U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a press conference after their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, Monday, July 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Photo
Today’s comments were selected, in part, because our readers (and the world) are focused on the unprecedented meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The first set of comments were selected to highlight the thoughtful and healthy debate on the current changes occurring in America.
From: That was treason, Donald Trump. We all saw it, a column contributed by Jared Yates Sexton
The Orange presidency has allowed me to understand so much better how a civilized country like Germany could have fallen under the sway of a fascist dictator. The Germans don’t need to feel so guilty - it can literally happen anywhere. - sageantoine
In response to sageantoine:
No, I think the Germans need to feel guilty, they engaged in the mechanized murder of six-million people, Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, mentally and physically disabled. To compare what is going on today in the USA is obscene. - drjimmy1
In response to drjimmy1:
My read of what sageantoine said wasn’t quite the same as yours. Certainly, you’re right to say that what’s happening in the USA today doesn’t compare to Nazi Germany; however, I am shocked at what this President has done and continues to do while his GOP colleagues stand impotently by. Had you told me, a few years ago, that it would come to this I would have said that America would never stand for it ... and yet, they have. The USA is sliding toward greater and greater ugliness while those who could do something to stop it stand idly by. This, I believe, is what sageantoine was pointing out and rightly so, in my honest opinion. - MyCentsEh
From: In extraordinary statement, Trump refuses to take U.S. intelligence agencies’ word over Putin’s on election meddling by Mark MacKinnon
Trump defers to no one yet he defers to Putin. This is an outrageous situation. The only logical deduction to be made is that the President of the United States is owned by Putin. - TorontoGooner
Well, no kidding. Everyone should take Putin’s word over US intelligence agencies. Those very same US intelligence agencies claimed Iraq had WMDs that were an imminent threat. That was no small mistake -- Iraq, the US, the Middle East and the entire world are still paying for that disaster. Anyone who’s paying attention should demand public evidence before believing anything US intelligence agencies have to say, given their track record of lies and failure.Yet, the media and establishment seem to have gotten instant amnesia over the whole Iraq War. No surprise there. - bavius
From the Comments is a new feature designed to highlight interesting and thoughtful contributions from our readers. Some comments have been edited for clarity. Everyone can read the comments but only subscribers will be able to contribute. Thank you to everyone furthering debate across our site.