Libertarians are idiots.

[PetePierson]

Bottom post of the previous page:

All the so called social liberalism turned out to be nothing of the sort.

LP is the divorced dad's pipeline to the GOP. They've completely co-opted your economics, your protectionism, your neocofederate police state.

You're completely indistinguishable from the GOP save for the antisemites who oppose Israel for its Jewishness but love the whole ethno state thing.

Jill Stein didn't get the time of day yesterday either.

Divorced Dad Pipeline... that's good.

Seems to be serious consideration for Massise as Ag Sec & Rand will destroy Scott for Majority Leader, if he wants it.

Both men (especially Massie) have Libertarian leanings or some of us can align with them.

The younger Edge Lord Shit Posting imbeciles in the party are obviously into Tech & Crypto and most importantly, learning to hate the Fed.

LP Chair had a meeting with Trump & RFK. She also got both to show up at the convention.

There will never be a Libertarian president. But having influence, even a modicum is a huge win for the party.

[emby]

Jill Stein is a Russki stooge anyway.

It's why we'll never have a viable third party.

Because of Russia?

Not really.

My point is that third parties inevitably align with one of the two parties they've been plucking from in the first place.

[PetePierson]

It's why we'll never have a viable third party.

Because of Russia?

Not really.

My point is that third parties inevitably align with one of the two parties they've been plucking from in the first place.

Tough to grow a political party purely organically. Aren't we all looking for numbers?

[The Outsider]

Jill Stein is a Russki stooge anyway.

It's why we'll never have a viable third party.

Because of Russia?

Nah because of Jill Steins dusty old twat.

[The Outsider]

Jill Stein is a Russki stooge anyway.

And still received more votes than Chase.

I see you, Comrade. Response forthcoming.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gues ... in-n742696

It was a (red) star-studded affair, the December 2015 dinner celebrating the 10th birthday of Russian TV network RT. At a luxe Moscow hotel, President Vladimir Putin and a host of Russian luminaries toasted a state-backed news channel that U.S. intelligence calls a Kremlin mouthpiece.

And next to Putin at the head table, in the seat of honor, was an American. Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who would later become Donald Trump's national security adviser, was already advising Trump's presidential campaign when he was paid $45,000 to speak at the gala.

"It is not coincidence that Flynn was placed next to President Putin," said Michael McFaul, U.S. ambassador in Moscow from 2012 to 2014 and now an NBC News analyst. "Flynn was considered a close Trump adviser. Why else would they want him there?"

Flynn's Moscow jaunt, like his oddly timed phone chats with the Russian ambassador, has been well reported. But who else came to dinner on Dec. 10, 2015? An NBC News review of video and photos from the RT gala shows a healthy serving of ex-spies, cronies and oligarchs, with a side of friendly journalists and another American.

Flynn was one of 10 people at the head table, including the Kremlin's top leadership. Three of the Russians, including Putin, were under U.S. sanctions at the time for their role in Russia's annexation of Crimea.
Dmitry Peskov and Sergey Ivanov
Sergey Ivanov (right), then Putin's chief of staff, sat directly across the table from Flynn at the gala. To his left, is Putin's nominal spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, who U.S. officials say is really the Russian president's de facto national security adviser.RT

Sergey Ivanov, then Putin's chief of staff, sat directly across the table from Flynn. A former KGB general who at one point ran KGB operations in Africa, he has also served as Russian defense minister and deputy prime minister. Ivanov had been under U.S. and European sanctions for a year and a half by the date of the dinner.

Next to Ivanov was Dmitry Peskov, nominally Putin's spokesman, but more importantly his de facto national security adviser, say U.S. officials. Like almost everyone at the head table that night, he speaks perfect English.
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Flanking Putin on his right, two seats from Flynn, sat Alexey Gromov, Putin's deputy chief of staff. U.S. intelligence considers Gromov to be Putin's head propagandist. According to the January 6 Intelligence Community report on Russian interference in the U.S. election, "Gromov oversees political coverage on TV, and he has periodic meetings with media managers where he shares classified information and discusses their coverage plans."

He's also been accused by U.S. intelligence of "ordering media attacks on opposition figures." He has worked directly for the Russian president, first in the Press Office, then as press attache and, since 2008, as deputy chief of staff. He too was on U.S. and European sanctions the day of the dinner.
Margarita Simonyan
Margarita Simonyan is a personal friend of Putin, and worked in one of his presidential campaigns before being chosen to head RT. She took Putin's seat next to Flynn when Putin went to the stage to speak.RT

After Putin got up to make his speech, his place at Flynn's side was taken by Margarita Simonyan, RT's editor-in-chief. She is also editor-in-chief of Rossiya Segodnya, a state-owned and operated Russian news agency created by Putin. A personal friend of Putin, she worked in one of his presidential campaigns before being chosen by Gromov to head RT. The U.S. intelligence assessment of RT paints Simonyan as the lead person, along with Gromov, engaging in "information warfare" against U.S. policies. She is described as "closely tied to, controlled by the Kremlin."

In his dinner speech, Putin praised RT for its objectivity, disclaiming any influence on its coverage.

Next to Simonyan was the night's biggest global cultural celebrity, acclaimed director Emir Kusturica, who has twice won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Born a Muslim in Bosnia, he converted to Orthodox Christianity and is a Putin booster. Putin awarded him the Russian Order of Friendship in 2016. Of Putin, Kusturica once said, "If I was English, I would be very much against him. I was an American, I would even fight with him. But if I was Russian, I would vote for him."

Kusturica's wife, seated next to him, was the only spouse at the head table.

Also at the head table were three western politicians. Willy Wimmer, a former member of the German Bundestag who is often critical of U.S. foreign policy; Cyril Svoboda, former deputy prime minister, minister of foreign affairs, and interior minister of the Czech Republic, and two-time U.S. Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, the only American besides Flynn at the head table.
Willy Wimmer, Jill Stein
Willy Wimmer, left, is a former member of the German Bundestag who is often critical of U.S. foreign policy. Two-time U.S. Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was the only American besides Flynn at the head table.RT

Stein's 2016 campaign was heavily promoted by RT. She hasn't spoken much about the RT dinner, but in an interview with NBC News last fall, she deflected questions about her appearance, instead chastising the U.S. media for not paying attention to her campaign while RT gave it a lot more attention.

"And my own connection to RT, you know ironically, it takes a Russian television station to actually be open to independent candidates in this country and that is a shame. A shameful commentary on our own media," she told NBC's Alex Seitz-Wald.

(Stein did well enough to help Russia achieve its aims. Her vote totals in the crucial states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan were all greater than Clinton's margin of defeat, and arguably denied Clinton an Electoral College victory.)

Beyond the head table, Russia's oligarchs filled many of the seats.

Seated at a corner table was Mikhail Prokhorov, the owner of the Brooklyn Nets who ran against Putin as the designated liberal candidate in 2012 (and whose offices were raided by Russian security last April). Prokhorov is now on the outs with Putin. Next to him was Viktor Vekselberg, whose billions are in oil and aluminum and who is a business partner of Trump's Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and the owner of the world's largest collection of Faberge eggs.
Mikhail Prokhorov, the owner of the Brooklyn Nets
Mikhail Prokhorov, owner of the Brooklyn Nets, ran against against Vladimir Putin as the designated liberal candidate in 2012. To the right of Prokhorov is fellow billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, an oil and aluminum magnate who is a business partner of Trump's Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.RT

At the table behind Putin's was Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Communist Party ruler of the Soviet Union, along with Artur Chilingarov, polar explorer and federal senator. Nearby, there was Arkady Mamontov, a famous TV host who said that a massive meteor strike that injured nearly 1,500 people in 2013 was God's vengeance on Russia's gay rights movement.

There was Tina Kandelaki, a socialite and award-winning TV host who's appeared on the covers of the Russian versions of Playboy, InStyle, and Maxim — and ran an international marketing operation for the AK-47, calling it an instrument of peace.

Unable to attend in person was WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who formerly hosted his own show on RT. Instead, he appeared via satellite as host of one of the 10th anniversary event's seminars, where he lamented the end of privacy.
Tina Kandelaki has appeared on the covers of the Russian versions of Playboy, InStyle, and Maxim and ran an international marketing operation for the AK-47, calling the gun an instrument of peace.
Tina Kandelaki has appeared on the covers of the Russian versions of Playboy, InStyle, and Maxim and ran an international marketing operation for the AK-47, calling the gun an instrument of peace.RT
'A Great Learning Opportunity'

Flynn had already been a frequent guest on RT in the months prior to the dinner.

In an interview with Dana Priest of the Washington Post in August 2016, Flynn talked about why he accepted such a starring role. He said he didn't ask for it, that the Russians sat him next to Putin.

"I was one of the guests there. ... Some interesting characters. I found it a great learning opportunity. One of the things I learned was that Putin has no respect for the United States leadership. Not for the United States, but the leadership."

When Putin finished his speech that night, Flynn was among the first to leap to his feet and offer a standing ovation.

In the year following the dinner, RT was part of the Putin government's overt attempt to influence the U.S. election, according to the U.S. Intelligence Community. In the January 2017 report on Russian interference, the IC discussed the network's role at length.
Mikhail Gorbachev sat a table behind Putin's.
Mikhail Gorbachev sat a table behind Putin's.RT

"RT's criticism of the U.S. election," said the report, "was the latest facet of its broader and longer-standing anti-U.S. messaging likely aimed at undermining viewers' trust in U.S. democratic procedures and undercutting U.S. criticism of Russia's political system. RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan recently declared that the United States itself lacks democracy and that it has 'no moral right to teach the rest of the world.'"

Jill Stein declined an NBC News request for comment.

[The Outsider]

Bitch, you know I bring receipts.

[emby]

Because of Russia?

Not really.

My point is that third parties inevitably align with one of the two parties they've been plucking from in the first place.

Tough to grow a political party purely organically. Aren't we all looking for numbers?

And look what just happened. The third party aligned with one of the duopoly and became a constituency.

They were led right to where they were dying to go.

It's why the DSA is a nonstarter for the left. Upside for you is all you gotta do is play nice with the Jesus freaks and their genital mutilation rituals.

[The Outsider]

I say Biden kills em all and lets God sort em out. Lets get real 2002 up in this bitch.

[emby]

Five lurkers at 11 Eastern.

Over here living rent free in their heads.

[PetePierson]

Not really.

My point is that third parties inevitably align with one of the two parties they've been plucking from in the first place.

Tough to grow a political party purely organically. Aren't we all looking for numbers?

And look what just happened. The third party aligned with one of the duopoly and became a constituency.

They were led right to where they were dying to go.

It's why the DSA is a nonstarter for the left. Upside for you is all you gotta do is play nice with the Jesus freaks and their genital mutilation rituals.

Not sure I would go with gender mutilation rituals insults with either party.

I don't feel like I was led anywhere. And no one will be surprised when Trump doesn't keep his word.

Look how poorly Chase did compared to Johnson (who did very well for a Libertarian candidate) & Jorgenson in '20. All these numbers are small to everyone else but getting close to 5% of the national vote is enough for me.

Again, I don't expect an LP POTUS ever. But with elections being fairly close recently, it's enough to negotiate.

And youre fucking bananas if you don't think the LP will turn on Trump in a second and throw support to a Dem. Yeah, we have to be whores to have any sort of influence bc the system is so ranked against 3rd parties.

[emby]

Tough to grow a political party purely organically. Aren't we all looking for numbers?

And look what just happened. The third party aligned with one of the duopoly and became a constituency.

They were led right to where they were dying to go.

It's why the DSA is a nonstarter for the left. Upside for you is all you gotta do is play nice with the Jesus freaks and their genital mutilation rituals.

Not sure I would go with gender mutilation rituals insults with either party.

I don't feel like I was led anywhere. And no one will be surprised when Trump doesn't keep his word.

Look how poorly Chase did compared to Johnson (who did very well for a Libertarian candidate) & Jorgenson in '20. All these numbers are small to everyone else but getting close to 5% of the national vote is enough for me.

Again, I don't expect an LP POTUS ever. But with elections being fairly close recently, it's enough to negotiate.

And youre fucking bananas if you don't think the LP will turn on Trump in a second and throw support to a Dem. Yeah, we have to be whores to have any sort of influence bc the system is so ranked against 3rd parties.

That would most certainly be the day.


After gas goes back to $1.80 a gallon, Dems will be destroyed leaving an opening for people who are actually opposed to an authoritarian state.