The State Department is asleep on the job

[Loren Pechtel]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/04/world/europe/state-department-russia-global-engagement-center.htm

Budget for investigating meddling: $120 million.
Spending: $0.

However, I suspect the sleep is due to Trumpathesia, not natural.

 

[prideandfall]

the state department has had a massive rash of people quitting, so basically at this point it's only trump loyalists left in the entire division.
it's now effectively a trump fan club, so yeah this comes as no surprise.

 

[Opoponax]

The response from the great land of Trumptardia is essentially, "So what? Why should Trump have to tell them what to do?" That is, if the money's been set aside, then Trump need not even lift a finger to provide direction, guidance, or even meet with anyone about the matter.

Seriously. That's consensus opinion--when you can find it addressed at all.

I supposed I shouldn't continue to be dumbstruck by it, but I am. All these things are happening and they either flat out don't even know about them, or minimize them to a point where they've convinced themselves that it's nothing and that it's actually Hillary and Obama who, any day now, are going to be arrested as result of Mueller's investigation.

So fine, be an ignoramus. But what are the physical manifestations of that towering stupidity going to be if/when Trump is taken down? That's what's scary.

 

[Elixir]

The response from the great land of Trumptardia is essentially, "So what? Why should Trump have to tell them what to do?" That is, if the money's been set aside, then Trump need not even lift a finger to provide direction, guidance, or even meet with anyone about the matter.

Seriously. That's consensus opinion--when you can find it addressed at all.

I supposed I shouldn't continue to be dumbstruck by it, but I am. All these things are happening and they either flat out don't even know about them, or minimize them to a point where they've convinced themselves that it's nothing and that it's actually Hillary and Obama who, any day now, are going to be arrested as result of Mueller's investigation.

So fine, be an ignoramus. But what are the physical manifestations of that towering stupidity going to be if/when Trump is taken down? That's what's scary.

More likely than lack of direction, I think it likely that State personnel have been clearly directed by strong innuendo and implied threaT, to follow this directive:
"DON'T SPEND ONE RED CENT OF THAT MONEY INVESTIGATING MY ELECTION OR YOU'RE FIRED!"

 

[Malintent]

The response from the great land of Trumptardia is essentially, "So what? Why should Trump have to tell them what to do?" That is, if the money's been set aside, then Trump need not even lift a finger to provide direction, guidance, or even meet with anyone about the matter.

Seriously. That's consensus opinion--when you can find it addressed at all.

I supposed I shouldn't continue to be dumbstruck by it, but I am. All these things are happening and they either flat out don't even know about them, or minimize them to a point where they've convinced themselves that it's nothing and that it's actually Hillary and Obama who, any day now, are going to be arrested as result of Mueller's investigation.

So fine, be an ignoramus. But what are the physical manifestations of that towering stupidity going to be if/when Trump is taken down? That's what's scary.

for the first year or so of Obama's first term, I was convinced that it would be "any day now" that I would wake up to hear that he was assassinated.

What seems more likely to you? That the first black president would be killed by a racist, or that a shitty acting, politically retarded president, loved by few, being removed from office would spark widespread panic and violence?

If Obama lives through two terms in this racist country, then no one is doing shit after an actual criminal that a few people like gets his just deserts.

 

[Ford]

The response from the great land of Trumptardia is essentially, "So what? Why should Trump have to tell them what to do?" That is, if the money's been set aside, then Trump need not even lift a finger to provide direction, guidance, or even meet with anyone about the matter.

Seriously. That's consensus opinion--when you can find it addressed at all.

I supposed I shouldn't continue to be dumbstruck by it, but I am. All these things are happening and they either flat out don't even know about them, or minimize them to a point where they've convinced themselves that it's nothing and that it's actually Hillary and Obama who, any day now, are going to be arrested as result of Mueller's investigation.

So fine, be an ignoramus. But what are the physical manifestations of that towering stupidity going to be if/when Trump is taken down? That's what's scary.

More likely than lack of direction, I think it likely that State personnel have been clearly directed by strong innuendo and implied threaT, to follow this directive:
"DON'T SPEND ONE RED CENT OF THAT MONEY INVESTIGATING MY ELECTION OR YOU'RE FIRED!"

I think it goes beyond that. Trump simply doesn't believe diplomacy is worth a dime. Given his druthers I'm sure he'd be happy to shut the State Department down and just do all the wheeling and dealing from his desk in the Oval Office. That is, after his "executive time" and before his afternoon Big Mac. Tillerson - like many of the other cabinet secretaries - was hired to destroy the department, not run it. Oh, and make nice with their mutual friend Vlad, of course.