The Manchurian Candidate is a 1960’s American suspense thriller about the Cold War and sleeper agents, persons brainwashed and set in a target country to be an asset if activated. A young man from a prominent political family was a prisoner of war during the conflict in Korea. Officials from China and the Soviet Union brainwash and employ him as a sleeper agent in an attempt to subvert and take over the United States Government.
Thus, a Manchurian Candidate is a person, especially a politician, who is used as a puppet by an enemy power. The term is commonly used to indicate disloyalty or corruption, whether intentional or unintentional.
Much of what Trump does, domestically and internationally, is his white nationalism in action, along with his ignorance. As such he would oppose immigration of nonwhite people in the United States or Europe. And he would obviously want to not participate in international alliances, like NATO and the G7.
But why would he try to break them up? For example, why would he say the European Union is a U.S. foe? Carl Bildt, the former conservative prime minister of Sweden, said that the American president “has a completely distorted view of the history of European integration – so distorted that it’s dangerous.”
Why would he try to undermine the German government and the British government, as well as American institutions like the Department of Justice and the Judiciary? He grossly insulted and undermined Prime Minister Theresa May by suggesting her political enemy for Britain’s Prime Minister—while being her guest in the country.
Alternative efforts at explaining Trump’s bizarre behavior include (1) Trump being in hock to some of the Russian oligarchs, who are friends of Putin, and (2) the idea that Putin has secret videos of Trump’s behavior mentioned in the “Steele Dossier.”
I know that many mental health experts have let us know about their duty to warn us of the danger of an unhinged personality like Donald Trump. But suppose it is something else—like a Manchurian Candidate. That would make sense of his international actions, as he is currently doing Putin’s work for him. Russia has always opposed NATO, and Russia got expelled from the G7 for annexing Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in 2014. International relations experts point out that Putin is engaged in undermining democracy in several western governments. Nevertheless, Trump is asking for Russia’s readmittance to the group of seven industrialized nations, the G7.
Last week Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation indicted 12 Russian intelligence officers for interfering in the 2016 election. In all Mueller has formally charged 26 Russians with crimes in the American 2016 election. It seems to have changed nothing for President Trump.
The summit with Putin began hours after Trump blamed his own country, rather than Russia, for the hostilities between the two nations. In his joint press conference with Putin after their meeting, Trump blamed the Mueller investigation for negatively affecting relations between Russia and the United States.
“I think the probe has been a disaster for our country,” he said. “It’s ridiculous what’s going on with the probe.” To which former CIA director John O. Brennan responded: “Donald Trump’s press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of ‘high crimes & misdemeanors [impeachable offenses].’ It was nothing short of treasonous. Not only were Trump’s comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin. Republican Patriots: Where are you???”
I agree wholeheartedly with Brennan. And yes, things have gotten really bad. I am not a conspiracy theorist, but here I am–offering a conspiracy.
