Why Should Anyone Care About Russian Troll Farms? What's The End Game?

Why should we care about russian troll farms or any troll farms, really? I find it an odd thing to even bat an eye at, much less think is criminal. We live in a world with the internet. The internet is a global network. How can anyone be mad when they are exposed to opinions and propaganda from outside of the US on the internet? I get ads from countries around the world, china, Australia, Thailand, Taiwan, Germany, etc. Are those a problem too?

Since when is being exposed to information (or misinformation) a bad thing? More voices is always better than fewer. That's the entire idea behind freedom, is it not? To be able to believe what you want, whenever you want. To be able to say whatever you want, whenever you want. To be able to do whatever you want, whenever you want. But people are outraged that there was money spent to run ads on facebook/twitter/instagram? Since when did those companies only serve the USA? Are we going to start arresting Australians who post on reddit about American elections or candidates?

While I've been mulling this over I keep coming back to the question: Why? Why do they want people to care about internet posts from outside the USA? Nothing makes sense to me except for censorship. They want people to demand they cut off outside opinion or wrong-think. Maybe there are other ends that I'm not thinking of, if so chime in.

a reply to: Dfairlite

They want their approved echo chamber? Not sure.

It’s pretty simple really...

Do you, or do you not, want any sort of nefarious influence on your compatriots?


If you (general term) can sit there and say CNN/Fox/Snopes/Breitbart are destroying society’s fabric with their influence, why on Earth would you just brush off a Kremlin sponsored worldwide Troll Farm network doing exactly the same thing?


It’s asinine.
And it only grows worse if unimpeded.

The Zionist Hasbara Brigade started all this crap, over a period of time largely unopposed it became the largest and most influential disinformation programme on the Web.

Good luck and God help you if you allow Russia to do exactly the same.

Peace and Love, ATS!

originally posted by: Dfairlite
Why should we care about russian troll farms or any troll farms, really? I find it an odd thing to even bat an eye at, much less think is criminal. We live in a world with the internet. The internet is a global network. How can anyone be mad when they are exposed to opinions and propaganda from outside of the US on the internet? I get ads from countries around the world, china, Australia, Thailand, Taiwan, Germany, etc. Are those a problem too?

Since when is being exposed to information (or misinformation) a bad thing? More voices is always better than fewer. That's the entire idea behind freedom, is it not? To be able to believe what you want, whenever you want. To be able to say whatever you want, whenever you want. To be able to do whatever you want, whenever you want. But people are outraged that there was money spent to run ads on facebook/twitter/instagram? Since when did those companies only serve the USA? Are we going to start arresting Australians who post on reddit about American elections or candidates?

While I've been mulling this over I keep coming back to the question: Why? Why do they want people to care about internet posts from outside the USA? Nothing makes sense to me except for censorship. They want people to demand they cut off outside opinion or wrong-think. Maybe there are other ends that I'm not thinking of, if so chime in.

Coz!!!!

it's insane! Only us can # with people.

We are too stupid to think for ourselves.

Findland and scotland says we suck. OMG!!

Too many guns!!! Yet they don't wear any underwear.

Not many know that about finland.

Russian trolls?

is there any difference?

Putin has always been quite open about his goals too. He wants to humiliate the Americans the way the ussr was humiliated when it broke up.

So drive so much division in American society that the states can no longer hang together, so they split apart and go their own way, thus destroying America as a super power.

Proof for this is how the Russians are the originators of the Texas and California independence memes online. It's a narrative they push.

Likewise the Russian pushing of brexit. Strategy is break up the EU.

With these two power blocs broken, Russia is free to expand her borders and gain more influence.

a reply to: Dfairlite

Since when is being exposed to information (or misinformation) a bad thing? More voices is always better than fewer. That's the entire idea behind freedom, is it not? To be able to believe what you want, whenever you want. To be able to say whatever you want, whenever you want. To be able to do whatever you want, whenever you want.

I don't normally GAF about this stuff but Yes, you've got it. However, your rights end where everyone else' begin.

While I've been mulling this over I keep coming back to the question: Why? Why do they want people to care about internet posts from outside the USA? Nothing makes sense to me except for censorship. They want people to demand they cut off outside opinion or wrong-think. Maybe there are other ends that I'm not thinking of, if so chime in.

Because, people's opinions suck and everyone want's to be right. True change comes from within, not from without.

a reply to: Dfairlite


its a good question, as long as the internet is free and open there is no way to stop trolls from being who they are.

Which should make people wonder how much longer the internet will be free and open maybe...

a reply to: Painterz

drive so much division in American society that the states can no longer hang together, so they split apart and go their own way, thus destroying America as a super power.

Yes, and we do that to ourselves.

a reply to: Dfairlite

This is not an attack on you. Your thoughtful post is exactly why it is important for us to guard against outside influences who do not wish us well. In a very low key unoffensive way, feeding soft information into conversations is enough to sway crowds. Multitudes. And you are smart. Imagine what they can do to influence people, good people, who wouldn't even consider the motive behind a message being delivered?

A dedication to Country, Nation, Culture is now - and always was - independent and wary of government. But we now live in a world where, 50+ years removed from the worst paranoia we have seen since the end of WW2, people have started to call for unquestioned loyalty for the occupant of the office versus the Office itself.

How many different people and forces wanted to shift your thinking that way? Why?

There was a time when this nation was fiercely and belligerently against any force the government may be able to array against the people. Now "respect independence" has been co-opted by "respect authority" ...

,,,

originally posted by: Painterz
Putin has always been quite open about his goals too. He wants to humiliate the Americans the way the ussr was humiliated when it broke up.

So drive so much division in American society that the states can no longer hang together, so they split apart and go their own way, thus destroying America as a super power.

Proof for this is how the Russians are the originators of the Texas and California independence memes online. It's a narrative they push.

Likewise the Russian pushing of brexit. Strategy is break up the EU.

With these two power blocs broken, Russia is free to expand her borders and gain more influence.

Russia is not to blame for American infighting - that accolade goes to your MSM for having an agenda based upon ensuring the division remains constant. Name me one event or thing that Russia has done to America that has caused such infighting?

This is like blaming the rain for the leaking roof when you've known about the hole up there since well before it started to rain - blame your (collective) inability to deal with your differences.

a reply to: Dfairlite

just say NO to farmed trolls :

buy only free range , hand reared , organic , anti-biotic and drug free , grass fed trolls

a reply to: ignorant_ape

I like my trolls juiced up on roids... but that's just me.

a reply to: Dfairlite

This resonates with a discussion on the radio I overheard today.

I´ll try make it short:

The discussion was about an article in a newspaper that was neutral. They did not draw a "personal" conclusion, they did not try to build an opinion for the reader, what they did was state the pro and contras. So everyone can figure out their own opinion.

It was about a carneval group that named themselfes "Kongo Neger" (Kongo 'n-word's). They dressed up in the stereotype of black africans. In Germany. Yeah, I know, hot topic. Now, the boyfriend of a moderator was on air, he´s black, and his feeling are hurt. Let alone the woman moderator who made no secret how this article ruined her day.

The issue he had was that the newspaper did not premanufacture the opinion for the sheep. He said this (translated):

"At least the could have stated that it´s wrong".

Several callers told them, that as long as the word "'n-word'" was used in popular rap music by blacks, this word won´t go away.

The next song after the discussion they played was going like this:

"heeeyo all my bitchy ass 'n-word's...." "...bitch....".
the next song was like
"#ing holes poppin pillies like a rock star" ..."'n-word'"...

the problems I have with this:
1) Using a word in your own demographic as a descriptor but when someone outside of their perceived circle uses i, it´s an offensive descriptor.
2) The demand for the ministry of truth (because his truth was the uttmost truthest truth)
3) Being #ing hypocrats because 50% they play on this station is black rap music and if I had to count the amount of the words "'n-word's", "bitches" per day, a 3-digit handcounter would probably overheat from all the clicking.



And all the way, the so feminist moderator who has a black boyfriend has no problem with women being degraded to "bitches" in every single on of those rapsongs they play. Because that´s their culture.

WTF???

The Russians have been sticking their fingers in American Elections since the communist party was created... and it used to be a LOT more engaged. Compared to several decades ago .... a few ads on the internet is a real downgrade.

This sudden concern and all this foolishness is nothing more than the establishment showing what happens when you don't do what is expected of you. You were dictated a Hilary victory and did not fulfill their expectations and screwed the plan all up...... and half the the country is doing their best to insure things go back to the way that pleases the Men in Suits..... instead of relishing in their agony.

I like Trump because he causes them unhappiness..... He gives them problems that they just cant "Call a Friend" to get fixed.
I completely understand why the Men in Suits despise Trump...What I dont understand is the eagerness of everyday people to fight on behalf of the string pullers..... We are supposed to dictate to them... not them to us

originally posted by: Dfairlite
a reply to: Painterz

drive so much division in American society that the states can no longer hang together, so they split apart and go their own way, thus destroying America as a super power.

Yes, and we do that to ourselves.

That would be the perfect reason not to ignore Russia fuelling that already wild fire, no?

Or do you feel it is a case of “well it’s too late anyways, so sod it all.”?



Here is the thing, I don’t have/never had a Western Exceptionalism mentality...
So I don’t oppose this deceptive Trolling avalanche merely because “Russia bad, West good”...
We have plenty of sh*t to sort out on our side.
Furthermore, I absolutely love Russia assisting in the Syrian sovereignty battle and killing ISIS/Al Nusra...

But we still have to recognise their malignant reputation in terms of the wider agenda.

I’m uncertain of their overall End Game, but I can’t delude myself into believing it will be beneficial in any way to our way of life. It needs to be resisted, passionately and aggressively.

the reason I do not really care about internet bots, is that this is nothing new beyond the scope capable with the internet.
They used to use people that would work with news papers and such, now they can hit a wider audience no doubt.

But seriously how much of this freaking out is because of an attempt to influence the election, and how much is it people embarresed that they fell for things like the pee gate dossier.

We should not let ego run us into a knee jerk reaction law or regulation that further curtails our rights and freedoms... or whats left of them.

a reply to: Sublimecraft

I can’t fault anything you said, to be honest...

But with all due respect, pal, the “State Independence” scam caused quite a lot of division when it was a current issue.

Perhaps nothing violent, or even visibly damaging on the surface...
But underneath it snowballed a hell of a lot of vitriolic behaviour far across our segment of cyberspace...

So while not causing any infighting, they (with just those examples) certainly increased the animosity beyond the point it had been prior.


Ultimately this is just water treading, child’s play, reaction assessment style PsyOp in preparation for bolder more venomous interference.
It must be I believe, because if it’s not, why even bother with any sort interference at all?


Hope you and yours have been well, Sublime... Here is a cold one, matey.

a reply to: Dfairlite

No one really cares about it.

It just happens to be the smokescreen the leftists are clinging onto in hopes of diverting attention away from the fact they colluded with the IC, DOJ and the media to rig the election.

a reply to: Hazardous1408

That would be the perfect reason not to ignore Russia fuelling that already wild fire, no?

Or do you feel it is a case of “well it’s too late anyways, so sod it all.”?

Neither, it's more like wind blew a few pieces of hay into the barn that's burning to the ground. It's such an insignificant contribution it's not worth a mention. This place spent just under 2 million dollars in an election that featured 10 billion in political advertising. That is literally 0.02% of the advertising. Even if they were 50x more effective than the average (which they weren't their ads were absurd), they wouldn't even make a 1% contribution.

originally posted by: Dfairlite
Why should we care about russian troll farms or any troll farms, really? I find it an odd thing to even bat an eye at, much less think is criminal. We live in a world with the internet. The internet is a global network. How can anyone be mad when they are exposed to opinions and propaganda from outside of the US on the internet? I get ads from countries around the world, china, Australia, Thailand, Taiwan, Germany, etc. Are those a problem too?

Since when is being exposed to information (or misinformation) a bad thing? More voices is always better than fewer. That's the entire idea behind freedom, is it not? To be able to believe what you want, whenever you want. To be able to say whatever you want, whenever you want. To be able to do whatever you want, whenever you want. But people are outraged that there was money spent to run ads on facebook/twitter/instagram? Since when did those companies only serve the USA? Are we going to start arresting Australians who post on reddit about American elections or candidates?

While I've been mulling this over I keep coming back to the question: Why? Why do they want people to care about internet posts from outside the USA? Nothing makes sense to me except for censorship. They want people to demand they cut off outside opinion or wrong-think. Maybe there are other ends that I'm not thinking of, if so chime in.

Because it was a multi million dollar troll factory, with one thing in common, get trump in office and spread misinformation about Hillary, and judging from some members on ATS it WORKED, because these people I am referring to, spread the misinformation on ATS over and over.

Like 3 Million illegals voted, no they did not, its been debunked.

Uranium One, Shreads of the story that is spread here are true, and 99% so far is unsubstantiated.