I have been disturbed by the flippant HN response to these findings (especially in a related thread yesterday). I listened to a radio program this week (KPFA or

I have been disturbed by the flippant HN response to these findings (especially in a related thread yesterday). I listened to a radio program this week (KPFA or KQED can't remember) with one of the researchers whose findings were in the Senate report. I was blown away by the magnitude and the tactics used, starting years before the elections laying groundwork. The researcher did not pull punches, calling it straight up espionage. Unwitting Americans were personally contacted by the IRA, an agency whose funding is closely tied to Russian intelligence and whose members have been indicted by the Special Counsel. Groups on both sides were bolstered with IRA funding, organizing, propaganda, and social media support. Once a movement or fb page or protest gained enough momentum, the IRA then sabotaged the movement by reframing them as violent, stupid, liberal, racist, or whatever buzzword they co-opted for effect. They would also frame the protest as artificial, fake, funded by outsiders, etc - anything to poison the well or co-opt an originally well meaning or organic group. One end goal was to disillusion support for protests in general. The severity, indsidiousness, and sophistication cannot be overstated. The fact that people still claim it had no effect is a PRODUCT of their efforts.