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Russian Troll Farm, 13 Suspects Indicted For Interference In U.S. Election

  

Category:  News & Politics

Via:  jbb  •  6 years ago  •  370 comments

Russian Troll Farm, 13 Suspects Indicted For Interference In U.S. Election

Russian Troll Farm, 13 Suspects Indicted For Interference In U.S. Election

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/russian-troll-farm-13-suspects-indicted-for-interference-in-us-election/ar-BBJdZRt?li=BBnb7Kz


The Justice Department’s special counsel announced the indictment Friday of a notorious Russian troll farm — charging 13 individuals with an audacious scheme to criminally interfere with the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

The Internet Research Agency, based in St. Petersburg, Russia, was named in the indictment as the hub of an ambitious effort to trick Americans into following Russian-fed propaganda that pushed U.S. voters toward then-Republican candidate Donald Trump and away from Democrat Hillary Clinton.

The indictment charges that some of the Russian suspects interacted with Americans associated with the Trump campaign, but those associates did not realize they were being manipulated.

Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein called the charges “a reminder that people are not always who they appear on the Internet. The indictment alleges that the Russian conspirators want to promote social discord in the United States and undermine public confidence in democracy. We must not allow them to succeed.”

Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III did not attend the press briefing, but the 37-page indictment provides the most detailed description from the U.S. government of Russian interference in the election.

RELATED: Read the indictment

Prosecutors said the Internet Research Agency kept a list of real Americans who its employees had contacted using false personas and had asked to assist the effort. The list, which numbered over 100 people by late August 2016, included the U.S. citizens’ contact information, a summary of each person's political views and the activities the Russians had asked them to undertake.

None of those charged are in custody, according to Peter Carr, a spokesman for the special counsel’s office. Russia does not typically allow any of its citizens to be extradited to the U.S. to face trial, so it’s unlikely that the individuals will be turned over, but it will likely prevent them from traveling outside Russia.

Some of the Russians posed as U.S. persons and, without revealing their Russian identities, “communicated with unwitting individuals associated with the Trump campaign and with other political activists to seek to coordinate political activities,” the indictment said.

By February 2016, the suspects had decided whom they were supporting in the 2016 race. According to the indictment, Internet Research Agency specialists were instructed to “use any opportunity to criticize Hillary and the rest (except Sanders and Trump — we support them).”

Prosecutors say some Russian employees of the troll farm were chastised in September 2016 when they had a “low number of posts dedicated to criticizing Hillary Clinton” and were told it was “imperative to intensify criticizing” the Democratic nominee in future posts.

The charges include conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. One of those indicted is Yevgeniy Viktorovich Prigozhin, who has long been identified in Russian media as the financial backer of the Internet Research Agency. He is a caterer who has been nicknamed “Putin’s chef” because of his close ties to the Russian president.

Concord Consulting and Concord Catering, two Russian businesses also charged by Mueller’s team on Friday, have previously been identified as Prigozhin vehicles. “The Americans are very impressionable people and they see what they want to see,” Prigozhin told Russia’s RIA Novosti state news agency in response to the indictment. “I respect them very much.”

Referring to the list of indicted individuals, he added: “I am not at all disappointed that I appear in this list. If they want to see the devil — let them.”

The Internet Research Agency was at the center of Silicon Valley’s investigation into Russian meddling during the 2016 presidential election. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google all found evidence that the private firm used social media to divide American voters across a range of polarizing issues, including race, religion, gun rights and immigration.

Tweets and Facebook posts that have been made public as part of these investigations make clear that the Russian disinformation effort broadly sought to favor Trump and undermine the support for Clinton. This conclusion has been backed by the work of several independent researchers.

Typically called a “troll farm,” the Internet Research Agency is regarded as the most prominent part of the Russian disinformation campaign, though congressional investigators pushed for evidence of other operations, including from countries other than Russia, that shared the same purpose.

Overall, Facebook acknowledged to Congress that the Internet Research Agency had bought 3,000 ads on its platform that reached 11.4 million users. The agency’s employees also reportedly made many free posts that reached 126 million users.

In addition to polarizing online political conversation, Facebook reported that the Internet Research Agency used Facebook pages to organize 129 real-world events that drew the attention of nearly 340,000 Facebook users. One of these, organized by a group called Heart of Texas, took place on May 21, 2016, under the banner of “Stop Islamization of Texas.”

On that same day, another Russian-controlled Facebook group, called United Muslims of America, publicized a competing rally to “Save Islamic Knowledge” at the same place and time.

Twitter has acknowledged finding 3,814 accounts linked to the IRA, which together posted some 176,000 tweets in the 10 weeks preceding the election. The company also found 50,258 automated accounts it said were connected to the Russian government and tweeted more than a million times.

One particularly notorious account linked to the Russian firm claimed to speak for Tennessee Republicans. It persuaded a wide range of American politicians, celebrities and journalists to share tweets with their own massive lists of followers. The list of prominent people who tweeted out links from the account, @Ten_GOP, which Twitter shut down in August, included political figures such as Michael Flynn and Roger Stone, celebrities such as Nicki Minaj and James Woods, and media personalities such as Ann Coulter and Chris Hayes.

The IRA Twitter accounts frequently used links from prominent American news organizations, including The Washington Post and the San Francisco Chronicle, to push particular narratives related to the campaign, according to research from Columbia University social media researcher Jonathan Albright.

Twitter declined to comment Friday on the indictment.

Anton Troianovksi in Berlin and Rosalind S. Helderman and Spencer S. Hsu. contributed to this report.


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JBB
Professor Principal
1  seeder  JBB    6 years ago

American Social Media - Are You Paying Attention?

 
 
 
Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו
Junior Participates
4  Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו    6 years ago

Rightwingers (yesterday and for the last 6 months):  "WHY, OH WHY, DOESN'T MUELLER HAVE ANYTHING AFTER ALL THIS TIME ?"

News today:  Mueller indicts 13 individual Russians and 3 Russian companies for waging cyber war on the United States.  Also: Rick gates ready to plead guilty and spill his guts on Manafort and the entire Mar-a-LagoShitbag's criminal enterprise.

Rightwingers (today): WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH crying eek crying nervous eek crying

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
4.1  seeder  JBB  replied to  Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו @4    6 years ago
Rightwingers (today): WAHHHHHHHHHH

Poor dears. Bless their no good barely beatin still denyin cheatin lyin hearts...

 
 
 
Vic Eldred
Professor Principal
4.3  Vic Eldred  replied to  Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו @4    6 years ago

LMAO!  That's how you read that today? 

That was an exoneration of Trump and the "unwitting" campaign workers who thought they were talking to American political activists.

 
 
 
Vic Eldred
Professor Principal
4.3.3  Vic Eldred  replied to    6 years ago

So true. 

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
4.3.4  seeder  JBB  replied to  Vic Eldred @4.3    6 years ago

No, what happened today was Mueller charged 13 Russians for interfering in and even rigging our 2016 elections in defiance of the laws of the United States of America. Nowhere was Trump exonerated. It was shown though that clueless chumps worked for Trump who were so eager to please their lord and master that they became the willing if unwitting stooges of Russian intelligence officers. That is nothing to brag about. Muellers investigation is merely picking up steam. This is not the end you dream of it being though I understand why you are so desperate for it to be. You spread a lot of that manure that was being fed to you by Russians last year and I suppose that has to make you think. Or, does it? In any case, you are on the record as to whose side you are on now...

 
 
 
Vic Eldred
Professor Principal
4.3.5  Vic Eldred  replied to  JBB @4.3.4    6 years ago
It was shown though that clueless chumps worked for Trump who were so eager to please their lord and master that they became the willing if unwitting stooges of Russian intelligence officers.

It never said Trump campaign workers. I am sure that the Russians, posing as Americans talked to both campaigns. You know, the other campaign that actually used a go between to collude with Russians - in Russia! Don't forget this Russian operation began way back in 2014. So the Trump end of it you keep mentioning is what you are hoping for, but you must be the only one left who still believes in Trump collusion.

You see that's the problem - you couldn't just post this story without mentioning Trump and it has nothing to do with Trump.

 
 
 
Jasper2529
Professor Quiet
4.3.7  Jasper2529  replied to  Vic Eldred @4.3.5    6 years ago
Don't forget this Russian operation began way back in 2014.

There's plenty of reliable evidence available online that Russia/USSR operations began decades ago and were in many countries, not just the USA. 

So the Trump end of it you keep mentioning is what you are hoping for, but you must be the only one left who still believes in Trump collusion.

You can lead horses to water ....

 
 
 
MrFrost
Professor Expert
4.3.8  MrFrost  replied to  Vic Eldred @4.3    6 years ago
That was an exoneration of Trump

In what way? Do tell. 

 
 
 
Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו
Junior Participates
4.3.9  Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו  replied to  Have Opinion Will Travel @4.3.6    6 years ago
Look we all know your version of this story.

A.K.A. what actually happened (and still happening).

 
 
 
sixpick
Professor Quiet
4.4  sixpick  replied to  Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו @4    6 years ago
Mueller indicts 13 individual Russians and 3 Russian companies for waging cyber war on the United States.

I know.  Isn't that about the dumbest thing you've ever heard.  What's he going to do, call Putin and and tell him to turn them over to us?  Maybe he should have told them to 'stop it' like Obama did when it was happening.

 
 
 
Vic Eldred
Professor Principal
4.5  Vic Eldred  replied to  Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו @4    6 years ago

Still conflating

 
 
 
Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו
Junior Participates
4.5.1  Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו  replied to  Vic Eldred @4.5    6 years ago
Still conflating

As the great Inigo Montoya said:  "I do not think that word means what you think it means."

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
5  Buzz of the Orient    6 years ago

Does America REALLY want to stop this problem of election interference, and computer breakdowns and hanging chads - just go back to paper ballots and pencilled Xs, and make it required UNIVERSALLY - no hybrid systems varying from State to State.  That's what Canada does and there are NO SUCH INTERFERENCE problems there, nor CAN there be.  

However, I know that advice, which would PREVENT interference from another Nation, will not be followed.

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
5.2  seeder  JBB  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @5    6 years ago

Just how are paper ballots going to stop the Russians from hacking our state election systems to identify and thus target individual voters by party and by district? How does that protect us from candidate's e-mail accounts being hacked? How is that gonna stop Russian propaganda from being spread to American voters online on social media like last time? Your idea really stinks. Sorry...

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
5.2.2  seeder  JBB  replied to    6 years ago

The DNC and HRC were hacked by olde Vlad Putin. In other words Russian State Intelligence.

Remember that Russia Trump Jr meeting? "We have damaging information on Mrs Clinton"...

 
 
 
Vic Eldred
Professor Principal
5.2.4  Vic Eldred  replied to  JBB @5.2.2    6 years ago
Remember that Russia Trump Jr meeting?

Why wasn't that meeting mentioned today?

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
5.2.5  seeder  JBB  replied to  Vic Eldred @5.2.4    6 years ago

I do not know but that mapeeting is still being investigated. Bannon just testified. Manafort has been indicted. Flynn has plead guilty. Papadoupolous has plead guilty. Rick Gates is reported to be ready to plead and to make a deal to cooperate. A federal grand jury that has seen the evidence has merely indicted these thirteen Russians for interference in our election. No where was Trump vindicated or exonerated. That is mere RW wishful thinking. Again, remember some of those hit pieces you published in 2016?

 
 
 
Vic Eldred
Professor Principal
5.2.7  Vic Eldred  replied to  JBB @5.2.5    6 years ago
Bannon just testified. Manafort has been indicted. Flynn has plead guilty. Papadoupolous has plead guilty. Rick Gates is reported to be ready to plead and to make a deal to cooperate.

Please tell us what Manafort, Flynn, Papadoupolous or Gates has to do with "collusion"?

 
 
 
Vic Eldred
Professor Principal
5.2.8  Vic Eldred  replied to    6 years ago
The left have read everything into the statement the DOJ put out today except what was actually in the statement.

Um-hum

 
 
 
Vic Eldred
Professor Principal
5.2.10  Vic Eldred  replied to    6 years ago

Can you imagine what these progressives are gonna be like as Mueller now turns his attention to Clapper, Brennan and the State Department.

BTW have libs seen the Flynn or Papodoupolous plea papers? They are really gonna be verrrrrry disappointed.

 
 
 
The Magic 8 Ball
Masters Quiet
5.2.11  The Magic 8 Ball  replied to    6 years ago
I was hoping to see evidence of who hacked the DNC email.

we all want to see that... 

patience, all will be revealed in time (SR)

 

 
 
 
Dulay
Professor Expert
5.2.12  Dulay  replied to  Vic Eldred @5.2.4    6 years ago
Why wasn't that meeting mentioned today?

Hence the expectation of future indictments, not only of other Russians, but of Americans that conspired with them. 

 
 
 
MrFrost
Professor Expert
5.2.14  MrFrost  replied to    6 years ago
Wheres the proof it wasn't mentioned today.

So you are sticking with the story that Jr. met with former KGB agents to discuss adopting kids from Russia, even though the emails Jr. released made NO mention at all of adopting kids and Jr. himself admitted he lied about the content of the meeting? THAT story? LMAO!!!!

 
 
 
arkpdx
Professor Quiet
5.2.15  arkpdx  replied to  MrFrost @5.2.14    6 years ago
the story that Jr. met with former KGB agents to discuss adopting kids from Russia,

I believe that a whole lot more than I believe Loretta Lynch and Bill Clinton just taljed about grandkids in their clandestine meeting on the airplane. 

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
5.2.16  Buzz of the Orient  replied to  JBB @5.2    6 years ago

Yes my idea really stinks, doesn't it. So I really don't give a shit and my shit stinks as well. I only made a suggestion about a way to stop tampering with electronic vote machines that could be hacked. But it's nice of you to be so kind and understanding. Due to not wanting to attract purple font (which it appears you excell at) I'll not add the last word to that sentence.

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
5.2.17  Buzz of the Orient  replied to  JBB @5.2    6 years ago

Yes my idea really stinks, doesn't it. So I really don't give a shit and my shit stinks as well. I only made a suggestion about a way to stop tampering with electronic vote machines that could be hacked. But it's nice of you to be so kind and understanding. Due to not wanting to attract purple font (which it appears you excell at) I'll not add the last word to that sentence.

 
 
 
Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו
Junior Participates
5.2.18  Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו  replied to    6 years ago
Wheres the proof it wasn't mentioned today.

The day you'd accept proof or fact will be the day hell freezes over. 

 
 
 
sixpick
Professor Quiet
5.3  sixpick  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @5    6 years ago
Does America REALLY want to stop this problem of election interference

New report alleges outside influence in Canada's 2015 federal election

The main thing is the social media, Buzz.  You remember how many people on NV and NT changed their minds after the Russians started interfering with the USA's elections, don't you?  Neither do I. LOL

Think how stupid these people think we are.  All of a sudden Twitter, who was deleting conservative views, making conservatives invisible and basically showing support for the Left have suddenly come out and told us there were 50,000 Russians bots at work before the election.  You would think Americans would be a little more inquiring or suspicious of Twitter for such nonsense almost two years later to divulge such propaganda.  They all work in unison like the hive mentality.

The owner of Facebook worked with Obama on his campaigns and they are worldwide.  Obama's operatives who worked in his campaign went to Israel and  worked door to door to affect their election.  Who knows what else they did because they don't get investigated.  And Obama was spying on Merkel's phone and others.  There are still some Americans who have a dimes worth of sense and not fooled by these shysters.

 
 
 
Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו
Junior Participates
5.3.1  Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו  replied to  sixpick @5.3    6 years ago

 
 
 
Vic Eldred
Professor Principal
5.4  Vic Eldred  replied to  Buzz of the Orient @5    6 years ago
Does America REALLY want to stop this problem of election interference, and computer breakdowns and hanging chads - just go back to paper ballots and pencilled Xs

I think that's a very good question. We wont know the answer until the "Trump-collusion" part of the investigation is over. I have a hunch that once that happens the uproar about "Russian interference" melts away like newly fallen snow.

 
 
 
Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו
Junior Participates
5.4.1  Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו  replied to  Vic Eldred @5.4    6 years ago
We wont know the answer until the "Trump-collusion" part of the investigation is over.

What's this, vickie?  You've been telling (actually yelling) us over and over NO COLLUSION but now admit that it's an unsettled matter.  It's almost as if you're paying attention.  

 
 
 
Sean Treacy
Professor Principal
6  Sean Treacy    6 years ago
(deleted)
 
 
 
Vic Eldred
Professor Principal
6.1  Vic Eldred  replied to  Sean Treacy @6    6 years ago

I don't blame ya. It's been all over the news

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
6.1.1  seeder  JBB  replied to  Vic Eldred @6.1    6 years ago

What? This?  I think this article might or rather should get you to thinking about your hand in what happened if that is even possible. It is about time some started taking responsibility for what went down on social media...

 
 
 
Vic Eldred
Professor Principal
6.1.2  Vic Eldred  replied to  JBB @6.1.1    6 years ago

My hand? 

Have you ever heard of Joe McCarthy?  He used to smear people with no evidence. I believe that's what your doing. 

Let's see what Perrie thinks

 
 
 
Uncle Bruce
Professor Quiet
6.1.3  Uncle Bruce  replied to  JBB @6.1.1    6 years ago

The only one I recognize is the debate quote "You'd be in Jail".  Hell yeah a reposted that.  All over Facebook.  Because I watched that debate, and I DO think that was the best line!

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
6.1.4  seeder  JBB  replied to  Uncle Bruce @6.1.3    6 years ago

I recognized the Russian propagandists last year and thought it a crime. It was...

 
 
 
Uncle Bruce
Professor Quiet
6.1.5  Uncle Bruce  replied to  JBB @6.1.4    6 years ago

Nah.  Not buying it.  It's not like we didn't do the same thing in Israel, and several other countries during the last 50 years.

And frankly, when has spreading rumors become a crime.  Setting aside libel and slander, these charges will be hard to prosecute in court.  Especially given that the one about "You'd be in Jail" was true.  

Disinformation?  ROFLMAO!  BOTH campaigns ran programs of disinformation.  Hell, it's been a staple of elections for 200 years!

Do I like the idea that a foreign country tried to meddle in our election.  Not particularly.  But again, we've done it ourselves.  Kinda hypocritical, don't you think?

 
 
 
igknorantzrulz
PhD Quiet
6.1.6  igknorantzrulz  replied to  Uncle Bruce @6.1.5    6 years ago
Not buying it.

It doesn't matter if you wish to remain in denial about buying it or not.

Your ridiculous false comparison about Russia and the US meddling in elections, is just that, ridiculous.

Our interference is to let all people have the freedom to have a say and elect someone freely who might represent their best interests. In other words to keep wanna be Putin style little Dick Tator Tots like Trump, out of Leadership positions.

Come back to reality, own you got played, and lets all put AMERICA FIRST, and we then, might be able to TRULY begin to make America Great Again.

 
 
 
Skrekk
Sophomore Participates
6.1.7  Skrekk  replied to  Uncle Bruce @6.1.5    6 years ago
Disinformation?  ROFLMAO!  BOTH campaigns ran programs of disinformation.  Hell, it's been a staple of elections for 200 years!

Yet it seems that only right wingers are dumb enough to fall for Pizzagate, Birtherism, or the promises of a greedy and sociopathic oligarch to look out for the little guy.    No wonder it was so easy for Russia to manipulate them.

 
 
 
Skrekk
Sophomore Participates
6.1.8  Skrekk  replied to  igknorantzrulz @6.1.6    6 years ago
Our interference is to let all people have the freedom to have a say and elect someone freely who might represent their best interests.

I disagree with that.     The US has a long history of destabilizing countries and rigging elections through disinformation campaigns to benefit US business interests and put in power someone the US wants, just like we did recently in Iraq and have done in many other small countries since WWII.    We just don't like it when someone plays the same nasty game with our country.

Of course that the US does it isn't an excuse for when Russia does it to us, but it is poetic justice.

By the way there's a great article here by James Risen asking whether Trump is a traitor , and I agree that's exactly the right question.    If he's not actually under Putin's control he definitely doesn't have US interests as his priority but rather his own interests.

 
 
 
igknorantzrulz
PhD Quiet
6.1.9  igknorantzrulz  replied to  Skrekk @6.1.8    6 years ago
I disagree with that.

I don't disagree with your argument about US influencing other countries elections for the benefit of large corporations here. Their money and influence ( Which Trump has just increased dramatically with his tax plan ) decides which puppets we want installed and /or which countries we will be invading.

I was attempting to show the difference of, in my eyes, a false equivalency in comparing Russias' and our meddling in other countries elections. I admit I have a slight bias, but I also admit to having it.

They are compatible for comparison on some arguments, yet incompatible for proper comparisons, on others.

I'm sounding like Kelly Ann here, but I believe you might see my comparison issues.  

 
 
 
Skrekk
Sophomore Participates
6.1.10  Skrekk  replied to  igknorantzrulz @6.1.9    6 years ago

Let's put it this way - I can see why anyone would be angry at a foreign country meddling in your country's elections.   This is the kind of thing which should be prohibited by the UN charter and have serious consequences for the offender.   The Great Powers have gotten away with this crap for far too long.

I encourage you to read the Risen article, apparently it's the 1st of 4 parts.

 
 
 
igknorantzrulz
PhD Quiet
6.1.11  igknorantzrulz  replied to  Skrekk @6.1.10    6 years ago
read the Risen article

Thank you, I will. Here is a much better take on the comparison from Dismayed Patriot, though I definitely recognize and realize the implications of your points on our own election interferences.

 
 
 
igknorantzrulz
PhD Quiet
6.1.12  igknorantzrulz  replied to  igknorantzrulz @6.1.11    6 years ago

Dismayed Patriots take on the comparison

His part about our flaws, I would believe would be your point, and we know how bullshit influence buying Money purchases so much power and influence over our Pols via Lobbyists     Traitorous scum who've sold out US, and their own souls(whatever they or that is )

.

"Ah, the old "Hey, we can't blame them for trying to destroy western democracy when we have tried to push democracy on other governments for years".

Putin is a murderer. He has silenced opponents, assassinated journalists, disappeared private media owners, arrested political opponents and rigged Russian elections. Russia is a democracy in name only, Putin controls every single member of their parliament, there is no accountability or justice there. While America may have its share of flaws, we don't operate as Putin does and should never justify Russian actions just because we have pushed pro-democracy propaganda in the past. And just because we may have meddled in their elections does not in any way make it okay for them to meddle in ours. Is it a double standard? Hell no, because we are fighting FOR free and fair elections while Putin and his cronies are trying to push fake elections making a farce of freedom, not only with their own elections but now with ours. The longer it takes the poorly educated to understand that Russia is not a friend an ally but is determined to destroy western democracy that Putin sees as a threat to his power, the more damage Putin will be able to do to us."

 
 
 
The Magic 8 Ball
Masters Quiet
6.1.13  The Magic 8 Ball  replied to  igknorantzrulz @6.1.6    6 years ago
Our interference is to let all people have the freedom to have a say and elect someone freely who might represent their best interests

trump was freely elected.

your just pissed trump is undoing the liberal world order which BTW is in our best interest... maybe not yours, but certainly in our best interest.

ya see. as obama said... elections have consequences and the losers feeling left/OUT is one of them.

Cheers :)

 
 
 
igknorantzrulz
PhD Quiet
6.1.14  igknorantzrulz  replied to  The Magic 8 Ball @6.1.13    6 years ago
trump was freely elected.

by people with malleable minds manipulated by made up Americans used to make up American minds, and while I wish I was making this up, and you are sure I am,

I am not.

.

Putin and putin in place Trump, have won this battle, in the Cyber-warfare (or war un fair) battlefield that has made the world flat, according to Tom Freidman.

Believe he is correct , the internet has leveled the playing field, thus why America is being diminished.

 
 
 
Uncle Bruce
Professor Quiet
6.1.15  Uncle Bruce  replied to  igknorantzrulz @6.1.6    6 years ago
Our interference is to let all people have the freedom to have a say and elect someone freely who might represent their best interests.

Dude, get a clue.  Our interference has nothing to do with the choice of the people of the country we meddle in.  It has to do with who WE want in control.  If you think we meddle for their interest, I've got a bridge I want you to buy.  We meddle for OUR interest.

 
 
 
igknorantzrulz
PhD Quiet
6.1.16  igknorantzrulz  replied to  Uncle Bruce @6.1.15    6 years ago
Dude, get a clue

Reading that exchange exclaimed to you i was clueless huh ?

I was making the point it was a false equivalency, cause it is.

If you DID read it, you see i did agree about whose interests determine who we wish to get elected. 

 
 
 
Skrekk
Sophomore Participates
6.1.17  Skrekk  replied to  Uncle Bruce @6.1.15    6 years ago
Our interference has nothing to do with the choice of the people of the country we meddle in.  It has to do with who WE want in control.  If you think we meddle for their interest, I've got a bridge I want you to buy.  We meddle for OUR interest.

Exactly.

 
 
 
Uncle Bruce
Professor Quiet
6.1.18  Uncle Bruce  replied to  igknorantzrulz @6.1.16    6 years ago

It's not a false equivelancy.  It's exactly the same.  They meddled because they didn't want Hillary.  

And I think all of you who are under the impression these indictments are about meddling need to re-read the indictments.  There is no law for meddling.  There is (save libel and slander) no law against fake news and false stories (if there were, we need to indict the whole of the MSM).  They are being charged with failure to report.  IN other words, they spent money on the election and failed to register or report that money spent.  

 
 
 
igknorantzrulz
PhD Quiet
6.1.19  igknorantzrulz  replied to  Uncle Bruce @6.1.18    6 years ago
IN other words, they spent money on the election and failed to register or report that money spent.

I believe there are Laws against foreign countries interfering with our election process.

We should know, right.

There Should be Laws about MONEY interfering with our election process as well, but that is another argument for another day.

 
 
 
Skrekk
Sophomore Participates
6.1.20  Skrekk  replied to  igknorantzrulz @6.1.12    6 years ago
While America may have its share of flaws, we don't operate as Putin does and should never justify Russian actions just because we have pushed pro-democracy propaganda in the past.

I doubt that matters at all to the countries affected by our meddling in their elections.   And in general our meddling involves psyops, funding candidates and rigging elections to favor the candidates the US can easily control, and even political assassinations and fomenting coups.....it's not in any sense "pro-democracy propaganda" and is profoundly anti-democratic.    We do it precisely because we're afraid the puppet we want isn't the candidate preferred by the people, and allowing a free vote is too risky.

It's also resulted in long term adverse consequences to those countries (apart from the corrupt dictators we've helped gain power).    For example just the public awareness of historical US meddling in Iran's elections has tainted the more moderate candidates who might be in favor of better relations with the US, and in the past couple of elections the Greens and other moderates pleaded that the US and US persons stay far far away - the taint of being a US puppet has poisoned those parties.

Of course none of that justifies what Russia did to us.   It's bad and destabilizing whenever anyone does it, but the US uses these tactics at least twice as often as Russia does or the USSR did.

 
 
 
mocowgirl
Professor Quiet
6.1.21  mocowgirl  replied to  Skrekk @6.1.7    6 years ago
Yet it seems that only right wingers are dumb enough to fall for Pizzagate, Birtherism, or the promises of a greedy and sociopathic oligarch to look out for the little guy.

That is why Democrats chose an unknown community organizer over a professional politician in the 2008 primary despite the professional's smear campaign.

The voters who supported Obama in 2008 had very little incentive to support Clinton in 2016.

Are Russians responsible for Clinton's loss to Obama in 2008?  Or is there a reason that people refuse to vote for any candidate that uses the smear tactics employed by Clinton?

Published on
by
CommonDreams.org

The Clinton Smear Campaign Against Obama

Unable to find much that Barack Obama himself has said or believes that is particularly alien to the thinking and values of most Americans, Hillary Clinton and her supporters in the media have chosen instead to engage in a campaign of guilt-by-association.

Not surprisingly, right-wing media pundits and prominent Republicans have thrown their weight behind Clinton's efforts, taken advantage of the New York senator's attacks to smear the likely Democratic presidential nominee. For example, North Carolina Republicans are readying a   television ad   on the eve of that state's primary which includes a photo of Obama and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright together, a video clip of Wright making incendiary comments, with a voiceover telling voters that Obama is "just too extreme for North Carolina."

During that same debate, Clinton went so far as to link Obama with the radical Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.....

Hillary Clinton has even attacked Obama for having served on the board of the Chicago anti-poverty group known as the Woods Fund at the same time as former Weather Underground member Bill Ayers. Ayers, who was never convicted of any crime, is now a distinguished professor of education at the University of Illinois-Chicago ....

This raises the very disturbing prospect that, as president, Clinton would use similar guilt-by-association smears against anti-war activists, environmentalists, opponents of neo-liberal globalization, and others who -- like Obama -- dare to challenge her pro-war and pro-corporate agenda.

Is the following 2016 article authored by a Russian or an American?

Hillary Clinton appears to be playing cynical racial politics again, as she did in 2008. It’s just got a different look and feel.

Today, Clinton is wrapping herself in the flag of Obama to appeal to Black voters, arguing that she’s the candidate who will address the needs of Black people. She’s got her surrogates attacking her opponent’s civil rights bonafides, and she’s built a large stable of Black establishment players to support her. Clinton is proclaiming that Black Lives Matter and offering bold promises to fight systemic racism and inequality.

But it’s hard to believe she’s serious about fighting for racial justice unless you pretend her 2008 campaign against Obama never happened. If you remember that period, there’s good reason to believe today’s promises are nothing more than lip-service to a community she sees as key to winning the nomination.

Clinton is now attacking Bernie Sanders for having criticized Obama, trying to take advantage of Black folks’ desire to defend the president. But it was Clinton herself who waged an incredibly nasty campaign of attacks and smears against Obama, going far beyond mere policy disagreements.   A quick trip down memory lane reveals that Clinton has a history of employing race in a divisive, cynical manner.

 
 
 
mocowgirl
Professor Quiet
6.1.22  mocowgirl  replied to  mocowgirl @6.1.21    6 years ago

Let us not forget about Clinton trying to promote the propaganda that Obama was a Muslim.

Why do Clinton supporters embrace Clinton spreading propaganda about her opponents?

Barack Obama's campaign team today accused Hillary Clinton's beleaguered staff of mounting a desperate dirty tricks operation by circulating a picture of him in African dress, feeding into false claims on US websites that he is a Muslim.

Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, described it as "the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering we've seen from either party in this election". Obama has had to spend much of the campaign stressing he is a Christian not a Muslim and did not study at a madrassa.

The Obama campaign has repeatedly claimed it has been the target of dirty tricks by the Clinton team. A senior member of her staff, Bill Shaheen, had to resign last year after raising Obama's admitted use of marijuana and cocaine as a youth.

A junior staffer resigned in December after forwarding an email suggesting Obama is a Muslim. In the South Carolina primary last month, Bill Clinton made race an issue.

However, the tactics are widely believed to have contributed to a backlash against the Clintons among Democrat voters.

Plouffe described circulation of the picture as part of "a disturbing pattern". "It's exactly the kind of divisive politics that turns away Americans of all parties," he said.

 
 
 
Skrekk
Sophomore Participates
6.1.23  Skrekk  replied to  mocowgirl @6.1.22    6 years ago

Let us not forget about Clinton trying to promote the propaganda that Obama was a Muslim.

Why do Clinton supporters embrace Clinton spreading propaganda about her opponents?

While it's not fair to blame that on Clinton, her campaign or the vast majority of her supporters, what I think is the relevant aspect is that it didn't work and was very quickly condemned by both campaigns.   Apart from a few states in Appalachia where some right wing Dems haven't gotten the message, these racist appeals simply don't work anymore within the Dem party but they persist within the GOP where 72% of Republicans are still unsure whether Obama was born in the US.    I suspect the only folks who really responded favorably to those racist and Islamophobic appeals were the right-wing front group PUMA, and they're not really Dems anyway since they ended up supporting McCain & Palin.

 
 
 
Dulay
Professor Expert
6.1.24  Dulay  replied to  Uncle Bruce @6.1.5    6 years ago
And frankly, when has spreading rumors become a crime. Setting aside libel and slander, these charges will be hard to prosecute in court. Especially given that the one about "You'd be in Jail" was true.

Well since it's a Grand Jury indictment, they've already convinced a jury of the underlying facts. 

Do I like the idea that a foreign country tried to meddle in our election. Not particularly. But again, we've done it ourselves. Kinda hypocritical, don't you think?

Hypocritical or not, we have laws against it. If WE were caught doing in another country, WE would expect to be prosecuted. I'm pretty sure the Russians had the same expectation. 

 
 
 
Skrekk
Sophomore Participates
6.1.25  Skrekk  replied to  Dulay @6.1.24    6 years ago
Hypocritical or not, we have laws against it.

Bingo.   One interesting aspect is what Mueller chose to charge these Russians with (conspiracy to defraud the US and identity theft) and what he hasn't yet asserted - specifically he hasn't charged them with violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act.

 
 
 
Dulay
Professor Expert
6.1.26  Dulay  replied to  mocowgirl @6.1.21    6 years ago
That is why Democrats chose an unknown community organizer over a professional politician in the 2008 primary despite the professional's smear campaign.

Wow that was a failed attempt at stretching to insert an irrelevant comment. 

 
 
 
MrFrost
Professor Expert
6.1.27  MrFrost  replied to  Vic Eldred @6.1.2    6 years ago
Have you ever heard of Joe McCarthy?  He used to smear people with no evidence.

OH! You mean like trump does every damn day? But never says a disparaging word about Putin? Trump has attacked American's FAR more than he has ever attacked Putin... Let that sink in for a minute. 

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
6.1.28  seeder  JBB  replied to  MrFrost @6.1.27    6 years ago

Since Vic chose to mention Joe McCarthy I feel honor bound to note Trump was a protege of Olde Joe's henchman the villian Roy Cohn.

What Donald Trump Learned From Joseph McCarthy’s Right-Hand Man

 
 
 
sixpick
Professor Quiet
6.1.29  sixpick  replied to  JBB @6.1.1    6 years ago

From your link....

What do President Donald Trump, CNN anchor Jake Tapper, The Washington Post, Breitbart and Jack Dorsey, the head of Twitter, all have in common?

They and nearly 40 celebrities and politicians were all roped into retweeting or otherwise engaging with accounts created by a Russian "troll factory" to millions of followers, according to a new exclusive analysis.

Were you roped into retweeting or otherwise engaging with accounts created by a Russian "troll factory" and did it change your vote?  There was never anything I saw that changed my vote and as Hillary said, "I believe everyone has already decided who they were going to vote for".

 
 
 
Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו
Junior Participates
6.1.30  Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו  replied to  Vic Eldred @6.1.2    6 years ago
Have you ever heard of Joe McCarthy?  He used to smear people with no evidence. I believe that's what your doing.

So, let's get this straight, vickie.  Are you now digging up the stinking corpse of one of the rightwng's (that would be your side, vickie) most hallowed shitheels and proven liar and trying to equate Mueller's investigation to his bullshit.  If anything, your Shitbag® is the one who's imitating the Ol' Ass Gunner's tactics.  You do know that Shitbag® actually used McCarthyite, Roy Cohn, as a lawyer at one time, right? 

 
 
 
Dulay
Professor Expert
6.1.31  Dulay  replied to  sixpick @6.1.29    6 years ago
and as Hillary said, "I believe everyone has already decided who they were going to vote for".

Link? 

 
 
 
Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו
Junior Participates
6.1.32  Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו  replied to  JBB @6.1.28    6 years ago

Sometimes, it's like a beautifully wrapped and precious gift when rightwingers who have no knowledge about anything try to get cute.  This is one of those gifts--trying to smear Mueller with Joe McCarthy.  

 
 
 
mocowgirl
Professor Quiet
6.1.33  mocowgirl  replied to  Skrekk @6.1.23    6 years ago
While it's not fair to blame that on Clinton, her campaign or the vast majority of her supporters,

Obama supporters had ever right to blame the underhanded tactics and divisive rhetoric used by all of the above.  The same tactics were used in 2016 against Bernie and his supporters.

Although, I will admit that without Obama in the primary, the majority of Obama supporters would have supported another candidate instead of Clinton as they did in 2016.  

Progressives have a tendency to support progressives. 

One of Clinton's objectives was to put Social Security money on Wall Street. Her husband had begun the process when he was POTUS, so she already had people around her ready to hit the ground running if she had been elected.

Had it not been for Monica’s captivating smile and first inviting snap of that famous thong, President Bill Clinton would have consummated the politics of triangulation, heeding the counsel of a secret White House team and deputy treasury secretary Larry Summers. Late in 1998 or in the State of the Union message of 1999 a solemn Clinton would have told Congress and the nation that, just like welfare, Social Security was near-broke, had to be “reformed” and its immense pool of capital tendered in part to the mutual funds industry. The itinerary mapped out for Clinton by the Democratic Leadership Committee would have been complete.

It was a desperately close run thing. On the account of members of Clinton’s secret White House team, mandated to map out the privatization path for Social Security, they had got as far down the road as fine-tuning the account numbers for Social Security accounts now released to the captious mercies of Wall Street. But in 1998 the Lewinsky scandal burst upon the President, and as the months sped by and impeachment swelled from a remote specter to a looming reality, Clinton’s polls told him that his only hope was to nourish the widespread popular dislike for the hoity-toity elites intoning Clinton’s death warrant.

In an instant Clinton spun on the dime and became Social Security’s mighty champion, coining the slogan “Save Social Security First”.

 
 
 
Skrekk
Sophomore Participates
6.1.34  Skrekk  replied to  mocowgirl @6.1.33    6 years ago

You seem to be blaming Hillary for policies her husband might have considered, and decades later assuming that she advocated those policies......despite the fact that her public policy record shows the exact opposite.

 
 
 
Dulay
Professor Expert
6.1.35  Dulay  replied to  mocowgirl @6.1.33    6 years ago

Interesting author:

Ultimately the Sanders campaign faltered, undone by the missteps of its leader and by sabotage from the elites of the Democratic Party. By the time the Senator gave his humiliating concession speech at the convention in Philadelphia, even his most ardent supporters jeered him in disgust and walked out, taking their protests back to the streets. This turbulent year of mass revolt and defeat is recounted here, as it happened, by one of America’s fiercest and funniest journalists.

 
 
 
mocowgirl
Professor Quiet
6.1.36  mocowgirl  replied to  Skrekk @6.1.34    6 years ago
assuming that she advocated those policies......despite the fact that her public policy record shows the exact opposite.

Then blame Forbes for running the following article in 2016....

But there's evidence that Clinton, who seems to be the front runner in the race, at least at the moment (because you never can tell),   may be considering a national retirement savings program , according to David Sirota at International Business Times. The report is based on a plan promoted by Tony James, president of private equity firm Blackstone Group, one of Clinton's top fundraisers, and a leading candidate for Secretary of the Treasury.

The proposal would require workers and employers to put a percentage of payroll into individual retirement accounts “to be invested well in pooled plans run by professional investment managers,” as James put it. In other words, individual voluntary 401(k)s would be replaced by a single national system, and much of the mandated savings would flow to Wall Street, where companies like Blackstone could earn big fees off the assets. And because of a gap in federal anti-corruption rules, there would be little to prevent the biggest investment contracts from being awarded to the biggest presidential campaign donors.

According to an   analysis from Yves Smith   at the blog Naked Capitalism, the plan would require an additional 3 percent savings on the part of workers, which would be a nearly 25 percent increase over what they pay into Social Security.

 
 
 
mocowgirl
Professor Quiet
6.1.37  mocowgirl  replied to  Dulay @6.1.35    6 years ago
Interesting author:

I agree.  And I found another one at the link you provided...

on January 25, 2018
The author is not a conservative so I liked the idea of finding out about Hilary's warmongering from an impartial writer. The author has a lot of experience, and like me, she despises wars that are just corrupt and started out of lies.
I learned a lot- about Susan Rice and Susan Boyle, about Jeffrey Weiner's wife Huma, and a load of other killers , warmongers, and opportunists.
I had a good friend who is unlike me because he is a super liberal and I am not sure if he read all of the book but he simply said "the author certainly doesn't like Clinton". The truth is that the author does not like sociopaths of all types nor does she have any use for schemers , liars, warmongers, narcissists, Zionists, neocon Zionists, and the like..
If you are interested in truth free of politics then buy this book.
It is so well written and every chapter will have you totally absorbed. The writing is exciting and comprehensive.
It is terrific.
It is a comprehensive account of what I have spent many years studying . So much of it is in this book and it all goes along with what has been written down and investigated by writers that are bright and curious and don't care about the political parties that civil servants belong to but are concerned with what is good and what is evil and want to know why horrible wars begin and who does the maneuvering.
If you are looking for truth and want to know why the "Arab Spring" came about and why so much dirt occurred on the Clinton's years in office then read this book.
 
 
 
mocowgirl
Professor Quiet
6.1.38  mocowgirl  replied to  Dulay @6.1.35    6 years ago
even his most ardent supporters jeered him in disgust and walked out, taking their protests back to the streets.

because as noted in another review of the book, Sanders acted as if his opponent had a conscience.  

Sanders, (as noted by Clinton supporters) was an Independent who should not have run as a Democrat.  Therefore, Sanders' supporters had no obligation to support Clinton and it was strange that Clinton, and her supporters, expected them to.

In this book, Bernie and the Sandernistas: Field Notes from a Failed Revolution, Jeffrey St. Clair, editor at CounterPunch, disabuses us of such fantasies, demonstrating how "Our Revolution" was quickly co-opted into the machinery of the Democratic Party and turned against itself. Throughout, we see how a conciliatory politics and acting as if his opponent has a conscience repeatedly failed Bernie. Why not attack on the e-mail front? Why not go after Hillary on the Wall Street ties? Why not go after the Democrats more generally for having sold out working class folk, be they White, Black, Latinx, Women, LGTB, etc.? We are, after all, a majority working class country, and it appears that class can unite us, and through class ameliorate and repair the worst oppressions this country is based on. What was needed was a viable option out of this current neoliberal miasma. Instead, Bernie chose to acquiesce

 
 
 
Skrekk
Sophomore Participates
7  Skrekk    6 years ago

You mean Trump was lying when he said this Russia thing was a Democratic hoax?

I do find it quite revealing that the Russians primarily used far right wing outlets like Gateway Pundit to spread their propaganda.    Only RWNJs are dumb enough and gullible enough to believe the nonsense that comes from those outlets......Pizzagate anyone?

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
7.1  seeder  JBB  replied to  Skrekk @7    6 years ago

The unfaithful opposition on the right is shitting their collective drawers about now...

 
 
 
Rex Block
Freshman Silent
7.1.1  Rex Block  replied to  JBB @7.1    6 years ago

Isn't it about time to get off the dead horse you're riding. Nothing you say can be taken seriously.

 
 
 
The Magic 8 Ball
Masters Quiet
7.2  The Magic 8 Ball  replied to  Skrekk @7    6 years ago
when he said this Russia thing was a Democratic hoax?

he said the charges of collusion with russians was a hoax.

do try to keep up... tks :)

 
 
 
Vic Eldred
Professor Principal
7.2.1  Vic Eldred  replied to  The Magic 8 Ball @7.2    6 years ago
he said the charges of collusion with russians was a hoax.

Yup, they are doing what they always do re-applying or truncating Trump's words

 
 
 
MrFrost
Professor Expert
7.2.2  MrFrost  replied to  The Magic 8 Ball @7.2    6 years ago
he said the charges of collusion with russians was a hoax.

No. He said Russia meddling in our elections was a hoax and that it never happened. Even though he was told before he even took office that it DID happen. 

 
 
 
sixpick
Professor Quiet
7.5  sixpick  replied to  Skrekk @7    6 years ago
I do find it quite revealing that the Russians primarily used far right wing outlets like Gateway Pundit to spread their propaganda.

Were you influence enough to change your vote Skrekk?  Do you know anyone who was?  Do you know anyone who know's anyone who was?  When I see something by Media Matters as your support for the accusation and others I've seen here such as Slate  I realize it's just Left Wing propaganda, nothing more.  Let's see some real evidence.  Anyone can make crap up especially a site such as Media Matters, founded and run by David Brock.

Media Matters

In 2004, Brock founded the progressive media watchdog group Media Matters for America (MMA) which describes itself as being “dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.” [30] Brock said that he founded the organization to combat the conservative journalism sector that he had once been a part of. He founded the group with help from the Center for American Progress . Initial donors included Leo Hindery , Susie Tompkins Buell , and James Hormel . [31] Media Matters is known for its aggressive criticism of conservative journalists and media outlets, including its "War on Fox News." [32] The New York Times , in a 2008 profile, called MMA "a highly partisan research organization" and quoted Democratic operative James Carville as saying that MMA was "more effective than any single entity" on the left. Pollster Frank Luntz called MMA "one of the most destructive organizations associated with American politics today." [33] In a 2011 interview with Politico , Brock vowed to wage " guerrilla warfare and sabotage " against Fox News. [34]

When Brock proposed the idea of Media Matters, Hillary Clinton invited him to the Clintons' Chappaqua home to pitch the idea to potential donors. [28] MMA, according to a 2015 article in The Daily Beast , "operates from a posh Washington office space with a multi-million-dollar budget and nearly 100 employees." [5] In 2014, The Nation stated that "Brock, in partnership with fundraiser Mary Pat Bonner—often described as his secret weapon—has turned out to be unparalleled at maintaining rich liberals' loyalty and support." An insider told The Nation that Brock and Bonner "are probably the most effective major-individual-donor fundraising team ever assembled in the independent-expenditure progressive world." [7]

It was reported in June 2015 that when the House Select Committee on Benghazi questioned Sidney Blumenthal, committee members asked no fewer than 45 questions about Brock and Media Matters. [35] The committee was reportedly interested in Sidney Blumenthal's paid work for Brock's nonprofits, and in the question of "whether Blumenthal and Brock did anything improper as they helped Clinton manage the political fallout from the attacks in Benghazi, Libya, while she was secretary of State." [36]

Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign

Brock was active in Hillary Clinton's campaign for the presidency in 2008 .

American Bridge 21st Century

Brock announced in 2010 that he was forming a Super PAC , American Bridge 21st Century , to help elect liberal Democrats , starting with the 2012 election cycle . [37] In 2011, Brock founded the PAC, which seeks "to track every utterance of every major GOP candidate." The Los Angeles Times described him as having "reinvented the art of opposition research." The group's work reportedly "did so much damage to Republicans in the 2012 elections" that they sought to replicate Brock's efforts. [36]

In describing Brock's intentions for the super-PAC , The New York Times referred to Brock as a "prominent Democratic political operative" [2] [38] and New York Magazine referred to Brock's "hyperpartisanship." [39]

The group, whose donors include George Soros , has more than 80 staffers. [30] It has researchers based in Washington, D.C., plus "a national network of professional trackers" who follow the moves and statements of every conceivable contender for the Republican nomination. [7] The Nation has described American Bridge as "the natural next step" after MMA, explaining that "Brock took the Media Matters method—which involves monitoring virtually every word uttered by the right-wing media—and transferred it to the realm of Republican politicians." [7] Democratic operative Paul Begala told The Nation that in 2012 American Bridge "produced for us a 950-page book of every business deal of Mitt Romney 's career. We spent something like $65 million [in the 2012 election ], and I believe every single ad was in some ways informed by Brock’s research." [7]

You may as well put them in the same category as you've put The Gateway Pundit.

 
 
 
Dulay
Professor Expert
7.5.1  Dulay  replied to  sixpick @7.5    6 years ago
You may as well put them in the same category as you've put The Gateway Pundit.

Oh look, another 'I know what you are what am I' comment. Sheesh. 

 
 
 
Dulay
Professor Expert
7.5.3  Dulay  replied to  NORMAN-D @7.5.2    6 years ago
So...You also agree that Media Matters is a steaming pile of propoganda.

My comment had nothing to do with Media Matters. Not surprised that you're confused. 

 
 
 
Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו
Junior Participates
7.6  Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו  replied to  Skrekk @7    6 years ago

They've twisted themselves up in so many knots trying to come up with ways to support their Shitbag® they can't keep track of all their bizarre excuses or diversions. 

 
 
 
Paula Bartholomew
Professor Participates
8  Paula Bartholomew    6 years ago

I would like to know what influence they had with the EC.

 
 
 
The Magic 8 Ball
Masters Quiet
8.1  The Magic 8 Ball  replied to  Paula Bartholomew @8    6 years ago
I would like to know what influence they had with the EC

ZERO

Cheers :)

 
 
 
MrFrost
Professor Expert
8.4  MrFrost  replied to  Paula Bartholomew @8    6 years ago
I would like to know what influence they had with the EC.

As much as I would love to believe that they had an influence there, the likelihood of that happening is extremely small. 

 
 
 
sixpick
Professor Quiet
8.4.1  sixpick  replied to  MrFrost @8.4    6 years ago

Damn, I can't believe it.  We agree on something.  Maybe there's still hope.

 
 
 
The Magic 8 Ball
Masters Quiet
9  The Magic 8 Ball    6 years ago

the russian suspects held campaigns both "for trump and "against trump at the same time... LOL

Their activity continued even after the election, he said. On one day, they staged two rallies in New York – one to support Trump and one to protest his election.

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
9.1  seeder  JBB  replied to  The Magic 8 Ball @9    6 years ago

The specifics offered by the indictments are themselves fascinating.

"If the allegations are true, Russians sought to thwart the candidacies of Trump's Republican rivals such as Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Marco Rubio (Fla.).  They sought to suppress support among black voters for Hillary Clinton, creating fake accounts on social platforms including Facebook and Instagram with names like "Blacktivist" and "Woke Blacks" - and suggesting that she was not strong enough on issues germane to the African-American community.  They alleged that Clinton had been engaged in voter fraud during the Iowa caucuses.  They also promoted rallies - including, apparently, one for Clinton with the working title "Support Hillary. Save American Muslims" - that seem to have been aimed at stoking discord.  Even details that have no direct political import make the indictments read like a spy thriller.  In a September 2017 email, an alleged Russian conspirator writes to a family member: "We had a slight crisis here at work: the FBI busted our activity (not a joke). So, I got preoccupied with covering tracks together with the colleagues."

Rosenstein makes his stand

Rosenstein has been buffeted by frequent news reports that Trump is frustrated with him, and might consider seeking his ouster. He faced additional criticism following the publication of a memo written by staff of Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) earlier this month. The deputy attorney general's decision to hold a news conference to announce the indictments was not especially out of the ordinary. But, in the current context, it had the effect of tying him more closely to Mueller and to the probe. Rosenstein is clearly trying to walk a line. His emphasis that the Friday indictments contained neither proof of collusion nor proof that Russia's effects affected the election's outcome might help to placate Trump to some degree. Still, this was a symbolic show of independence amid a partisan storm.

 
 
 
Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו
Junior Participates
13  Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו    6 years ago
As the indictments, confessions and co-operating witnesses mount up, I wonder where the tipping point will be. When will we stop seeing the knee padders for the Mar-a-LagoShitbag show up on discussions about this subject. I suspect there'll be a tiny few who'll never admit to the facts. But it is fun to see them resort to more and more desperate ways of handling what must be at least a gut feeling that it's all going to shit and fast. I particularly love how they picked up on the Shitbag's claim that these newest indictments actually "exonerate" him. To believe that is insane enough, of course, but that people actually eagerly grab on to it is insanity and something much, much worse.
 
 
 
Skrekk
Sophomore Participates
13.1  Skrekk  replied to  Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו @13    6 years ago

Of course these aren't exactly smart or ethical people you're talking about here.    They're people who are literally dumb enough to vote for the King of the Birthers.......people who were easily manipulated by Trump's racism, homophobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia and his misogyny.     They're people with very, very large amygdalas who are controlled by appealing to fear not to rationality.

 
 
 
sixpick
Professor Quiet
13.1.1  sixpick  replied to  Skrekk @13.1    6 years ago

We're smart enough to not continue repeating the very things that caused our candidate to lose.  Oh excuse me, he didn't lose.  your candidate lost for doing exactly what you're doing and you voted for her, I assume.

We're so emotional.  Oh no.  Excuse me, I was mistaken.

 
 
 
1ofmany
Sophomore Silent
14  1ofmany    6 years ago

As near as I can tell, trolling like this is so common in Russia that it’s reached a near grocery counter tabloid status and no more a crime over there than the national enquirer posting a picture of Hillary holding her half space alien baby.

This particular troll farm began before either Trump or Hillary announced their campaigns. Its original purpose seems to have been to make Putin look good and then later picked other subjects, which included the 2016 election.

I read the indictment and the farm initially supported Trump and trashed Hillary, even hiring someone to impersonate her at an event wearing a prison uniform. After the election, it apparently simultaneously trolled in favor of Trump and against him (I guess to spark discord). Other reports state that the farm was staffed with young people who seemed to think it was funny to impersonate Americans, one day playing a redneck from Alabama and the next day a Black man from New York. 

Troll farms in Russia don’t bother to really hide their tracks and this one was no different, making it easy to trace. The operation was described as amateurish. The Russians are passing it off as something like a prank or tabloid folishness. It may be just that but they did more than trolling. They engaged in fraud and identity theft to open bank and PayPal accounts so they could conceal money transfers more easily. Maybe that’s common in Russia too but it’s also possible that the whole operation was made to look amateurish so that the Russian government has plausible deniability. 

Still, Rod Rosenstein has said there was no indication that this farm affected the outcome of the election and no one has alleged a connection between it and the Trump campaign. In the end, this may be nothing more than them meddling in our election because we meddle in everybody else’s but I’ll wait and see. 

 
 
 
Tacos!
Professor Guide
15  Tacos!    6 years ago

I don't what it is people think we're supposed to do about it. In a country that values free speech, how are you going to prevent people from posting garbage on the internet?

 
 
 
nightwalker
Sophomore Silent
15.1  nightwalker  replied to  Tacos! @15    6 years ago

 Each major media outlet is going to run a routine to check and verify the URL of the stories before they let them loose. If it can't be verified or unverified (as in they didn't write any story of that title on that subject) it's gone. That's a good start, and they're working on a AI program to help mods screen for key phrases (the carefully designed catch-phrases and buzz-words from the source) in fake or comments driven from a fake article if I understood that correctly. There's also some talk about verifying a seeder's real name and U.S. Address, but that's still way back on the drawing board yet.

I think just the first two would throw some sand in the gearbox.

 
 
 
Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו
Junior Participates
17  Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו    6 years ago
New Report Alleges Outside Influence In Canada's 2015 Federal Election

This comment (and other moronic memes, e.g. that Obama tampered with the Brexit vote, "soph" interfered in U.S. elections) from  Trump toadies reveal  such screaming hysteria and panic that they're basically telling us even they realize at some level (rectal, I guessing) that this is going South so fast that they need to do anything and everything now no matter how desperately idiotic it makes them look. 

 
 
 
Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו
Junior Participates
19  Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו    6 years ago

Ruh-roh:  Rick Gates Officially Flipped

There've been a lot of indications this was going to happen over the past couple of weeks.  This now gives Mueller to 4?, yes 4 guilty pleas and 4 co-operating witnesses.  Gates is a particularly big catch since he was a Manafort partner AND he continued to work in the Shitbag campaign AND the transition AND the inauguration planning (can't wait for Shitbag to claim he was a "nobody" "never met him" "fake guy").  He's definitely the closest player yet to Shitbag (unless Bannon has already made a deal we haven't heard about yet with Mueller after his GJ testimony last week).  This along with Shitbag's verbal diarrhea outburst desperately pointing at all the trees this weekend really, really does make the Shitbag look bad.  If he's not guilty he's doing a damn great imitation of someone who is.  

 
 
 
JBB
Professor Principal
19.2  seeder  JBB  replied to  Atheist יוחנן בן אברהם אבינו @19    6 years ago

Apparently those inside the far right wing bubble are going to be caught sleeping, again...

 
 
 
Tacos!
Professor Guide
20  Tacos!    6 years ago
13 Suspects Indicted For Interference In U.S. Election

More like attempted interference. Even the indictment admits they didn't accomplish anything. It also admits that to the extent anyone in the campaign may have assisted them, it was unknowing and of the "retweet" variety. Pretty weak stuff. Isn't it about to wrap this up now and get focused on important things?

 
 
 
Skrekk
Sophomore Participates
20.1  Skrekk  replied to  Tacos! @20    6 years ago
Even the indictment admits they didn't accomplish anything.

Are you lying on purpose or are you simply making things up because you didn't actually read the indictment and are just regurgitating what you heard on Fox or Breitbart?

While the indictment deliberately makes no statements about whether the conspiracy was effective in changing the outcome of the election, it notes that the troll farm kept metrics on their social media campaign and adjusted their efforts accordingly.   The indictment also details some of the pro-Trump rallies the Russians organized in the US including a number of rallies in Florida where the conservatives must be unusually gullible or pro-Putin, and details many other real-world effects the conspiracy had.

 
 

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