On Friday, 02 February 2018, the much hyped Nunes Memo was finally released (Ward & Aleem, 2018). Partisan politics took centre stage as the Democrats and Republicans marched out some of their respective party’s best deceivers to make their case to the American people. Watching it was akin to watching some weird, perverse Kabuki performance. In typical kabuki-style play acting, minority leader Nancy Pelosi was singing and dancing that the release of the memo would lead to a “constitutional crisis” (Carruthers, 2018). While on the other side of the aisle, President Trump and the Republicans were claiming total vindication of any wrongdoing (Stewart, 2018).

Informed Americans were concerned about the contents of the Nunes memo. They were even more concerned about the bizarre way the political elites were acting prior to the memos release. Obviously, there was something else going on behind the scenes. Something was dramatically wrong in Washington! With the disclosure of hundreds of text messages between FBI agent Peter Strzok and bureau attorney Liza Page, people were wondering; who in the hell was running the country? It certainly wasn’t the president or the congress! More and more it looked like the bureaucrats were in charge with no oversight by the Congress. Congress and the President were merely passengers along for the ride!

The American two-party system is destroying the country. The Republicans and Democrats are organized and operate in a manner similar to a criminal syndicate. The Democrats are comparable to a drug cartel which ideologically believes all actions are legitimate; the end justify the means. Whatever goals the senior leadership set, the rank and file blindly accept and work to achieve. Pelosi and the Democrats have set the goal of delegitimizing President Trump no matter what the ultimate cost is to America. The narrative Pelosi has given to the Democrats: the election was stolen from Clinton and the Democrats with the help of the Russians. That’s their story and they’re sticking to it even if that means manufacturing information to support it.

The Republicans on the other hand are akin to the traditional Italian mafia portrayed in Hollywood gangster movies. They follow a more rules-based conduct, grounded in some imaginary moral code. Like the Democrats, they also believe the end justifies the means. Unlike the Democrats, the Republicans don’t necessarily wish for Trump to be impeached. That doesn’t mean they support the President, in fact they appear to be divided in their support for, and defence of Trump (Pew Research Center, 2017). Given President Trumps background and inexperience in politics, he is viewed by the Republicans as an anomaly in Washington, an interloper who must be endured. As with the Democrats, the Republican’s ideology is winning at all costs. Consequently, they will come to Trumps defence in small numbers in order to protect the party. But when/if it becomes politically viable, the Republicans undoubtedly will throw President Trump under the bus the Democrats are driving. It’s all about the “party” and it’s all about winning.

The days when either party stood on principle are gone. Neither party stands for anything anymore, the focus is solely on winning at all costs. The result? The American people have become an inconvenience which both parties must deal with to win and remain in power. This attack on Trump concerning Russian collusion is something different. The Republicans and Democrats have dug their heels in and escalated their attacks on each other. It’s different from the typical knife fight. It’s a fight to the death. What’s the cause of this mentality? What’s really going on in Washington? Why continue with this insane narrative that Trump is a Russian stooge who colluded to hack the election?

Did Trump help the Russians hack the election? Much to Pelosi and the Democrats dismay, NO (Strohm, 2018)! A federal grand jury working as part of the Mueller probe, recently indicted 13 Russian nationals who were part of a vast scheme to interfere in the 2016 election and allegedly help Trump win (Strohm, 2018). Why allegedly? Their intent appears more and more as though it was to create discord, disruption and chaos within the political institutions in America (Datoc, 2018). As if the American political system needed help from the Russians to become dysfunctional! If that was their intent, then it was a very successful operation on their part!

The indictment alleges these Russians were accused of travelling to the United States to conduct research and then employ specialists to fine-tune disparaging social media posts about Hillary Clinton (Mangan & Calia, 2018). They were also accused of making denigrating comments against Republican primary opponents Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio to ensure Trump secured the nomination (Mangan & Calia, 2018). The FBI and DOJ’s findings affirm that Trump and his campaign were not involved. (Mangan & Calia, 2018). Following Trump’s election, the same group of Russians were accused of organizing rallies protesting the result (Mangan & Calia, 2018). Mueller found no evidence that any Americans were involved with this scheme nor that the actions of the Russians influenced the outcome of the election in any way (Mangan & Calia, 2018). [READ MORE]

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