2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumJames Clapper: Russia Definitely Guilty Of Hacking, Fake News/Disinformation attack
Those seventeen intelligence agencies that usually hate each other -- but in the case of Russian interference in our election -- agreed unanimously? James Clapper is the overseer for all of them. And that "unanimous" part impressed even him.
As he testified in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday morning, Clapper reaffirmed that Russia was involved in trying to disrupt the US Presidential election of 2016.
Senator Jack Redd asked, "Aspects of this Russian hacking was not just disseminating information they had exploited from computers, but also the allegations of fake news sites, fake news stories that were propagated. Is that an accurate -- or is that one aspect of this problem?"
Clapper replied, "This was a multifaceted campaign, so the hacking was only one part of it. And it also entailed classical propaganda, disinformation, fake news."
http://crooksandliars.com/2017/01/dni-chief-james-clapper-russia-involved
I am screaming as loud as I can. Trump's campaign was in on this. They helped the Russians. Ask Roger Stone what he was doing talking with Assange. Trump stole this election. It is who he is. A Con man. Trump is a criminal. Rudy Giuliani knows more than he admits to. Put these guys under investigation.
Laf.La.Dem.
(2,961 posts)2naSalit
(92,484 posts)e-mails!
triron
(22,240 posts)Twilight Zone
still seriously interviewing people who question this.
wtf??
spin
(17,493 posts)of millions of Americans.
For some odd reason I find it difficult to trust anything he says.
Intelligence agencies by nature deceive and are masters at doing so.
Of course it is quite possible that the Russians hacked the DNC and John Podesta's email. We do the same to them. They may even have interfered with our last election. We also have been known to interfere with elections.
Don't kid yourself. We are not always like the good guys in old Western movies who always wear white hats. It's a dirty little world we live in and there is a lot of mud wrestling going on.
Cha
(305,181 posts)spin
(17,493 posts)They are all deceitful.
As a businessman Trump had a reputation of shafting contractors and workers and as a politiciian Trunp has mastered the art of the lie.
Vladimir Putin was a lieutenant colonel in the KGB and worked as a foreign intelligence officer. James Clapper has a background which involves working with or for various intelligence agencies in our nation. Intelligence organizations are by nature deceitful.
Honesty is a rare virtue in today's society while deceit is common and often well rewarded.
Cha
(305,181 posts)I trust him.
triron
(22,240 posts)that is saying that. But I have an issue with your generalization of intel anyway.
spin
(17,493 posts)The CIA would be a good start.
Two of many links:
History of the Central Intelligence Agency
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Central_Intelligence_Agency
CIA activities in Syria
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Syria
Then try a Google search on "NSA spying."
In my opinion our intelligence agencies are deceitful and they don't always wear white hats.
hollowdweller
(4,229 posts)I mean....think about it.
You used to have to invade a country, fight a war that cost many millions or billions and lives in order to install a leader friendly to your regime in power in a country you opposed.
Now thanks to the short attention span and natural paranoia of the US public Russia can use our own free press against us to install somebody as president without firing a shot.
Plus since repressive countries control the internet and press more than we do they are somewhat immune from the same type of retaliation from us.
We would have to wage war to achieve what they can achieve with some hackers and trolls to push public opinion.
Then you look at Trump. Just about the one thing that all the people he has appointed have in common is their ties to Russia.
He talks about weakening NATO, he's talking about doing the same thing to the CIA and US intelligence the GOP have already done to other parts of the gov't far as making them weak and ineffective.
It's amazing. I mean he pretty much bowing to Russia and the GOP electorate, who used to be so anti Russia, now conditioned to be loyal to brand only regardless of true ideology falls in line after years of hating on Russia.
We may be doomed if people remain so easily manipulated. I think they will and what a great revenge for the former Communists. They are doing us in using the very freedoms we always valued as weapons.
Remember the Rove tactic of attacking the candidate not on his weaknesses but on his greatest strength?? Looks like the Russians figured out our open society could be weaponized!
triron
(22,240 posts)I think you are close to hitting the nail on the head.
Democracy survives only with an educated and awake people.
Too many have fallen asleep or are already on the other side.