I find it hard to believe the "fairy tale" about Clinton calling up $500 million in hundred-dollar bills - without it being detected somewhere along the line by someone or some agency. AND if you can't vouch for its veracity, why are you publishing it, Greg? That's the piece of it I really don't get. Everything I've read by you - so far - has been, far as I can tell, thoroughly vetted. Otherwise, why would YOU want to put your name on the line. Because for me, you have done that. Even in hundreds, $500 million in cash takes up a lot of space and weight - to move around, to handle, and package. So One Million Dollars equals 10,000 $100 bills, weighing 17 pounds. Times 500? In pounds = 8,500. Pretty bulky. Or maybe 500 briefcases? Oh, that's not "noticeable" at all, right?
Seriously, Greg, if you want just ONE of your readers to believe this fable, sell it to me. At this point, I'm not buying. I need you to explain this to me, why you believe it, or I'm questioning my stupid little $5 subscription. A nothingburger. But your credibility is on the line. - Dana Bennett, Denver, CO
Whether the rumor is a fairy tale or a fact is irrelevant. The point is that Vladimir Putin brilliantly used this story to convince Trump that the US, or more pointedly the Clintons, has used unsavory tactics to manipulate foreign elections. So to balance the proverbial scales, why shouldn't Putin be able to help Trump, especially if it's to beat the Clintons?
First, I didn't write this. "Moscow Never Sleeps" did. He is an American who worked for many years in Russia, including during the time that the story is alleged to have taken place.
Second: in the world of banknote printing, a stack of a thousand notes is called a "brick," because that's exactly the size and shape of it. So 10 grand is one brick. Which means that, yes, all that money would be heavy, but not impossible to ship by any means. It would have to be transported in boxes, on pallets, but it would certainly fit in a plane and a few trucks.
However, the amount of money is probably an exaggeration, if not an outright fabrication. I don't believe the story is true, as you don't, and I don't think the author does, either. And as he writes at the end (and as RUArmyNavyMom says below), it matters only if the Russian people believe it. The story DID circulate at that time in Moscow. It was an urban legend. And thus it had power, even if it wasn't true. If people in Russia thought it was true that we interfered in their election, it is "tit for tat" that they should do the same for us.
Which is why I ran this piece, even if the story he tells, as he points out more than once, is probably apocryphal.
Greg, Thank you for your full response to me. I was accused of "vitriol" by another reader, but if it came across that way, it certainly wasn't intended that way. I obviously read your intro to the post because you did mention "Moscow Never Sleeps" but I'd never heard of that person or org! So I was a little lost.
I was aware that the amount of money mentioned could be transported. Not easily, and not by one person doing all the work. But the way it was written - and here I go, taking things literally - like one person, Bill Clinton, did the whole deed. I guess when I added up how bulky and heavy that amount of money....well, I was very curious by then.
Thanks for filling me in the story growing into an urban legend in Moscow, which also means there were exaggerations. Your conclusion, that if people in Russia believed it and we had interfered in their election with Yeltsin, then a "tit for tat" seemed fair they do that to us.
Thank you for your patience with me. I've never had a reason to believe that international politics, even though I came of age in the 60s and 70s, got this conspiratorial and underhanded. But I can never look at politics after all I've learned - maybe especially from you. So, I thank you for bringing up to snuff!
Welp, call me jaded, but I'd have no trouble at all believing that Sheldon Adelson, the Koch Bro (singular), The Mercers, and/or their ilk would crackle up a billion George's to fix an election in their favor. Which leads me to wonder who on the blue side had a half-bil in spare cash & an incentive 24 years ago? Inasmuch as I truly believe Republicans (especially ReTHUGlikkkans) are way more corrupt way more often than Democrats, there's been occasional dirty pool during election cycles on both sides since our country's inception. It slapped me in the face when viewing the movie "Lincoln." I became aware in my 30's that John F. Kennedy's father, Joe, fixed (or attempted to fix) at least one election in his son's favor.
I find it hard to believe the "fairy tale" about Clinton calling up $500 million in hundred-dollar bills - without it being detected somewhere along the line by someone or some agency. AND if you can't vouch for its veracity, why are you publishing it, Greg? That's the piece of it I really don't get. Everything I've read by you - so far - has been, far as I can tell, thoroughly vetted. Otherwise, why would YOU want to put your name on the line. Because for me, you have done that. Even in hundreds, $500 million in cash takes up a lot of space and weight - to move around, to handle, and package. So One Million Dollars equals 10,000 $100 bills, weighing 17 pounds. Times 500? In pounds = 8,500. Pretty bulky. Or maybe 500 briefcases? Oh, that's not "noticeable" at all, right?
Seriously, Greg, if you want just ONE of your readers to believe this fable, sell it to me. At this point, I'm not buying. I need you to explain this to me, why you believe it, or I'm questioning my stupid little $5 subscription. A nothingburger. But your credibility is on the line. - Dana Bennett, Denver, CO
Whether the rumor is a fairy tale or a fact is irrelevant. The point is that Vladimir Putin brilliantly used this story to convince Trump that the US, or more pointedly the Clintons, has used unsavory tactics to manipulate foreign elections. So to balance the proverbial scales, why shouldn't Putin be able to help Trump, especially if it's to beat the Clintons?
Are you answering for Greg Olear? If you aren't, I'll wait to hear from him. He mentioned NOTHING about Putin "using that story."
Ummm...news flash, this is a comments section that is open to subscribers' insights? Never mind....
Please see my comment above.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment.
First, I didn't write this. "Moscow Never Sleeps" did. He is an American who worked for many years in Russia, including during the time that the story is alleged to have taken place.
Second: in the world of banknote printing, a stack of a thousand notes is called a "brick," because that's exactly the size and shape of it. So 10 grand is one brick. Which means that, yes, all that money would be heavy, but not impossible to ship by any means. It would have to be transported in boxes, on pallets, but it would certainly fit in a plane and a few trucks.
However, the amount of money is probably an exaggeration, if not an outright fabrication. I don't believe the story is true, as you don't, and I don't think the author does, either. And as he writes at the end (and as RUArmyNavyMom says below), it matters only if the Russian people believe it. The story DID circulate at that time in Moscow. It was an urban legend. And thus it had power, even if it wasn't true. If people in Russia thought it was true that we interfered in their election, it is "tit for tat" that they should do the same for us.
Which is why I ran this piece, even if the story he tells, as he points out more than once, is probably apocryphal.
Greg, Thank you for your full response to me. I was accused of "vitriol" by another reader, but if it came across that way, it certainly wasn't intended that way. I obviously read your intro to the post because you did mention "Moscow Never Sleeps" but I'd never heard of that person or org! So I was a little lost.
I was aware that the amount of money mentioned could be transported. Not easily, and not by one person doing all the work. But the way it was written - and here I go, taking things literally - like one person, Bill Clinton, did the whole deed. I guess when I added up how bulky and heavy that amount of money....well, I was very curious by then.
Thanks for filling me in the story growing into an urban legend in Moscow, which also means there were exaggerations. Your conclusion, that if people in Russia believed it and we had interfered in their election with Yeltsin, then a "tit for tat" seemed fair they do that to us.
Thank you for your patience with me. I've never had a reason to believe that international politics, even though I came of age in the 60s and 70s, got this conspiratorial and underhanded. But I can never look at politics after all I've learned - maybe especially from you. So, I thank you for bringing up to snuff!
Welp, call me jaded, but I'd have no trouble at all believing that Sheldon Adelson, the Koch Bro (singular), The Mercers, and/or their ilk would crackle up a billion George's to fix an election in their favor. Which leads me to wonder who on the blue side had a half-bil in spare cash & an incentive 24 years ago? Inasmuch as I truly believe Republicans (especially ReTHUGlikkkans) are way more corrupt way more often than Democrats, there's been occasional dirty pool during election cycles on both sides since our country's inception. It slapped me in the face when viewing the movie "Lincoln." I became aware in my 30's that John F. Kennedy's father, Joe, fixed (or attempted to fix) at least one election in his son's favor.
To iMischa - Sorry you feel that way. I was writing to Greg and he answered me quite fully and respectfully.
Dana Bennett