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Slovenian officials blame Israeli firm Black Cube for trying to manipulate vote

wsj.com

121–130 of 327 posts

Re: Slovenian officials blame Israeli firm Black Cube for trying to manipulate vote

#121

So is the allegation that this private intelligence firm tried to induce members of the government party to offer a bribe. They then published the recorded conversations. I guess what is missing from the article is was the videos misleading or did they really get offered the bribe? Because if its the latter, its kind of hard to feel sympathy for a corrupt official getting caught even if the mechanism was problematic.

A bribe in a low trust society is not the same as a bribe in a high trust society. In this context, a bribe is irrelevant compared to the act of election interference by a foreign actor.

Appearently not to the electors or this scheme wouldn't have worked.

Re: Slovenian officials blame Israeli firm Black Cube for trying to manipulate vote

#122
post #2

Alternate source due to paywall: https://www.politico.eu/article/black-cube-leak-tape-corrupt...

"The SDS says the recordings — which feature a former minister, a top lawyer and other prominent figures — are proof of corruption at the highest levels of Slovenian society; while Golob’s supporters say the scandal is evidence that Janša is collaborating with foreign entities to retake power." Sounds like they're all just different brands of scum.

First let me say that any corruption admitted to in those recordings should be prosecuted immediately, no question about it.

But really, the admissions were really nothing much, I'm actually surprised that's all they got. The former minister was forced to resign under allegations of corruption and was/is under investigation for it, no big surprise. And the talk about having access to Ljubljana's mayor (and that he is "for sale") - well that's been in the news for years, he's under several open investigations and many more were already closed (he always comes out victorious - either because he's innocent and it's all just hearsay, or more likely because he's extremely good at dodging liability and covering his tracks). The rest is just people who used to have some power trying to appear like they still have in order to impress a potential employer or get a business deal (that was the agents' cover).

Again, I hope the authorities are combing the tapes for evidence, but it really wasn't anything bombastic. That the Israelis were doing this on the other hand...

Re: Slovenian officials blame Israeli firm Black Cube for trying to manipulate vote

#123

The tapes show prominent Slovenian figures apparently discussing corruption, illegal lobbying and the misuse of state funds. Is there any evidence that the tape is fraudulent? The article doesn't provide any. I wonder if anybody even read the article other than words "Israeli firm" and jumped to a lynching

Giora Eiland is the architect of "General's Plan". If anything, this scumbag criminal should have been locked up the moment he touched down in Ljubljana with his "company".

Re: Slovenian officials blame Israeli firm Black Cube for trying to manipulate vote

#124

The desperation of the state is becoming apparent. Look for more election interference in the future. It will be more sophisticated. And likely can be traced in past elections.

I think it's also true that government officials around the world are less inclined to just go along with it, since Israel has lost control of public perception. So the tactics have to become more brazen and forceful to achieve the same results, increasing the risk of exposure and/or blowback.

Re: Slovenian officials blame Israeli firm Black Cube for trying to manipulate vote

#125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Isn't Islam the one with the Black Cube?

Judaism also has important black cubes in the form of tefillin worn by adult male jews during one of their daily prayers on weekdays.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tefillin

Re: Slovenian officials blame Israeli firm Black Cube for trying to manipulate vote

#126

It's insane the power and influence Israelis have. In the US it's blatant, from the insane amounts of money and weaponry sent to Israel (why are american taxpayers subsidizing Israel exactly? It's not like they are neither poor nor US owes them) to the recent events in the middle east. But even in Europe. Here in Italy the coalition government has multiple high profile politicians that just happen to be shareholders…

> why are american taxpayers subsidizing Israel exactly? The same reason USA is subsidizing half the middle eastern countries - its a strategic location near extremely important transit routes, near important resources, and right between major powers so the region doesn't squarely fall in any major power's sphere of influence and thus up to be influenced. I dont know why all these conspiracy theories think the usa is…

We primarily fund the other Middle Eastern countries to keep Israel safe. Were it not for Israel, we would just have normal diplomatic relations with them.

Re: Slovenian officials blame Israeli firm Black Cube for trying to manipulate vote

#127
post #23

I want to talk about Ticketmaster. People hate Ticketmaster. For good reason. TM throws on all these fees, clearly engages in third-party selling, makings buying difficult and jacks up prices. All of this is known. But what's less known is that artists, especially big artists, like Ticketmaster. Why? Because TM is a sacrificial anode. It takes all the hate but adding junk fees that in part go to the artist. The artis…

I agree with everything you said except that the US is able to stop it. Think about it: Wouldn't Israel simply use these same tools in the US to install a puppet president they can easily manipulate?

Can we even prove it hasn't already happened?

Re: Slovenian officials blame Israeli firm Black Cube for trying to manipulate vote

#129

[flagged]

> Doesn't matter, half of HN will still defend them.

And I would say half can't/won't speak about this. I try to stray away from these discussions sometimes because I feel worried that someone is going to take any comment out of context within these messages which is a bit of a strange way of self censorship actually and I feel like I might not be the only one. It's also worth mentioning that I have found this to be the case especially for Israel.

For example, I feel valid criticizing the current American Regime and Americans themselves would agree with me at a a much higher proportion/magnitude compared to Israel in which from my small sample bias of online acquaintances, I only had one Jewish (Living in America, not Israeli) person agree that Israel is doing some pretty horrendous things and although do take this with a grain of salt as something they told me but they said that Zionism and Antisemitism are effectively something comparable as within the Jewish religion, There is an idea of the world hating the Jews as being a pre-condition within Jewish religion for them to win within the end-times theology of the jewish faith.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gog_and_Magog I think they were referencing this: Zechariah 14:2 states, "I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it." The idea is that the Jewish people will have no earthly allies left.

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