The FBI was completely flat-footed to this reality and the final outcome to the elections of 2016 proves it. Not only was the FBI flat-footed in it's response to issues of foreign government interference in US elections, it was openly hostile to woman candidate in the race for the White House.
September 27, 2017
By Mike Isaac and Melissa Eddy
San Francisco — President Trump (click here) took aim at Facebook on Wednesday, calling the social network “anti-Trump.” But the social network insists it is pro-democracy and pro-truth — and the German election shows it.
The president’s post on Twitter added to the pressure that Facebook has been under, facing accusations of partisanship from both sides of the political aisle. The social network has been accused of spreading fake news that influenced the outcome of the presidential election last year, and more recently, it acknowledged that Russians used fake accounts and Facebook ads to push divisive issues during the campaign....
What is even more alarming is that if it weren't for Special Council Mueller, the issue with Facebook would be swept under the carpet. Where would we be even in awareness to these events if Robert Mueller hadn't come forward to investigate this mess. It is outrageous in every sense of the word.
The information is not enough. There needs to be policy by Congress and the investigative agencies to handle these realities. I believe it was then National Security Director Hayden that did in fact alert the public to tampering, but, the message was drowned out.
WHY?
Maybe the USA intelligence services should have a Facebook account of it's own if that is what it takes to counter such a Russian invasion. One that is legitimate and alerts the public to specific entries that are invasive and illegitimate in American elections. The USA intelligence agencies need to realize the depth commercial and social media has become in American elections and have an equal response to such measures.
Oddly, though, Mr. Comey's message about former Secretary Clinton had plenty of media penetration. I think there needs to be a strong contrast and compare to realize the ability of the FBI to deliver an important message to the country.
Russia, on the other hand, is very adept at manipulating information and opinion. There should be no mistake this attack on the elections of 2016 is an issue of the relationship the USA has with Russia now and in the future.
September 20, 2017
By Levi Maxey
...But, (click here) much like the Panama Papers leaks in the spring of 2016 – which revealed the shadowy financial dealings of Putin’s inner circle – the Russian state-owned media was able to spin it to minimize their impact. “The security organs of an autocratic society can clearly identify when non-traditional information starts to exist in their society,” says Wise. “This is a lot easier for them than democracies because they already tightly control their information.”
What’s more, retaliation in kind – propagating false or one-sided narratives through digital media – could fall for the bait set by autocratic regimes, causing freedom of speech and democracy to be lost in the process.
“We are moving into an area where we would allow all types of content to be considered potential weapons, and therefore there can actually effectively be no free speech,” says Alexander Klimburg, the Director of the Cyber Policy and Resilience Program at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies. “We cannot conserve information warfare as the new normal by engaging in it or sanctioning this type of approach. If we go down that road, we have no room for democracy anymore.”
Alternatively, General Michael Hayden, the former director of the NSA and CIA, said at the same Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that given that Russia attacked American foundations of democracy – its elections – the U.S. could respond by using “tools to attack their foundations of autocracy.” This could involve, according to Hayden, introducing anonymizing technology and encryption that make it more difficult for the Russian government to track their own citizens and allow the public to speak freely and anonymously without fear of government reprisal.
Unfortunately, more and more former government officials are leaving because of the lack of respect, by Trump, to law. Ah, sweet loyalty. But, the facts are obvious, the USA is highly vulnerable to attack by such entities as Russia and now with personnel leaving may very well remain so.
Assisting the populations of autocratic regimes in determining their own truth perhaps is the appropriate response to disinformation campaigns seeking to obscure truth in democracies. Engaging in a full-on propaganda war over the internet, however, could bring the end of collective truth as we know it.
I strongly suggest it is time for Speaker Paul Ryan to act on impeachment given all the problems, both ethical and legal, of the Trump White House before it is too late! Unless, of course, Ryan is in Russia's pocket, too.
Coward!
