Accused Russian spy Maria Butina appears to reach plea deal

[Ethereal]

Since there is no constitutional right to bear arms, establishing a cover group with a legally bogus premise for intelligence purposes is a no-brainer. All you need is an open invitation to an event with food and hot and cold running vodka. There is no such movement in Russia. Unlike Americans, the Russians like authoritarian governments.

She isn't saying that Russia has a right to bear arms. She's saying they should have the right. Or maybe she's just saying they have the natural right to bear arms but not the legal right. In any case, there is zero proof that her activities are hostile, unethical, or even unusual. It's just more anti-Russian hysteria emanating from the imperial city.

[Ethereal]

'working as a foreign agent' means she's a spy, particularly when that foreign agent is an adversary to the United States.

An "adversary" of the United States isn't a legal category or designation as far as I'm aware. The constitution mentions "enemies" of the United States, but not adversaries. And according to the constitution, an enemy is anyone who is at war with the United States. As we are not at war with Russia, there is no legal basis for classifying them as an enemy of the United States. The truth is, Americans and Russians have no quarrel with one another. The tensions between the US and Russia were totally manufactured by the same liars and crooks who gave us the Iraq war.

[Ethereal]

Seems like that is pretty much the extent of it.

meh...

And there's no real proof that she's actually a "foreign agent" in the real sense of that word. As far as anyone knows, she's just a Russian girl who believes in gun rights.

[Ethereal]

What are you right about? Maria is in the process of pleading out, let's see if she signed a cooperation agreement. Stand by, Comrade.

She's pleading out because she's terrified of going to prison. Innocent people do it all the time. As I'm sure you know, it's one of the biggest problems with the US legal system.

[Peter1469]

She's pleading out because she's terrified of going to prison. Innocent people do it all the time. As I'm sure you know, it's one of the biggest problems with the US legal system.

It depends on the state. In some states, and in the military, you can't just plead guilty to get an easy sentence- you have to prove to the judge that you are guilty of what you are pleading to.

[donttread]

Acting as a foreign agent- not sure, but I think that is as an agent of a foreign government. Not foreign private citizens or corporations.

[HumblePi]

An "adversary" of the United States isn't a legal category or designation as far as I'm aware. The constitution mentions "enemies" of the United States, but not adversaries. And according to the constitution, an enemy is anyone who is at war with the United States. As we are not at war with Russia, there is no legal basis for classifying them as an enemy of the United States. The truth is, Americans and Russians have no quarrel with one another. The tensions between the US and Russia were totally manufactured by the same liars and crooks who gave us the Iraq war.

Everything Russia stands for is antithetical to a free democracy. For more than 200 years, Russia and the United States have shared a multi-faceted diplomatic relationship. Trump refuses to call Russia an adversary, ever wonder why he doesn't? His reasoning is that "they really helped us in the World War II", that's it. Rex Tillerson called Russia 'an adversary'. The United States is not the only country whose elections were hacked by Russia. Why would they do that you wonder? The answer is quite simply to undermine democracy in Europe and in the U.S. and to sow the seeds of discontent among people of other governments.

For those who are just finding this out, Russia is not a democratic government, it is an authoritarian government. Their elections are rife with fraud and ballot box stuffing, even caught on camera. Russia hacked private American citizens and organizations' computers to steal information then released that information in ways designed to affect electoral outcomes and divide Americans. Do "friends" to the U.S. do such things? Do "friends" to the U.S. infiltrate our democratic elections in order to influence outcomes? Maybe because you don't see bombs and exploding tanks is why you don't believe we're 'at war' with Russia. Trust me, this is a war of cybersecurity, propaganda and fear mongering. This is what corrodes a country, bombs bring a country together to fight a seen enemy. Spy stuff and violations of cyber security and election interference is far worse. We can't touch it, or bomb it, or throw a hand grenade at it, but it's here all the time and doing immense damage to the very structures our democracy is built on.

Do you think that befriending the leader of a country that's guilty of humanitarian abuses such as those done to the mentally ill or to that portion of their society that's homosexual? Do you think it's right to 'be friends' with a country that prohibits free speech, bans anyone from owning a weapon and fears they'll be sent to a gulag in Siberia if they speak out against the government? The Kremlin’s unprecedented efforts to sow and exacerbate divisions among Americans, using many of the same tools, continues.

[Peter1469]

Everything Russia stands for is antithetical to a free democracy. For more than 200 years, Russia and the United States have shared a multi-faceted diplomatic relationship. Trump refuses to call Russia an adversary, ever wonder why he doesn't? His reasoning is that "they really helped us in the World War II", that's it. Rex Tillerson called Russia 'an adversary'. The United States is not the only country whose elections were hacked by Russia. Why would they do that you wonder? The answer is quite simply to undermine democracy in Europe and in the U.S. and to sow the seeds of discontent among people of other governments.

For those who are just finding this out, Russia is not a democratic government, it is an authoritarian government. Their elections are rife with fraud and ballot box stuffing, even caught on camera. Russia hacked private American citizens and organizations' computers to steal information then released that information in ways designed to affect electoral outcomes and divide Americans. Do "friends" to the U.S. do such things? Do "friends" to the U.S. infiltrate our democratic elections in order to influence outcomes? Maybe because you don't see bombs and exploding tanks is why you don't believe we're 'at war' with Russia. Trust me, this is a war of cybersecurity, propaganda and fear mongering. This is what corrodes a country, bombs bring a country together to fight a seen enemy. Spy stuff and violations of cyber security and election interference is far worse. We can't touch it, or bomb it, or throw a hand grenade at it, but it's here all the time and doing immense damage to the very structures our democracy is built on.

Do you think that befriending the leader of a country that's guilty of humanitarian abuses such as those done to the mentally ill or to that portion of their society that's homosexual? Do you think it's right to 'be friends' with a country that prohibits free speech, bans anyone from owning a weapon and fears they'll be sent to a gulag in Siberia if they speak out against the government? The Kremlin’s unprecedented efforts to sow and exacerbate divisions among Americans, using many of the same tools, continues.

I see no reason to start a war with them.

[exotix]

Of importance .... Butina may implicate Republican members of Congress to include Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan ...

[MisterVeritis]

Everything Russia stands for is antithetical to a free democracy.

You have confused Russia with the Democrat Party.

...

The United States is not the only country whose elections were hacked by Russia.

Russia did not hack our elections. Don't be a buffoon. While you are good at it others are ahead of you in line. Wait your turn. Russia tried to influence our elections. Do you understand the difference?

If anyone "hacked" our elections it was President Barack Hussein O, his minions in the intelligence agencies, the Justice Department and the FBI. Those are the perps we need to indict, try, convict, and hang.