Dilandu wrote:gcomeau wrote:
Cyberattacks on both the GOP and Democratic parties, followed by selective release of information in a manner designed to specifically hurt one candidate and help another (it remains an open question to this day.... what did Russia hack from the Republicans and what use did it put the possession of that data to?), coordinated online fraudulent voter mobilization efforts by Russian operatives posing as US citizens in favor of one candidate, coordinated disinformation campaigns and dissemination of fraudulent news stories designed to help one candidate and harm the other, intrusions or attempted intrusions into voter databases and information systems in at least 39 different states, inserting an operative into the NRA for the express purpose of using it as a conduit to manipulating US policy....
...exactly.
...In other words, we done nothing exceptional. Attempts to influence voting are as old as democracy itself. USA used all those tricks numerous times on others; it is pretty naive to think that the same tricks could not be used against USA.
The only difference is that the losers decided to make a fuss out of this, trying to present themselves not as a fools, but as a victims. Apparently, though, the majority of Americans did not buy it; the universal opinion seems to be that if Hillary did not hide her dirty secrets good enough, it is at very least demonstrated her incompetence. Also, her inability to find allies.
Dilandu, with your signature line, look at the word "length." Could I con you into moving that t at the end of the word over one space so it's between the g and the h? I don't normally worry about typos, but this is your signature line. It bangs me in the eye every time you post.
Yeah we have messed up on interfering with other people's elections. In fact we canceled an election in Viet Nam once because Eisenhower was afraid the Communists would win.
But that being said, the principle of free and fair elections that include all the enfranchised citizens of a country according to the rule of law remains and should not be violated by anyone...including us. That being said, at least for Americans, it becomes more serious when one of the candidates cooperates with or at least welcomes the interference of a foreign state actor.
If we as Americans value our franchise and wish to maintain our country in its present form, admitting that we are not lily white must not stop us from doing what we can to defend and preserve the integrity of our elections from all bad actors, both domestic and foreign.
Don
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