Maybe Russia didn't have to hack the Election

After investigating several stories that were posted here yesterday back to their Russian fake news websites, a light bulb went off.

Take Lenta.Ru, one of the main sites where a lot of these BS stories come from. It says on the wiki that it's one of the most popular "news" sites in Russia with over 600,000 visitors a day. It's also an admitted arm of Russian propaganda:

On March 12, 2014 the owner, Alexander Mamut, fired the Editor-in-Chief Galina Timchenko and replaced her with Alexey Goreslavsky. 39 employees out of the total 84, including Director-general Yuliya Minder, lost their jobs. This includes 32 writing journalists, all photo-editors (5 people) and 6 administrators.[4][5] The employees of Lenta.ru issued a statement that the purpose of the move was to install a new Editor-in-Chief directly controlled by the Kremlin and turn the website into a propaganda tool.

en.m.wikipedia.org...

Looking at the traffic in Russia for this website and others like it, it occurred to me that what we scream about as fake news over here, is the only news available in Russia. So maybe, just maybe, Russia didn't have to hack anything to influence the election.

Maybe a lot of Americans have just reached a point where they're stupid enough to fall for what passes as regular news in Russia.

The style of the "news" articles and how they're marketed to people, is the exact same as almost every single questionable BS right wing article posted here.

This got me thinking, what's more likely? A concerted effort to undermine our elections that could result in sanctions or worse? Maybe War?

Or Americans have been dumbed down enough that they don't question a story as long as it goes along with what they want to believe?

All Russia would have to do is keep following the model of "news" they've been using for so long and switch the topics to things Americans are interested in, make up some blogs with political sounding names (patriot, conservative, whatever) upload their articles, share on social media and sit back and watch. No hacking of anything needed.

I'm not saying Russia doesn't have the capabilities to hack and influence our election, just that with a lot of Americans not being discerning about the news they read and what they believe, it wouldn't really be needed. Sometimes it's easier to hand people a shovel and let them dig their own graves.

Just a thought.

a reply to: underwerks

Maybe Russia didn't have to hack the Election

Maybe?

I have yet to even see a CLAIM from the authorities that Russia did hack the election.

The claim is not that Russia hacked the election.
The claim is not that Russia lied.

The claim is that Russia influenced the course of the campaign by letting truths about the DNC and the Clinton campaign surface.

At least that is how I understand it. Add to that, that the evidence is circumstantial at best and the investigation is openly relying on at least some level of confirmation bias to reach its conclusion, and you really are a far cry from what much of the media is purporting to be the case.

originally posted by: DupontDeux
a reply to: underwerks

Maybe Russia didn't have to hack the Election

Maybe?

2nd

Correct.

a reply to: underwerks

I'm PRETTY sure they did both of these things.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: underwerks

I'm PRETTY sure they did both of these things.

That's an option I'm leaving open as well.

originally posted by: DupontDeux
a reply to: underwerks

Maybe Russia didn't have to hack the Election

Maybe?

2nd

The DNC hack is only one part of it I'm thinking. The other is how gullible a lot of the American public has become. Obama can't exactly come out and call half the population of the country idiots, so maybe that's why everyone is tight lipped about the specifics at this point.