Jews to convince us they are always persecuted. I simply don't understand the lack of a moral core in people that rejects the power they have on our government and refuses to say the words, "It's a genocide and we must stop it." One prominent Jew yesterday actually said, "We (Jews) are the masters of the universe." His audience loved it, and agreed. Crazy.

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Pete's avatar

Jews, with rare exception, will always love this kind of talk even if they're not vocal. Secondly, Mrjests comment about $$$ is sickeningly valid.

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Linda Juergensen's avatar

I heard that too. Was the audience Jew, the uninformed, or religious believers of it?

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Vera Scroggins's avatar

Thanks for this focus. Look forward to your offerings. Peace.

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mrjest@fastmail.com's avatar

I am delighted seeing the launch of this project! Thank you both for doing so. And in the ancient spirit of democratic dialogue I must make some observations from the outset. These comments are directly aimed (i. e. baised) in favor of keeping the dialogue as honest and clear and relevant as possible.

This is not even possible:

"assesses the policies of the Trump administration with a critical, unbiased lens."

Any discussion of anything, no matter how critical or otherwise, can only happen when certain biases are precisely what is being discussed as well as the bounds of that discussion. That very quote indicated the biases behind the project: "assesses the policies of Trump, etc."

The subsequent statements copied below here also further described the biases guiding the Trump Watch's own policies!

"In planning Trump Watch with Scott Ritter, I thought carefully about what format would best empower a citizen viewer with the knowledge and information necessary to hold their elected representatives, including the President of the United States, to account for what is being done in their name. I came up with four basis categories around which an inquiry into a specific policy topic could be made."

And thank heavens these biases are articulated! It makes it easier for readers/listeners to both grasp what we are in for and also sets some parameters or rails on the deliberations. This is about as good a democracy as anyone can appreciate, well, anyone but a pair of romantic lovers.

Please keep up the fine work, gentlemen! Let's continue making democracy great again! We know we can, b/c peeps have been doing so for thousands of years! Our most pernicious challenges will soon enough become even more obvious than is the present's blovaiator in chief.

I mean the US Democratic Party. No organiztion on the planet has devoted some two hundred years to killing democracy wherever it shows it's pretty little mouths than has the US Democratic Party! I know, because I was inside that party for decades, until the revelation became obvious! We should insist upon calling them the "Kleptocratic Oligarchs Useful Idiot Party!"

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Jozseph Schultz's avatar

Hoping there will be a transcript

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Bernard Cleyet's avatar

Yes, I’m deaf.

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David 1260's avatar

I've noticed that, in these times of Trump, intense TDS has resulted in people having the fixed idea Orange Man Bad--Nothing good could possibly come from there. Alternatively, MAGA positions are equally fixed. I find these black and white positions to be grossly inadequate. As a MAHA former Progressive, I myself very much approve of some of what Trump is doing, but oppose the classic Republican efforts, such as tax cuts and neutering the NLRB and CFPB. It's a confusing mixed bag. Your plan, Scott, seems to be the operationalization of what try to I do internally. Very much needed! Wishing you success!

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T Kosse's avatar

Just subscribed. Looking forward to it.

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Linda Juergensen's avatar

We are looking forward to your new podcast. You have done amazing work. Thanks

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