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Woman may have tried to sell Pelosi computer device to Russians, FBI says

reuters.com

101–110 of 158 posts

Re: Woman may have tried to sell Pelosi computer device to Russians, FBI says

#101
post #11

> to Russians I don't understand why they say "to Russians" or "to the Russians" instead of "to Russian intelligence". It's like being Russian is the crime itself. They wouldn't write "tried to sell the computer to Jews".

Their national affiliation is the salient point, and there's no way in hell she'd successfully make contact directly with a Russian intelligence agent. They work through civilian operatives, so your replacement would be incorrectly specific. Your example doesn't apply, because "Jews" is an ethnicity and "Russians" is a nationality.

They're both, heck you can even be a russian jew and a citizen of some other country that is not Russia. The English doesn't make a difference. Here's one kind of Russian peoples that are not ethnically russians but the majority are citizens of Russia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatars

Re: Woman may have tried to sell Pelosi computer device to Russians, FBI says

#102
post #82
post #9

Video of her leaving the Capital building while everyone was still going in: https://twitter.com/dudgedudy/status/1351178713111662593

With everyone filming everything all the time, I've always wondered just how fully we can capture all that is happening in a given place. Capitol events shows that in a situation like that, you can almost pick any person, and with enough effort, perhaps find everything that happened to them at any given time.

Why bother with CCTV when everyone is filming themselves.

Re: Woman may have tried to sell Pelosi computer device to Russians, FBI says

#103
post #21

The fed were tipped off by an ex. The most telling part of the terrorist attack on the capital is how many family members, coworkers, and acquaintances couldn’t wait to turn them in. There was a story this morning about a wife turning in her husband for threatening to shoot their children if the children “snitched.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/capitol-rioter-guy-reffitt-thr...

Somebody has to fill out the left half of the bell curve.

Additionally, if you already believe the Qanon stuff, that's a pretty good guess you're on the wrong side of that curve.

Re: Woman may have tried to sell Pelosi computer device to Russians, FBI says

#104
post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m Syrian-American and I hate it when people say “the Syrians” when they really mean the barbaric Assad regime. I do, however, think it’s more out of stupidity than malice; it stems from a statist worldview rather than an intentional desire to demonize the people subject to a given state’s rule.

I agree that saying "the Syrians" feels incorrect, but how do you feel about saying just the name of the country as shorthand for the country's government? For example America donated fidget spinners to Syra vs The American government donated fidget spinners to the Syrian government (but not 'The Americans donated fidget spinners to the Syrians')

Context matters. You can “donate to Syria” but actually be helping prop up the Assad regime: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/29/un-pays-tens-o...

You can also truly donate to Syria and help build apartments, schools, and hospitals in areas outside Assad’s control:

https://molhamteam.com/en/campaigns/204

https://molhamteam.com/en/campaigns/239

https://www.sams-usa.net/

(The last link is to an organization registered in the US, and tax-deductible).

Re: Woman may have tried to sell Pelosi computer device to Russians, FBI says

#105

Can we say "the Russian government" or "the Russian secret services" or something similar? Why always this tone with the Russians, the Russians are wonderful people, like everyone else trying to live their lives with the hand they were dealt. Am I the only one that sees how offensive this trope is to about 150 million people?

As an Aussie, it feels like a tone set in American film and tv which consistently paints Russia as a frenemy which probably influences the writers. I’m sure the Russians are fed the very same sorts of propaganda tho.

As an American living in Russia, not really. Russian people overall have a very positive attitude towards the US and Americans and are able to differentiate people from their government. Even the official Russian propaganda (Channel 1, etc) has a less harsh depiction of America compared to how US media portrays Russia. All the Russia hate in the US right now doesn't even make an effort separate the politics from the people, which is really disappointing.

Re: Woman may have tried to sell Pelosi computer device to Russians, FBI says

#106

Can we say "the Russian government" or "the Russian secret services" or something similar? Why always this tone with the Russians, the Russians are wonderful people, like everyone else trying to live their lives with the hand they were dealt. Am I the only one that sees how offensive this trope is to about 150 million people?

Why do you have to be so obtuse? Everyone with some common sense knows that in a political context, “the Russians” means the Russian state. Any support from the general Russian populace is secondary (though not entirely unrelated since the state is generally a product of its society). I refuse to believe that you don’t understand this to be the case.

Unfortunately everyone doesn't know. I live in Russia and am constantly having to explain to people in the US that yes, you can own property, start a business, not everyone is an alcoholic who fights bears etc there. Americans understanding of modern Russia is often very much out of date.

Re: Woman may have tried to sell Pelosi computer device to Russians, FBI says

#107
post #29
post #9

Video of her leaving the Capital building while everyone was still going in: https://twitter.com/dudgedudy/status/1351178713111662593

It’d be very easy for a foreign agent to sneak in with the crowd. In one of the latter videos on that thread, it looked like she was directing/encouraging people to push forward.

I read a comment/tweet somewhere akin to, "if you run a foreign intelligence agency and did not have agents inside during this, you should be fired."

Re: Woman may have tried to sell Pelosi computer device to Russians, FBI says

#109
FBI doesn't says. Former romantic partner says. The investigation is still open. Wait until there's actual proof, otherwise this is no different than the Qanon bullshit.

> According to the affidavit filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the FBI received a tip from someone who stated they were a former romantic partner of Williams.

> The tipster said Williams “intended to send the computer device to a friend in Russia, who then planned to sell the device to SVR, Russia’s foreign intelligence service,” the affidavit stated.

> According to the tipster, “the transfer of the computer device to Russia fell through for unknown reasons and Williams still has the computer device or destroyed it,” the affidavit stated. The investigation remains open.

Re: Woman may have tried to sell Pelosi computer device to Russians, FBI says

#110

Truly the work of a patriot who loves America.

[flagged]

I doubt anyone thinks that, expect that some people who say they are patriots believe that Pelosi is acting detrimentally when it comes to the common good in America. That is a reasonable criticism in general. Politics involves a great deal of claiming that someone else’s policies are detrimental. No one would claim Putin is “more aligned”, only perhaps less of a danger. They may also believe that Putin is at least instrumentally better for Russia than Pelosi is due America.
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