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Obama Strikes Back at Russia for Election Hacking

nytimes.com

21–30 of 147 posts

Re: Obama Strikes Back at Russia for Election Hacking

#21

So is this how US politics will be from now on? Every president spends their lame duck period doing everything possible to sabotage the next guy (if they're the other party)? I seem to recall GWB having a bit more decorum than Obama here but maybe I'm wrong. Is the political climate really more poisonous than ever or does it just seem that way?

Some people have no class.

Remember this?

http://articles.latimes.com/2002/jun/12/nation/na-clinton12

"The GAO concluded that ''damage, theft, vandalism, and pranks did occur in the White House during the 2001 presidential transition.'' The report stated that some incidents, such as removing keyboard keys, placing glue on desk drawers and leaving obscene voicemail messages ''clearly were intentional,'' and intentional damage would constitute a criminal act under federal law. No prosecutions are planned, though."

Re: Obama Strikes Back at Russia for Election Hacking

#22
post #9

Maybe I'm splitting hairs here, but it does bother anyone that the NYT title calls it "election hacking"? To me that sort of slyly suggests that the actual election / voting process was hacked, which as far as I know did not happen. Perhaps "election-related hacking" would be more accurate. I don't mean to say the DNC and other such hacks weren't a big deal, but I worry that people who just read titles are getting th…

NYT is a media outlet that requires additional personal scrutiny, espescially with regards to any active U.S. government talking points.

I'm not the biggest Chomsky fan, but I feel a lot of his opinion about NYT [0] are probably right on.

[0]: http://www.salon.com/2015/05/25/noam_chomsky_the_new_york_ti...

Re: Obama Strikes Back at Russia for Election Hacking

#23

So is this how US politics will be from now on? Every president spends their lame duck period doing everything possible to sabotage the next guy (if they're the other party)? I seem to recall GWB having a bit more decorum than Obama here but maybe I'm wrong. Is the political climate really more poisonous than ever or does it just seem that way?

Unless I'm mistaken GWB didn't have to deal with a foreign government interfering with our elections.

Besides, this sort of thing will only be relevant a few times in the President's career and the odds are pretty good that if it were to happen it would happen in their "lame duck" phase. So what?

Re: Obama Strikes Back at Russia for Election Hacking

#24
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The results of that attack (which weren't particular interesting) are secondary to the attack itself One could argue that the documented effort to override public opinion in the primary election is quite interesting by itself. I suppose you could also claim that it's uninteresting, but that doesn't change the fact that it happened.

That documentation does not exist. You could argue it is "hinted at" in the emails made public, but cannot argue it is documented or proven.

Well, it was apparently convincing enough for the former DNC chair to lose her job, and for the subsequent DNC chair to be fired from her position at CNN. If you choose to ignore what happened, then that's your own perogative.

Re: Obama Strikes Back at Russia for Election Hacking

#25
post #9

Maybe I'm splitting hairs here, but it does bother anyone that the NYT title calls it "election hacking"? To me that sort of slyly suggests that the actual election / voting process was hacked, which as far as I know did not happen. Perhaps "election-related hacking" would be more accurate. I don't mean to say the DNC and other such hacks weren't a big deal, but I worry that people who just read titles are getting th…

> "but I worry that people who just read titles are getting the wrong impression."

I think that's exactly what NYT is trying to do, after blasting Trump for the whole year, they need to at least make it look like he won illegally.

Re: Obama Strikes Back at Russia for Election Hacking

#26

So is this how US politics will be from now on? Every president spends their lame duck period doing everything possible to sabotage the next guy (if they're the other party)? I seem to recall GWB having a bit more decorum than Obama here but maybe I'm wrong. Is the political climate really more poisonous than ever or does it just seem that way?

Taking action in response to foreign aggression is "sabotaging the next guy" now?

Re: Obama Strikes Back at Russia for Election Hacking

#27
post #9

Maybe I'm splitting hairs here, but it does bother anyone that the NYT title calls it "election hacking"? To me that sort of slyly suggests that the actual election / voting process was hacked, which as far as I know did not happen. Perhaps "election-related hacking" would be more accurate. I don't mean to say the DNC and other such hacks weren't a big deal, but I worry that people who just read titles are getting th…

I think terms like "growth hacking" and "financial engineering" led the way on these things.

Also don't get me wrong, I am sure people are deliberately framing events according to their own biases, but it is hardly a surprise in post-truth world, isn't it?

Re: Obama Strikes Back at Russia for Election Hacking

#28
post #7
post #4

The closer we come to the end of the Obama Administration, the more disappointed I have become (and this after having voted for him twice).

Are you upset that he is accusing Russia of cyberattacks, or that he's doing something about it?

I am disappointed that as a nation our intelligence and security agencies keep trying to undercut good security practices by asking for backdoor spying exceptions on it's own citizens, and when 'security' is breached for people in the ruling class - only then is action taken, but only then as a big flag-waving saber-rattling distraction instead of any sort of fundamental addressing of the flaws in national security strategy.

Re: Obama Strikes Back at Russia for Election Hacking

#29
post #23

So is this how US politics will be from now on? Every president spends their lame duck period doing everything possible to sabotage the next guy (if they're the other party)? I seem to recall GWB having a bit more decorum than Obama here but maybe I'm wrong. Is the political climate really more poisonous than ever or does it just seem that way?

Unless I'm mistaken GWB didn't have to deal with a foreign government interfering with our elections. Besides, this sort of thing will only be relevant a few times in the President's career and the odds are pretty good that if it were to happen it would happen in their "lame duck" phase. So what?

Well there's this and the UN Israel resolution, both of which are things Trump would have been unlikely to do. Then there's the raft of executive orders..

Re: Obama Strikes Back at Russia for Election Hacking

#30
post #19

So 35 Russian diplomats have been given 72 hours to leave the country, and 2 of their properties will be closed - one in DC and the other in San Francisco. Well, if history is any guide, expect Russia to return the favor. Question is, how long will they wait before announcing that 35 American diplomats have 72 hours to leave Russia?

> Question is, how long will they wait before announcing that 35 American diplomats have 72 hours to leave Russia?

I've read somewhere that it will happen on Dec 30.

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