Comment by Prints-Charming on 06/12/2019 at 23:21 UTC

2 upvotes, 9 direct replies (showing 9)

View submission: Suspected Campaign from Russia on Reddit

Yeah I'm an American, and it's weird that the Russians giving voters more information is considered manipulation. Not that I'm ok with any foreign interference, just stating facts doesn't seem to be interference

Replies

Comment by [deleted] at 06/12/2019 at 23:33 UTC

3 upvotes, 3 direct replies

[deleted]

Comment by BoogieOrBogey at 06/12/2019 at 23:58 UTC*

1 upvotes, 0 direct replies

The various Russian operations give partial information, mischaracterize events, and hide knowledge that would change the overall message. The best example was the DNC server hack in 2016. The Russians released the captured emails through Guicifer 2.0 and WikiLeaks. But the Russians also successfully hacked the RNC. They have not leaked/released those emails yet.

So we only got part of the info, and even then the DNC emails have been mischaracterized. There was nothing wrong or incriminating in those emails otherwise someone would have been charged with a crime. But we don't know what info the RNC emails had and since 2016 we've seen the GOP work ever closer with Russia and Putin.

In my opinion, those RNC emails provided the basis of blackmail and is a huge reason why the GOP doesn't turn against Trump or Putin. But we don't know and that's how the Russian information operations work.

Comment by CSATTS at 06/12/2019 at 23:31 UTC

1 upvotes, 2 direct replies

Here's a hypothetical: 2 candidates are running for office and both have cheated on their spouses, but it's not known by anyone. Russia hacks into both of their emails but only releases those from one candidate to hurt their chances of winning. Yes, the emails are factual, but by selectively releasing facts they have tipped the scales. That's manipulation.

Comment by [deleted] at 06/12/2019 at 23:27 UTC

1 upvotes, 1 direct replies

What is bad is when they get dirt on all the politicians they can and then they release the information on certain people to manipulate the elections to get who they haven't released dirt on yet. Now they have their preferred candidate in a position of power with blackmail to use to try and puppet them.

Comment by iMakeAcceptableRice at 07/12/2019 at 00:03 UTC

1 upvotes, 0 direct replies

There's no such thing as "just stating facts". Facts are facts, but when human beings "just state" them, there is always an implication and it is foolish to ignore that. "Just stating facts" is merely a way to say what you want to say without taking responsibility for it.

Comment by godrestsinreason at 06/12/2019 at 23:32 UTC

1 upvotes, 1 direct replies

The issue is releasing information selectively for the specific purpose of sowing division, or influencing elections. To say that they're just "stating facts" is a massive, and even dangerous, oversimplification of their intentions.