[Peace-discuss] Russia Gate Hoax - Evidence # 4

Mon Dec 24 15:15:38 UTC 2018

Russia Gate Hoax - Evidence # 4  - Political Motivation

"Still, the claims about Russia are unique in their wide proliferation,
broad acceptance, and status as something to be constantly referred to as
though already established, constantly augmented by other Russia-related
stories that add nothing to the central claim. This phenomenon, in my view,
is as dangerous as any lies and fabrications coming out of the racist right.
"

Believing the Russian 'Hacking' Claim

May 26, 2017 .
<https://consortiumnews.com/2017/05/26/believing-the-russian-hacking-claim/#
comments> 146 Comments 

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Government lies are common when seducing a population to support a war, but
the Russian "hacking" claims are unusual in that U.S. officials supply no
evidence while the "fact" is just assumed, as David Swanson explains.

By David Swanson

When the U.S. public was told that Spain had blown up the Maine, or Vietnam
had returned fire, or Iraq had stockpiled weapons, or Libya was planning a
massacre, the claims were straightforward and disprovable.

 <https://consortiumnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/dcia-brennan.jpg>
https://consortiumnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/dcia-brennan-300x198.j
pg

CIA Director John Brennan addresses officials at the Agency's headquarters
in Langley, Virginia. (Photo credit: CIA)

Before people began referring to the Gulf of Tonkin incident, somebody had
to lie that it had happened, and there had to be an understanding of what
had supposedly happened. No investigation into whether anything had happened
could have taken as its starting point the certainty that a Vietnamese
attack or attacks had happened. And no investigation into whether a
Vietnamese attack had happened could have focused its efforts on unrelated
matters, such as whether anyone in Vietnam had ever done business with any
relatives or colleagues of Robert McNamara.

All of this is otherwise with the idea that the Russian government
determined the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. U.S.
corporate media reports often claim that Russia did decide the election or
tried to do that or wanted to try to do that. But they also often admit to
not knowing whether any such thing is the case.

There is no established account, with or without evidence to support it, of
exactly what Russia supposedly did. And yet there are countless articles
casually referring, as if to established fact to the . . .

"Russian influence in the 2016 presidential election" (
<http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/5gA/ni0YAA/t.27m/KwKVfEeQSWGB70iyVtl1
jw/h1/yb3msEgNtgQnSaRUAKyx8l-2BG5jREOUBCn8i3xMAK-2FdmD5HN5KuZ1TeF7yeuVSqypqR
A5kIOOgQnnpWXyiWGToI-2BC-2BNFY8c45T8TczaUrBqXPZCS3D8kEQLlL7Vqv72kUleg52r0vO1
sKIaU9Vn6lPE7c6cPdGTIAc-2FVoeWmgFtXlDD-2F1LWnBR-2F5jG5VNEicmM-2BIY5J9ZoSEDk2
GfXQxHOZ1-2FlchRtbCTSHwq5XIa1kEukT98-2FkKaleGhXolHgFDPcgdXwWTZ7fcA-2FGLuhCwZ
eTiv7Pw7MIEtgKcs6-2B4xfMZRE-2F-2B1iTaE6FrYTqWV7IdDyJKyyJx5nNQ0IRm4cbaVIUHH3R
9Re-2B2OcmyqSFIW7OA-3D> Yahoo).

"Russian attempts to disrupt the election" (
<http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/5gA/ni0YAA/t.27m/KwKVfEeQSWGB70iyVtl1
jw/h2/wspANFbyofaCTRUcC3Fm5zrk-2BLpR-2BUYwiH1EUmM2ed2ETHkfqQAprsLaGKJJrbrW0f
SFW2z1aVantSL89QaHB4a7JuEry6emTUtJEXUIB49gntAu7R6Qm3ZJKkCja3qlIdiZUfo6b5Ad-2
Bokld3rk-2BxgXfPkTRhHPN3bSSFHcBQqj7T9a97Q0I8PDTqE3lnTrZC-2FOhgNT-2FlmuRBME4c
r62LNFF1qvVxbGe8PVCt2qIk7ge-2Bgm8eFjxEkZJT7czkUKmg2Tsu3O1IB1I4Bwfowb48LiHAt8
Hx56zF1NgjPa4HMsaiXlnlvLcdispGPvJ6iX6s3q1toKeaBwaRHeQzn-2FEhZhvsp-2FXj1Tllxn
-2FqSC-2FRk-3D> New York Times).

"Russian . interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election" (ABC).

"Russian influence over the 2016 presidential election" (
<http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/5gA/ni0YAA/t.27m/KwKVfEeQSWGB70iyVtl1
jw/h4/3iaThca61p2tcSwqPS1jRnWE4lMsOHiG8lGvBrsDBAKjdXf66enKP2bS693upYxepPAGPY
pqz4z5uWX2hFsWXFpSTSBIntmfFP1tXOJN9MN-2BC7gBnJeZpxoO52OIhsa-2BxCTXwVc5Hi7vFp
ri6659C-2F5DVkn2hihqKwrgt5Zs578-2FGIQ-2BerIBfPDH-2Bunzfh93-2BH4Z-2Bmds-2F95t
BH6Y9Za2n5w1GnKxlO3OMrkdhJE-2FZXNh-2BFlaYbUqYV0zIQVKHdpp7T8dJ1Q7AJa37EP-2BN3
BDegqpF0xMt8TIDeee6m3CI4EExOJ5-2BCX5d3pTBUFz2ChXuoes5UPUw6A2eM4dADpE-2FQ-3D-
3D> The Intercept).

"a multi-pronged investigation to uncover the full extent of Russia's
election-meddling" (
<http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/5gA/ni0YAA/t.27m/KwKVfEeQSWGB70iyVtl1
jw/h5/AwsfuDSlzIYtA9U8AmKe9EzfEQJ6wEn5aYiOT6KwS9J27Ymc-2FaDJEBC3RMdoM8yeQDA7
9TCPyaEQTwOszBANkr8pDuWKvmP0x5xkrPz9xuxy-2FkQKFKcWo8JSBhLMmz3AFBsE7K3I4opyW7
EX67nBk2J8XhgRt6Zz-2F1ey64VK0GyLTFGnGl-2FtI6O6fAnv4WiZP7shJ3n5oseDkasC9RKfTU
l8bFaPXCmvxltr4zZ4cMmqcNo-2Bl-2FJzlYtbqi-2Fco-2FbbDKjxOoSXJSjfE5kjSmDWDqS4oP
T5RKsSXsf9tOV0-2FpQ8xC7zMQKUqAHuQA2u-2B-2BlA-2BHlS0VAeDif7FmCklbR0ck5t3VsMY3
8XdCS3QQBzslg-3D> Time).

"Russian interference in the US election" (
<http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/5gA/ni0YAA/t.27m/KwKVfEeQSWGB70iyVtl1
jw/h6/Cx3MiTKZVSZsIZ976XUXkRGt8N-2F-2FSlXIYwWk-2BTRoOsCJLxgNHlM-2F-2FhY2G23p
m28hfUnyUmW9ABOtXay6RHqT0AN4ysBHrlKlUq49TrIaMiPsjZUk4LhQfCczvvE3zgpqe39ZNFUR
pVmwk2KjQ-2BK6w6ezGFFVR0NGosS2raOpWSURO-2Fx4R2I3fzbBt3TnFNB37-2FfHev76S8dVAf
m5-2Bh7TMafl7zlKx4VvaFnS6OknQkGqzAD2gTlmObtXZPMouIZUaxY0pqA1-2BqU9lIRUkBF1Bz
tAL-2FO-2FWTOmHS60-2F5LNSZ5WG7Bfdc2o7IErsDxpBJshRMGAg-2BEsWukRZqseT-2FsstS-2
F8etur26k6FpjuM3doJ6Y-3D> CNN).

"Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election" (
<http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/5gA/ni0YAA/t.27m/KwKVfEeQSWGB70iyVtl1
jw/h7/sTHY5YFJY3SHgrZYxyNa6Y-2B-2F2N4DCaI00t-2FmG-2Fh-2F6uEEvNzY0ll5uXUftfYH
4hV0cRPy5yQVfsphrq-2BRIXhb6qQK0yYK6Es9xXKutX8Exq0YyWgf8Peh55zxvj7LnmchsCn5NZ
LqPMUnD4IiIYE5CNsEBI8a-2FCUufLNNoIbMIM-2FFqjZqm6XTV6WQone9Xky-2FZPy6dQrA7MPf
tCpAV3jKvV-2FabWf0WU1ZL8yonu8OQZEIZPJW2dI91TlWO8WIw-2BSfYvfbjsWov7sUIg5A2CK1
vetQFwqQF7IxHHSQa-2FPELoFfBFKiQJQROOKG-2BMUgesA5Va9OcjlweUUG7K8oW3X6MKjFk6S1
bnf-2B-2F8rlDnGwKAhrs7KY-2Fj4kCxQX2Yho1YAc> American Constitution Society).

"Russian hacking in US Election" (Business Standard)."

"Obama Strikes Back at Russia for Election Hacking" we're told by the
<http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/5gA/ni0YAA/t.27m/KwKVfEeQSWGB70iyVtl1
jw/h9/wspANFbyofaCTRUcC3Fm57QgG8GMyGMpaGocYQDYl7p7UW8ocqHZNtdMKCVLUMKi-2FKPS
svjpI-2Bcr2UOg7qL3WvC6TtvIOv70mWzh9LnLiQ2ATD9u-2BL2jWFVSYDvBFJ3INgnr9kX2jNt4
m6qIjy2M91i4f6GtFyErvRIeQbix-2FPjoXlyQEG3msdkm0Mvvs5SzdMyYkqn8pWufKyq2Inqfj-
2FrtMXkZGdhLo2WOk7GyBgh3N3L9ZmUhfgnGVedSZJQNl765AqmvTvmPuzgBha8HNDGP3TVJ807K
qxJdn3dQSkIa7y2rSWmkF33ZXMhccc6qoeqmlfdM3Ajq8FQJTAhrdBlTLHwbthPRy0X2tT9VzWA-
3D> New York Times, but what is "election hacking"? Its definition seems to
vary widely. And what evidence is there of Russia having done it?

The "Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections" even exists
as a factual event in
<http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/5gA/ni0YAA/t.27m/KwKVfEeQSWGB70iyVtl1
jw/h10/pWWMb227pKUyLAVPqXDfNnnkmZy2pdmwY65f-2FoHk-2BldIGyPTLQansdYfLAw4rDlhw
pT7g1S9aUq7AiP76O4n6-2B0twO3naau3L0d99rSoJzybwljK71WiEtO6Mmt2KLA6H2sQ5QqSKgB
C-2F4OGOaudm50O5wEgOV-2BvMkPqtfitf1nYWkqjQwaoSj6Ekz1LZ3UD6zu7PGBkPpuwyEDDvuO
ADcgcwkRGNM9nU8TU6ULsORfPoHhXvinqFavfC-2BYzIG5Zey7mzl6aETkSJ-2FWRovGCw-2FKgC
UwLYHT7x1kVjT2rpN8-2B4m2qPfpq7JJLki8bynAt2E-2BfTJ7SVc7e1iPEm2wnkFO0w-2B-2BgZ
81SNMiYwfyw66I-3D> Wikipedia, not as an allegation or a theory. But the
factual nature of it is not so much asserted as brushed aside.

Former CIA Director John Brennan, in the same Congressional testimony in
which he took the principled stand "I don't do evidence," testified that
"the fact that the Russians tried to influence resources and authority and
power, and the fact that the Russians tried to influence that election so
that the will of the American people was not going to be realized by that
election, I find outrageous and something that we need to, with every last
ounce of devotion to this country, resist and try to act to prevent further
instances of that." He provided no evidence.

Activists have even planned "demonstrations to call for urgent
investigations into Russian interference in the US election." They declare
that "every day we learn more about the role Russian state-led hacking and
information warfare played in the 2016 election." (
<http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/5gA/ni0YAA/t.27m/KwKVfEeQSWGB70iyVtl1
jw/h11/qlWhYMURYFIJvS3SNY6CG6FUTnBdv7ge8rwh4XTdwwCIaJGI8Bf38f6dQEKQPQl-2FyAB
hLQJq26-2BcZB7h-2FFOiPm4YIiGB2rkffyVtGHZAKLIRoJtPKCrSy1lVGH-2FEswY1OR3uOX-2B
3O-2BHht-2FOYPt8JAgkOISiENh61NvGT4hP0kRnyqc2zRpECkYjLmjMerVjcGGnyrRNhzVkE8XU
OGnqWM8DiYDjgkUeDMbD1ZIEU7qkeqZMDRItccCMj2UDEc8TYloOV-2F9e4jOvnNwTANEJ-2FPrK
AAoe7Lm6n-2FTn3LVfGBo0-3D> March for Truth.)

Belief that Russia helped put Trump in the White House is steadily rising in
the U.S. public. Anything commonly referred to as fact will gain
credibility. People will assume that at some point someone actually
established that it was a fact.

Keeping the story in the news without evidence are articles about polling,
about the opinions of celebrities, and about all kinds of tangentially
related scandals, their investigations, and obstruction thereof. Most of the
substance of most of the articles that lead off with reference to the
"Russian influence on the election" is about White House officials having
some sort of connections to the Russian government, or Russian businesses,
or just Russians. It's as if an investigation of Iraqi WMD claims focused on
Blackwater murders or whether Scooter Libby had taken lessons in Arabic, or
whether the photo of Saddam Hussein and Donald Rumsfeld shaking hands was
taken by an Iraqi.

A general trend away from empirical evidence has been extensively noted and
discussed. There is no more public evidence that Seth Rich (a Democratic
National Committee staffer who was murdered last year) leaked Democratic
emails than there is that the Russian government stole them. Yet both claims
have passionate believers.

Still, the claims about Russia are unique in their wide proliferation, broad
acceptance, and status as something to be constantly referred to as though
already established, constantly augmented by other Russia-related stories
that add nothing to the central claim. This phenomenon, in my view, is as
dangerous as any lies and fabrications coming out of the racist right.

David Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, and radio host. He is
director of
<http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/5gA/ni0YAA/t.27m/KwKVfEeQSWGB70iyVtl1
jw/h13/8kGEYiRVKQmyE92vRIVnT7iz1PjXYZjUzOt31LYKqTZ0AHBAIA5O5zaIRL7xHZKRwzMak
BpfQfGvydxtVy0qFaOCL-2BVKIAKaWAnIdUkd2BKP46uxA8Lm3Kd7kkMqlqxvjGxKTPAKXq3wT8C
R-2FoERl-2BL4RGM6wd0UdvQiWOzirW7Ubd8GscyMvD0YwF8Rwq0TdULJGbGrEorZENyJOSCp-2B
1R0RfbxsRQ-2B7vcJeFOqmi866XY0WajDW6yidvl-2B-2BYlGlvotfIWljukA3dn0rnw7-2FA-3D
-3D> WorldBeyondWar.org and campaign coordinator for
<http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/5gA/ni0YAA/t.27m/KwKVfEeQSWGB70iyVtl1
jw/h14/Rm0N4Fc1RZ9OlcshJTuDOAE934X3aSGfFM4OtsuVrrSTbbZsxg2sdAEQKA2GjelKvqbxb
pywSO8QOxHHw3QTRv97KhmWQxRCTOqwCEDkHcz9m3JmuWzHjdjmN8srXTDkRLfBxFHZwxeAwF36k
DK1u6yd3zXCHJze020RGpy7LJyvaUrR00XFJiWC-2FQjAHekQkYdPdJFyGt-2FSYXdIuFmfG5Bku
wHrPZiw2N9onVaI9JgDsca8CYxsaWJeQBeyhIDudYCtWENliNjHAmz4rQLrmA-3D-3D>
RootsAction.org. Swanson's books include
<http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/5gA/ni0YAA/t.27m/KwKVfEeQSWGB70iyVtl1
jw/h15/2dJX7vfGJc-2Blgwz3zyDBV-2BcHBDc8UV1CjkQQqN26HEOvb5glM5-2FFgU254XfGo7j
OAH183jZLMs0w-2BCazR8l9sgftTxwnC5CGFq-2FRqP48WUHLO-2BdtS9L6DQapdc4qL-2BVBBjh
BxAV1WL4rS-2BUOJo0ywRhIuaXFO4J-2Fw6-2B5H7kX06yJVvePkoru4yk14kZfRVNIX-2F42bip
XrYBAD206XAsXM7XTcbcjuSqYBAfG0khn-2BM5mXmZPf4saGcu9NGmcMTTJDAY48kN-2FPQp5TOX
N99-2Bp4A-3D-3D> War Is A Lie. He blogs at
<http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/5gA/ni0YAA/t.27m/KwKVfEeQSWGB70iyVtl1
jw/h16/oOrf4U-2FQJ-2Bbavx96gfibBouwpdmFNuiMKSUuvYlrdyKdVpZEQcSg-2FHTwyTc6-2F
1LfAj35s5ZtWrh4l-2B6AnBH0oRqrwXe5S-2FwLAb3UYLev-2Fq023q6ATm-2F0cru6j-2F-2FZ8
5tfRnsgCX8YGmyNICUFovQAUYCwcvAHEPax550DbS4ZtRPml4-2BD4OmZBTA7rCoM5ogUF8P43HG
4ssYk9YyjKNSZr8W-2FGgnaEKUp7D25WhIDe7HUpsCqXTfWjX9-2B6owXWnDPypqCI8N-2B3zT32
UKBG0nRig-3D-3D> DavidSwanson.org and
<http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/5gA/ni0YAA/t.27m/KwKVfEeQSWGB70iyVtl1
jw/h17/OCyNDn9i98-2BOopV0K0WrPlXurDuZUFHFwszHWrtaI-2FHdEh4rm-2BTUDmQf6Yq-2Bu
gt8pnSdBmBWgRDMBKtgreb-2FADy5ridH60M5dZWgBYqM59nVJr5ihy6ujTN5sW9-2FtIjajzEFd
UFaI1GEX4ERnCig5Z3t7F33TjfvK-2FCaz0dGRraxfU-2BbEeCKFICpKb33Fhq8OjTbJSuS2GVb6
bEflM5cWlPi1TjAsLueXxZVjb2XFr4XLN-2F9kvqGYE080aUMw4V3J1Z-2BZsUfPRRPaYl-2BCnP
bbQ-3D-3D> WarIsACrime.org. He hosts
<http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/5gA/ni0YAA/t.27m/KwKVfEeQSWGB70iyVtl1
jw/h18/oOrf4U-2FQJ-2Bbavx96gfibBnm-2BVlGuOFiXHSH4gi871eE3R5QwOFfdSafVARWSXlG
UeFC-2F4gzB4n2LMXA4nZaxf3V-2FZVG6n35Kt5VuzFAeUvQZooPxAWgFzWUZ8vNsXyTZ8WmYKj2
NSzsaM8OnNggE9eN1QO-2F-2Bg-2BjnS-2FtQS6zLGXBSIbLSinjxKVlXHWZ7iXWEBoN5XFrMAEI
j56VA6a36YIuQtsUkRHCBUaW1vLqMuCnGhcfOqwSWK9AxoVVOKbXNVBwXBE-2BZS15D2PD5Nhc0r
-2FrfhrTpx-2FSs1NaccjF584c-3D> Talk Nation Radio. He is a 2015, 2016, 2017
Nobel Peace Prize Nominee. Follow him on Twitter:
<http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/5gA/ni0YAA/t.27m/KwKVfEeQSWGB70iyVtl1
jw/h19/9RXDenI7BReTpKa-2F42PXTJC1Pe5qfm2rpo0Teozm7DLYb4xKRPC1XxtId9m0-2FRiUN
K1TfigA9W3UjwXInpBd0QCkZg5qAnSwTfRo-2B5rjO4qrqLTRvOFsgClg1Z4yXuYNW2pAbmYknBb
TCS1Li-2B4qnuJRP-2BrjhXSU6MNOEWFiJvaqr6JMU1jE5sysvH61SRkWgQajnv-2FElK0Ktx4rJ
IqsbNgxaDMDdq0LoDhNCHPOaD7Xcc2otkd-2BIooJSrmNxm8mn6Uah2YHfJQYg89M-2Bxpw6XBS2
xbociWoJLXg-2BJjOQQI-3D> @davidcnswanson and
<http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/5gA/ni0YAA/t.27m/KwKVfEeQSWGB70iyVtl1
jw/h20/9ZtgBbtsz-2BGzBX39C579VCiURT-2Bh8-2Ba0ZcPyxXTNW7cUnDh-2FudfkAIr4Mk8nn
7XLNHw3cH9bDLKCKlbwDxsUPBYG-2BKWZyq6PGNpvKe4jtGD05LIFA3ax8WMorkIYHli-2BEHCIG
mv4QztNPg-2BVjRkZE1n0-2BPvTf8AEYawzl-2B8mpz4aoBiGq4zV7Q80i8KlvZbZv-2BvvatUis
c-2FW3okhE1meBRYT-2B2m2nplOhhA4-2B3F9skZrMPVtMwFyh7tnuOQ0cOu8a8fcdCnvnfv4C3K
a9uSNgqFLtkB1Bsx52BibaQwVhrCwTaFnZE9jlqTgfCay0eBA> FaceBook. [This article
originally appeared at 

 <http://davidswanson.org/were-dealing-with-a-new-type-of-war-lie/>
http://davidswanson.org/were-dealing-with-a-new-type-of-war-lie/]

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