Dimitri Simes defected to the U.S. in the seventies and was a proud American for five decades, until he was criminally charged with a Soviet-style offense: being a journalist
And then all the FBI agents involved in the case were fired, charged with violating the first amendment, breaking and entering, and were summarily sent to 10 years in prison each, right?
Agreed. What part of "crack down on Russia's attempts to influence American politics" is legal? By the First Amendment, ANYONE should be allowed to attempt to influence Americans -- *even*, and often *especially*, a government-declared enemy. Of course, the vast majority of the public is today unable to understand the point here, and TPTB have taken full advantage of that. Sickening.
I'm sure America tries to influence elections in foreign countries, enemies and friends. If foreign citizens have access to the internet, they can be exposed to opinions and ideology from every corner of the globe. Maybe those massive NGO's which pour US money into those "poor" countries to aid the population (after the corrupt officials take their cuts) were set up to influence the opinions of those people to see the US as kind charitable friends. "See what democracy can do for you."
"I'm sure America tries to influence elections in foreign countries"
Right -- and many times they will trumpet this influence for all to see: For example, in the famous Time mag cover feature on how we propped up Yeltsin back in 1996.
The outrage here, however, is this idea that *Americans* can legally be prevented from *receiving* information/opinions/anything that the current government doesn't like. First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law ..., or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; ..." PERIOD.
Less cowardice, more seditious in my view. If feels less like they are cowed into this silence and more like they are actively picking a “side.”
I doubt they feel fear about these things, more like they are the vanguard of some important force to save what they are in actuality destroying, the American media environment.
Matt we need a list and timeframe of all the people, like yourself, that got the 'knock' on the door. Rodger Stone got the full CNN bright lights in your face, and James O'Keefe, that somehow ended up with Biden's daughters 'diary', home was raided and somehow lost his Project Veritas company. How many more are on the list? Trump cannot come to the aid of this poor gentleman, because it will be spun as another 'Trump Russia' story. Biden's speech in front of the Independance Hall in Philly, will/should go down as a very dark time in U.S. history.
I am surprised that Jared Kushner is not pushing Trump to drop the charges. I am not surprised that a U.S. judge is allowing this farce - but that sort of thing OUGHT to surprise us all. A good judge would dismiss this case as frivolous.
Compelling interview. This personal account is a sliver of light through a prism--a slice of real human life--from the incomprehensibly complex modern history of Obama-Biden, Hillary, Trump, Ukraine, and Russia. To coin a phrase, it's a global riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. The darkness runs the gamut, from Uranium One and Hillary's Reset Button gift to Lavrov all the way through to Russians' intel targeting the US for Iran. It's impossible for an average American to fully grasp since the history is mostly classified and chock full of lies, propaganda, Fusion GPS style black ops, and corrupt US intelligence, law enforcement and diplomatic operations under Obama-Biden.
"In August, 2024, the FBI raided the Virginia home of Simes, who defected to the United States in 1973 after being expelled for protesting Soviet involvement in the Vietnam War."
then
"Well, let me say first, I was not a Russian citizen for a very long time. I became a Russian citizen in October 2022, when I moved to Moscow full-time. Before that, since 1980, I was strictly a proud American citizen."
Is it unreasonable to assume that had he not pursued and obtained Russian citizenship, he wouldn't have been targeted? He became a Russian citizen also. Questioning his allegiances is fair game.
And I say that well aware that all the Russia Russia Russia stuff was fabricated political poison.
He was a Soviet citizen before defecting--I mean fucking Komsomol. It's hardly a surprise that a native Russian Trump sympathizer would flee Biden's American Stasi and the New McCarthyism.
"Uncle Joe" Biden's 1934 Nuremberg-style rant literally designated every MAGA supporter as an enemy of the state--all he lacked was Leni Riefenstahl.
I feel similarly about dual-Israeli American citizens. But instead of hosting dumb TV shows in Russia they work in US politics, government, military, finance, media, and intelligence. The last two examples I admit are a bit redundant.
Sure. The difference is that he was a dissident who left, then went back and regained citizenship so that he was no longer "strictly a US citizen."
I'm against using the state security apparatus to demonize your opponents and advance your political narratives--a tactic heavily and egregiously employed by the last administration.
But people don't have to make it easy or give the security state a reason to target them.
The Biden Stasi only had one reason for everything--Get Trump. If you sympathized with MAGA you were marked out. They could make up everything from there. Getting a Russian born "enemy" was just gravy for Biden's jackboots.
Thank you for this. I well remember Dmitri Simes as the go to pundit during the fall of the Soviet Union and subsequent events.
This is a perfect example of perhaps the greatest injury that Progressive World has inflicted on our political culture - the preference to defame the motives of your adversary rather than addressing their argument. Defamation has become the common currency of our political conversations. Sad to see Simes persecuted like this for not obeying the dominant narrative.
During the Cold War I remember Simes speaking with his heavy Russian accent on American TV and sounding very reasonable, which pleasantly surprised me. That is the problem.
The DoJ is controlled, not by Trump, but by people who hate Russia. That is why Pam Bondi has done nothing and will do nothing about the Russia Hoax. The anti-Russia hatred must not be allowed to subside. Simes is an easy target for the Russia haters.
Interesting Matt. Hey, how about you and Walter get together for the book section only? You guys discussing literature is / was awesome and was an uplifting and not to be missed part of my week.
Dear Matt - I'm SO GRATEFUL for this deep-dive article, reminding us of Vital points in HISTORY, that bring us to where we are today.
I'm maybe only 1/2-way through it, but stopped to ASK YOU to PLEASE make SURE you get the COMPLETE article to KARI LAKE... ASAP. Her appointment to the NEWLY CREATED ROLE, working for IMPROVED MEDIA INTEGRITY in our INTERNATIONAL Journalistic Relationships... I believe she would REALLY want to READ THIS!!
Maybe you could be very Instrumental for this New International Media Outreach, as it is still in the beginning Stages of Development!! PLEASE take this idea/request Seriously, and reach out to Kari (I don't know her personally) and SHARE THIS WITH HER. ❤️🙏🇺🇸
Now... I've got to get back to READING IT!! God BLESS you, PROTECT and PROVIDE for you and yours.
Dianne Butler
P.S. I've also forwarded this to a Russian friend in Vyborg (who I met and worked with briefly in 1996, during a short-term Mission Trip working with underprivileged Children in multiple locations across the newly opened Nation). Again, 🙏❤️🙏
Listening to this interview is just another reminder of the incompetent failure of the united states as it relates to Russia. Starting with the Clinton administration and going forward, we should have truly helped Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. instead we disrespected them, ignored their plight. As a result, we got Vladimir Putin. Russia should have been put into the EU and NATO. Instead the woke youngsters in the Obama and Biden Administrations taunted them and allowed the demented old fool to talk. Simes is correct when he said the American government does not understand the consequences of bad decisions. Who do the Russian people have more in common with china or the western countries? We cannot afford to keep electing ideologically incompetent leaders any longer, they have miserably failed us.
Fascinating stuff! I've been covering regime changes around the early 2000's and found independent media and journalism to be a key factor for a lot of these - thinking of stations like Rustavi-2 in Georgia and how they would repeatedly get shut down in former in former Soviet states. https://substack.com/@libertarianoverwatch/note/p-188318481?r=48h772
And then all the FBI agents involved in the case were fired, charged with violating the first amendment, breaking and entering, and were summarily sent to 10 years in prison each, right?
Agreed. What part of "crack down on Russia's attempts to influence American politics" is legal? By the First Amendment, ANYONE should be allowed to attempt to influence Americans -- *even*, and often *especially*, a government-declared enemy. Of course, the vast majority of the public is today unable to understand the point here, and TPTB have taken full advantage of that. Sickening.
I'm sure America tries to influence elections in foreign countries, enemies and friends. If foreign citizens have access to the internet, they can be exposed to opinions and ideology from every corner of the globe. Maybe those massive NGO's which pour US money into those "poor" countries to aid the population (after the corrupt officials take their cuts) were set up to influence the opinions of those people to see the US as kind charitable friends. "See what democracy can do for you."
“I'm sure America tries to influence elections in foreign countries"
Let’s see, Ukraine, Georgia…
"I'm sure America tries to influence elections in foreign countries"
Right -- and many times they will trumpet this influence for all to see: For example, in the famous Time mag cover feature on how we propped up Yeltsin back in 1996.
The outrage here, however, is this idea that *Americans* can legally be prevented from *receiving* information/opinions/anything that the current government doesn't like. First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law ..., or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; ..." PERIOD.
Soon it may be seen as illegal to vote.
Right?
Bad enough that governments do what they do, but true shame hangs on the NYT for failing to stand up for the 1A. Cowards.
Less cowardice, more seditious in my view. If feels less like they are cowed into this silence and more like they are actively picking a “side.”
I doubt they feel fear about these things, more like they are the vanguard of some important force to save what they are in actuality destroying, the American media environment.
Matt we need a list and timeframe of all the people, like yourself, that got the 'knock' on the door. Rodger Stone got the full CNN bright lights in your face, and James O'Keefe, that somehow ended up with Biden's daughters 'diary', home was raided and somehow lost his Project Veritas company. How many more are on the list? Trump cannot come to the aid of this poor gentleman, because it will be spun as another 'Trump Russia' story. Biden's speech in front of the Independance Hall in Philly, will/should go down as a very dark time in U.S. history.
Trump can certainly come to the aid of this gentleman. That’s why we supposedly elected somebody to change the status quo
I am surprised that Jared Kushner is not pushing Trump to drop the charges. I am not surprised that a U.S. judge is allowing this farce - but that sort of thing OUGHT to surprise us all. A good judge would dismiss this case as frivolous.
A good judge in Washington D.C. would survive as well as an abolitionist on a cotton plantation.
Compelling interview. This personal account is a sliver of light through a prism--a slice of real human life--from the incomprehensibly complex modern history of Obama-Biden, Hillary, Trump, Ukraine, and Russia. To coin a phrase, it's a global riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. The darkness runs the gamut, from Uranium One and Hillary's Reset Button gift to Lavrov all the way through to Russians' intel targeting the US for Iran. It's impossible for an average American to fully grasp since the history is mostly classified and chock full of lies, propaganda, Fusion GPS style black ops, and corrupt US intelligence, law enforcement and diplomatic operations under Obama-Biden.
Well summarized.
The NY Times is mad because it wants to control the news. 😂
We need the entire MSM gone.
We need them continually challenged and forever hung out to dry. Otherwise, today's alts become tomorrow's MSM.
"In August, 2024, the FBI raided the Virginia home of Simes, who defected to the United States in 1973 after being expelled for protesting Soviet involvement in the Vietnam War."
then
"Well, let me say first, I was not a Russian citizen for a very long time. I became a Russian citizen in October 2022, when I moved to Moscow full-time. Before that, since 1980, I was strictly a proud American citizen."
Is it unreasonable to assume that had he not pursued and obtained Russian citizenship, he wouldn't have been targeted? He became a Russian citizen also. Questioning his allegiances is fair game.
And I say that well aware that all the Russia Russia Russia stuff was fabricated political poison.
He was a Soviet citizen before defecting--I mean fucking Komsomol. It's hardly a surprise that a native Russian Trump sympathizer would flee Biden's American Stasi and the New McCarthyism.
"Uncle Joe" Biden's 1934 Nuremberg-style rant literally designated every MAGA supporter as an enemy of the state--all he lacked was Leni Riefenstahl.
I feel similarly about dual-Israeli American citizens. But instead of hosting dumb TV shows in Russia they work in US politics, government, military, finance, media, and intelligence. The last two examples I admit are a bit redundant.
Sure. The difference is that he was a dissident who left, then went back and regained citizenship so that he was no longer "strictly a US citizen."
I'm against using the state security apparatus to demonize your opponents and advance your political narratives--a tactic heavily and egregiously employed by the last administration.
But people don't have to make it easy or give the security state a reason to target them.
The Biden Stasi only had one reason for everything--Get Trump. If you sympathized with MAGA you were marked out. They could make up everything from there. Getting a Russian born "enemy" was just gravy for Biden's jackboots.
Additionally, high level ML is performed with paintings. I’ll have to sit my opinion on this one out until more information becomes available.
I was wondering what had become of Dmitri. Thanks for the interview, but it only feeds my growing concern about threat to free speech.
Thank you for this. I well remember Dmitri Simes as the go to pundit during the fall of the Soviet Union and subsequent events.
This is a perfect example of perhaps the greatest injury that Progressive World has inflicted on our political culture - the preference to defame the motives of your adversary rather than addressing their argument. Defamation has become the common currency of our political conversations. Sad to see Simes persecuted like this for not obeying the dominant narrative.
During the Cold War I remember Simes speaking with his heavy Russian accent on American TV and sounding very reasonable, which pleasantly surprised me. That is the problem.
The DoJ is controlled, not by Trump, but by people who hate Russia. That is why Pam Bondi has done nothing and will do nothing about the Russia Hoax. The anti-Russia hatred must not be allowed to subside. Simes is an easy target for the Russia haters.
I think your perspective is perhaps the closest to the central issue of WHY the US govt is going after Dmitri. Thank you!
Interesting Matt. Hey, how about you and Walter get together for the book section only? You guys discussing literature is / was awesome and was an uplifting and not to be missed part of my week.
Anything! I certainly do miss their show.
Great work, thanks!
This makes no sense. Is it possible that AG Bondi does not know that her department is still persuing this prosecution?
I would hope so, but Bondi often comes across as clueless.
Dear Matt - I'm SO GRATEFUL for this deep-dive article, reminding us of Vital points in HISTORY, that bring us to where we are today.
I'm maybe only 1/2-way through it, but stopped to ASK YOU to PLEASE make SURE you get the COMPLETE article to KARI LAKE... ASAP. Her appointment to the NEWLY CREATED ROLE, working for IMPROVED MEDIA INTEGRITY in our INTERNATIONAL Journalistic Relationships... I believe she would REALLY want to READ THIS!!
Maybe you could be very Instrumental for this New International Media Outreach, as it is still in the beginning Stages of Development!! PLEASE take this idea/request Seriously, and reach out to Kari (I don't know her personally) and SHARE THIS WITH HER. ❤️🙏🇺🇸
Now... I've got to get back to READING IT!! God BLESS you, PROTECT and PROVIDE for you and yours.
Dianne Butler
P.S. I've also forwarded this to a Russian friend in Vyborg (who I met and worked with briefly in 1996, during a short-term Mission Trip working with underprivileged Children in multiple locations across the newly opened Nation). Again, 🙏❤️🙏
Listening to this interview is just another reminder of the incompetent failure of the united states as it relates to Russia. Starting with the Clinton administration and going forward, we should have truly helped Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. instead we disrespected them, ignored their plight. As a result, we got Vladimir Putin. Russia should have been put into the EU and NATO. Instead the woke youngsters in the Obama and Biden Administrations taunted them and allowed the demented old fool to talk. Simes is correct when he said the American government does not understand the consequences of bad decisions. Who do the Russian people have more in common with china or the western countries? We cannot afford to keep electing ideologically incompetent leaders any longer, they have miserably failed us.
Fascinating stuff! I've been covering regime changes around the early 2000's and found independent media and journalism to be a key factor for a lot of these - thinking of stations like Rustavi-2 in Georgia and how they would repeatedly get shut down in former in former Soviet states. https://substack.com/@libertarianoverwatch/note/p-188318481?r=48h772