Dealing with the Bear-both economically (markets) and politically.

Here are a few thoughts that you should think about as you prepare for your elections. We are accustomed to conventional king makers. But i think it is time we seriously started thinking about a resurgent soviet union.

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First a story. A young lady shows up with a CCCP Branded shirt and an American quickly wonders how much success to expect at the immigration office.

My response? Where does the former president (Gorbachev) of the Soviet Union live? California off course. What about the Master Chess player (Kasparov)? The U.S.A of course.

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These are the perils of democracy or perhaps the positives and negatives aspects of democracy. On one hand you have to offer asylum to those who are in distress at the risk of welcoming those who are foes. There is also the possibility that citizens will in the future be challenged when war forces their host county to engage in hostile acts. Ask the Japanese about the internment camps. With all this in my it is still not very simple deciding who or what really constitutes of a true citizen. The citizenship tests and the vows notwithstanding!

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Another story. There is a lady who gave a presentation for the centre for policy studies in Ottawa. She was trying to make a case for President Putin as a wrestler (in strategy and thinking) and not a chess player.
A shorter closer contact sport with a few rounds as opposed to a longer drawn out engagement between two adversaries.

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So in the event of an engagement with the Russians, how do you think the most prominent citizens would behave? How quickly can you put into action your sleeper agents? There is plenty of fodder in Hollywood about this Salt is just one example. Where an agent deep in the agency and close to the president attempts to bring about a chaotic situation by 'engaging' a Russian prime minister.

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Another story of note is the rise in whistle blowing that has really damaged U.S relations. Most of what has been done was done in the Interest of Pubic good but at the cost of American Intelligence. And where are these groups turning for solace? Well Russia (Snowden) and South America (Asange).

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The fourth is a story that has to do with a shift in American thinking that brought about an interest in Socialism. This can be reflected in the popularity that brought Bernie Sanders to the fore and that forced an uneasy alliance with Hillary Clinton. The Black Lives Matter Movement, the 99 Percent (occupy movement), and in part the tea party. Are all clusters that reflect the same sentiments and that are bringing about unimaginable conversation about class distinction in a capitalist stronghold.

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Barack Obama "America is too strong to destroy from outside..." the question is if you were to destroy it from within what would you do?

I have sometimes argued that the the series 24 prepared us for a black presidency albeit a troublesome one. Where the protagonist was given the arduous task of protecting a black president from California from agents in the white house who were using his military past to haunt and attack him. Could this be our Gina Davis Moment?

But that is closer to fiction than fact.

If there are any lessons to learn one of these must be never to use your power in office (presidential roasts) and your humor to respond too strongly to an opponent. This has been the fuel in Trumps engine. And it has roared on. 
Perhaps we have also learned something about what it means to walk the fine line across the political divide and create activity and conversations between historical foes. We have also seen how crippling life can get when the hatred for the executive is at its peak and what it means to be entrenched in a system that is rigged for failure and booby trapped with all sorts of neat little gadgets.

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Now the machine rages on and we are already getting troubling subliminal ideas about the possibilities of a rigged vote and that in the Bastion of Democracy. Last time this happened, we invited the Supreme Court of the United States into the picture while we counted chads and effectively handed the presidency back to the Texas Ranger. 
So are we being prepared to believe that the Opinion Polls are going to be the only true factor to decide on the fairness of the U.S election?

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The fifth story has to do with the Brexit and it's effects on Europe Economically, Politically and most importantly Militarily at least in decision regarding Engagement with Russians and by extension NATO.

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This might be good news for the Russians but it might be drawing us closer to the edge as the British pull out of their deals with China.

All this as the Russians begin to assert their authority in the break away republics.

Also in the news is the plan to talk to the Turks a current no go zone for the Americans even if to be fair POTUS, has pardoned a fair measure of Turkey diner on historical thanksgiving celebrations. How the Russians negotiate that space will prove interesting