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If Putin can control the US from his third world backwater, maybe he deserves to be in power. What makes him so good that the world's most advanced country is p

If Putin can control the US from his third world backwater, maybe he deserves to be in power. What makes him so good that the world's most advanced country is powerless against him? Is it because Russians are such good hackers? Taiwan, Mexico and so on - fair enough. But overall it is not as if all the countries in the world were friends and only Trump is shaking things up now. There were always conflicts of interest, new trends that shift power (like oil and phracking), military interventions and what not.

jacquesm 10y ago
> If Putin can control the US from his third world backwater, maybe he deserves to be in power. Destruction and construction are asymmetric. It takes far less effort to destroy something than it does to create something and things that are delicately balanced can be toppled with only a small application of force. > What makes him so good that the world's most advanced country is powerless against him? Internal divisions, magnified to make them seem larger than they really are. > Is it because Russians are such good hackers? No, it is because when it comes to propaganda Russia has a leg (or rather several legs) up compared to the USA. The USA would do something like 'voice of America', the Russians would carpet bomb the nation with their version of the story, a history to corroborate their version and a continuous barrage of flak to get in the way of intelligent discussion. And anybody that managed to get some kind of opposition going would as a rule never be heard from again. Fortunately in America that stage has not yet been reached, let's hope it will never happen. > Taiwan, Mexico and so on - fair enough. Ok > But overall it is not as if all the countries in the world were friends and only Trump is shaking things up now. No, but they weren't all-out enemies either and Trump is pushing in that direction (not Taiwan). Even in Europe, one of the USA's staunchest allies when it comes to operations abroad there is strong talk of distancing because of the new perceived instability of America. > There were always conflicts of interest, new trends that shift power (like oil and phracking), military interventions and what not. Yes, but just like Hitler found out: you can't fight wars on all fronts at once.
- facepalm 10y ago
  "the Russians would carpet bomb the nation with their version of the story" But how can they carpet bomb the US with fake news from Russia? "Even in Europe" Maybe Europe will have to shake off its arrogance and realize how much they have always depended on the US. I say that as an European - and here, also, people are divided over Trump, just as in the US. There are elections in Germany this year (if you meant Germany), although to be fair, no major shakeup is to be expected. But that is only for lack of an alternative, there is no Trump here to vote for. But maybe some adjustment of policies will occur before the election date, anyway. "Yes, but just like Hitler found out: you can't fight wars on all fronts at once." Still, making a tactical error is not in itself evil. And chaos is a tactic that sometimes works. It won him the election already.
  - jacquesm 10y ago
    > But how can they carpet bomb the US with fake news from Russia? Thousands of websites are targeted at the US with fake news skewing the picture and messing with people's heads. http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-38168281 http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-38168281 https://www.rt.com/ https://www.rt.com/ On top of that most news fora are overrun by trolls shouting down any kind of dissent and picking up a fair share of support from 'useful idiots' who will endlessly repeat the talking points. Make no mistake: a war is in progress, it is a war without bullets but with bits, the consequences are every bit as real and sooner or later the one may lead to the other. > Maybe Europe will have to shake off its arrogance and realize how much they have always depended on the US. There is no other choice. But that also carries significant risk. > Still, making a tactical error is not in itself evil. And chaos is a tactic that sometimes works. It won him the election already. Yes but that's like congratulating the dog on catching the car.
    - facepalm 10y ago
      Putins information war: number of web sites or fake social media accounts does not imply lots of people are reading them. In any case, Trump and Hillary wanted to win - all the strategies of the Russians would have been open to Hillary and Trump, too. Why should Putin be better able to employ them? War - everybody has some interest to pursue, sure. That is nothing new, though. Europe on its own: what risk do you mean? "congratulating the dog on catching the car" Becoming president seems more useful than a car is for a dog, though. Edit: only now read the BBC link. That's even more ridiculous than "The Russians did it". Now it is Macedonian teenagers who rigged the US election? Come on...

jacquesm 10y ago

> If Putin can control the US from his third world backwater, maybe he deserves to be in power. Destruction and construction are asymmetric. It takes far less effort to destroy something than it does to create something and things that are delicately balanced can be toppled with only a small application of force. > What makes him so good that the world's most advanced country is powerless against him? Internal divisions, magnified to make them seem larger than they really are. > Is it because Russians are such good hackers? No, it is because when it comes to propaganda Russia has a leg (or rather several legs) up compared to the USA. The USA would do something like 'voice of America', the Russians would carpet bomb the nation with their version of the story, a history to corroborate their version and a continuous barrage of flak to get in the way of intelligent discussion. And anybody that managed to get some kind of opposition going would as a rule never be heard from again. Fortunately in America that stage has not yet been reached, let's hope it will never happen. > Taiwan, Mexico and so on - fair enough. Ok > But overall it is not as if all the countries in the world were friends and only Trump is shaking things up now. No, but they weren't all-out enemies either and Trump is pushing in that direction (not Taiwan). Even in Europe, one of the USA's staunchest allies when it comes to operations abroad there is strong talk of distancing because of the new perceived instability of America. > There were always conflicts of interest, new trends that shift power (like oil and phracking), military interventions and what not. Yes, but just like Hitler found out: you can't fight wars on all fronts at once.

facepalm 10y ago
"the Russians would carpet bomb the nation with their version of the story" But how can they carpet bomb the US with fake news from Russia? "Even in Europe" Maybe Europe will have to shake off its arrogance and realize how much they have always depended on the US. I say that as an European - and here, also, people are divided over Trump, just as in the US. There are elections in Germany this year (if you meant Germany), although to be fair, no major shakeup is to be expected. But that is only for lack of an alternative, there is no Trump here to vote for. But maybe some adjustment of policies will occur before the election date, anyway. "Yes, but just like Hitler found out: you can't fight wars on all fronts at once." Still, making a tactical error is not in itself evil. And chaos is a tactic that sometimes works. It won him the election already.
- jacquesm 10y ago
  > But how can they carpet bomb the US with fake news from Russia? Thousands of websites are targeted at the US with fake news skewing the picture and messing with people's heads. http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-38168281 http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-38168281 https://www.rt.com/ https://www.rt.com/ On top of that most news fora are overrun by trolls shouting down any kind of dissent and picking up a fair share of support from 'useful idiots' who will endlessly repeat the talking points. Make no mistake: a war is in progress, it is a war without bullets but with bits, the consequences are every bit as real and sooner or later the one may lead to the other. > Maybe Europe will have to shake off its arrogance and realize how much they have always depended on the US. There is no other choice. But that also carries significant risk. > Still, making a tactical error is not in itself evil. And chaos is a tactic that sometimes works. It won him the election already. Yes but that's like congratulating the dog on catching the car.
  - facepalm 10y ago
    Putins information war: number of web sites or fake social media accounts does not imply lots of people are reading them. In any case, Trump and Hillary wanted to win - all the strategies of the Russians would have been open to Hillary and Trump, too. Why should Putin be better able to employ them? War - everybody has some interest to pursue, sure. That is nothing new, though. Europe on its own: what risk do you mean? "congratulating the dog on catching the car" Becoming president seems more useful than a car is for a dog, though. Edit: only now read the BBC link. That's even more ridiculous than "The Russians did it". Now it is Macedonian teenagers who rigged the US election? Come on...