Army of Russian trolls reportedly targeted swing states with anti-Clinton fake news

[ABX]

According to two members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) and committee chairman Richard Burr (R-NC), hundreds of Russian trolls were paid in 2016 to generate fake news stories about Clinton and target them at voters in key states in an effort to swing the election for Trump.....

https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/03/31/paid-russians-spread-anti-clinton-fake-news/22020336/?a_dgi=aolshare_twitter

[ABX]

If you wondered about all those fake news sites (other than the Macedonia block we've discussed before) like Prntly, Still Report, Marshall News, etc...

"There were upwards of a thousand paid internet trolls working out of a facility in Russia, in effect taking over a series of computers which are then called a botnet, that can then generate news down to specific areas,"

[geronl]

Putin does employ an army of internet trolls, but whether it was his army of trolls or not is a question.

[geronl]

Prntly, Still Report, Marshall News, etc...

Are those sites still running?

[ABX]

Are those sites still running?

Yep, and active.

I browsed several well known ones before posting this (and just now) and they all are still active. Outside influencing public opinion, there is a lot of money with the ad revenue and people still believe them.

[geronl]

Yep, and active.

I browsed several well known ones before posting this (and just now) and they all are still active. Outside influencing public opinion, there is a lot of money with the ad revenue and people still believe them.

Amazingly sad.

[Cripplecreek]

It wasn't just anti Clinton. They were active throughout the primary season as well.

[Sanguine]

Why would they need to generate any fake anti-Clinton news?  There's so much real stuff.

[ABX]

Why would they need to generate any fake anti-Clinton news?  There's so much real stuff.

To distract from the real. The Alice in Wonderland strategy. Create a bunch of imaginary rabbits for people go after and chance, and, like we saw with the O Birther movements, get at each other's throats if you didn't believe the latest rabbit. All of that fighting and chasing rabbits and you can shift people's beliefs around at whim.

[Cripplecreek]

To distract from the real. The Alice in Wonderland strategy. Create a bunch of imaginary rabbits for people go after and chance, and, like we saw with the O Birther movements, get at each other's throats if you didn't believe the latest rabbit. All of that fighting and chasing rabbits and you can shift people's beliefs around at whim.

The alt right were prime targets. They were already idiots with racist tendencies so they were easily manipulated with Euro-right thought. It was great for organizing them into the fantasy that Trump and Putin are the last hope for the white race.

I personally believe that Trump was more than just aware of it. After all he seemed intent on using it with his constant reminders that Cruz and Rubio are hispanic as well as reminding people that a judge ruling against him is hispanic. It is right up Paul Manafort's alley.

Sadly I see people equating it to simple PR when in reality its an act of war at the hands of an enemy nation. If its OK to allow foreign entities to manipulate our elections then we may as well just open the doors and l;et them fund and even vote in our elections

[Sanguine]

To distract from the real. The Alice in Wonderland strategy. Create a bunch of imaginary rabbits for people go after and chance, and, like we saw with the O Birther movements, get at each other's throats if you didn't believe the latest rabbit. All of that fighting and chasing rabbits and you can shift people's beliefs around at whim.

Yes, that's a good point.

[ABX]

Yes, that's a good point.

It is the old 'fear, uncertainty, doubt' strategy to keep opponents distracted and your side following the paths you want.

[truth_seeker]

So are "true conservatives" victims of current media technology, now?

(seems always victims of some sinister external factor)