Laura Reston, The Atlantic: Russia Has Weaponized Fake News to Sow Chaos
The Kremlin's influence campaign goes far beyond Trump's victory. Their latest unsuspecting targets: American conservatives.
Donald Trump and his top advisers have spent the past four months under near constant scrutiny: Two congressional committees, the FBI and CIA—not to mention the entire news media—have launched separate investigations into the role Russia played in orchestrating his victory. Washington rarely sees such intense intrigue surrounding a sitting president in his first 100 days, a time traditionally devoted to policy initiatives, not police interrogations. But focusing on the election obscures the true extent of Russia’s influence: Today, months after Hillary Clinton’s emails were hacked, the Kremlin continues to deploy a host of digital tools to sow doubt and discord in the United States on an almost daily basis.
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WNU Editor: I love it when progressives go out of there way to explain conservatives .... let alone explaining Russian actions. And in Laura Reston's column above .... she does not even know that the fiercest anti-Trumpers and critics of President Trump are among Republican and non-Republican conservatives who do not see Trump as a conservative ....and they are damn unhappy about that. But such is the state of U.S. main stream media today .... everything is being looked at through a progressive lens .... and they do not understand why they are always being disappointed. In my case .... I have been a faithful consumer of U.S. news since the early 1980s, and if there was one thing I have learned since the election of last year is that the respect and credibility that the U.S main stream once had with many .... and I include myself as one of them .... is no longer there. I am now deeply sceptical and distrustful of what the U.S. news media posts and prints ..... and the last time that I felt like this is when I had to rely on Russian news organisations like TASS and Pravda for my news while growing up in the former Soviet Union. But I understand why many like Laura Reston in the main stream media are upset with what is happening. This was not expected .... and the search for why this has happened is forcing many to go down this road of blaming everyone and "outside forces" like the Russians for the election of someone like President Trump .... and not at themselves, their policies, and how they treat those who may have a different point of view. Am I surprised by this visceral reaction in the U.S. .... I have to say yes. There is a now an incredible amount of hate and anger in the U.S. directed against President Trump, Russians, and those who disagree with the progressive and media narrative. I say that it is too bad that they are filled with this reservoir of hate .... because there are missing an incredible moment in history right now. I personally do not know if the Trump White House is in chaos and disarray and that everything is about to implode, that impeachment is just around the corner, and that high crimes and misdemeanours will be found next week/month/year. What I do know .... and what I tell everyone else .... is that we should step back ..... and look at what is unfolding in front of us. We are living in a incredible time where there is a President who has thrown out conventional practice and is exposing all the "rot and crap" that exists in Washington. We are definitely never going to see another President like President Trump in our lifetime .... the U.S. political establishment is going to make sure about that .... but for the moment enjoy the show, because I know that for political junkies like myself .... this is going to get even more insane.