Dude’s totally right. So I’m thinking, Harris will continue to get a pass on getting Ukrainians slaughtered, refusing to send the aid that was passed by Congress months ago, lying constantly about what’s happening, making deals with Russia to prevent Ukraine from winning, and so on.
Trump won’t be able to do it, whether he wants to or not. So then, why shouldn’t we vote for him? His accountability will be much higher simply because the press hates him.
The only president who was worse for Ukraine than Biden was Obama. Harris is a mix between those two, so there’s no reason to hope for anything better.
This deserves serious consideration.
Clarissa's Blog 
I had no doubts you would be able to convince yourself of that.
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Nobody on the other side is even trying to make an argument. I’m open to an argument. Very open. I’ll continue to be open. At this point, it’s just simple curiosity. Is there anything beyond feeling aggrieved on the other side?
You, for example, didn’t arrive with an interesting counter-argument. Other than the “I knew it!”, there’s nothing.
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I mean, is this not enough of an argument? https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/29/trump-russia-asset-claims-former-kgb-spy-new-book
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It’s not an argument. It’s gossip. Ask yourself, with everything you know about Trump, what’s the likelihood he’ll follow anything but his own whims in the decisions he makes? Does he look like a person capable of carrying out a consistent plan for 40 years? Dude doesn’t remember or care what he said 40 hours ago.
This is some sort of a perverted hero worship of Trump that ascribes to him qualities he clearly doesn’t possess.
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The argument is that he is an easily manipulable narcissist, and Putin knows it only too well and would be delighted to have a pawn in that particular seat. What “hero worship” do you speak of?
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Putin is an idiot. He can barely manipulate himself to pee into the toilet and not sideways. The idea that he can manipulate anybody, let alone someone as self-involved as Trump is childish.
Why are we wasting our time on this childishness?
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And yet he’s managed to hold on to power for 25 years
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Franco was in power for 36 years. And he was very dumb.
Brezhnev was the SecGen for, what, 18 years? And he could barely speak, he was so unwell for much of it.
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To me the idea that self-involved people *cannot* be manipulated is childish.
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Having a little trouble finding the ideal “reply” space.
So I would say this is what Putin gets–it’s a little absurd and abstract, but it’s the appearance of playing, and the appearance of superiority. Politics by rumor, I guess:
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/putin-didnt-have-to-push-the-kremlins-narrative-trump-did-it-for-him/
I don’t deny he’s getting much of what he wants from Biden and probably will from Harris. But with Trump, it’s maximum reward with minimum effort.
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More than 50 dead in Poltava today. A 14-year-old girl decapitated in Kharkiv on the weekend.
I’d take appearance of pretty much anything over this. Honestly, who cares about “narratives” or who said what to whom in the face of what’s happening?
Before the other side perks up too much: Russia’s war against Ukraine was ongoing during the entire Trump presidency. Trump did nothing to end it. Like he did nothing about Fauci, BLM, and anchor babies.
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I’m pretty sure the discussion between you and Clarissa is in the wrong tense. Putin, unable to control his urine stream though he might be, has already had four fruitful years of playing Trump–he’s shown that he can do it. Maybe if Putin were smarter he could have wreaked more havoc, but I’m sure he got plenty of jollies from the chaos he sowed simply by complimenting Trump and Trump saying sweet things back.
It’s too bad the Democrats didn’t take more advantage of Trump’s vulnerability to compliments–Schumer and Pelosi pulled it off once, but then they were too pleased with themselves. If you’re going to use a suck-up strategy, you have to keep it going tirelessly, something that seems to be within Putin’s skillset.
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How is it “playing Trump” when Trump was the first to sign off on sending lethal weapons to Ukraine (which Obama refused to do in spite of the congressional mandate) and stopped the construction of Nordstream 2? Which Biden authorized immediately and we are all seeing the results.
What exactly did Putin get out of Trump that he didn’t get out of Obama and Biden?
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Well, yes, but…
Trump did sign off on the lethal weapons, with restrictions that they be stored in Western Ukraine. He also used the threat of withholding aid in order to get dirt on Biden. Chaos, then impeachment.
As for “stopping” Nord Stream 2?… Eh… slowed it down a bit, perhaps. It was already 90% complete when it was “stopped,” and construction resumed while Trump was still in office. Plus uproar from EU and Germany–more chaos. (Also, only Germany can make the pipeline operational.)
You’ve noted that Putin thrives on chaos. That’s the great thing about Trump, if you’re an expert suck-up. You don’t even have to “play” him–just say some nice things about him and let him go–he’s a resource more reliable than sun or wind.
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Still, what did Putin get out of Trump? Specifically, what did he get? Compared to the mountain of kindnesses he got from Obama and Biden, there’s quite literally nothing.
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Exactly. There’s nothing.
Now let’s imagine Trump was in office during the annexation of the Crimea, the invasion of Donbass, the invasion of February 2022, etc. Ukraine bombed daily while the President of the US forbids strikes on Russian airfields. If this was Trump, everybody would say, “Ah, here’s evidence that he’s a Russian asset.” But it’s not happening during Trump. So where does the defect lie if not in the interpretation?
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Did you guys miss the part where somebody blew the Nordstream up in 2022?..
Also, Putin may or may not be dumb, but there are a lot of things happening in Russia (or things done outside by Russian intelligence) that have not been directly ordered by him. He is just a human, he cannot manage everything himself.
v07
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We didn’t miss but how is it connected?
I talk about why I don’t use the expression “Russian imperialism” in the last 10 minutes of the video I posted today. It was inspired by your question. I didn’t mention you by name, so no worries. 🙂
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The likelihood that Trump would be somehow made to give Ukraine more support than it’s currently getting because of press scrutiny is 0.000001%.
Trump constantly received press scrutiny and negative feedback on his unpopular decisions during his first term. That didn’t make him change his mind.
If Trump comes to power, he will make lots more unpopular decisions on domestic issues that journalists will focus on instead of Ukraine, and that will also be more important to voters than Ukraine.
Trump picked JD Vance knowing his position on Ukraine. Donald Jr openly indicates their position on Ukraine. Trump has expressed nothing but admiration for Russia and Putin, including at the beginning of the invasion of 2022.
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Trump likes winning. This is a major win, just lying there, waiting to be picked up. A win that would cost nothing. Zero effort. Why would he say no? Of course, he’s capricious and unpredictable. And very self-defeating. He might snooze and lose yet again.
But there’s still a chance he won’t. Biden said a decisive “no” today. Trump never did. I agree it’s a very small chance. More than zero, though.
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But yeah, I don’t know. We have a choice between bad and worse, and it’s hard to guess which is somewhat worse.
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I agree that ending the war in Ukraine successfully is theoretically a big foreign policy win for whatever presidential administration is in power in the USA.
But bringing peace by no longer sending money to the corrupt Kyiv regime is also a huge win.
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Nobody sends any money to any regime, so you can unclench forthwith.
I feel compassion for the low-IQ folks but not when you get too boisterous.
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I’m saying that not all Americans view Ukraine beating Russia as a win. Many believe in conspiracy theories about Zelensky’s wife buying a luxury car with the money intended for the war. They bring up Ukraine as something Biden cares more about than the USA.
Most Americans do see the war ending as a win. So Trump can pull all support for Ukraine to force it to negotiate with Russia and give up territories for peace. This will be presented as him ending the war and saving American taxpayers’ money. He would probably say something about his goal being to strengthen NATO by forcing European countries to rely on themselves instead of the USA, and people would buy that as well.
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That’s not a terrible scenario because if this happens, Putin will do something soon enough to show up Trump as an idiot, breaking every promise in some egregious way. Then Trump would get angry and act because he doesn’t like humiliation.
Yesterday Poltava was bombed, 53 dead. Today, Lviv was bombed, 7 dead. You understand how 4 more years of this is unsustainable.
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As for what people believe, they’ll believe what they are told. Yesterday Tucker told them that the US and the UK are the evildoers of WWII, and they are cheering it on. Most people are like that. Stupid, uneducated, incurious.
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I don’t think Putin will humiliate Trump personally. He may humiliate the collective West while praising Trump. And since people will believe anything, like you said, whatever he does will be spun by the media as OK, and look, did you see how many billions we have saved that we can use to help Americans instead of paying for Zelensky’s ministers’ yachts?
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I’m not saying Putin will humiliate Trump with words. You are very stuck on words. What I’m saying Putin will do is bomb a kindergarten three minutes after signing a peace agreement. Like he already did dozens of times.
You are also forgetting that the media are not on Trump’s side. 96% of journalists vote D. Let’s remain grounded in reality, hard as it might be for some.
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Not a real priority ideally. Normal politics domestic concerns trump foreign involvements. In an unstable government/society tin foil hat leaders make “bold” foreign policy war decisions to placate their own hostile distrust the People feel toward their government elite thieves & crooks.
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It’s a real priority for me, the author of the post.
What is it with people telling me what I should or shouldn’t care about?
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Did not intend to offend you. Only stated that unstable governments tend to prioritize foreign issues. Did not intend to attack your opinion on a tactical issue.
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Sorry, I’m hopped up on adrenaline because of my impending YouTube appearance. I know you mean nothing bad.
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Best of success
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Can we say that Jewish revisionist history/replacement theology is an utter abomination on the order of the Av Tumah Avoda Zarah 2nd Sinai Commandment?
The commandment to avoid adopting the customs of non-Jews (Goyim) underscores a commitment to maintaining the unique identity of the Jewish people, as the chosen Cohen Nation. This perspective argues that incorporating external philosophies, like those expressed by Plato and Aristotle, could dilute or distort the essence of Jewish teachings.
The emergence of Kabbalistic thought, particularly with texts like the Zohar and teachings from figures like the Ari (Isaac Luria), marked a shift towards more mystical interpretations of Judaism. This was not universally accepted and led to significant debates within the Jewish community. The rise of figures like Sabbatai Zevi and Jacob Frank, who claimed messianic status, illustrates the potential dangers of mystical interpretations when taken to extremes. Their movements often challenged traditional Jewish beliefs and practices, leading to schisms and the development of new movements, including Reform Judaism.
Reform Judaism emerged partly as a reaction to the mysticism and rigidities of Rambam/Shulkan Aruch statute law robotic ritual Judaism as a religion. This perversion of Sanhedrin courtroom common law legalsim aimed, like as does Reform Judaism theology, to modernize Jewish practices and belief. The switch to Roman statute law reflects a broader struggle within Judaism to balance “tradition” with modern contemporary values. The tension between mystical interpretations and traditional practices has likewise also shaped the evolution of Jewish identity and community. Engaging with these historical narratives can deepen understanding of contemporary Jewish movements and their roots.
The influence of Greek rationalism and the distinction between it and later Kabbalistic mystical theological interpretations – Day and Night – different from one another. Maimonides and other prominent Jewish thinkers of the medieval period indeed embraced Greek rationalism, prioritizing logical analysis and philosophical inquiry. This approach often emphasized Greek logic parameters over, above, and in point of fact replaced, the Common law logic taught by Rabbi Akiva’s PARDES logic format.
The stark contrast between earlier Kabbalistic teachings of rabbi Akiva’s PARDES logic explanation of Oral Torah and the later mystical interpretations that emerged during the medieval period, particularly in relation to the influence of Greek rationalism, produced an Earth-quake-like destruction. Maimonides and other medieval thinkers indeed prioritized Greek rationalism, often placing philosophical inquiry above traditional Jewish teachings. This shift can be seen as a departure from the Common Law logic that Rabbi Akiva emphasized through his Pardes framework, replaced with Roman statue law organized based upon Greek logic and a simplified religious halachic rigid/static parameters.
Significant, but subtle shifts in Jewish thought and practice, particularly regarding the influence of Greek rationalism and its impact on later mystic Kabbalistic teachings. Earlier Kabbalistic teachings, such as those attributed to Rabbi Akiva, focused on ethical and rational interpretations of the Torah. In contrast, later mystical interpretations, particularly those found in the Zohar and other medieval texts, often embraced more abstract and esoteric ideas, which can seem disconnected from the foundational principles of Jewish law.
Maimonides and his contemporaries integrated Greek philosophical concepts into Jewish thought, prioritizing Greek rational inquiry. This integration often led to a framework that emphasized philosophical reasoning over the traditional interpretive methods that Rabbi Akiva promoted. The Pardes method of interpretation seeks to balance various layers of understanding within both the T’NaCH and Talmudic texts. Rooted in Jewish legal and ethical traditions which prioritize the faith of the rigorous pursuit of judicial common law imposed justice which makes a fair compensation of damages inflicted by party A upon party B. The shift towards Greek rationalism and Roman statute religious law, a clear departure from this justice approach; which emphasizes judicial reasoning based on precedents and ethical considerations and not religious ritualism/dogmatism. Simple fact: Judicial courts of law. It simply does not compare to religious theological belief systems which preach a dogma of how to believe in the Gods.
This article seeks to articulate a critical evaluation of the shifts in Jewish thought, especially concerning the impact of Greek rationalism and the evolution of ancient prophetic mussar & משנה תורה common law with the much later mystic Kabbalistic teachings viewed in comparison to the rational Greek logic which dominated the rabbis during the Golden Age of Spain.
Title: The Evolution of Jewish Thought: From Ancient Prophetic Mussar to Greek Rationalism and Mystic Kabbalah.
The significance of the Golden Age of Spain as a period where Greek philosophical revolutionary ideas intersected and overthrew Jewish legal and ethical traditions. The Primary priority concept of prophetic mussar as a foundation for ethical behavior and personal conduct expressed by and through Talmudic common law.
The Golden Age of Spain served as a pivotal period in Jewish history, where Greek philosophical revolutionary ideas significantly influenced Jewish legal and ethical traditions. Much like the Industrial revolution overthrew and replaced feudal agricultural based economies in the 19th and 20th Centuries. This era marks a transformation in Jewish thought, shifting from the foundational principles of prophetic mussar to the rationalist frameworks introduced by Greek philosophy. Understanding this evolution utterly crucial for appreciating the complexities of Jewish ethics and law.
The Golden Age of Spain (8th to 12th centuries) was characterized by cultural and intellectual Jewish avoda zara among all g’lut Jewish communities, not just limited to Spain. This period witnessed tumah pollination of Goyim cultures and ideas which infected and dominated, something like a cancer, Jewish scholars and their Muslim and Christian counterparts. Goyim often refer to this shift as the Dark Ages as opposed to the Renaissance.
This Era represents a transformation in Jewish thought, shifting from the foundational principles of prophetic mussar, which both defines and interprets the “k’vanna” of Talmudic and Midrashic Aggadah. The Era defiled and raped the virgin daughter of Zion (T’NaCH and Talmudic common law) with the tumah Greek rationalist frameworks introduced by Plato’s and Aristotle’s philosophy, which first introduced its revolution in the Hanukkah Civil War. This shift raises important questions about the integrity and essence of Jewish ethics and law.
Prophetic mussar serves as a guiding force in Jewish ethics, emphasizing mussar dedicated social behavior by which a Jew conducts himself with both his family and his community. Utterly integral to understanding the “k’vanna” of the Av commandment tohor time oriented commandments and the relationship of this most essential and important type of Torah commandment to both the positive and negative secondary commandments found in the Books of שמות, ויקרא, ובמדבר; and also with Talmudic halachot potentially observed as equal tohor time oriented commandments from the Torah itself! The B’HaG teaches this critical idea of tohor time oriented commandments possessing the תמיד מעשה בראשית power to raise rabbinic halachot to דאורייתא commandments.
Prophetic mussar emphasizes ethical social behavior and the responsibilities a Jew has towards family and community. It serves as a moral compass that guides personal conduct in all aspects of life. This ethical framework, integral to understanding the “k’vanna” of this Av commandment, particularly in relation to all other Av time-oriented commandments. These commandments highlight the importance of intention and mindfulness in fulfilling one’s social obligations. Based upon the Torah precedent: Love your neighbour as yourself.
This ethical framework simply integral to understanding the “k’vanna” of these Av commandments, particularly in relation to all time-oriented commandments, both from the Torah and from the Talmud. These commandments underscore the importance of intention and mindfulness in fulfilling one’s social obligations. The relationship between Primary time-oriented commandments and Secondary positive and negative commandments, or rabbinic halachot underscores the Primary/Secondary roles of the time oriented Book of בראשית, contrasted by the Positive and Negative commandment addressed in the next three Books of the Written Torah, and the rabbinic halachot throughout the Talmud.
Prophetic mussar common law which requires the wisdom to know how to compare a sugya of prophetic mussar with other but different sugyot of prophetic mussar; compares to the Talmudic common law whose PARDES logic compares Case/Din halachot with other but different Case/Din halachot in order to re-interpret the diamond like facets of the language employed in any particular Mishna.
Tohor time oriented commandments, they define the whole of the Book of Bereshit (Genesis), these Primary commandments serve and establish a foundational תמיד מעשה בראשית tone of Jewish life as expressed through the Siddur/the mitzva of tefillah. Tohor time oriented commandments emphasize the wisdom of public leadership during a national life and death crisis, such as facing a far more powerful and numerous enemy army. As did Yaacov when he confronted Esau’s 400 Officer lead army.
This Av/toldoth relationship which defines tohor time oriented commandments with positive and negative commandments in the Torah AND halachot in the Talmud defines the revelation of the Oral Torah at Horev. It illustrates how the foundational principles laid out in the Written Torah are expanded and interpreted through the Oral Torah, creating a dynamic legal and ethical framework.
The relationship between primary time-oriented commandments and secondary commandments highlights their distinct yet interconnected roles, reinforcing the importance of k’vanna in Jewish practice, observance of both Torah commandments and Halachic ritual Judaism. This relationship underscores the significance of the revelation of the Oral Torah at Horev (Mount Sinai), illustrating how foundational principles laid out in the Written Torah, expanded and interpreted; through which the Oral Talmudic halachic Torah refutes and negates the Reform blood libel slander which declared that Halachic Judaism applied only in a dead by-gone Age.
This dynamic interplay illustrates that Halachic Judaism remains a living tradition, continuously evolving while rooted in the foundational teachings of the Torah. The B’HaG (Baalei HaGadah) teaches that tohor time-oriented commandments possess the power to elevate rabbinic halachot to the status of דאורייתא (divine commandments). This underscores the significance of these commandments within the broader framework of Jewish law.
The integration of revolutionary Greek philosophical ideas during the Golden Age led to a significant departure from these foundational principles. Philosophers like Plato and Aristotle introduced frameworks that, while intellectually rich, often deflected attention from the ethical imperatives of prophetic mussar instruction. This revolutionary philosophical tuma shift unto avoda zarah, viewed as the defilement of earlier teachings, as it prioritized abstract reasoning over the ethical and moral dimensions central to Jewish law. Assimilation to revolutionary Greek philosophy directly compares to the Sin of the Golden Calf.
The transformation during the Golden Age of Spain illustrates the complex interplay between prophetic mussar and Greek rationalism. By recognizing the challenges posed by cultural and philosophical influences, we can better understand the evolution of Jewish thought and its implications for modern identity and practice. This historical context remains essential for engaging with the foundational principles of Judaism today.
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Per Lichtman’s 13 Keys to the White House, Biden needs a decisive win in Ukraine to help Harris to be elected. The fact that Biden prefers a Trump victory than a strong win in Ukraine is baffling.
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I’d like to believe it but people are such lemmings. They’ll vote for Harris because they heard she’s wonderful on social media.
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