We had the misfortune, on Monday evening, to accidentally find ourselves on CBS, late evening, when Stephen Colbert was interviewing Oliver Stone. Reason for the interview, as usual, was to advertise something, in this case Mr Stone's new series: 4-part interview with Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation.
There are video clips of the interview around the net today, along with commentary, I shall not link to any though, because I was disgusted, not as Colbert and his (probably auditioned and coached) audience were, i.e. with Oliver Stone's cheek for interviewing in courteous and friendly mode Russia's President Putin, Villain du Jour in the USA just now. My own disgust was with the animosity shown by Colbert to his guest; and by the rudeness of his audience to the show's guest. Having read some relevant threads of comment and opinion pieces today, I suspect I'm probably one of a tiny minority in my views on this...so be it.
I'm not anti-Russian these days, the USSR is no more, Russians in general are, and really always have been, much the same as we are; the USA and Russia could be friends, useful friends too. But NO..oooo, making Russia our friend can never be allowed!
Tsk!
I've scribbled about Oliver Stone in the past, two archived posts are HERE and HERE. I've grown to admire him, especially in regard to his political opinions.
I've never written anything about Stephen Colbert, until now. If you can't say anything good, to say nothing is supposed to be the best guideline, which I'm tempted to cross further but shall desist.
There are video clips of the interview around the net today, along with commentary, I shall not link to any though, because I was disgusted, not as Colbert and his (probably auditioned and coached) audience were, i.e. with Oliver Stone's cheek for interviewing in courteous and friendly mode Russia's President Putin, Villain du Jour in the USA just now. My own disgust was with the animosity shown by Colbert to his guest; and by the rudeness of his audience to the show's guest. Having read some relevant threads of comment and opinion pieces today, I suspect I'm probably one of a tiny minority in my views on this...so be it.
I'm not anti-Russian these days, the USSR is no more, Russians in general are, and really always have been, much the same as we are; the USA and Russia could be friends, useful friends too. But NO..oooo, making Russia our friend can never be allowed!
Tsk!
I've scribbled about Oliver Stone in the past, two archived posts are HERE and HERE. I've grown to admire him, especially in regard to his political opinions.
I've never written anything about Stephen Colbert, until now. If you can't say anything good, to say nothing is supposed to be the best guideline, which I'm tempted to cross further but shall desist.
9 comments:
jenmoon ~ If we in the USA consider ourselves to now be more enlightened with regard to homosexuality, surely the way to persuade others towards more open minded opinions is to befriend them, give them experience of other views and ways of life. Shunning them, making an enemy (another enemy we certainly do not need!) of their powerful leader is always going to be counter-productive in the long run. Bear in mind that it's not so long ago that similar anti-gay views were common in the USA and the UK and in the west generally. Things can and do change - but not through turning away.
Chechnya and Russia both practice cleansing of undesirables (journalists, dissenters, Muslims, drug addicts, members of LGBT) by abduction from home, work, and off the streets, called enforced disappearances, usually to secret locations where they are tortured, often leading to extrajudicial executions. This should never be accepted and tolerated. I favor keeping diplomatic lines of communication open, but sanctions are in order against the countries that are low ranking towards human rights. Russia has long been a hotbed of criminal financial hacking, which has ebbed into the free world election processes. At least for now most of the free world governments haven't devolved to Russia's level of authoritarianism and blatant manipulation.
Things are not looking sparkly when it comes to the USA either under Trump or forbid Pence. Double for UK's May-DUP bundling. The authoritarianism, police state activities of Russia are quickly seeping into American politics as Trump assaults the free press, dissenters (losers with a bone to pick), Muslims, racial minorities, LGBTs, and so many more group classifications deemed problematic for Trump. Hate crimes have increased dramatically and alarmingly under Trump. Trump is following Putin's playbook. Russian oligarchs were allowed to maintain financial power in trade for their explicit support and alignment with Putin's government.
Seems there are few decent national governments around now. Ugly hanky panky abounds.
Putin's natal chart has poor synastry with the Sibly USA chart, with many antagonistic aspects. Trump-Putin synastry is very striking, so it is no wonder that they are entangled. I haven't run them through synastry software, but I'm fairly certain their aspects would be considered on the darker side, with Putin in control. The astrological potential for Trump to be outmaneuvered by Putin is quite high. Yes, I'm prejudiced, but I would hope I'd say the same if I saw their charts "blind" without names attached.
Zug ~ Hi there! Thanks for your balanced observations. We cannot be complaining about "the mote" in another's eye without acknowledging the "beam that is" in our own - and that beam was in place long before Trump entered the White House, we must not overlook that fact. The USA, for all its enlightenment on some social issues, has been a cruel murderer abroad for decades, most recently via the Obama drone programme.
Taking a wider view, the most important matter, beyond all social issues, is to avoid more wars, especially with the use of nuclear weaponry. Keeping up diplomacy, if not actual buddy-buddy friendship with Russian leadership, would be a help towards this end. For Oliver Stone's efforts we should thank him rather than subject him to jeers and ridicule as Stephen Colbert did. Colbert is a tool of the corporations now - they should be our current villain du jour, not Russia.
Anonymous ~ I haven't looked at astrology in this context - thanks for your observations in this respect. I'm not too convinced, though, that it's Trump's chart that should be mainly involved in such investigations - his bevy of Generals will be advising him on these matters, for sure.
I'd have guessed, even without benefit of astrology, that Putin would be a stronger character, by far, than Trump (and that's not saying a lot really, is it?) You've just got to study each face!
As for astrology, Trump's Cancer planets reflect in his ultra sensitivity to criticism, and need to be "loved" or at least admired - his achilles heel. Putin probably has vulnerabilities too - Oliver Stone has said that he detected a little of this during his long interview. I have yet to see Stone's films.
The smoke screen of alleged Russian involvement, both in the US elections and with Trump personally, has been a masterstroke of political engineering by the US, its western allies, and their biased media. America needs an enemy to maintain its hugely out-of-control military industrial complex. Russia fits the bill perfectly. It lags way behind the US in its military spending and can never be a direct warmonger, except in a nuclear sense. Yet, using Russian involvement in other theatres as an excuse i.e. Syria, Yemen, etc allows the US to participate in proxy wars throughout the world. Keeping the 'commies' out was the excuse for the Vietnam war, keeping the Russians at bay is now the latest. China and Iran are two other potential US 'enemies' with no real teeth, but good excuses to keep building up the MIC. The aim: to become so big and powerful no nation may dare stand against it, allowing the US and its 'ideals' domination of the world.
I agree with your post entirely. Stone is a good documentary maker, and the late night 'comedy' shows have become mere tools for further brainwashing an already propagandized American public.
Putin may be a semi-dictator, but he's probably the only person who could hold Russia together after the fall of the USSR, and rebuild the country to be a world power again. A few nights ago CNN (I think) showed footage of Russian protesters in Moscow being hauled off roughly by the militarized police, with the usual commentators declaring how dreadful it all was. How awful! No mention of the brutality of the US police back in 2011-2012, using pepper spray on peaceful 'Occupy Wall Street' protesters in New York. Is there any difference?
RJ Adams ~ With you 100% on this, RJ - thank you for your input! More power to the very few reliable figures, such as Oliver Stone, who remain unafraid to go where others are afraid to go, or are banned by corporate masters from approaching.
It all boils down to Big Corp running the media. Feeding the masses what they want to sell more cheesies and sugar water. And build up arms and nuclear stock.
I'm tired of these games. Pulled the plug on that square goggle box over 25 years ago.
Bad guys are needed. Putin today. Isis tomorrow.
XO
WWW
Wisewebwoman ~ Indeed - Big Corp runs everything now. The only thing keeping us from pulling the plug on cable TV entirely is that we rely on it for receiving important weather information and updates during tornado times. We seldom use the TV for anything but Netflix and other streaming progs, DVDs, or VHS tapes these days.
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