Andrea Bernstein with Masha Gessen: American Oligarchs

Andrea Bernstein, host of the WNYC/ProPublica podcast Trump, Inc, is interviewed by Masha Gessen, about Bernstein’s “gobsmacking” new book, American Oligarchs: The Kushners, the Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power. Recorded February 2, 2020, at 92nd Street Y.
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[@celtglen]

Plainly put friends, anytime someone, ANYONE, is perceived to be above the Law isn't American and certainly isn't Patriotic. PERIOD!

[@slowpainful]

What I can't understand is why people weren't rioting in the streets over that. Not to minimize the current demonstrations for BLM, which are long overdue, but for Trump virtually to declare himself dictator and above the law, with the Justice Department doing his bidding...it's all part of the injustice. is it that "rule of law" is too abstract for people to grasp?

[@marthacain1468]

Incedible insishts, a true investagative journalist/poet in prose & facts~! Andrea is my favorite writer & my belief ; is that my own PDG newspaperman, papa would have loved her books too~!

[@t.l.1610]

Yes! I’m reading her book right now. Expected it to be pretty dry material ... total opposite! What an engaging writer. She’s truly a journalistic gem.

[@thebookkeeper8404]

Please share these books with your loved ones - Johnny Got His Gun - D. Trumbo; also War is a Racket - Major General Smedley Butler. And watch Zeitgeist: The Movie - by P. Joseph. There should be plain citizens on a committee who must be involved in the "interview for police hiring process" in all the cities across the country.

[@ChrisBellArt]

"That can't happen... Who would do that!?!".... That is why this book is important... The horrible, the unimaginable... is fastly approaching us...

[@briannxx]

Yes if it feels true it is true right!? Lol grow up! Nice conspiracy theories otherwise Alex Jones

[@foreversocal1]

@@briannxx watch the video where Marie Yovanovich receives a diiplomat award she is the antithesis Donald & his admin

[@tomrecane6366]

briannxx A trump supporter criticizing Alex Jones? Sure

[@briannxx]

Tom Recane A Trump deranged lefty creating a complete fictional straw-man out of a single data point then attacking that person with the fictional straw-man just invented? Yeah You’re not part of the Borg at all

[@tomrecane6366]

briannxx You gave me the data point. Have another glass of Kool Aide.

[@mandiraraksit689]

Those of us studied sociology can understand why oligarchy is not elitism; dark money is the driving engine of oligarchy. Elitism on the other hand makes us mindful of class war. I didn’t agree with the author’s view about Trump’s daughter. The more I read about this plastic socialite, the more I think of that the apple doesn’t grow far from the tree. Despite Ivanka’s polished exterior, she indeed is a true Trump like her father.

[@ruthegan8524]

I have studied sociology, psychology, social psychology, and theology. It is quite helpful in observing human behavior. God made us and all that exists. God knows each one of us and still loves us. Comparison of money and possessions often produces envy, greed, and hate. The love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. Check out Luke chapter 12 verses 22-34.

[@cherylalt101]

Mandira Raksit About Ivanka, it sounds like you and Andrea are in agreement.To me, I thought Andrea was saying that while Ivanka is more polished and is very careful about what she says and does, she appears to be leaving her options open as far as politics is concerned. She has cultivated a certain image of a liberated young woman, but she is extremely loyal to her father and has no problem carrying his message around the world. It's just packaged a lot slicker than daddy, which might make her even more dangerous.

[@mandiraraksit689]

Cheryl Alt about Ivanka, thank you, however, I don’t like subtle approaches when it comes to Ivanka. This power hungry and talentless-behind the door administrator needs to be challenged upfront:: She has no place where she is standing now.

[@rosemarieholt2261]

Went right to Audible for this

[@charliemorris2338]

"Sanctimonious hustler's are what we are and what we always have been.Only rule is,"you don't blow the whistle on my scam and I won't say anything about your's."Gore Vidal.

[@pissonthe0fighteverybody276]

So true

[@antonomaseapophasis5142]

Thank you for bringing Wayne Barrett forward. Not only a great reporter, but a great spirit.

[@waldosgrade]

I worked for an agency that was “targeted” by Barrett - and the agency lawyers perversely gave him the runaround, trying to frustrate him. I don’t recall why, but I was paired with him to answer any questions about a project I was remotely familiar with, but by no means was I prepared to answer in any detail. He seemed to get that I was a bit of a sacrificial lamb, but he was seething at how he was being treated and I bore the brunt of his frustration. I felt bad but I knew my sympathy would be unwelcome so I meekly nodded away as he vented. I later kept on eye the Village Voice to see the fruit of whatever he was researching, but never saw anything. I did pick up a copy of City for Sale which was fascinating.

[@360luv4allivingthings]

Everyone should hear this!

[@froggreen2067]

Samantha Robertson we will

[@cynthiaallen9225]

Excellent!

[@lovelight9261]

Was it after this was posted that AG Barr put out his memo saying no one may open any investigation of Trump without his say-so? Seems like it was less than a week ago. Today is Feb 10, 2020. Great interview.

[@kimmieb4706]

I’m officially scared

[@lynnstates5552]

People need to open their eyes and realize our freedom is hanging by a thread. Everyday he is in there he is slowly taking away our rights by everything he does.

[@cherylalt101]

Lynn States Absolutely. It gives me nightmares Lynn. I fear he either actually wins, and then feels he has a mandate and not only speeds up his destruction of our government, but also that his vindictive nature would be completely out of control and Obama, Biden, Hillary, Pelosi, etc., will be charged with whatever Barr dreams up and the lock her up chant becomes reality. On the other hand, he loses but refuses to leave office, claiming voter fraud or again whatever Barr dreams up and sues for the presidency, which after all is the Trump way, while the nation and the world are held hostage by a madman. Vote. Everyone must vote. No more democratic party bickering, just vote, and those republicans who have allowed even encouraged Trump to gut the government so they can line their pockets should be charged with treason. Take care Lynn, stay safe and VOTE!

[@deborahgarner7785]

You go girl!

[@froggreen2067]

This will have millions of listeners

[@vincentsparkes7808]

The world is hanging on a string,,,,,,time for change....truly

[@minecraftnoobs7331]

Cheers to the one who tells me the name of Mashas glasses

[@gladyslustgirdle3004]

I remember my father saying to me before I left school, "Try to leave this world at least a little better than when you entered it". Seems as if I have been playing by the wrong rules.

[@pissonthe0fighteverybody276]

Yes unfortunately nice guys finish last. I was raised like you to be good try to help people etc. I often wonder should I teach my children to be good and honest. Or to be a power/money hungry cut throat to win at all cost. And to hell with collateral damage.

[@thegoodpimps]

@@pissonthe0fighteverybody276It depends if you want your children to be happy and enter paradise or be angry and enter hellfire

[@rdaltry777]

Just checking if anyone has seen the old miniseries V?

[@debrajenkins1622]

Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive........

[@briannxx]

When you don’t have anything you attack the man not the ball!

[@rachelfintechemail4769]

The fact that you can't tell what the ball is here is amazing. The disclosure and blind trust of a president's finances is basic to the constitutional emoluments clause.

[@briannxx]

“No Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.” Exchanges of goods and services from your company at the going market rate is wrong, illegal, unconstitutional or without precedent from countless former Presidents! This weak incoherent non argument hurts the head it’s so ignorant but people learned how to Emolument which makes them feel smart without knowing anything else except they think it’s bad! Lol pathetic

[@kariweohr7993]

Please do a book on Bill and Hillary Clinton, they are very rich too.

[@globaleye4447]

I would challenge Andrea to do the same investigation on Bill and Hilary Clinton because they are far more crooked than anyone else she has written about to date

[@rohanch2038]

Street

[@chrisg307]

@53" MAGA says Trump now=Microsoft Amazon Google Apple so, no, they won't speak out; so, yes, only god could have written this story. strange days. Wonderfully articulate women on stage; I feel like a dolt.

[@rsoubiea]

I'm sorry but the Kushner story sounds like the movie The Great Escape. Well rehearsed and fine tuned to garner sympathy. A holacast story is never going to be back checked right? I think the Kushner's played us like a fiddle. I think Trump and his family, employees do it every week.

[@TheDavidlloydjones]

kisz-lee-yak. Really: not very difficult.

[@anaqueiroz652]

I have was expecting to learn something about corruption in US but this journalist only parrots accusations against one very special oligarc.

[@skontheroad]

Hence, the title...!

[@rsoubiea]

Ivanka is a perfect little Stepford wife, totally brain washed. She knows who paves the way for her success, daddy.

[@taxmanf3260]

this is a wonderful discussion, however it would be even better if it included just one thing - evidence. none is sought and none is offered. what an embarrassment.

[@triciathomson4674]

What do you need for evidence? There's plenty there. If you want to go check the sources they're open.

[@taxmanf3260]

@@triciathomson4674 Just a quote from this woman will do. Thanks.

[@taxmanf3260]

@@triciathomson4674 Just a quick example of what I am asking for... Imagine I claim that Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has allegedly committed tax offences. And you ask me for evidence. I would be very disingenuous, dishonest and hypocritical if I told you to look it up yourself because the evidence is "everywhere". I would be smearing someone (Omar) and not providing any evidence to support my accusations. Instead I would suggest you watch this -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2fdhoevoMd0jKM

[@taxmanf3260]

@Blue Skies So in your mind asking me to prove a negative is a gotcha question. Now that's funny.

[@taxmanf3260]

@Augusta Wynn A check of what sources ? Please be specific. And its not my fault you don't understand Mueller's task was to report to the Attorney General whether anyone should be indicted. The fact a sitting president cannot be indicted had nothing to do woth it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/favUq6VnhJJ4bac I look fwd to looking at your sources.

[@chavdarnaidenov2661]

So these newer crooks are more crooked than the a slightly older crooks, which makes them oligarchs? I hope at least she got a good fee.

[@sickolelady2001]

evil begets evil and nothing begets nothing i e trump!!🤮👺🙀

[@davidmurphy5405]

We used to hire people who won the war. Or wrote the book on profiles in courage. Statesmen of incredible caliber. People whom had done so much good it overshadowed their little oopsies.oooooops ! And then there was JEdgar to deal with for half century. ! I was born a left handed genius to a converted right hand grandfather. He was a conservative 32° lawyer. And all he wanted was boys. So when his daughter's wedding ether wore off he got his wish. Or maybe it was the family plan. Mom was an editor and I thought the lodge was a warm friendly place to meet like minded genius. It's that yes but it is an intelligence agency sanctioned by the gvt 503c. No tax and a military bad boys haven. But it's an intelligence agency. And my gramps was a lawyer at the 3rd largest corp. He took his orders from J Edgar many times. I have the silver he ate on. Now grams is the big Jewish secret in the fam. She is Huey Longs cousin. None of this was ever spoken of. Meaning I'm so dumb I never piecesd together my uncle or cousin or something was the Chairman of Finance Comitee.. So the great fear in a secret agent's house is Benedict Arnold. So the keys to the kingdom are withheld in safe deposits or the lodge locker room. So it's a scramble to see if I could ever outsmart the old man. I'm a brat. But I'm a pretty good brat. OSS Capt Wildman a marine raider and airforce CIA favorite tapped me at 12 at church. Now agents go to certain churches....mainstream. every sunday. Gosh sometimes I still go do it. I just like most people I meet head on. I'm paid six figures a year to size people up. I have a fully equipped spy van and I have your bank accounts and schedules. You got 9 minutes for a cop and when I hear the address of the situation I can finish it up with a van full of gold. So ya wanna call the cops.... so we owned judges and it was up to.me to keep things greased as gramps grew old and I wasn't there...that bit me in the ass. No things fell apart quickly. Col. Whitman's son was murdered.. Hes chief of staff at ft whipple. Just as nixon was being barbequed. Roy was CEO of Rocky Mountain Technologies. Family and lodge friend. We had chased UFOs as mom the editor started a huge ufo hoax . 5000 people disappeared 1967 from town. Then the moon landing. My nieghbor invented seti jpl so I spent it 12" from a microphone key I could have pushed and said hi Neil ! So our little hi school science group of my brothers consolidated after nasa gave us quarter mil for an oxygen accelerator project flew on spacelab 1...we were in. I was just the little brother and the lowest IQ. We had a 400+ you should work with THEM...WOWWY WOW WOW WOW...Meanwhile back at the ranch I'd cowboyed on summers I blew the eye of a quail out with a snub nose on the fly at nearly 100 yards. The sheriff's rangemaster had missed both shots. But news spread quick he wanted me for his sole partner when my mom would allow it. At 14 I was approaching seven feet. Out of the marines having served quickly in several gvt jobs i was back at the ranch. Billionaire ambassador just bought out a rustic character from the 1800s. Col Green. Gramps painted the last roundup in 1971. He took our next door nieghbor up their I have pics ...he invented tv. This is a real cast of characters huh? So Kissinger is supposed to fly in and I'm the ranch house gunmen. My boss a fed . Fish and game hunter. Playing chess with Richard chase and playing the queens Stienway. No central heat in the main house. Charlie built it. Before kissinger flew in I busted an ulcer and was evac'd out to Col Whitman writing orders for mylanta. Mom his nurse then left to autopsy Roy. I was the suspected leaker. We had anti gravity. .and a nasa contract. Oops. So the big gunman capitulated to gramps to get my degrees back to school and join the BAR. I was out prosecuting pedophiles and had no idea...well chief of detectives held his finger to his lips and said don't worry about it fbi is on it ...probably. then I went to a grand jury member. Gramps is an alternate. ..but I wanted to succeed and show the dead mouse to gramps right. Well this guy gives me a finger to lips and says the same as Ed. Then another and then I got raided. 3 seeds in a college trailer..not mine . Then Hugh Hefner held out a blank check to the supreme court ...for a first year law student.? Cool. Gramps was not amused as some of our lawyers are ACLU. Beaming with pride his grandson had a supreme court case with his name on it he promptly disinherited me and brother blackballed me out of the masons. Gramps bid to raise the next president blew out the window. We did get a lawyer in the family finally. My mom had a baby and gave it to judge Jacobsen to raise. She joined the bar as most of his adopted children. Really stellar personality. Like Wildman. So our family judge died. He adored me for some reason he would dismiss anything...and I put him to it a few times. Well he died and when these charges hit the new guy he shot himself in the foot and was overheard pronouncing my guilt before the trial. The second judge was the only one left. I can not even begin to tell you what I know about all these characters. But I was rubbing shoulders in a party town for the jfk kill crew. You didn't want to get anybody mad at you. The men I deal with and who have trained me have all the ribbons from jap islands to inchon. Some are even in a toss up for sheer numbers of kills in world record books kept by people who keep that kind of stuff. Gramps aligned himself with the top gun. Ringo. At 13 my hero and soon he showed me where we bury the rustlers. Sheriffs ask always to bring em in. He'd bring there names and ID. Ringo could not be convicted in arizona. His wife and kids ranch raised his son..whoa ! Green beenie....hearts and minds brother. They kept painting targets on my back mentally in case gramps gave the word....maybe. . Ringo's only thought to me negatively was et me ever see your face in the wrong campfire. I must have convinced him he couldn't kill who worshipped him and he said a bullet costs money 3 cents and I'm not gonna waste it if yer not worth the powder and shot to blow to hell. He almost got his son in law. Pedophile. In the army. 44 mag bullet went into the seligman store owners large plate glass. Only shot I saw him miss. He didnt want to kill him in town. Meanwhile back at the ranch...he had already taken him for a horsey ride to oblivion till his daughter asked where he went and rode out in a gallop after him. He would have hung him . Bullets expensive. Well 15 years later Col. Whitman saved me. 24 broken bones and two years in federal recovery . It slowed me down little . Uncle russel died and so john McCain picked me up dusted me off and pointed me back to business. And his 6'3" blond aide got me dancing again. Then the election came and the feared manchurian candidate lost. Boy do I have stories. And who can figure the two party dictatorship anyway. Anyway......my family sincerely watched the news knowing they would hear my name and I would be in a tower somewhere with guns or sumthin...32 year old cat trips 92 year old 32° mason . Broken hip and gone with the witch of February...I was the chief surgeon of central unit Florence Prison. That's a huge story. Started a revival with a stienway and brought the body count down. The governor lined it so much he built a new chapel when I complained of the acoustics. .I am a PhD in music. My brother ...sociology. .I was actually invited to Norfolk Naval Academy at 16 was Sonny and Chers bass trombonist. I have the biggest lungs in the business. Last year at ASU and my hi school sweetie still wanted to play the field. Both musicians she got a Capitol contract and I headed out on a ten speed . May Nov 8000 miles. I needed it. I toured America. made news 3 times. None of my relatives saw it.

[@davidmurphy5405]

I was still writing of masons and my statement of the 503c was in connection of the mainstream church..silent entity of intrigue for a mason. We each have pools we are allowed to recruit from. Levels of power explained it's a closed system and I was locked inside 18 years...and they had the key. And for Christ sake don't make gramps throw a mason on you.

[@NCAdventuress]

What on earth are you talking about??

[@davidmurphy5405]

@@NCAdventuress lady I became a yogi . This was a rough part of my life and I was trying to find any kind of truth or meaning in life. When yer born in prison you don't know your born in prison. I had to learn nothing is what it appears.

[@MsTinaward]

hilarys story would be far more sinister than his i think

[@annamoyer3186]

By

[@riokriok2863]

Ugly people ugly stories self promoter's they are champion for that they promote each other's

[@edwardrichardson8254]

There are no "American oligarchs" liberals, sorry. Oligarchs are rich and powerful via exclusive rights to formerly nationalized state resources acquired by "gifting" from the current power player and ill-gotten gains stolen from the state. Why there is not single billionaire in the US Congress but over 100 in the Chinese parliament. There is no parallel in America because we have not nationalized any industry (healthcare is about 50% nationalized). A good analogy would be this: Imagine Britain's NHS were deregulated and denationalized (partially or fully) and pieces of it granted to a handful or even just two foreign ministers to take public with their friends/cousins/wives etc having a controlling interest. It's medieval in a way, it's fiefdoms to barons and such, just in a corporatist sense.

[@CaliforniaGirl-qk5kq]

One Jews interview another.

[@jazura2]

Well done Sherlock!! Do you actually have any comments about the content??

[@skontheroad2666]

I do. Firstly her Yiddish translations are incorrect. And secondly, her observations of the wedding make it sound like it was such an over the top Orthodox wedding. It wasn't. It was you standard Orthodox wedding of wealthy Jews. And it was lovely.

[@jazura2]

@@skontheroad2666 Yes I noticed that. Also, as a writer to not know a thing about the holocaust in Poland for a woman of her age, is either willful or stupid in which case her research is suspect.

[@skontheroad2666]

@@jazura2 I was very taken aback by that. I grew up sitting at the feet of my grandparents listening to their holocaust stories (and those of their friends). It would never have occurred to me that someone would make a story like that up. Nonetheless I want to read the book for the Kushner stories more than the Trump stories. The Kushner family saga is truly something even God could not have made up (as she says). But I don't know if she got it right. I am sure it is a good read either way!

[@agritrend4812]

woman has covid hair even before it was in vogue.

[@Jedi206]

They seem like nice intelligent people, but being stuck in a room with their nasally monotone voices would make any normal human try to chew thier own arm off to escape...

[@salgaldenco]

Somebody give this woman a hairbrush!

[@jammasterjay4298]

Somebody should give you a brain

[@ruthegan8524]

Perhaps she virtue signalling.

[@froggreen2067]

Jam Master, thumps up emoji

[@henrycunha8379]

These are very tiresome people, both the players and their critics.

[@celtglen]

Plainly put friends, anytime someone, ANYONE, is perceived to be above the Law isn't American and certainly isn't Patriotic. PERIOD!

[@debrathornquist2465]

Apparently it is, we just didnt know.

[@celtglen]

Plainly put friends, anytime someone, ANYONE, is perceived to be above the Law isn't American and certainly isn't Patriotic. PERIOD!