Russia and our election

[hollodero]

Also refraining from opening another Russia thread, I do feel Russian money laundering is quite an important political issue for other countries as well, hence my interest. Russians fund a lot of parties here. Russian money laundering is, per se, quite a big deal. Not just in the US, also in Europe, many billions of dollars got laundered via European accounts ("allegedly", but it's quite clear at this point). These are quite complex schemes. Some schemes use money loans between offshore companies with russian liability; the money doesn't get paid back (it never existed), the liability is envoked by some (bribed) Eastern European courts, the Russians pay up et voila. This is oversimplifying it, the schemes are more complex, but in principle they are using aware or even unaware helpers in Europe; individuals, companies, corporations and banks. (My sources are in German, so only Belsnickel could make some sense of it. Speaking of, his posting of Mr. Browder's initial statement grazes that and the origin of the vast unlaundered funds inside Russia.)

Now, after what has surfaced in the US including Trump, including Alfa Bank and server connections of said shady bank with Trump Tower, after Deutsche Bank and their alleged role in laundering that incidentally was the only bank loaning money to Trump at some point, after the Kushner meeting with that dubious and sanctioned Russian banker Gorkov, after learning about the people involved in some other meetings (like Veselnitskaya, who of course is a Russian government lawyer and it wasn't a secret in the first place, and company are one example). After all the different oligarchs (it's safe to say most, if not all of them act on Putin's behalf, because those who don't end up in jail or as target of assaults) that pop up in the personal history of Trump himself (Agalarov, Rybolovlev) and his aides (Manafort-Derypaska, Eric Prince's guy,...). After all the lies and non-disclosures that took place. After learning about Mr. Manaforts dealings surrounding Janukowitch and his alleged debts. After the odd and unexplainable initial treatment of Mr. Flynn. After both sons of Trump claiming that they don't depend on US banks because there's so much Russian money flowing in and that their money built all the golf courses and whatnot. After Russian mobsters allegedly renting Trump properties, including Trump tower, in astonishing numbers. And last not least after Trump attacking everything and everyone except Russia in speeches and tweets. After his unexplainably friendly behaviour towards Putin, including that mind-boggling gesture across the room at the G20. After meeting Lavrov and Kislyak in the Oval (and looking so happy there, talking Comey and revealing some secrets). After his reaction to the revelation that Mr. Mueller could look at his financial transactions that seemed panicky and aimed at getting rid of Mueller by getting rid of the recused Sessions. After not releasing his tax returns. (And whatever I forgot.)
After all that, I can see no other possible reality as that Trump has been willing part of such a Russian money laundering scheme. It's the only thing making any sense to me. So I'm calling it.

With around 95% certainty (but not calling that too) I'd think he got saved by Russians after driving his business to the ground (the 90s seem to be full of financial disasters for him); threatened with poverty, he agreed to be saved and kept rich in exchange for helping the Russian money launderers out with his name and companies. And with being super-friendly to them as president. (Again, not "calling" that, although to me it seems to make perfect sense, and nothing else does.)

If I am wrong, if all the investigations end up showing nothing of that kind, I will eat crow as you say (do you? And if so, why crows?), I will admit I was so wrong, that my rationality isn't nearly as formed as I thought it to be, that I'm a drivelling idiot, that my personal loathing of Mr. Trump got the best of me. Which certainly is there, for reasons already discussed in great lengths.
But if I'm right, I want to feel the "called it"-feeling (I know I'm not the first person in the world to dare that, but still). We'll see.