The Gross National Debt

Monday, August 6, 2018

Russian meddling in the election? Not really

I have yet to see proof Russia meddled in US elections. I see a very few allegations. I see LOTS of accused tampering with non-election computers and such.

if someone can please explain HOW Russia meddled in the election, I will appreciate it. On wid de blawg.

The points below come from a CNN report - https://www.cnn.com/2016/12/26/us/2016-presidential-campaign-hacking-fast-facts/index.html

Full disclosure. I do not trust CNN. I do not trust Fox news. Fox, at least, is open about its agenda which I like. CNN is not. Both have no problem with "anonymous sources" or "sources close to" whatever. In other words, they are saying "We may be making stuff up. You have no idea."

One mo thang - If we are to hold Russians accountable for spreading lies during the election, then we must also hold millions of people, Americans, accountable for the same action. Or, be hypocrites.

I already know which way that tree fell.

THE SUMMARY


Meddle- to interfere with something that is none of your business. To touch things without permission.

Given the global reach of the United States, I say Russia does have a reason to be concerned about who gets elected.

Based on the CNN report, Russia compromised 1 email and attacks computers at a voting machine company. This was not done during the election. I concede it could be an attempt to see if comps could be hacked during the election.

“Some states reported attempts to infiltrate their computer systems.” This goes on daily by hackers from around the world. Was it Russians? Could be.

“Although vote-counting systems were not impacted…”

So the election remained secure, if we are to believe CNN and the government.

No. Meddling.

BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK


Please note here an NSA memo was leaked and a person charged with a criminal offense for doing so. An NSA memo is not the election.

The DNC is is not an election nor are their computers part of the election process. Same for the RNC. Tampering, hacking, etc for computers that are NOT part of the US election system is not meddling in the election.

It does appear DNC and RNC computers were meddled with. This is not meddling with the election. This is not tampering with the election. None of those computers are part of the election system. Those computers are privately purchased, privately managed and not connected to election machines.

I hit some of the CNN news report points below until I got tired of repeating myself.

Nov. ’15 - Further “DNC management later says that IT technicians failed to pass along the message that the system had been breached.” If there is fault here, it sits squarely with the DNC. 

This is not election meddling. Its monkeying with the computers belonging to a non governmental agency.

“The staffer replies with a typo - instead of typing "This is an illegitimate email," the staffer types "This is a legitimate email." Podesta follows the instructions and types a new password, allowing hackers to access his emails.” 

March ’16 - Mr. Podesta is not a government employee nor does he have anything to do with the election, aside from his own vote. His computers are not part of the election system.

June ’16 - Clinton emails are not part of the election system.

June ’16 - DNC computers are not the election system.

July ’16 - DNC emails are not the election system.

July ’16 - Clinton’s private server is not part of the election system. 

Aug ’16 - Elected Democratics’ personal information and campaign committee personal info is not part of the election system.

Sept. ’16 - “ultimately the hackers revealed important information for voters.” Revealing information is not meddling. Reporters have done this for centuries.

Sept. ’16 - “they believe that Russian intelligence agencies are carrying out a plan to interfere with the election.” Aha. Now we are getting somewhere, except this is merely an accusation of something that may happen. 

Proof? Did it happen? I can point you to plenty of people who believe the world is flat. I can also point you to people who thought the world was going to end on a specific date.

Facts?

Oct-Nov ’16 - Revealed emails from people outside the election system is not meddling with the election. Reporters have been revealing emails since it was created. 

The Nixon Administration was brought down by revealing information people wanted to keep secret. I supposed by the standards of all the above, this is meddling too.

Oct. ’16 - Again, revealing emails from non-election system employees or election computers is not meddling.

Nov 16 - “Russia's purpose for meddling in the election was to sway voters.”

To sway voters is a Constitutional right. Does the Constitution apply to Russians?


“Even a quarter-century later, however, just what that decision actually means about extraterritorial reach for the Constitution remains a matter of considerable debate. The main opinion said that constitutional rights do not apply outside the country to an individual who had no voluntary links to the United States. But Justice Anthony M. Kennedy supplied a necessary fifth vote to make a majority in that case, and his separate opinion suggested that he thought that the specific context of each case might actually make the difference in the analysis.”

Can US law apply outside the US? Yes.
“ In 1988, Noriega was indicted by federal grand juries in Miami and Tampa on charges of racketeering, drug smuggling, and money laundering. “

“July 13, 2018 - The Justice Department announces indictments against 12 members of the Russian intelligence agency”

If US law can apply outside the US to non US citizens, then they must also be afforded protections of the Constitution, which includes the right to free speech. Free speech being something the US strongly advocates across the planet, at least until it goes against the US government-directed narrative. To attempt to sway voters is absolutely Constitutional.

Dec. ’16 - “Meanwhile, media critics question the Post's reliance on anonymous sources for the CIA report and advise readers to be wary of claims in the article due to the lack of publicly available evidence to support the spy agency's conclusions.” 

In other words, the Post could be making stuff up. It happens regularly, frequently and often. No, I do not trust them.

Dec. ’16 - Hacking into RNC computers is not election meddling. RNC computers, as with the DNC computers, have nothing to do with the actual election.


And so on.

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