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Squinch

(50,774 posts)
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 10:37 AM Feb 2020

What do we do now? Seriously.

Now we know the Russians are in this up to their elbows.

We know they are influencing our election, advancing certain people with the goal of destroying American Democracy and controlling who leads us.

So what steps can and should be taken to stop them from doing that?

We can't get any measures through Congress because Moscow Mitch is blocking them. Those who are benefiting clearly don't have any interest in trying to fix it.

So what CAN we do? DU brains, what can we do?

38 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
What do we do now? Seriously. (Original Post) Squinch Feb 2020 OP
Turn Russian trolls against Putin? ck4829 Feb 2020 #1
I'm really looking for a way out, and I'm not trying to be a nay-sayer. I think this would be the Squinch Feb 2020 #2
We have some very wealthy Americans that could funnel them money to turn against Maraya1969 Feb 2020 #20
I was saying downthread that that could be a role for Bloomberg. He'd get it done, but if Squinch Feb 2020 #22
Bloomberg should do it anyway. Whether or not he is the nominee. Maraya1969 Feb 2020 #23
I think he should too, and he should start now. But do you think people would trust him to do it? Squinch Feb 2020 #26
We have a Dept whose job it is to combat these attacks Prue Feb 2020 #3
Do you think they can carry on without his approval? I hope to God there are things Squinch Feb 2020 #4
I don't think it will matter until McConnell is replaced Prue Feb 2020 #13
The arsonists are in charge of the firewall. Zoonart Feb 2020 #14
+1 well said. bronxiteforever Feb 2020 #28
NBC: 'Trump approved operation that disabled Russian troll farm during 2018 midterms' Gidney N Cloyd Feb 2020 #17
Thanks for that post. n/t Laelth Feb 2020 #30
Elect Joe Biden. Take back the Senate and retain the House. democratisphere Feb 2020 #5
Our elections are fucked. milestogo Feb 2020 #7
Only if we continue to make stupid decisions NOW. democratisphere Feb 2020 #11
I'd love to see our primary come down really quickly to Joe vs. Liz. Moderate vs. progressive, Squinch Feb 2020 #9
Not happening. Codeine Feb 2020 #37
See, if I ran the world we'd set Bloomberg on the task of Squinch Feb 2020 #38
We unite and fight back. No more that is not who we are shit. pwb Feb 2020 #6
I suspect this is the only thing. But can we do it? Squinch Feb 2020 #8
Sanders should leave the race citing his unwillingness to help Putin and Biden should leave the in2herbs Feb 2020 #10
Only honorable thing to do Ponietz Feb 2020 #29
Was just about to post this, this is the right thing to do. Thank you for posting..n/t monmouth4 Feb 2020 #31
We keep working to get our own in place in Congress, at least, Jamastiene Feb 2020 #12
God help us. This is true. But it means EVERYTHING hinges on this election which will happen Squinch Feb 2020 #15
I know. Jamastiene Feb 2020 #21
It's quite likely 2naSalit Feb 2020 #25
Educate the electorate ... Hermit-The-Prog Feb 2020 #16
I believe that a few super-hero "good-guy" hackers could help. Sugar Smack Feb 2020 #18
Here's a role for Bloomberg. I know everyone here hates him, but he really does get things done. Squinch Feb 2020 #19
Oh, Bloomberg would be very useful in this way. Sugar Smack Feb 2020 #24
+1. Someone should ask Steyer/Bloomberg to finance this counterattack dalton99a Feb 2020 #32
If both did it together, people would trust it more. Squinch Feb 2020 #33
It's already spilled over national boundaries Ponietz Feb 2020 #27
The easist angle IMHO is prioritize vote counting! Brainfodder Feb 2020 #34
How do we get that done? McConnell is squashing all bills that try to do that. Squinch Feb 2020 #35
Find the voting machines themselves and push company to update.... Brainfodder Feb 2020 #36

ck4829

(34,977 posts)
1. Turn Russian trolls against Putin?
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 10:41 AM
Feb 2020

Why is nothing being done to damage the Russian cyber-infrastructure doing this?

The US could probably severely damage or even shut down Russia's internet capabilities within days.

Squinch

(50,774 posts)
2. I'm really looking for a way out, and I'm not trying to be a nay-sayer. I think this would be the
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 10:42 AM
Feb 2020

clear answer if anyone in our government had the will to do it.

But they don't.

Squinch

(50,774 posts)
22. I was saying downthread that that could be a role for Bloomberg. He'd get it done, but if
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 11:11 AM
Feb 2020

he were the guy a lot of Democrats wouldn't trust it.

Squinch

(50,774 posts)
26. I think he should too, and he should start now. But do you think people would trust him to do it?
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 11:16 AM
Feb 2020

I think he would do it appropriately, but I think a lot of Democrats would disagree with me.

He has a lot of baggage, but I do think he is a patriot.

Prue

(139 posts)
3. We have a Dept whose job it is to combat these attacks
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 10:44 AM
Feb 2020

You ask a great question because we actually do have a department that has top notch cyber personnel. The issue isn't what can we do but will Trump allow it to be done. That is why Trump firing Maguire and replacing him with one of his flunkies is so detrimental and critical. America's cyber protectors can be ordered to stand down.

Squinch

(50,774 posts)
4. Do you think they can carry on without his approval? I hope to God there are things
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 10:49 AM
Feb 2020

going on under the surface to combat this, but it just seems like anyone who would be doing that has been kneecapped ever since 2016.

You're right. The structure is there. I just hope there are some stealthy patriots working on this inside that structure.

Prue

(139 posts)
13. I don't think it will matter until McConnell is replaced
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 10:58 AM
Feb 2020

We are not lacking in brave career officials. They have shown us they are willing to come forward. It's the republicans in Congress that have made their efforts pointless. I'm sure there will be much that comes out after this Administration and it's enablers are sidelined but unfortunately the damage will have been done.

Darn - now I'm depressed. lol

Gidney N Cloyd

(19,781 posts)
17. NBC: 'Trump approved operation that disabled Russian troll farm during 2018 midterms'
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 11:03 AM
Feb 2020

It sounds like this was to shut down any direct manipulation of the polls on election day, maybe messing with tallies. Stopping the trolls from influencing voters's minds over the course of the election season is more complicated.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trump-approved-operation-disabled-russian-troll-farm-during-2018-midterms-n976381
Feb. 26, 2019, 3:52 PM CST
By Courtney Kube and Ken Dilanian
President Donald Trump personally signed off on a U.S. military cyber operation that blocked internet access for a Russian troll farm during the 2018 midterm election, multiple sources briefed on the matter told NBC News. The action by U.S. Cyber Command against the Internet Research Agency (IRA) — first reported Tuesday by The Washington Post — marks the most aggressive known move to date by the Trump administration to combat Russian election interference.

The IRA has been charged by special counsel Robert Mueller with interfering in the 2016 election. Financed by a Kremlin-connected oligarch, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the St. Peterburg-based company employed Russians who posed as Americans on social media and sought to sow division in U.S. politics by launching and amplifying extreme messages at the far ends of the political spectrum, according to federal prosecutors.

U.S. intelligence agencies are believed to be closely monitoring the activities of the IRA, but it's far more difficult for the government and private social media companies to deal with the broader phenomenon of social media manipulation. Bots and trolls have been avoiding detection by creating less original content and merely amplifying extremist messages from politicians and other legitimate sources, Hultquist said.

The military operation against the IRA was part of a larger effort by Cyber Command, led by Gen. Paul Nakasone, to strike against attempts to interfere in U.S. politics ahead of the midterm elections, the sources said.

democratisphere

(17,235 posts)
5. Elect Joe Biden. Take back the Senate and retain the House.
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 10:49 AM
Feb 2020

Indict drumpf, his family, his administration and all of his political hacks, convict and sentence to the MAX. Completely dismantle and reconstruct the American Healthcare System.

Squinch

(50,774 posts)
9. I'd love to see our primary come down really quickly to Joe vs. Liz. Moderate vs. progressive,
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 10:55 AM
Feb 2020

fair choice, solid candidates with different things to recommend them. Minimal drama.

Then we choose between them and unite.

For the sake of the country, any candidate who is in the least bit marginal needs to drop out, but I don't think any of them will.

 

Codeine

(25,586 posts)
37. Not happening.
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 02:13 PM
Feb 2020

Bloomberg has infinite cash. Bernie runs on bottomless hubris. We’re fucked.

Squinch

(50,774 posts)
38. See, if I ran the world we'd set Bloomberg on the task of
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 02:17 PM
Feb 2020

hacking the hackers.

He'd get it done. This WOULD cease to be a problem.

And I'd give Bernie a title like "commander of we the people" which he'd like, and then have Liz and Joe duke it out.

in2herbs

(2,942 posts)
10. Sanders should leave the race citing his unwillingness to help Putin and Biden should leave the
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 10:56 AM
Feb 2020

race citing for his reason that he is re-positioning his power to expose rump in the Hunter Biden affair. The remaining candidates gain more election momentum with these two out and with the followers of these two coalescing around one candidate --- a Democrat.

Ponietz

(2,905 posts)
29. Only honorable thing to do
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 11:26 AM
Feb 2020

But that would require a wisdom and depth of character I have yet to witness.

Jamastiene

(38,187 posts)
12. We keep working to get our own in place in Congress, at least,
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 10:58 AM
Feb 2020

and hold them to doing something about it. That's the key. If we don't hold them to doing something about it, they might let it continue. I'm wondering why nothing has been done yet, or at least talked about more yet. It is a major thing affecting our country's leadership. We need to hold them to doing something about it. We KNOW the Republicans won't do anything about it already. So, that leaves our own. We need to get a majority of our own in Congress and the presidency and hold them to doing something about it.

We need more campaign regulations so money AND OTHER ACTIONS by foreign countries cannot enter our election processes. That is just one idea. We need better enforcement of current election laws as well. I'm still miffed by how the 9th Congressional District election in 2018 in NC was handled. Harris got away with a slap on the wrist. The entire GOP got away with it here.

We need a nationwide voting standard and nationwide voting laws. This current rag tag system of voting in this state one way and another state in another area another way ( remember the "butterfly ballots" ) and so many different rules in different states, and voting at so many different times for primaries is guaranteed to cause problems and leaves loopholes wide open for Russians or any other country to exploit. We are leaving ourselves open for it. No wonder it is happening.

Whatever we do, it wouldn't hurt to do it soon. Here we are steadily picking out a nominee, and fighting each other tooth and nail while we are at it, for an election that is not just probably, but most likely, already rigged. There is something wrong with that picture.

Squinch

(50,774 posts)
15. God help us. This is true. But it means EVERYTHING hinges on this election which will happen
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 11:00 AM
Feb 2020

before we can do all that.

Jamastiene

(38,187 posts)
21. I know.
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 11:11 AM
Feb 2020

We should have been doing something about it sooner than now. Right now, everyone is in campaign/primaries fighting mode. In order for it to have done anything to help in this election coming up, it should have been at least worked on and planned way before now.

It is going to take a miracle to straighten out the mess created by Trump turned loose in the White House and courts* and everything else he has corrupted. You can bet everything he has touched has been corrupted. It is ALL he does.

What can we do to get out the vote harder than ever before to try to counteract the Russian/Republican lawbreaking? That is the only thing that might could do anything to help the election this year, imo, honestly.

*It could take a couple of generations to get the SCOTUS back to somewhat level alone.

2naSalit

(86,059 posts)
25. It's quite likely
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 11:14 AM
Feb 2020

that there will be uprisings before November. People have now been on edge for years and have had it with whole mess. If we don't present with numerous shows of our force, We the People force, we're going to loose evrything. I suspect it will take major strikes to show that WE are the ones who make shit work and WE aren'r having the bBS anymore. Unless we take stuff away from the bullies, they will crush us. Period.

Our elected officials are there to represent us and have limited powers. What we have is the power to organize major days of taking shit away from the bullies. We have good examples, though not large enough or plng enough, from Greta and the other protesters of note. What has been happening is that they get lots of fame but the pace of the offensive actions against them takes over and all that happens is that someone got famous for a while. We have to start shutting down vital operations for these fuckers ruining our country and our lives.

Remember the last government shut down that -45 was so proud to own? Remember what ended it? This can be done but we have to hurry. And that's all I have to offer as a suggestion for remedial action. If we put our heads together, we can get it done.

Hermit-The-Prog

(33,039 posts)
16. Educate the electorate ...
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 11:01 AM
Feb 2020

Keep slugging away at getting people to understand what's going on and what's at stake.

Keep pushing for paper ballots everywhere, so the cheaters have to have "boots on the ground" to rig elections -- we can't afford to lose our distributed, multiple elections system to an electronic single-point-of-failure system.

Sugar Smack

(18,748 posts)
18. I believe that a few super-hero "good-guy" hackers could help.
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 11:07 AM
Feb 2020

Knowing next to nothing about how hacking actually works, I can't imagine how they'd do it.

Squinch

(50,774 posts)
19. Here's a role for Bloomberg. I know everyone here hates him, but he really does get things done.
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 11:09 AM
Feb 2020

I'd say he could hire and run them, but if he did a lot of Democrats wouldn't trust it.

Maybe the DNC, I guess. But their record with computers isn't exactly stellar.

This is a good idea though. It seems like the only one that would do us any good in the short term.

If the right group backed it.

Sugar Smack

(18,748 posts)
24. Oh, Bloomberg would be very useful in this way.
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 11:13 AM
Feb 2020

Specifically. I hadn't thought of him, but you're totally right.

Ponietz

(2,905 posts)
27. It's already spilled over national boundaries
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 11:22 AM
Feb 2020

The door is open for every other country to participate. We have many more international allies.

Brainfodder

(6,423 posts)
34. The easist angle IMHO is prioritize vote counting!
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 01:05 PM
Feb 2020

There is no way blob is re-electable . without a fix.


The most $ ever against a sitting president will probably be spent this time?

I agree we are in trouble, but it's just a few dozen assholes, we are huge in numbers.

MATH is fun!?!

Brainfodder

(6,423 posts)
36. Find the voting machines themselves and push company to update....
Sat Feb 22, 2020, 01:09 PM
Feb 2020

and/or insist/assist it in getting done?

If stonewalled in just doing that, hit social media with pictures, video/audio.

MAKE A BIG STINK it deserves it!?!

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