Mueller

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by henry quirk

That is: what did Russians do to hack, interfere with, subvert, or redirect the 50 elections, the tabulation of results, the presentation of results.

And -- please -- no links, no citations: just tell me, in your own words, what the Russians did to futz things up.

The Russians used targeted social media to manipulate the emotions of the populace and convince them of lies, which affected their voting decisions. They created false narratives and movements such as "pizzagate" and the supposed "secession of Texas" which caused people to behave differently than they would have when armed with facts.

They also manipulated early online polling results during the Republican primaries to help ensure he was the nominee. People are herd animals, and it's been demonstrated time and again that people in later-primary states are influenced by the results of early-primary states.

I don't think they wanted Trump, necessarily, which is why I believe it's entirely possible that Trump was too dumb to realize that they were helping him, or that such a thing might be illegal. I think Putin wanted chaos and infighting to destabilize America as a whole. He got it, and continues to get it, and will for a long time to come.

[henry quirk]

"The Russians used targeted social media to manipulate the emotions of the populace and convince them of lies, which affected their voting decisions. They created false narratives and movements such as "pizzagate" and the supposed "secession of Texas" which caused people to behave differently than they would have when armed with facts."

In other words: they did what all advertisers and sellers do, what all governments and politicians do, what all 'journalists' (as opposed to 'reporters') do, what all men do when they want pussy, what all women do when they give the pussy up.

meh...I thought it was sumthin' bigger, more coercive, but instead: it's the same old shit (sellin' and buyin' [hence: buyer beware ]).

#

"They also manipulated early online polling results during the Republican primaries to help ensure he was the nominee. People are herd animals, and it's been demonstrated time and again that people in later-primary states are influenced by the results of early-primary states."

Marketing and propaganda, movin' the tribe: nuthin' new.

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"I don't think they wanted Trump, necessarily, which is why I believe it's entirely possible that Trump was too dumb to realize that they were helping him, or that such a thing might be illegal. I think Putin wanted chaos and infighting to destabilize America as a whole. He got it, and continues to get it, and will for a long time to come."

He didn't want Trump: he just didn't want Clinton.

As for 'destabilizing': for the past two years, the culprits have been domestic, not Russian.

As for Trump 'dumbness': He's the prez, he ain't goin' to jail, his enemies are on the ropes, and things just keep gettin' better overall...yeah, he's a moron.

#

So, the great worry about election interference is just falderol about features of human interaction that've been with us since before we fell out of the trees and that will be with us till extinction: gullibility and opportunism.

The solution is simple: don't take 'candy' from strangers and before panicking about a falllin' sky; go outside and see for yourself.

Much ado 'bout nuthin'...

[henry quirk]

Well, I think there was far more 'calculation' there than 'panic'.

Either way (calculation, panic): tell me why I should take anything *they say with less than a chunk of salt?









*and by 'they' I mean ALL of 'em...no exceptions

[xoxoxoBruce]

Onion...