I mean a calculated distraction by Facebook. I think Facebook wants people talking and thinking about Facebook ads as the problem because it’s one Facebook can credibly claim it can manage itself with a technical fix and impersonal vetting of ad content.
The real problem wasn’t the ads. The real problem was impersonation, Russian trolls setting up pages in which they pretended to be Americans and then weaving their way into social networks the way ordinary people do, friending and posting and commenting and linking. Insinuating their way into what were supposed to be interactions with real people, ruthlessly exploiting the craving for information that confirms biases and for blocking out disconfirmatory data.
Facebook’s entire business model is powered by confirmation bias and the desire of people to interact with people who already think like them. The potential for a state to use it as a weapon to destabilize an enemy has always been there and, indeed, that’s exactly what every tyranny that’s found itself facing protests and resistance organized on Facebook has claimed is happening. And in that context, Facebook’s resistance to attempts to get inside it and stop it from being used to mobilize political action has been portrayed, not without some justice, as courageous rather than protecting their profits.
But for the government of any major liberal democracy to become concerned about that would be a disaster for them, and the United States government becoming concerned about it is an existential threat to their business model. And that’s why they have been going through this rather predicable corporate cycle, not unlike what we saw from any other industry under siege. First denial there was a problem, then admission that maybe there was a little problem but, by golly, they’d get to the bottom of it. Then they frame the problem as one that they can definitely manage all by themselves without any government oversight or supervision.
But the real problem isn’t peripheral at all. It is inherent in their business model.
But if we can get past this what I believe is a temporary tantrum by white people, and I believe we can, and the country unites again around a common identity and myth, there isn’t a damn thing we can’t do.
Yes, there’s a meme out there on the wingnut right that says that anyone criticizing Trump is just being “divisive.” What, we should be supporting what he’s trying to do? We should refrain from pointing out that he’s an ignorant, vindictive, dim-witted, narcissistic piece of shit? And that anyone who supports him is no better? Sorry, but the price of comity is just too high.
Please identify each democratic election that the United States interfered with through covert action since the end of the Cold War.
I’ll wait.
Because that’s rather the point. The rules have changed and this is a regression. Indeed, worse than a regression to the bad old days. Because even in the bad old days, we never, ever interfered with Soviet leadership changes and they never tried to swing a U.S. election. Because BOOM.
And also worse than a regression because it’s treason.
Here’s a little easy test to find out whether a position is completely wrong: if both Greenwald and Fox News are in agreement, it’s wrong.
Steve Bannon seems Russian like to me. His dialog seems closely aligned with Trump’s message was at his rallies. So where do you we draw the line between Russia and Trump. He is so UNAMERICAN and so was his rallies. Hateful and nasty.
This work on the margin by the Russians in PA, WI, MI, NC, VA, FL resulted in the defeat of Putin adversary Hillary Clinton and installed Putin “business partner” Trump. If the Democrats were to take back either house of congress or the presidency, it would further result in far more hostile confrontation with Russia and challenge to Trump. Neither the Russians, Trump nor many GOP elected officials can afford to allow the Democrats to win again. I believe Putin and Trump know they have to stop the Dems and independent minded GOP leaders at all costs from retaking control of the Federal government and investigating and defending the USA from this foreign attack, even if it means overturning our Democracy.
This frustrates the hell out of me, because I can’t think of a commensurate retaliation. Putin doesn’t care about physically propping up other dictators. He shows no hesitation invading other countries. He poisons, executes, and causes “accidents” to happen to his critics. His re-election is a foregone conclusion. His people are already living in Third World economic conditions. Declaring persona non grata people who don’t want to come to the US anyway is fruitless. Seizing bank accounts requires the host countries to cooperate, and good luck with that.
So what do we do? Shut down Russia’s internet for a week?
And how do we then turn around and ask Facebook users to confirm their Americanness before being allowed to comment on current events?
I dont know what this has to do with my comment. BUT, if you exclude the entire Cold War that is extremely convenient and self serving, isnt it? How about the outright coups in Guatemala and Chile do you exclude those because they were during the Cold War? How about the interference before the Cold War?
My issue is with the people who accept virtually anything they see or read on social media platforms like FB or YouTube. These are sites where all of the content comes from sources who can hide behind a username and can’t easily be held accountable for their distortions of fact, or outright fabrications.
The willful ignorance of some voters lies in their abandonment of critical thinking skills. They don’t care if a claim is an outrageous lie as long as it satisfies their desire to have their base feelings validated.
We all have the right to vote. We also have the obligation to make informed choices based on reason and reality.
I know you did not. I was adding that I think we need federal elections standards so we don’t have 50 different ways that states count ballots that are subject to the whims of partisan Secretaries of State.
Especially since it is a totally one-way street with them. Clinton delivers 8 years of peace and prosperity during an unrelenting campaign of vitriolic hyper-partisan attacks. Shrub invades Iraq on bogus evidence, and those who question are labelled America-haters. Obama cleans up Shrub’s messes during an 8-year unrelenting campaign of vitriolic hyper-partisan attacks. The Current Occupant takes massive dumps on the country and planet daily, and those of us who object are divisive?
Give me a fucking break. And a martini, dirty, with 3 olives.
It undeniably ended when the Iron Curtain fell and the Berlin Wall was torn down. The Soviet Union collapsed. Russia is no longer a “superpower” like the US. They have a lower GDP than each of the states of California, Texas and New York. Josh talked about Russia’s dependence on asymmeticalwarfare a year ago. They are not a rival to the US in any meaningful sense, regardless of any sort of grandstanding Putin does.
Putin’s Russia deserves to be treated like something of a rogue state, but certainly not as a “Cold War” adversary.
