musk has blocked these two articles on twitter; links included below just go to a page with an X in it - I managed to get the entire articles in the nick of time
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Randy Mott
@randymot4
Republican activist, lawyer, environmental businessman, former infantry officer
Warsaw, PLJoined January 2022
https://twitter.com/randymot4/status/1696054220980404508
Randy Mott
@randymot4
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RUSSIAN INFILTRATION OF US CONSERVATIVES Part 1
The header sounds like some nut job deal, at least that is how I would have read it two months ago. We all have encountered Russian bots and trolls since the Russian invasion. Their efforts typically clumsy and rude. A few clever memes got into circulation and still pop up when an uninformed person posts them. But is that the limit of efforts to co-opt our democracies and try to influence our institutions? Our instincts would say it would not be: but we want to reflexively dismiss the idea that institutions and organizations could be so easily undermined. This series will document how pro-Russian Hungary - dependent on Russia gas, outcast of the EU, and friendly to the Kremlin - has successfully co-opted the American right to spread the Kremlin narrative to the pinnacles of conservative power in the US. Early in the war, in March 2022, Orban whose right-wing party governs Hungary, announced that "Hungary should not get “between the Ukrainian anvil and the Russian sledgehammer” and labeling the country’s opposition, which has called for a united Western response to the conflict, “warmongers.” https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/20/viktor-orban-is-the-wests-pro-putin-outlier/ "These wartime scenes and others like them reveal how isolated Orban has become, even among his neighbors in Central and Eastern Europe." Id. Orban in 2014 first mentioned Russia as a role model. Id. Hungary, of course, is dependent upon Russian natural gas and did not try to diversify or change due to the invasion. But the economic ties go much further. "The ruling Fidesz party has invested a lot in its bilateral relationship with Russia, including numerous business ties, such as extending the Paks Nuclear Power Plant by Russian energy giant Rosatom; purchasing new metro wagons from Russia; supporting engineering company Metrovagonmash against a Hungarian applicant in an Egyptian tender; and moving the headquarters of the International Investment Bank, Putin’s spy bank, to Budapest. But these projects have tended to benefit private rather than public interests." FP. These are all open to view and we do not know what other relationships lurk outside public view. It would be incredibly naiive to believe that there are none. On that dark side, Hungary has also stood out: "since the invasion, all EU member states — with the exception of Hungary — have been willing to expel Russian spies posing as diplomats." https://dw.com/en/is-hungary-becoming-russias-spy-hub-within-the-eu/a-64041861 In the open, Europeans say "Hungary's prime minister made himself the Kremlin's mouthpiece." Hungary's line on the war: "it was the West — and in particular the United States — that was responsible for the war because it had ignored Russia's concerns, while calling for immediate peace negotiations." https://dw.com/en/the-cost-of-orbans-pro-russian-policy-offers-nothing-to-win-but-much-to-lose/a-62849547 Hungary has obtained an exemption from Russian oil sanctions by the EU and blocked other sanctions messages in Brussels. It delayed Scandivanian expansion of NATO. Many objectives of Russian policy in the war have been advanced by Hungary including objections to military aid to Ukraine, echoes of Kremlin calls for a ceasefire and obscuring the origins of the war. These same themes now show up in the American conservative movement. Sometimes in what has been surprising places. Is there a connection? How did it happen? See Part 2. https://dw.com/en/the-cost-of-orbans-pro-russian-policy-offers-nothing-to-win-but-much-to-lose/a-62849547 #RussianSubversion #HungaryProRussian
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RUSSIAN INFILTRATION OF U.S. CONSERVATIVES Part 2
This part of the series discusses the transformation of the @Heritage Foundation from a Reaganesque organization to a Kremlin apologist organization. The relationship between Heritage & Hungary started with a meeting of Kevin Roberts & Viktor Orban (twitter.com) Randy Mott @randymot4 RUSSIAN INFILTRATION OF U.S. CONSERVATIVES Part 2 This part of the series discusses the transformatino of the @Heritage Foundation from a Reaganesque organization to a Kremlin apologist organization. The relationship between Heritage and Hungary started with a meeting of Kevin Roberts and Viktor Orban on November 29, 2022. The Hungarian media reported that they agreed of family values and the importance of religion. It seems clear that Orban used his "social agenda" to find common grounds with Heritage. Orban argues that this social agenda is why he is unpopular in Western Europe (ignoring the real issues). Poland engaged in the same objections to EU immigration policy and it much more religious as a country, but is among the strongest supporters of Ukraine. Hungary objected to military aid to Ukraine and also is spending less than 1% of its GDP on defense (one of the freeloaders that conservatives, even Heritage folks, have criticized). But Hungary has strong relationship with Russia. Of course, Hungary is among the bottom third of countries in Europe on religious faith and this has nothing to do with Orban's brand problem. Pew Research: % of people who say they attend church weekly: US 36%, Hungary 9%, Russia 9%. Pray daily: US 55%, Hungary 16%, Russia 18% Say religion is very important to them: US 53%, Hungary 14%, Russia 16%. By March 2023, Heritage and the Danube Institute (chiefly owned by the Hungarian government) signed sa cooperation agreement. https://hungarianconservative.com/articles/current/cooperation_agreement_heritage_foundation_danube_institute/ Prior to that agreement, the #HeritageFoundation was taking an aggressively pro-Ulkrainian stance. "In the months leading up to the vote on the Ukraine aid bill, Heritage’s policy experts argued in favor of an aggressive American role in the conflict, including huge amounts of aid." NYT, May 27, 2023. https://heritage.org/defense/heritage-explains/the-path-forward-ukraine… One of their fellows posted on twitter and was ordered to delete it: https://web.archive.org/web/20220511011610/https://twitter.com/lukedcoffey/status/1524196553438728192 After that Hungarian deal, #HeritageFoundation completely flips its position on Ukraine, actually opposing U.S. aid. "Jessica Anderson, the executive director of Heritage’s lobbying operation, released a searing statement — its headline blaring “Ukraine Aid Package Puts America Last” — that framed the measure as reckless and ill-considered." NYT, May 27, 2023. Then comes the Heritage ad buy in August 2023. What communications did they have on this with the Hungarian Government through the Danube Institute or otherwise? Orban has been an unspoken supporter of Russia in the Ukraine war, repeating many common Kremlin propaganda lines that wwere repeated in the Heritage ad. It seems to be no coincidence. This is especially suspicious since Heritage's defense policy chief adviser was bypassed on the op ed and ad buy. He resigned in protest. Did Heritage staff from Hungary participate in the Ukraine material? https://nationalreview.com/2023/08/heritages-top-defense-expert-to-exit-over-ukraine-stance/… Hungary is accused of supporting Russia and opposes sanctions of Russia. See Part 1. Orban has been vehemently demanding ceasefire in Ukraine in August 2023. He has called countries that sent aid to Ukraine "warmongers." https://euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/hungarys-orban-vows-to-maintain-russia-ties/… @Heritage has flipped in position 180 degrees to echo many of Orban's own comments, while dumping of all of advisors who previously supported aid. This is probably not a coincidence. Heritage has briefed the Freedom Caucus (many of whose members voted to oppose vote) as well as Senator Hawley from Missouri and Governor Ron DeSantis, who based much of his position on Heritage briefings. Hawley has security clearances did he know of the connection to the Hungarian Government? https://nytimes.com/2022/05/27/us/politics/ukraine-aid-heritage-foundation.html… Is Heritage Foundation registered under FARA as an agent of the Hungarian Government? [on-line search found none].They have been advocating policies to US decision-makers. Do any of their staff have security clearances? Why was the Roberts' op ed piece published without the normal internal review at Heritage? Did the Danube Institute review it in advance? The Hungarian Government? @RonDeSantis and all Republicans should be running as far away from @Heritage as possible, especially on Ukraine issues. This pattern of inside influencing is exactly the typical Russian game plan. Knowlingly staying involved with them after this connection is known is not a smart move and might be very seriously problematic. Republicans at least should fact check what they have been told by Heritage since its recruitment by Hungary. For detailed description of the recent Heritage Ukraine position and its misleading contents: https://twitter.com/randymot4/status/1695405958455853505?s=20
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Part 3 with discuss Tucker Carlson.
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OTHER NEWS
Trump's competitor promises to give part of Ukraine to Russia and block Kyiv's accession to NATO
European Pravda — Monday, 28 August 2023, 22:59
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/08/28/7417480/
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How empires die: Putin’s Russia could cease to exist suddenly and quickly