Why 1980s Bond Villains Are Back

Warning: this is going to be a political post. So, before you bug out, I have a new article over at Skiffy and Fanty. It's about Honor Harrington, and if you're a writer thinking of gender-flipping and/or race-flipping characters, it might be of some use to you. It's called THE INTERSECTION: CONTEXT, HONOR, AND THE STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER™. Hop on over and have a look. Leave a comment, if you like.

On to other things.
If you're an American and you're here, I'm certain that you've been keeping up with what's going on with the Mueller/Russia investigation. The only thing I'm going to do differently is that I'm rounding up some related articles and attempting to look at the bigger picture. This doesn't mean I'm accurate. I'm merely trying to look beyond the every day news as it were. In any case, the developing situation is alarming.

Dems say whistleblower emails show gov't workers targeted for not backing Trump. Alone, that's not a good story. Combined with the renewed burst of 'housecleaning'...well... not having advisors in key positions means that Americans have no one to apply the brakes when Trump behaves like a dictator.

Even more worrying, the Trump Administration has connections to Russia and Putin. The business ties are damning enough, but there are more connections--campaign funding connections--via the NRA. Also, read: The Very Strange Case of Two Russian Gun Lovers, the NRA, and Donald Trump. The scary thing about the NRA/Russia story is that a majority of the GOP in our government have taken NRA money. If the NRA has been funneling Russian money to American politicians--and it's looking more and more like that's the case--then that means that Trump isn't the only problem. It means almost the entire Republican Party has been compromised by Russia. Interestingly enough, Trump and his administration have undermined sanctions put in place by Obama. This, even though they've finally instated sanctions of their own. The impression is that the Republicans didn't do so willingly. Personally, I think they didn't have a choice after the news about the NRA connection was revealed. 

Now for the rest of the news about Russia. 

Russian Hackers Attacking U.S. Power Grid and Aviation, FBI Warns. Infrastructure isn't the only area wherein Russian hackers have been busy. They've also haven't stopped their attempts on the American political system. Possible Russian trolls try to register for Texas Democratic convention. The US hasn't been Russia's only target. Nerve Agent Found In U.K. Is Rare And Definitely Russian. Also, check out: IS RUSSIA BEHIND 14 'NATURAL' DEATHS? U.K. SECRET SERVICE LOOKS AGAIN AT MYSTERIOUS SUICIDES AFTER NOVICHOK ATTACK. These sorts of actions aren't new. Putin is known to have (most likely) done this sort of thing before. Now, watch this: Russian state TV warns 'traitors' not to settle in England. 

If you want an extra-added "conspiracy theory but not too crazy to be unrealistic" layer...read Nine months, nine prominent Russians dead. (Do keep in mind that that one is total conjecture.)

Why this sudden rush of activity? Did Putin wake up after having a Bond Villain Personality Injection™? My hunch is that Putin is up for re-election, and even though the numbers indicate that he'll win the popularity of his government is slipping. The Russian economy has taken a big hit, now that the world's reliance on fossil fuels is receding. (Russia is the second biggest market for oil.)[1] He has mafia ties. He's known to behave like a mafia boss when cornered. Ultimately, I think this is what it's all about: Putin is operating the same dictatorial scheme that Kim Jong Il has--only he's more slick about it. Nonetheless, the West has plenty to worry about. 

-------------------------------------------
[1] Perhaps that's why Climate Change denial is so popular among Republicans?