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I wrote a comment on Booman’s post today (Tues., 4/4/17) Matt Taibbi is Concerned About the Tone It grew, and I am now posting it on its own. Read it in good health. For the good health of the Republic, if for no other reason.
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You quote Matt Taibbi, Booman:
These stories insist that, among other things, these evil bots pushed on the unwitting “bros” juicy “fake news” stories about Hillary being “involved with various murders and money laundering schemes.”
Some 13.2 million people voted for Sanders during the primary season last year. What percentage does any rational person really believe voted that way because of “fake news”?
I would guess the number is infinitesimal at best. The Sanders campaign was driven by a lot of factors, but mainly by long-developing discontent within the Democratic Party and enthusiasm for Sanders himself.
To describe Sanders followers as unwitting dupes who departed the true DNC faith because of evil Russian propaganda is both insulting and ridiculous. It’s also a testimony to the remarkable capacity for self-deception within the leadership of the Democratic Party.
If the party’s leaders really believe that Russian intervention is anywhere in the top 100 list of reasons why some 155 million eligible voters (out of 231 million) chose not to pull a lever for Hillary Clinton last year, they’re farther along down the Purity of Essence nut-hole than Mark Warner.
He’s right.
You are right, too. The only way out of this dangerous informational cul-de-sac in which we now find ourselves is a rational, thorough and honest investigation into the sources of disinfo that are being blamed for the fuckup.
But therein lies the kicker.
Read on for more:
Since national faith in the honesty and/or competence of the federal government has plummeted to a sub-30% approval rating…deservedly and without any help from any foreign forces over the last 50 years or so, simply on all available evidence…who can believe that we won’t just get another Whitewash commission like the one that “investigated” the JFK murder? A pre-judged “The Gummint is right!!!” coverup.
This problem is short-term unfixable.
Sorry, but there it is and there it will stay until long-term proof of federal honesty and competence is provided by the federal government. This is something that appears unlikely to happen anytime soon, so we are left to fend for ourselves and take every federal pronouncement or effort not with a grain of salt but with a massive dose of salts.
Meanwhile, the ship of state circles vacuously around the whirlpool at the bottom of the planetary toilet.
Yup.
“Investigate” the Russian influence?
Sure.
Hold your nose and dive right in.
Watch.
ASG
P.S. I am quite sure that Russia has “bot and troll” propaganda efforts in place, efforts that have had some amount of success in changing minds. I am also quite sure…and any rational person should agree with me…that considering the “sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander” and “Spy vs. spy” concepts, the U.S. has had at least an equal if not superior effort in place for many decades, doing exactly the same sorts of things. (In different incarnations as the forms of media consumption changed.)
I encountered a most likely U.S.-based version (certainly a pro-mainstream Dem version) …and proved its existence beyond a shadow of a doubt by a time/effort collation of hostile responses to my posts…during the waning days of the pre-July 4th dKos massacre way back in 2006. Is this coming “investigation” going to out those efforts? Efforts that I am sure were aimed at Bernie Sanders as well as Donald Trump over the past year or more? Efforts that were probably in place at least right on back to the non-personing of Ross Perot in the early ’90s? Aimed at Howard Dean? Dennis Kucinich etc.? Aimed at anybody in a position of potential power who in any way threatens the PermaGov monopoly? Please!!! Will it expand its “investigation” to include the pre-digital “Operation Mockingbird” actions of the CIA in placing operatives in positions of power in every major media system in the U.S.?
I mean…talk about “affecting elections!!!”
Oh.
It’s only bad if the hostile forces doing this are from another country???!!!
Riiiight…
Gimme a break.
Yore truly patriotic freind…
Emily Litella
