> the point of this report is not to justify the punitive actions taken today. You mean the point of the persons who wrote it? Probably not. But the intent of

> the point of this report is not to justify the punitive actions taken today. You mean the point of the persons who wrote it? Probably not. But the intent of those who decided to release it today? It most likely was. If so many HN commenters--sophisticated computer users and people with cognitive abilities way above average--feel like it doesn't go without saying, how many CNN or Fox News will realise it doesn't make the case against Russian? They'll just remember that some documents were released by some US intel agencies, proving that the Russians did "it" (without even a clear idea of what "it" might be), while the US govt punished them. That's good enough for people who saw no problem with going to war against Iraq because of 9/11. What worries me is that all of this Russian hackers + Fake News agitprop is that it looks like a perfect prelude to justify Internet censorship in Western democracies. When Internet allowed Obama to "steal" the Democratic party from Clinton in 2008, it was OK: maybe a bit embarrassing, but his policies weren't really that different from hers. But in 2016, with Sanders almost stealing the party again, and Trump taking the GOP then the general election by storm, politicians and their sponsors realised they didn't effectively influence voters through mainstream media any more. They've finally realised how scared they should be of Internet, and they'll want to "civilise" it, i.e. make it as controllable as billionaire-owned TV channels and newspaper. I hope they'll fail, but some of them will try to.