Russia’s propaganda machine is running roughshod in Canada

[DUI_Offender]

Moscow’s disinformation is often shared unwittingly by Canadians who don’t know its origin or purpose. Canada needs to fight it with stronger actions.

 

The emerging breadth and depth of Russian disinformation tactics represent a clear and present danger to Canadian sovereignty and freedom. Just as troubling, some Canadians consider Canada immune to Russian propaganda. It’s a mistaken belief that only helps these disinformation campaigns spread and take root.

Modern-day Russian propaganda is relentless, pernicious and is widespread globally. It aims to dull critical thinking, divide society and undermine democracy. It challenges our commitment to open debate by replacing informed critical conversations with paid lies. Media and social influencers, academics, journalists, community leaders, politicians and others are increasingly caught in the dragnet of these surreptitious tactics.

The many faces of Russian propaganda

Propaganda created or supported by the Kremlin and spread from within the West is a vital component of Russia’s war against Ukraine. It aims to sow confusion about who is to blame for the war and doubt about the effectiveness or desirability of western support for Ukraine.

Recent high-level warnings of Russian’s malicious actions include:

– Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent statement under oath that Russia is directly funding the prominent American provocateur Tucker Carlson to promote disinformation.

– U.S. justice department revelations of the use of a Canadian-owned media company to spread Kremlin-generated propaganda.

– Witnesses appearing before a House of Commons committee to raise concern that some members of the Russian state-run Valdai Club might be working as Russian propagandists.

Many other examples abound.

Yet, it’s an open question of how well the Canadian public and some of the country’s political leadership understand what is happening. Some visible forms of disinformation include angry online rants filled with outrageous and obvious lies about Russia’s war against Ukraine and bot and troll campaigns on social media.

But these are not the primary threat.

Rather, the Kremlin promotes a softer, more insidious approach that moves away from the sledgehammer to one based on the scalpel, which seeks to split open divides in western societies. This is achieved by funding content that appears domestic while furthering Moscow’s agenda and is unwittingly spread by those who don’t realize its origin and purpose.

A key issue we are facing in Canada is the difficulty distinguishing between Russian propaganda and well-informed, constructive debate. As propaganda gets absorbed into everyday discourse, our democratic debates are reframed and made increasingly inflammatory. Polarization occurs.

Moscow relentlessly exploits western citizens’ right to freedom of speech by insidiously inserting paid propaganda — chiefly into online networks — into those dialogues. Even for cultural, opinion, and political leaders, telling fact from fiction and propaganda from legitimate speech is not easy.

Unfortunately, pointing this out often raises angry and defensive responses among those who find meaning or belonging in online communities, and even from experts saturated with Russian misinformation. In turn, those who raise the issue can find themselves under attack and branded as opponents to free speech.

Safeguarding freedom of speech requires simultaneously preventing the distortion of facts targeted by Russian state-propaganda while fostering broad, vibrant, open, well-informed public conversation.

War on Ukraine: conflicting narratives

In the context of the Russian war on Ukraine, it is critical to remember that Russia does not hope to rally the West behind its illegal invasion. It uses its propaganda machine not to build Russia up but to tear Ukraine down.

Taking its lead from Putin, Russian propaganda presents Ukraine’s continued resistance as futile or threatening escalation. Ukraine’s capitulation or acceptance of Russia’s partial conquest is framed as peacemaking.

It presents western support for Ukraine as prolonging the war and obscures the obvious, that Russia can choose to halt its war and withdraw from Ukraine at any moment. And, right out of 1984, it blames Ukraine or NATO for the war that Russia started.

Counteraction needed

As the trickle of verifiable news of Russia’s interference in our democracy turns into a flood, and as Moscow continues its war against Ukraine, it is time for Canadians to act. Simply turning a blind eye to Russian propaganda will neither neutralize it nor make it go away. Canada is not waging an offensive information war against Russia, but we are most certainly a strategic target for Russian disinformation.

Complacency will only invite an intensification of disinformation efforts and amplify the negative consequences. Fact-checking campaigns are worthy but reactive and do not stop the disinformation perpetrators. We know what Russia is doing with its disinformation campaign. There are numerous remedies that could be considered. These range from diplomatic expulsions to legislation to public-awareness building to supporting independent organizations in their pre-bunking interventions and more.

Russia is actively attacking our democracy. Remaining on the current course is not an option.

source; https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/december-2024/russia-propaganda-canada/

[DUI_Offender]

Now what can you do about Russian propaganda? Be sure to fact check material online, and make sure to scrutinise any article one may come across. Research the background of the author. 

Personally,  I believe @CdnFox is the worst offender for spreading Russian propaganda. Unfortunately I have no concrete evidence that he is a Russian shill, but my gut feeling tells me that he is. I have decided to place CdnFox on ignore. There is no point countering his multiple lies.

aside from that, I am unsure if others have been brainwashed by Russian propaganda, or are working for Russian based misinformation companies. The posting history of some members of this forum suggests that they want to circumvent Canadian sovereignty, and are openly supporting US interference of our country. It would not be a stretch to say that if America ever occupied Canada, they would be collaborators. 

We have to take precautions, and counter Russian misinformation. They want us divided, and that is not the Canadian way.

 

Edited December 6, 2024 by DUI_Offender

[CdnFox]

14 minutes ago, DUI_Offender said:

Now what can you do about Russian propaganda? Be sure to fact check material online, and make sure to scrutinise any article one may come across. Research the background of the author. 

Personally, I have no proof of this, but I believe @CdnFox is the worst offender for spreading Russian propaganda. Unfortunately I have no concrete evidence that he is a Russian shill, but my gut feeling tells me that he is. I have decided to place CdnFox on ignore. There is no point countering his multiple lies.

aside from that, I am unsure if others have been brainwashed by Russian propaganda, or are working for Russian based misinformation companies. The posting history of some members of this forum suggests that they want to circumvent Canadian sovereignty, and are openly supporting US interference of our country. It would not be a stretch to say that if America ever occupied Canada, they would be collaborators. 

We have to take precautions, and counter Russian misinformation. They want us divided, and that is not the Canadian way.

 

LOL  

So you're still butthurt over posting the graph that proved i was right and you were wrong about harper's medical spending i take it  

I always wonder who you woke left nut bars think you're impressing by lying, and in such an obvious way. Everyone knows I came out on Ukraine side.  

Started drinking a little early this Friday did you? How does this forum attract so many alcoholic lefties?

[DUI_Offender]

Major Russian disinfo site featuring anti-Trudeau articles prompts calls for new focus at public inquiry

A website at the heart of an international Russian disinformation operation has produced more than a dozen articles about Canadian politics in an apparent attempt to undermine support for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and boost his chief rival, Pierre Poilievre.

The website Reliable Recent News has been identified by officials in Europe and the U.S. as a repository for pro-Kremlin articles that are distributed through a network of affiliated sites disguised to appear as legitimate news outlets.

Earlier this month, U.S. authorities seized a domain that hosted Reliable Recent News (RRN), though it continues to operate on another domain. In an affidavit, authorities describe RRN as a tool to "further the malign influence campaign" waged by Russia in support of its invasion of Ukraine.

The RRN articles about Canadian politics focus on controversies involving the Liberal government, often supplying inaccurate descriptions of its policies and ridiculing Trudeau. He is referred to as the "incompetent prime minister" and, elsewhere, as being "better suited to a role in a political satire alongside Vladimir Zelensky," the Ukrainian president.

Some articles also indicate a preference for Poilievre, who in a recent piece is referred to as "the savvy leader of the pro-business Conservatives."

A screengrab from RRN, where articles about Canadian politics often feature inaccurate descriptions of Liberal government policies. (Reliable Recent News)

In a statement to CBC News, deputy Conservative leader Melissa Lantsman said, "Any act of foreign interference in Canada, by any foreign government is unacceptable." 

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office told CBC News on Saturday that "the government takes any attempt of foreign interference very seriously as a threat to Canadian national security and democratic integrity."

Doppelganger comes to Canada

Disinformation experts have been aware of RRN for nearly two years as it plays a key role in an elaborate disinformation scheme known as Doppelganger, which is aimed at voters in Europe and the U.S. 

"I was actually quite surprised by just the volume of [Canadian] content," said Marcus Kolga, director of DisinfoWatch, a Canadian group that monitors disinformation. But he noted that the content of the Canadian articles aligns squarely with the goals of Russian propaganda, which were detailed in documents supporting the affidavit.

"All these headlines seek to divide and polarize. That's the objective that was outlined in the affidavit," he said. The seizure of the RRN domain came immediately following bombshell allegations by U.S. authorities that Tenet Media, a right-wing website started by Canadian influencer Lauren Chen, was funded and directed by Russian operatives.

Another Canadian influencer, Lauren Southern, produced dozens of videos about Canadian politics for the site. She claims she was unaware of how Tenet was funded.

Canadian conservative activist Lauren Southern livestreams a video during a rally in Berkeley, Calif., on April 27, 2017. Southern has produced videos for Tenet Media focused on Canada, including one calling the country a 'communist hellhole.' (Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images)

Calls for inquiry to focus more on Russia 

The identification of an additional source of Russian propaganda about Canada has led to calls for the ongoing public inquiry into foreign interference, which resumes public hearings on Monday, to devote more attention to Russia's actions in Canada. 

"I was concerned that Russia was completely missed during the first phase," said Kolga. 

In a preliminary report released in May, the inquiry concluded that "Russia is likely not currently a significant foreign interference threat to Canadian federal elections." The Russian Canadian Democratic Alliance, a diaspora group that testified in the first phase of hearings, has asked the inquiry to revisit those conclusions in light of the allegations about Tenet Media.

It also believes the RRN articles constitute interference within the terms laid out by the inquiry. 

"I think any attempt by foreign governments to influence Canadian citizens' opinions, especially when we know that there's a lot of money changing hands, is something that the commission should investigate," said Yuriy Novodvorskiy, the group's director. 

How resilient is Canada?

There is little indication that RRN articles about Canada were shared widely on mainstream social media sites.  Meta, Facebook's parent company, has indicated in the past that it is aware of the RRN campaign and takes steps to prevent its content from circulating.

"Overall, I don't think it has that much impact," said Kolga, who is also affiliated with the Canadian Digital Media Research Network. But he did express concern about the cumulative effect of disinformation in an increasingly divided society. 

"If we're looking at the narratives focused on Ukraine in the U.S., it's clear that they had some effect," he said, pointing to prominent influencers who have retweeted Kremlin talking points.

His colleague at the research network, McGill assistant professor Aengus Bridgman, says there's no indication that public opinion in Canada is any more resilient to disinformation campaigns.

"Most of these measures [of polarization] are worsening in the Canadian context, particularly amongst people who spend a lot of time online," Bridgman said.

They may be a small percentage of the overall population, but they "end up being consequential for politics," he said. "They are the loudest voices. That's where the energy is in politics today."

[Legato]

41 minutes ago, DUI_Offender said:

Moscow’s disinformation is often shared unwittingly by Canadians who don’t know its origin or purpose. Canada needs to fight it with stronger actions.

 

The emerging breadth and depth of Russian disinformation tactics represent a clear and present danger to Canadian sovereignty and freedom. Just as troubling, some Canadians consider Canada immune to Russian propaganda. It’s a mistaken belief that only helps these disinformation campaigns spread and take root.

Modern-day Russian propaganda is relentless, pernicious and is widespread globally. It aims to dull critical thinking, divide society and undermine democracy. It challenges our commitment to open debate by replacing informed critical conversations with paid lies. Media and social influencers, academics, journalists, community leaders, politicians and others are increasingly caught in the dragnet of these surreptitious tactics.

The many faces of Russian propaganda

Propaganda created or supported by the Kremlin and spread from within the West is a vital component of Russia’s war against Ukraine. It aims to sow confusion about who is to blame for the war and doubt about the effectiveness or desirability of western support for Ukraine.

Recent high-level warnings of Russian’s malicious actions include:

– Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent statement under oath that Russia is directly funding the prominent American provocateur Tucker Carlson to promote disinformation.

– U.S. justice department revelations of the use of a Canadian-owned media company to spread Kremlin-generated propaganda.

– Witnesses appearing before a House of Commons committee to raise concern that some members of the Russian state-run Valdai Club might be working as Russian propagandists.

Many other examples abound.

Yet, it’s an open question of how well the Canadian public and some of the country’s political leadership understand what is happening. Some visible forms of disinformation include angry online rants filled with outrageous and obvious lies about Russia’s war against Ukraine and bot and troll campaigns on social media.

But these are not the primary threat.

Rather, the Kremlin promotes a softer, more insidious approach that moves away from the sledgehammer to one based on the scalpel, which seeks to split open divides in western societies. This is achieved by funding content that appears domestic while furthering Moscow’s agenda and is unwittingly spread by those who don’t realize its origin and purpose.

A key issue we are facing in Canada is the difficulty distinguishing between Russian propaganda and well-informed, constructive debate. As propaganda gets absorbed into everyday discourse, our democratic debates are reframed and made increasingly inflammatory. Polarization occurs.

Moscow relentlessly exploits western citizens’ right to freedom of speech by insidiously inserting paid propaganda — chiefly into online networks — into those dialogues. Even for cultural, opinion, and political leaders, telling fact from fiction and propaganda from legitimate speech is not easy.

Unfortunately, pointing this out often raises angry and defensive responses among those who find meaning or belonging in online communities, and even from experts saturated with Russian misinformation. In turn, those who raise the issue can find themselves under attack and branded as opponents to free speech.

Safeguarding freedom of speech requires simultaneously preventing the distortion of facts targeted by Russian state-propaganda while fostering broad, vibrant, open, well-informed public conversation.

War on Ukraine: conflicting narratives

In the context of the Russian war on Ukraine, it is critical to remember that Russia does not hope to rally the West behind its illegal invasion. It uses its propaganda machine not to build Russia up but to tear Ukraine down.

Taking its lead from Putin, Russian propaganda presents Ukraine’s continued resistance as futile or threatening escalation. Ukraine’s capitulation or acceptance of Russia’s partial conquest is framed as peacemaking.

It presents western support for Ukraine as prolonging the war and obscures the obvious, that Russia can choose to halt its war and withdraw from Ukraine at any moment. And, right out of 1984, it blames Ukraine or NATO for the war that Russia started.

Counteraction needed

As the trickle of verifiable news of Russia’s interference in our democracy turns into a flood, and as Moscow continues its war against Ukraine, it is time for Canadians to act. Simply turning a blind eye to Russian propaganda will neither neutralize it nor make it go away. Canada is not waging an offensive information war against Russia, but we are most certainly a strategic target for Russian disinformation.

Complacency will only invite an intensification of disinformation efforts and amplify the negative consequences. Fact-checking campaigns are worthy but reactive and do not stop the disinformation perpetrators. We know what Russia is doing with its disinformation campaign. There are numerous remedies that could be considered. These range from diplomatic expulsions to legislation to public-awareness building to supporting independent organizations in their pre-bunking interventions and more.

Russia is actively attacking our democracy. Remaining on the current course is not an option.

source; https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/december-2024/russia-propaganda-canada/

[DUI_Offender]

There are obviously more. Whether they are victims of Russian propaganda, and have been brainwashed, or if they are bad faith actors remains to be seen. I believe this list includes @WestCanMan, @West, @Nationalist, @Dougie93, @Army Guy, @Legato, @Deluge , @Zeitgeist and others. Only they would know which category they fall under.

Edited December 6, 2024 by DUI_Offender

[West]

Lol this again. 

The issue at hand is that the CTV, the CBC and others have taken a very vile side in the culture wars, promoting indirect attacks on people of faith, while claiming innocent

To any observer, you can see the primary motivation for such stories is to drive clicks, ad revenue, and everything else. 

One does not need to be "funded by russia" to have legitimate concerns with the tactics of the left wing. 

[CdnFox]

4 minutes ago, Legato said:

I'd say he's had enough today  

[DUI_Offender]

7 minutes ago, West said:

Lol this again. 

The issue at hand is that the CTV, the CBC and others have taken a very vile side in the culture wars, promoting indirect attacks on people of faith, while claiming innocent

To any observer, you can see the primary motivation for such stories is to drive clicks, ad revenue, and everything else. 

One does not need to be "funded by russia" to have legitimate concerns with the tactics of the left wing. 

^This.

This is a prime example of what a Russian asset would post, to deflect from scrutiny. To attack the media. Freedom of the press is essential part of any democratic nation. The Russians have been known to directly take aim at the free press, and sew the seeds of distrust of them.  You are just a pawn in their game. 

[Deluge]

7 minutes ago, DUI_Offender said:

There are obviously more. Whether they are victims of Russian propaganda, and have been brainwashed, or if they are bad faith actors remains to be seen. I believe this list includes @WestCanMan, @West, @Nationalist, @Dougie93, @Army Guy, @Legato, @Deluge  and others. Only they would know which category they fall under.

I'm pro-constitutional American, and DUI_Offender is trying to portray me as a Russian asset. Doesn't get more delusional than that.  

[DUI_Offender]

Just now, Deluge said:

I'm pro-constitutional American, and DUI_Offender is trying to portray me as a Russian asset. Doesn't get more delusional than that.  

By supporting the Trump Administration, you are contradicting yourself. Aside from that, Russian propaganda is even worse of a problem in the US, considering there has been Russian interference for the last 3 Presidential campaigns. 

[Deluge]

1 minute ago, DUI_Offender said:

By supporting the Trump Administration, you are contradicting yourself. Aside from that, Russian propaganda is even worse of a problem in the US, considering there has been Russian interference for the last 3 Presidential campaigns. 

I voted for the best man for the job. 

Show your links to Russian interference. 

[Legato]

15 minutes ago, DUI_Offender said:

There are obviously more. Whether they are victims of Russian propaganda, and have been brainwashed, or if they are bad faith actors remains to be seen. I believe this list includes @WestCanMan, @West, @Nationalist, @Dougie93, @Army Guy, @Legato, @Deluge  and others. Only they would know which category they fall under.

Can't speak for anyone else but I'm in the audience that's getting a free comedy show.

[DUI_Offender]

3 minutes ago, Deluge said:

I voted for the best man for the job. 

Show your links to Russian interference. 

Russian interference operations against the United States during the 2016 presidential election were vast and complex.

 

Russian interference operations against the United States during the 2016 presidential election were vast and complex. That is the conclusion drawn by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, as well as by the Department of Justice, the intelligence community, and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, in the course of their respective investigations.

The Russian government waged a well-documented, sustained campaign to weaken the United States, using multiple tools and tactics, damage American democracy and divide American citizens. That campaign continues today.

Acknowledging and understanding the threat is important, but only half the battle. It is up to U.S. political leaders to act on a bipartisan basis to deter authoritarian attacks and raise the cost of waging them. The Alliance for Securing Democracy’s Policy Blueprint for Countering Authoritarian Interference in Democracies suggests a path forward to combat these threats, not only for U.S. government, but also for the other pillars of our democratic society — the private sector, including the tech companies, media organizations, and civil society organizations. All must do their part in defending American democracy from foreign interference.

The Facts

• The U.S. intelligence community published a declassified joint report (ICA) assessing that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign aimed at the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The ICA describes a strategy that blended covert intelligence operations with the overt efforts of the Russian government and its proxies to further polarize public and political discourse in the United States and undermine the integrity of the U.S. electoral process. The bipartisan Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s own report on the Russian operation agreed with this assessment.

• Russian disinformation operations in 2016 targeted the political right and left, including Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, Black Lives Matters activists, and secessionist movements in Texas and California. Bottom line: Russia’s goal was to exacerbate the divisions that already exist in the country to destabilize its democracy.

• Russian social media campaigns were not executed merely by armies of bots – Russian intelligence officers actually masqueraded as Americans online. Real Americans unknowingly participated in opposing protests that they believed were organized by fellow Americans. In fact, they were engineered over social media by Russian government operatives thousands of miles away.

• Russian government activity, including disinformation campaigns, supported by state-run media and sophisticated social media efforts, continued long after election day 2016. In fact, the Department of Justice’s October 2018 indictment of the accountant for the Russian government-sponsored Internet Research Agency (IRA) showed that the IRA’s budget increased 70 percent between 2016 and 2018. This demonstrates that authoritarian interference does not begin and end with any particular election. It is an ongoing challenge.

• Operatives from Russia’s military intelligence agency (GRU) hacked into the systems of the Democratic National Committee and the email accounts of top Clinton campaign officials, stole private emails and released those emails publicly through three channels: GRU-operated DCLeaks, Guccifer 2.0, and WikiLeaks.

• The Department of Homeland Security stated that Russian government hackers targeted the election infrastructure of 21 U.S. states ahead of the 2016 election, successfully penetrating a small number of them.

• Russia’s tactics are more expansive than just cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. Russian national Maria Butina was indicted for operating as a foreign agent to establish a “back channel” with U.S. politicians, highlighting the wide range of Russian tactics and the ongoing nature of these operations.

• GRU officers continued cyberattacks on U.S. entities well into 2018.  An October 2018 Department of Justice indictment stated that from December 2014 until at least May 2018, Russian military intelligence officers “conducted persistent and sophisticated computer intrusions affecting U.S. persons, corporate entities, international organizations, and their respective employees located around the world, based on their strategic interest to the Russian government.”

“I know what they [the Russian government] did in ’16. I know what they tried to do in ’18. What will they do in 2020? That’s what keeps me up at night.” — Chris Krebs, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, March 13, 2019

 

source; https://www.gmfus.org/news/fact-sheet-what-we-know-about-russias-interference-operations

[West]

11 minutes ago, DUI_Offender said:

^This.

This is a prime example of what a Russian asset would post, to deflect from scrutiny. To attack the media. Freedom of the press is essential part of any democratic nation. The Russians have been known to directly take aim at the free press, and sew the seeds of distrust of them.  You are just a pawn in their game. 

I am not arguing against freedom of the press but I can also form my own opinion based on what I read. 

Who needs Russia when you've got a 24 hour news network willing to divide for money? 

[DUI_Offender]

Russia and Iran ramping up influence campaigns targeting U.S. voters, federal agencies say

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s federal law enforcement and election security agencies debunked two new examples of Russian election disinformation on the eve of Election Day, highlighting attempts by foreign actors to sow doubt in the U.S. voting process and warning that the efforts run the risk of inciting violence against election officials.

In a joint statement late Monday, federal officials pointed to a recent article posted by Russian actors falsely claiming that U.S. officials across presidential swing states were orchestrating a plan to commit fraud, as well as a video that falsely depicted an interview with an individual claiming election fraud in Arizona.

U.S. intelligence reveals that Russia-linked influence actors “are manufacturing videos and creating fake articles to undermine the legitimacy of the election, instill fear in voters regarding the election process, and suggest Americans are using violence against each other due to political preferences,” read the statement issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “These efforts risk inciting violence, including against election officials.”

 

more: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/russia-and-iran-ramping-up-influence-campaigns-targeting-us-voters-federal-agencies-say

[Deluge]

7 minutes ago, DUI_Offender said:

Russian interference operations against the United States during the 2016 presidential election were vast and complex.

 

Russian interference operations against the United States during the 2016 presidential election were vast and complex. That is the conclusion drawn by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, as well as by the Department of Justice, the intelligence community, and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, in the course of their respective investigations.

The Russian government waged a well-documented, sustained campaign to weaken the United States, using multiple tools and tactics, damage American democracy and divide American citizens. That campaign continues today.

Acknowledging and understanding the threat is important, but only half the battle. It is up to U.S. political leaders to act on a bipartisan basis to deter authoritarian attacks and raise the cost of waging them. The Alliance for Securing Democracy’s Policy Blueprint for Countering Authoritarian Interference in Democracies suggests a path forward to combat these threats, not only for U.S. government, but also for the other pillars of our democratic society — the private sector, including the tech companies, media organizations, and civil society organizations. All must do their part in defending American democracy from foreign interference.

The Facts

• The U.S. intelligence community published a declassified joint report (ICA) assessing that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign aimed at the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The ICA describes a strategy that blended covert intelligence operations with the overt efforts of the Russian government and its proxies to further polarize public and political discourse in the United States and undermine the integrity of the U.S. electoral process. The bipartisan Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s own report on the Russian operation agreed with this assessment.

• Russian disinformation operations in 2016 targeted the political right and left, including Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, Black Lives Matters activists, and secessionist movements in Texas and California. Bottom line: Russia’s goal was to exacerbate the divisions that already exist in the country to destabilize its democracy.

• Russian social media campaigns were not executed merely by armies of bots – Russian intelligence officers actually masqueraded as Americans online. Real Americans unknowingly participated in opposing protests that they believed were organized by fellow Americans. In fact, they were engineered over social media by Russian government operatives thousands of miles away.

• Russian government activity, including disinformation campaigns, supported by state-run media and sophisticated social media efforts, continued long after election day 2016. In fact, the Department of Justice’s October 2018 indictment of the accountant for the Russian government-sponsored Internet Research Agency (IRA) showed that the IRA’s budget increased 70 percent between 2016 and 2018. This demonstrates that authoritarian interference does not begin and end with any particular election. It is an ongoing challenge.

• Operatives from Russia’s military intelligence agency (GRU) hacked into the systems of the Democratic National Committee and the email accounts of top Clinton campaign officials, stole private emails and released those emails publicly through three channels: GRU-operated DCLeaks, Guccifer 2.0, and WikiLeaks.

• The Department of Homeland Security stated that Russian government hackers targeted the election infrastructure of 21 U.S. states ahead of the 2016 election, successfully penetrating a small number of them.

• Russia’s tactics are more expansive than just cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. Russian national Maria Butina was indicted for operating as a foreign agent to establish a “back channel” with U.S. politicians, highlighting the wide range of Russian tactics and the ongoing nature of these operations.

• GRU officers continued cyberattacks on U.S. entities well into 2018.  An October 2018 Department of Justice indictment stated that from December 2014 until at least May 2018, Russian military intelligence officers “conducted persistent and sophisticated computer intrusions affecting U.S. persons, corporate entities, international organizations, and their respective employees located around the world, based on their strategic interest to the Russian government.”

“I know what they [the Russian government] did in ’16. I know what they tried to do in ’18. What will they do in 2020? That’s what keeps me up at night.” — Chris Krebs, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, March 13, 2019

 

source; https://www.gmfus.org/news/fact-sheet-what-we-know-about-russias-interference-operations

Your source is run by DEI sluts: 

https://www.gmfus.org/about/our-values

This source is much better:

https://www.conservapedia.com/Russian_collusion_hoax

[Politics1990]

about time  someone calls them out  this whole forum is full of people brainwashed by russian propaganda daily

[Michael Hardner]

34 minutes ago, DUI_Offender said:

^This.

This is a prime example of what a Russian asset would post, to deflect from scrutiny. To attack the media. Freedom of the press is essential part of any democratic nation. The Russians have been known to directly take aim at the free press, and sew the seeds of distrust of them.  You are just a pawn in their game. 

Any conservative would be concerned that foreign countries are thought to have worked against Patrick Brown in his leadership aspirations.    

[DUI_Offender]

4 minutes ago, Michael Hardner said:

Any conservative would be concerned that foreign countries are thought to have worked against Patrick Brown in his leadership aspirations.    

I've heard about that. It is very concerning, especially given the leader of the Opposition refused to obtain his National Security Clearance.  Canada has to do more to prevent foreign interference in our internal political affairs. Whether it be India, China, Russia, or America.

Edited December 6, 2024 by DUI_Offender

[DUI_Offender]

10 minutes ago, Politics1990 said:

about time  someone calls them out  this whole forum is full of people brainwashed by russian propaganda daily

It's very telling when all the forum leaders, and the most prolific posters, all share the same views that parallel what RT broadcasts. Just look at the topics regarding the Ukraine War as exhibit "A." To blame NATO for Russian aggression is incredible 

[Legato]

14 minutes ago, Politics1990 said:

about time  someone calls them out  this whole forum is full of people brainwashed by russian propaganda daily

Try putting everyone on ignore, then you can read your tealeaves uninterrupted.

[DUI_Offender]

40 minutes ago, Deluge said:

 

This source is much better:

https://www.conservapedia.com/Russian_collusion_hoax

No, that is a propaganda site, not based on factual information:

Analysis / Bias

In review, it is difficult to decide where to begin. First, this wiki was created to combat the so-called liberal bias of Wikipedia, which from what we can see, is not overly biased. Therefore, this is a right-biased Wiki to counter a generally low-biased Wiki. It isn’t apparent. The sole purpose of Conservapedia is to refute so-called liberal bias. Wiki pages on Conservapedia often lead to very poor sources, such as the Washington Examiner and The Blaze, which have all failed numerous fact checks.

They are also borderline on hate group status, consistent negative reporting on LGBTQ, Climate Change, Racism, Border Security and people of color, Atheism, and Liberals. You really cannot find a more negative site regarding progress than this. Even today, Conservapedia still has false information regarding former President Obama’s birth certificate. In general, Conservapedia is a highly unreliable source of information; while Wikipedia has some issues, nothing compares to this wiki’s bias and outright misleading nature.

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/conservapedia/

21 minutes ago, Legato said:

Try putting everyone on ignore, then you can read your tealeaves uninterrupted.

I find that placing the worst offenders of propaganda on "ignore", makes the forum experience, much more enjoyable. 

Edited December 6, 2024 by DUI_Offender

[Deluge]

2 minutes ago, DUI_Offender said:

No, that is a propaganda site, not based on factual information:

Not true. It refutes the bullshit you posted because it's based in TRUTH, not left-wing manufactured bullshit. 

If you want the truth, you go to my source. If you want woke fueled TDS nonsense, you go to your sources. 

[Legato]

2 minutes ago, DUI_Offender said:

I find that it makes the forum experience, much more enjoyable. 

A singularity is not a forum. 

It is but a muggles answer to common sense.