Until the day I die, I will not stop saying this.

[LuckyCharms]

The majority of the people in this country do not have the cognitive ability to understand how heinous the Russian interference was/is.

Most of our ways of communicating have been flooded with false information that people believe...even some people on "our side".

We are a very visual species. When we see something on facebook or twitter, our first inclination is to believe it because we see it. Only those of us with intellectual curiosity will question it if it does not smell right. Much of this country either does not have this curiosity, they don't care, or they are lazy.

As I've stated before...facebook and twitter have destroyed us. They are being used as a tool to justify lack of research.

Technology has killed us, and this won't be fixed.

[Weekend Warrior]

1. The Russia issue doesn't break down into soundbites....

that are easily understood by those with the attention span of gnats.

[LuckyCharms]

2. Exactly. Even as a political junkie...

I realize that I probably know less than 1% of the total truth.

[Weekend Warrior]

4. A fake news post on facebook that starts....

"The Russia scandal is fake news being promoted by the left" will have more impact on a personally tailored facebook page than a well written and fact checked news article about how deep the Russians were in our election.

[Initech]

3. Vladimir Putin Is Trying To Start World War III.

It started with Brexit and we should have seen that coming. The goal is to destabilize the major world powers - the European Union and the United States. And he may have very well succeeded. Now he's pitting us against North Korea and it is a fight we will not win. It will be very scary times ahead.

[Weekend Warrior]

6. I think he would be happy with a civil war of sorts, within the US.

All of his more recent propaganda to date in our country has been directed at creating division among the populace.

I do agree with you that he is trying to generate instability on the world stage as well.

[Initech]

9. It seems like an actual Civil War is becoming an inevitibility.

And I don't think there's anything we will be able to do to stop it once it starts.

[Whiskeytide]

12. He's not trying to start WWIII, ...

... he just wants to increase Russia's influence and power globally, and thereby enrich himself and his oligarchs. By splintering our relationships with allies, creating internal discord, and lowering the rest of the world's opinion of us, he accomplishes this. It helps that the EU and NATO nations are also negatively impacted by our Trumpster fire as well as each of their own (which he is also fanning).

It's actually a brilliant, well executed plan that has taken years to carry out. He's a ruthless and murderous dictator, and deserves no respect at all, but we have to credit him for kicking our asses on this one. He is way out in front of our government on the cyber intelligence and warfare scene.

[Enoki33]

16. And the scary question is, can you think of any one

thing dotard has done not to help advance that agenda?

[Whiskeytide]

23. Exactly. I still haven't...

... decided if Shart is actually in on it fully, or if he's just the useful tool of much smarter people who are manipulating him. I see evidence of both scenarios.

I do believe he likes to think of himself as or desires to be an American version of the Russian Oligarchs. They can do as they please, and government more or less works for them. I think he envies that status. Perhaps that's the shiny bauble they have promised him.

I guess, in his mind, a destroyed America that he and his friends own is preferable to an influential "shinning light on the hill" America governed by the people. What a demented creature - risen from the republican bog.

[VOX]

37. In a way, he actually is, as warfare is being re-defined...

Waging war today is no longer limited to bombs, missiles and ground troops. Why deploy armaments and troops when nations can now be crippled or brought down from a safe distance? Putin is resolute in his determination to corrode and ultimately destroy Western liberal democracies, and so far, he's been pretty successful.

[roamer65]

24. Pootie's ultimate goal is Balkanization of the United States.

If we breakup into smaller, warring fiefdoms, we are then easily controlled by the Sino-Russian alliance (aka SCO).

[iscooterliberally]

5. There is so much to know on social media.

Unfortunately very little of it is worth knowing at all. I really liked Facebook at first. I connected with old friends that I hadn't seen in years and enjoyed photos from family. I used it to help transport dogs from animal shelters to foster homes when I had the time. Then it devolved into all sorts of useless comments from people that I didn't know or barely knew. It became a source of aggravation that made me more and more unhappy so I decided to delete my account. I don't miss it at all. Now if I want to hear from someone I just call or text or email. It's better that way.

[LuckyCharms]

7. I liked it at one time also...

but I have not really been there in months.

A lot of things started to turn me off.

That is fantastic that you transport rescue dogs. I do the same. It is very rewarding.

[iscooterliberally]

14. Rescue really is fun.

For me the best part was when the dogs got into my van and got a whiff of my happy dogs. They would suddenly realize that they were being rescued. The relief that I would see in their faces was just amazing. I know I can't save them all, but I'll keep doing what I can.

[LuckyCharms]

22. .

[ehrnst]

10. Hail, fellow rescuer!

I work with transports from NC and WV to northern VA.

We need social networking for fundraising, lost pets, and adoptions.

[iscooterliberally]

13. I killed my page at a bad time too.

We rescued 4 kittens from a feral mom that lives in our neighborhood back in July. We did adopt one out, but I think we're going to be stuck with the other 3. That makes 8 cats, and two large dogs under my roof. I haven't done any transport in a long time, but it was fun and rewarding while it lasted. If the opportunity arises in the future, I will do it again. I used to transport around South Florida from Miami-Dade, up to Broward and across Alligator Alley and up the west coast of Florida. I guess we could use some other sort of social platform that's free from politics and anything that's not strictly rescue related. I would sign up for that I suppose. Keep up the good work!

[zanana1]

8. It's all about identity politics.

Remember when Trump said he could shoot somebody on 5th Avenue and not lose any votes? That's because support for Trump is tied to their cultural identity. It's them against us "smug, elite liberals". I don't know how we can fight that.

[NRaleighLiberal]

11. also - the power of paradigms. If something fits what we want it to fit, we believe it

if news or facts fall outside of our belief system, then they simply have to be wrong.

Powerful stuff.

[MLAA]

15. The results of reduced funding in public k-12 education and unaffordable college tuition is

Now becoming obvious. It frightens me. I don't have kids but I've never met a school tax I haven't voted for.

[BainsBane]

17. I think it's a question of not caring

and we live in a culture where people choose to believe only what they want; facts are meaningless. I think it is that which enables the technology to be so influential.

[jayschool2013]

18. We are a militaristic society

Because of that, many of us understand invasion and attempted takeover only in military terms. I would also argue that most of those people — versed only in military invasion — happen to be conservative.

[dawg]

19. I don't think it's the technology or people's cognitive abilities.

I think it's the innate tribalism of our species, and the willingness of greedy elites to exploit that quirk in our psychological makeup for their own selfish ends.

[Madam45for2923]

20. Russians are f*cking with us personally & individually. F*cking w you, your child, mother, father,

How does it feel to know your friends & loved ones are being f*cked with by nefarious people in a concerted and weaponized manner.

How does it feel to know, that they don't wish us well at all.

Note: I use "you" as in general you, not specifically anyone here. You as in applied to everyone.

[Hoyt]

21. I understand it, but think we've meddled in foreign election and why the heck aren't people smart

enough to determine the truth. It's not that hard. There has been "swiftboating" forever, but it's certainly been apparent since 2004 to anyone who cares.

If someone was convinced by Russian fake ads -- or a major productions by an American advertising agency -- that Trump was good for America, then they are likely an ignorant white winger anyway.

I don't think beating the war drums against Russia is going to do us any good. I do think, someone better get on the ball in stopping this kind of crud in the future, or at least exposing it, and people -- at least those who care -- need to learn how to spot BS.

The technology is fine, it's the stupid losers who use it. Further indication of the failure of our education system.

[yallerdawg]

26. I hear ya!

The first time a Nigerian prince wanted to send us a fortune if we'd send money should have explained THE INTERNET!

But no! Everything we see on Facebook and Twitter is "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!"

I have no idea if your name is really Hoyt or anything else about you.

But if I get a random post informing me Hillary Clinton is running a pedophile ring out of a pizza joint - take that to the bank!!!

[The Wizard]

25. Our ability to critically think

has evaporated into the ether of cyberspace.

[LisaM]

27. I think it was killing the Fairness Doctrine and the advent of Fox news....

The Twitter/Facebook stuff is the logical outcome of a "news" network that shouts lies at us all the time and packages it as news.

[drmeow]

38. This!

I've been saying this for years. The WORST damage Ronnie Raygun did was this (and he did A LOT of damage). 100 years from now, when historians write their dissertations on the fall of the US government, Reagan will be the small hole that eventually destroyed everything. I hope he is burning in hell.

[LisaM]

40. So do I.

I detest him.

[Eliot Rosewater]

28. We need to remember almost half the country will NOT care even when shown definitive proof

our ENEMY installed Trump.

That proof is already out there, but when it is undeniable, what is going to happen is we are going to find out almost half of us actually dont give a flying fuck about the constitution or the law, but only our prejudices and who supports them.

That THAT is the nightmare.

[LakeArenal]

29. The majority of the people in this country do not have the cognitive ability to understand how heino

I don't think that at all. I give the American people more credit than that.

The majority of the people in this country voted for Hillary Clinton. I think they get the Russian interference.

Haven't we recently turned 6 state seats? GOP none.

I think Democracy is in a fight for it's life. I also think America will prevail.

If it can't be fixed, why are we even talking about it. Just give up folks.. Can't be fixed...

[HopeAgain]

30. Humans make the majority of their decisions emotionally rather than rationally

They have just learned how to better exploit this online.

[zipplewrath]

31. I'm dubious

The vast majority of what goes on using web enabled technologies is just old techniques updated.
Fake news has always existed. We used to call it "gossip". I WWII they had "rumor officers" whose job was to debunk yesterday's rumors and collect today's. Hearst was infamously purported to have instructed a photographer, "you furnish the pictures, I'll furnish the war". He was Fox News before there was cable TV. Truth is, most of us "boomers" lived through the "golden age" of journalism. It was a rare time when much of journalism was considered "above" profit and seen as more of a "public service". It didn't last long. You can go back in time and find newspapers that included in their names "democrat" and "republican". That isn't by accident.

And you can find "collusion" in presidential politics at LEAST to Nixon. Truth is, Ike used the Korean war, and the negotiations at the time, to get elected.

The current technology has accelerated the rate of misinformation, but all that means is that the pace of correction/refutation/confrontation must increase. Campaigns and presidencies have been slow to learn this, but they will. Hillary, in her campaign against Obama, tried to warn him of what he was facing and he didn't listen. Strangely, Hillary wasn't sensitive to what the right would do to defeat her either.

[Skittles]

32. it doesn't help when the media uses words like MEDDLING

[GoCubsGo]

33. Every other developed country has the same technology.

Facebook and Twitter have not destroyed Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Japan... Perhaps you should look at the reasons many in this country are vulnerable to the nefarious use of those tools. Are Facebook and Twitter the reasons people are incapable of critical thought? I don't think so.

[LuckyCharms]

34. Good point, but to the best of my knowledge,

of the countries in your list, I believe that Germany and France were the countries that Russia went after with enthusiasm? They had to take pro-active measures to counteract Russia's efforts, which thwarted the desired effect. In my way of thinking, if action was not taken, Russia would have succeeded there also...which means that the US is probably not the only country with this vulnerability to propaganda which is easily spread via social media.

[GoCubsGo]

35. Vulnerability to propaganda is one thing.

Swallowing it hook, line, and sinker is another thing. Russia went after Germany and France, along with the Netherlands. None of them bought into the propaganda to the point where Russia was able to sway their elections its way.

[LuckyCharms]

36. From Snopes:

http://www.snopes.com/2017/09/23/german-election-so-far-unaffected-by-fake-news/

Germans, like the French, are less susceptible to what has been broadly called “fake news” in the United States — a term that was coined to refer to waves of disinformation that littered social media in the months leading up to the November 2016 elections. A September 2017 study by Oxford University found that although the far right in Germany did employ automated Twitter profiles known as “bots”, traffic from those accounts was relatively low and ineffective — and Germans have a higher likelihood of sharing links to credible news sources than people in the U.S. or the United Kingdom. My comment: They are more likely to share credible links because of the efforts of the Germans to raise awareness of the problem.

Also... There’s mounting evidence that there are very, very sophisticated bots fueled by advanced [artificial intelligence] that can create credible human-like content.

My comments: German and French elections did not succumb to the efforts of the Russians because they had cyber-security efforts to limit the amount of fake news.

I believe that had this not been done and more propaganda was made available to the people of these countries, they would have swallowed it "hook, line and sinker". After all, why would these governments go through the effort of trying to make sure as little fake news reached the populous as possible if thought it would have no effect?

Your response has shown me that perhaps in my first sentence, I might better have said "people" instead of "people in this country" because I think that once the news is able to reach the populace, it can and will sway elections unless a strong and consistent counterpoint to the news is provided, regardless of which country.

The other point in my OP is that Americans seem to be unique in not caring about the interference. How many times have you heard "Good for the Russians, they exposed Hillary"!

My opinion still stands: People all over the world are susceptible to fake news. Americans seem to have a particular talent however, of ignoring the fact that it is fake. If facebook is going to try to be a news service, they should be subject to the same scrutiny for the truth that reputable newspapers are, hence their reputation will be destroyed. I am predominantly talking facebook here, because I am not that familiar with Twitter. If we are to survive all of this as a country, facebook should either be a news dissemination platform subject to scrutiny, or a social networking platform, but not both.

[drmeow]

39. Don't forget Google

and their right wing biased algorithms.