Recent Intelligence re Russian meddling in 2020

[Creekwood]

So the US intelligence agencies are warning both Sanders and Trumps teams that there is evidence that Russia is pushing propaganda and using other means to try to boost both Trump and Sanders' campaigns. Seems crazy to support both the extreme left and the extreme right. Not crazy at all. Russia's primary objective is to divide. The more polarized the US is, the weaker it is. Trump seems to trust Putin for some inexplicable reason. I hope that the US, left and right, don't continue to fall deeper into Putin's master plan.

 

[Woody]

So the US intelligence agencies are warning both Sanders and Trumps teams that there is evidence that Russia is pushing propaganda and using other means to try to boost both Trump and Sanders' campaigns. Seems crazy to support both the extreme left and the extreme right. Not crazy at all. Russia's primary objective is to divide. The more polarized the US is, the weaker it is. Trump seems to trust Putin for some inexplicable reason. I hope that the US, left and right, don't continue to fall deeper into Putin's master plan.

What is Putin's master plan?

 

[Creekwood]

What is Putin's master plan?

My belief is that he wants to reduce the US's ability to impede Russian expansion. It can weaken the US (and Europe) by creating division such that the US is not able (politically) to interfere with Russia when Russia starts to expand its influence and territory and recreate the Soviet Union. It will increase forceful repatriation of the Baltic states one by one. The Crimean peninsula is just a small start. It will increase its influence in the middle east as the US loses its interest and withdraws. There are similar concerns in Europe.

Wars used to be fought only with guns and bombs. If you can influence the politics and the views of people of an enemy nation, it is MUCH more effective. In fact, a communist dictatorship is BETTER able to defend against that kind of attack than a democracy. If a foreign power can influence the people of the US to take out their own leader, they don't need guns or bombs. In my view the US should be EXTREMELY worried about Russian meddling in your election.

Its crazy for someone to think it is not a big deal because, for the moment, they are backing your party's candidate. I was blown away when so many Republicans dismissed the clear evidence of Russian influence on Trump's election in 2016. The best news (not really the best. Making a point) I have heard is that there is now evidence that they are trying increase support for Bernie Sanders in the US. Maybe THAT will wake you up to why this is such a critical issue for all of you. How happy will you be if the Russian propaganda machine tips the scales to the Dems and Sanders gets in. He is about as close to a communist as you can get. The US is pretty close to 50/50 Dem vs GOP. A great strategy would be to polarize the extremes (lock them in) and then last minute tipping of the undecided to whoever they want to have the push.

And its not just Putin. The Trump administration has been kicking China in the teeth with tariffs and cracking down on trade imbalances. Maybe overdue, whatever, that is not the point. The point is that China, like Russia, as their own agenda as a priority. They will negotiate and spar with the US and settle trade etc. But China and Russia are MUCH more politically aligned with each other than the US. China also has a strong desire to influence who is in power in the US. So, while we haven't heard much about China trying to influence the US election, is that because they have not, or is it because they are more sophisticated at hiding it?

Bottom line is that you all need to be 100% aligned that keeping foreign influence out of your elections is a critical issue.

 

[Golfman25]

What that hell is “influence in an election” anyway. It’s all BS to make you scared. Russia is a has been. Obama told us so when he laughed Romney off the debate stage — remember the 80s called. The average car dealer buys more Facebook ads than the Russian infiltrators. They think the American people are stupid. Some are, most are not.

 

[susanandlance]

What that hell is “influence in an election” anyway. It’s all BS to make you scared. Russia is a has been. Obama told us so when he laughed Romney off the debate stage — remember the 80s called. The average car dealer buys more Facebook ads than the Russian infiltrators. They think the American people are stupid. Some are, most are not.

Ahhh, Another DENIER in the facts...…..Amazing...….

 

[JVM225]

They’ve been interfering in our election process since the early days of the Cold War and we’ve been doing the same to them.
Nothing new here at all.
It’s in the limelight in recent years because the Democrats had to explain their 2016 loss and it continues to be red meat for their base.

 

[susanandlance]

The Dems lost because they're candidate sucked, but only by a slight margin to a SHITTY republican candidate...……..

 

[susanandlance]

The Russians are right on one thing, we couldn't be anymore divided than we are now, pretty sad state of affairs..... We're stuck with a shitty president and a shitty democrat field running against him, we SHOULD be ashamed of ourselves......

 

[Golfman25]

Ahhh, Another DENIER in the facts...…..Amazing...….

Bitter much

 

[susanandlance]

Bitter much

Not at all...…..

 

[Bt Doctur]

Adam Schiff currently serves as chairman of the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
So is this so called interference done by the Russians or the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party has reached a new low

 

[Iprof]

They’ve been interfering in our election process since the early days of the Cold War and we’ve been doing the same to them.
Nothing new here at all.
It’s in the limelight in recent years because the Democrats had to explain their 2016 loss and it continues to be red meat for their base.

I agree with one of your points they have been interfering in elections for years. The loss of the 2016 election does not need to be explained nor is it red meat for their base. The division in the country started to get bad with Obama's election which was helped by the Russians. Trumps election was the best outcome for Russia and the election of either Bernie or Trump will cause an even deeper division in the country. It's not sour grapes by either party it's a total disrespect for others extreme beliefs.

 

[JVM225]

I agree with one of your points they have been interfering in elections for years. The loss of the 2016 election does not need to be explained nor is it red meat for their base. The division in the country started to get bad with Obama's election which was helped by the Russians. Trumps election was the best outcome for Russia and the election of either Bernie or Trump will cause an even deeper division in the country. It's not sour grapes by either party it's a total disrespect for others extreme beliefs.

IMHO: While the division between the parties is as old as the parties themselves, the seeds of the current dangerously deep divide were planted in the Clinton administration with Newt Gingrich’s hate for the Clintons, and Hillary blaming everything on the vast right wing conspiracy. Both are extremely divisive figures.
The coming of age of 24 hour cable “news” networks during the Clinton years has made things even worse. While they call themselves news networks, and refer to on air personalities as journalists, neither is really true. Most of what they present is opinion programming, and the anchors are more editorializing than presenting news. The problem is that most viewers have a difficult time understanding the difference between news and opinion.
Lastly, the amount of money involved in politics these days has really tainted Congress and incentivized it’s members to get in front of cameras and throw bombs at the other side. There have been crooked politicians in Congress as long as there has been a Congress. That’s nothing new. But the political industrial complex has grown exponentially over the last few decades. More money pours in from more sources to finance campaigns which feed that beast, and politicians are more concerned with raising funds to feed the beast than they are with responsibly legislating. The whole system lacks integrity.

 

[RBB]

I agree with JVM, been going on forever.
Rest assured we also do the same given the opportunity .

 

[susanandlance]

I agree with JVM, been going on forever.
Rest assured we also do the same given the opportunity .

It doesn't make it right, as technology is a lot better than the 80's (Duh), but the main reason to worry is that if Russia likes Trump/Bernie for US President that tells me all I need to know. Definitely something to be concerned with as Russia is NOT our friend!!

 

[Iprof]

It doesn't make it right, as technology is a lot better than the 80's (Duh), but the main reason to worry is that if Russia likes Trump/Bernie for US President that tells me all I need to know. Definitely something to be concerned with as Russia is NOT our friend!!

Russia, China, North Korea and Saudi Arabia are definitely not our friends and only want to exploit us and weaken us as a country. Funny all these countries don't have an open and fair democracy but are loved by Trump. I wonder if he sees himself ruling the US as each of these countries are ruled.

 

[susanandlance]

That's the question of the hour!! He's already referred to himself as "KING"

 

[JVM225]

It doesn't make it right, as technology is a lot better than the 80's (Duh), but the main reason to worry is that if Russia likes Trump/Bernie for US President that tells me all I need to know. Definitely something to be concerned with as Russia is NOT our friend!!

I doubt Russia, or Putin, gives a crap who our President is.
They invested nearly nothing in our 2016 election. They didn’t do Trump any more favors than they did Hillary.
Even the Obama era Intelligence community agreed that the Russians didn’t change a single vote in 2016.
Clinton and Trump were impacted equally by interference and the idea of “Russian Collusion”.
More likely that the Russians are happy to have Americans merely think they prefer one candidate over the other to undermine faith in our electoral process, deepen division and create turmoil.
Like Soviet and Russian leaders before him, that’s Putin’s real goal.
With the assistance of our politicians who raise funds off of it, the political industrial complex who stay employed by it and the “news networks” who keep viewers tuned in because of it, the Russians have been successful over the last several years.
All of those in our political and “news” arenas who benefit from the Russia thing know damn well that it’s impact is overblown and misrepresented, but they think the public is stupid so they continue to feed in to it because it gives them money and power.

 

[JVM225]

That's the question of the hour!! He's already referred to himself as "KING"

How does that make him any different than any of his predecessors?
You need a huge ego to be POTUS.
The difference between Trump and the rest of them is that since he isn’t a skilled politician he speaks in terms most people understand.
While the rest of them use politi-speak to keep people from really understanding who they are and what they really think.
One of the most compelling reasons I had for voting for Trump in 2016 was that he wasn’t a politician. That’s why I’ll be voting for him again.
As a lifelong NY’er, I was very familiar with exactly who he is.
I probably wouldn’t be friends with him.
He’s a self promoter who often embellishes and is obnoxious at times. He’s always been like that.
But when he is successful, it’s in a big way and he isn’t afraid to upset the apple cart or fight for it.
That’s more important to me than his personality.
Has he made some mistakes or had failures as POTUS?
Absolutely!
They all have!
But he’s shed light on just how screwed up DC is, highlighted how really dishonest the media can be, brought forward our immigration problems, put the economy in high gear, crushed ISIS, got allies to buck up more for NATO, rebuilt our military, took a big bite out of our trade imbalance and backed down China and North Korea, both of whom posed a real threat to us.
Not too shabby for a guy who has the political establishment of both parties and 90% of the media actively working to undermine him.

 

[JVM225]

Russia, China, North Korea and Saudi Arabia are definitely not our friends and only want to exploit us and weaken us as a country. Funny all these countries don't have an open and fair democracy but are loved by Trump. I wonder if he sees himself ruling the US as each of these countries are ruled.

Love? That’s a strong word.
He may be an a$$hole, but he is skilled at playing people like fiddles to get what he wants.
More likely he is keeping his enemies closer so he can control the threat.