This is a tough question. On conservative sites and comment areas there does not appear to be much critical thinking about Donald Trump and Russia? Consider too his close association with other autocrats. There are many conservative sites, institutions, think tanks, and most are quiet and uncritical today. Why? Imagine President Obama cosying up to autocrats for a moment. Russell Kirk, Ronald Reagan, and William F. Buckley Jr. must be turning over in their graves.

Is it selling your soul to the devil, something mom would always tell us when we appeared to ignore our values or our religious tenets. What does it profit an American conservative to gain a few judges, but ignore the values our country were formed on? And what does it mean when we lose empathy and consideration for immigrant children in need? Two of Trump's wives are immigrants and many of us are third or fourth generation immigrants. Even Black Conservatives praise a president whose past is fulled with racist behaviors?

That religious Christian Conservatives praise him given his treatment of children at our border must astound any religious person. And over the weekend in Japan, President Trump appeared to choose trade over national security. Several conservatives have and do criticize this administration but their voices are muted by the seer cacophony of noise and gaslighting coming from this administration. Bill Kristol, Steve Schmidt, Max Boot, Charlie Sykes, Michael Medved, David Frum and other conservatives have spoken up, did anyone hear. When you mention this suddenly these conservative voices are no longer conservative. Is being a conservative being a Trump cheerleader?

Donald Trump is not a conservative so why the adulation and blind following by conservatives? Historians and social critics ask this question often as they look back at history, Americans can answer the question for themselves today, and if they are honest they will surely puzzle over how and why.

Reading recommendations: 

'On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century'  by Timothy Snyder

'The Making of Donald Trump' by David Cay Johnston 

Quote from: lecarrjan on July 03, 2019, 05:48:13 AM
This is a tough question. On conservative sites and comment areas there does not appear to be much critical thinking about Donald Trump and Russia? Consider too his close association with other autocrats. There are many conservative sites, institutions, think tanks, and most are quiet and uncritical today. Why? Imagine President Obama cosying up to autocrats for a moment. Russell Kirk, Ronald Reagan, and William F. Buckley Jr. must be turning over in their graves.

Is it selling your soul to the devil, something mom would always tell us when we appeared to ignore our values or our religious tenets. What does it profit an American conservative to gain a few judges, but ignore the values our country were formed on? And what does it mean when we lose empathy and consideration for immigrant children in need? Two of Trump's wives are immigrants and many of us are third or fourth generation immigrants. Even Black Conservatives praise a president whose past is fulled with racist behaviors?

That religious Christian Conservatives praise him given his treatment of children at our border must astound any religious person. And over the weekend in Japan, President Trump appeared to choose trade over national security. Several conservatives have and do criticize this administration but their voices are muted by the seer cacophony of noise and gaslighting coming from this administration. Bill Kristol, Steve Schmidt, Max Boot, Charlie Sykes, Michael Medved, David Frum and other conservatives have spoken up, did anyone hear. When you mention this suddenly these conservative voices are no longer conservative. Is being a conservative being a Trump cheerleader?

Donald Trump is not a conservative so why the adulation and blind following by conservatives? Historians and social critics ask this question often as they look back at history, Americans can answer the question for themselves today, and if they are honest they will surely puzzle over how and why.

Reading recommendations: 

'On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century'  by Timothy Snyder

'The Making of Donald Trump' by David Cay Johnston

To be blunt? Your ignorance blinds you to the reality of the world around you. For decades the war machine has cultivated and groomed the people to believe in a fixed set of enemies.
Now we have a POTUS that was neither groomed by the Military complex or Marxists, he is his own man, he sees the world for what it is and the evil that pulls the strings from below the stage.
If I could just get you, for once, to open your eyes and quit being a damned gullible sheep and look at the world without blinders, you might see that only a handful of people hold the worlds wealth/media, how they manipulate your every waking moment with a barrage of leftist propaganda via their media, you so willingly lap up, and left begging for more to enforce their opinion, not your own, but the opinion and conclusion they want you to come to is not your own.

Trump is breaking their grip on society, he calls out their fake media, exposes their agenda, disrupts their monopoly on everything, yet you follow along like a good little tool of resistance.
You libs are always in demand of change, and now it is finally here, for the better, you haven't the cognitive ability to grasp the real change taking place, a change that gives power back to the people instead of the govt.
For decades we were in a fight with Communism, that was the norm, then Reagan came along and knew this linger threat of nuclear holocaust needed to end, he was the first to disrupt the war machine, so the Marxists needed to scramble, he had disrupted everything.
They needed a new villain, Russia is no longer a threat, in fact, there is no reason it can't become an ally, same with the M/E and the Saudi Prince, Trump is restructuring the world, stealing NK from the Chinese as a weapon, upending China's 100 year plan of global domination, cornering Iran and the list goes on.

What Trump is doing is putting the world players on notice that the US will not roll over and die a slow death, that we are just as strong, if not stronger than we've ever been and plan on taking that lead back, the world better get in line.
And you have a problem with that?
I could go on and on, but I just wanted you to see the perspective from the right, because the left has failed miserably, now it is our turn to clean up your mess.

Think about it, why have you concluded that the greatest Nation in history is somehow evil and needs to be brought to its knees? If you're in a boat race, why would you sabotage it to help the other guy win?
Is this that disease liberals have called Guilt?

You do understand lecarrjan is just a pathetic liberal troll?

Quote from: lecarrjan on July 03, 2019, 05:48:13 AM
This is a tough question. On conservative sites and comment areas there does not appear to be much critical thinking about Donald Trump and Russia?

You're right.  There's also not a lot of critical thinking about unicorns and other fables.

Quote
Consider too his close association with other autocrats.

Like who?  There was that one person he's very close with from that area of the world, but he ended up marrying her.  Other than that, you're just a liar.

Quote
There are many conservative sites, institutions, think tanks, and most are quiet and uncritical today. Why?

Because there's nothing to be critical of, nor can you specify anything.  That's why you, and people who parrot lies like you, look silly.

Quote
Imagine President Obama cosying up to autocrats for a moment.

OK. Let me close my eyes and imagine...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNxEDomUlXw

Quote
Russell Kirk, Ronald Reagan, and William F. Buckley Jr. must be turning over in their graves.

They are.  You guys have really screwed up the country. That's OK because Trump is fixing it.

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Is it selling your soul to the devil, something mom would always tell us when we appeared to ignore our values or our religious tenets. What does it profit an American conservative to gain a few judges, but ignore the values our country were formed on? And what does it mean when we lose empathy and consideration for immigrant children in need? Two of Trump's wives are immigrants and many of us are third or fourth generation immigrants. Even Black Conservatives praise a president whose past is fulled with racist behaviors?

You have to understand, the reason why everyone laughs at you is because you say stupid things without any shred of evidence.

Quote
That religious Christian Conservatives praise him given his treatment of children at our border must astound any religious person.

He treats them good.  Why would Christians have a problem with treating kids good?

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And over the weekend in Japan, President Trump appeared to choose trade over national security.

No he didn't.

Quote
Several conservatives have and do criticize this administration but their voices are muted by the seer cacophony of noise and gaslighting coming from this administration. Bill Kristol, Steve Schmidt, Max Boot, Charlie Sykes, Michael Medved, David Frum and other conservatives have spoken up, did anyone hear.

They aren't conservatives, and like you, parrot lies about what happened at the G20.

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When you mention this suddenly these conservative voices are no longer conservative. Is being a conservative being a Trump cheerleader?

Being pro-American is not being a cheerleader for anyone.  It just happens that Trump is pro-American, unlike the leftists you named.

Quote
Donald Trump is not a conservative so why the adulation and blind following by conservatives? Historians and social critics ask this question often as they look back at history, Americans can answer the question for themselves today, and if they are honest they will surely puzzle over how and why.

For someone who's not conservative, he sure governs like a conservative.  Like we used to say in my real estate investing days, "money talks, bullshit walks".

Quote
Reading recommendations: 

'On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century'  by Timothy Snyder

'The Making of Donald Trump' by David Cay Johnston

Here's a better one:  https://www.amazon.com/Trump-Art-Deal-Donald-J/dp/0399594493

Quote from: Killer Clouds on July 03, 2019, 06:35:54 AM
You do understand lecarrjan is just a pathetic liberal troll?

Yes.  It's a member we already banned.

Quote from: taxed on July 03, 2019, 06:47:04 AM
Yes.  It's a member we already banned.

Oh ok. Thank you.

Quote from: Killer Clouds on July 03, 2019, 06:35:54 AM
You do understand lecarrjan is just a pathetic liberal troll?

Of course, he's our shuttlecock in the game of badminton.

Quote from: Solar on July 03, 2019, 07:04:13 AM
Of course, he's our shuttlecock in the game of badminton.

Can you imagine if he had the education to defend his posts?

I can't either.

Quote from: taxed on July 03, 2019, 07:05:53 AM
Can you imagine if he had the education to defend his posts?

I can't either.

All he has is an indoctrination.

Quote from: Solar on July 03, 2019, 07:07:28 AM
All he has is an indoctrination.

He has a PhD in indoctrination.  His thesis was a regurgitation of a Rachel Maddow email newsletter.

Quote from: taxed on July 03, 2019, 07:08:50 AM
He has a PhD in indoctrination.  His thesis was a regurgitation of a Rachel Maddow email newsletter.

No wonder he's so confused, especially now that Maddow's agenda of Russian collusion was laid bare for the lie it is and how she had to publicly accept the ridicule that followed, that, and her plummeting ratings.
Where is a troll to go these days for leftist propaganda?

Trump has given up nothing. He just blows smoke up Putin's skirt because he thinks that's how he will get Putin to make a deal. He's doing the same with Kim in North Korea. If you want someone to concede something, Don't insult them beforehand.

Quote from: Solar on July 03, 2019, 07:29:04 AM
No wonder he's so confused, especially now that Maddow's agenda of Russian collusion was laid bare for the lie it is and how she had to publicly accept the ridicule that followed, that, and her plummeting ratings.
Where is a troll to go these days for leftist propaganda?

What I love about libtards is they can't unravel there web of shit.  They've been committed to their BS for so long that when they're proven outright wrong, they double down.

Quote from: taxed on July 04, 2019, 07:54:08 AM
What I love about libtards is they can't unravel there web of shit.  They've been committed to their BS for so long that when they're proven outright wrong, they double down.

And it's a nasty, sticky web at that.
He is a product of today's university indoctrination system. He wasn't taught about our Founding, the perspective he learned is that everything American is evil, that Capitalism is evil, yet he is unable to debate the truth, because he never learned it in school.
I don't if anyone will ever get through to these kids, but I'm not giving up.

Thanks for the replies and comments. I still wonder how some conservatives feel about Russia, a country and system of government so alien to our own?  As a messenger one must accept being criticized. 

A fascinating read on Russia is 'The Man without a Face, The unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin' by Masha Gessen, a journalist who lived in Russia during the transition from Soviet regime to whatever they call themselves now.

"No one is easier to manipulate than a man who exaggerates his own influence."  Masha Gessen, The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin

"The Soviet regime robbed people not only of their ability to live freely but also of the ability to understand fully what had been taken from them, and how."  Masha Gessen, The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia