At the New York Times Amanda Taub and Max Fisher point out that Russian meddling merely exploited a pre-existing opening:
Russian interference tended to focus on telling the targeted group to fear and distrust the other side. Posts that targeted Republicans, for instance, portrayed Mrs. Clinton as a threat to the Constitution and public safety, and in one memorable example said that her election would be a victory for Satan himself.
In taking this approach, the Russians were merely riding a trend that has been building for decades. Since the 1980s, surveys have found that Republicans and Democrats’ feelings toward the opposing party have been growing more and more negative. Voters are animated more by distrust of the other side than support for their own.
This highlights a problem that Lilliana Mason, a University of Maryland political scientist, said had left American democracy dangerously vulnerable. But it’s a problem driven primarily by American politicians and media outlets, which have far louder megaphones than any Russian-made Facebook posts.
“Compromise is the core of democracy,†she said. “It’s the only way we can govern.†But, she said, “when you make people feel threatened, nobody compromises with evil.â€
We already have an ongoing investigation into Russian meddling and potential Trump campaign complicity with it and I support that. I think that there should be an additional investigation into why American law enforcement failed to detect these Russian activities or do anything about them in the period 2014-2016, the period during which the activities alleged in the indictments filed last week took place. Events move too fast these days, propelled on the wings of electronic communications, for the sort of tardy, long after the fact sort of activities presently being taken. Specifically, since the FBI has an explicit responsibility for counter-espionage activites, we need to understand why the FBI failed to do its job and how it can be reformed to do its job better.
I think that President Trump should order these investigations as well as enforce sanctions already in his power against Russians and the Russian government but I wouldn’t stop there. I don’t think the United States or Americans should meddle in other countries’ electoral process in any way other than as observers and we definitely should not overthrow foreign governments either directly or by abetting opposition groups.
Otherwise we should merely accept that these activities are business as usual and be prepared to oppose them domestically. They are asymmetric warfare in spades and its benefits accrue more to the weak than they do to us.
However, I don’t think that hysteria and hyperbole contribute to domestic political harmony, to addressing our manifest problems, or to moving forward.
I find most of this commentary, yours and NYT, spot on.
But I don’t think the FBI failed to identify problems. You probably disagree, but their now obvious knowledge that the Clinton campaign used Russian disinformation efforts and in fact used it for FISA warrants indicates certain people at the top viewed it as a tool rather than a problem.
If I had been in Trump’s shoes I would have fired all of the appointees a year ago. And I would have already replaced them. It’s obvious to me at least that he doesn’t have the management chops.
I think that’s correct Dave, and not very broadly understood. His skill is primarily RE development (value recognition), and dealmeistering. Not management. He so much reminds me of an ex-boss. Also a billionaire, at least at one point. Similar personality, very little management acumen. Refused to build and rely on a broad management organization underneath him, and simply be the policymaker and entrepreneurial organization driver.
I left after 18 months.
Those were insightful comments, Drew. Although Trump does have good business acumen, he is lacking in many other areas that would benefit his presidential reign. One is indeed management skills, others deal with diplomatic composure, picking his battles, and focusing more on important issues rather than ruminating on personal slights.
” now obvious knowledge that the Clinton campaign used Russian disinformation efforts and in fact used it for FISA warrants”
You appear to be one of the few who has actually read the FISA warrant application. Mind putting it up here so we can all read it?
“I think that there should be an additional investigation into why American law enforcement failed to detect these Russian activities or do anything about them in the period 2014-2016,”
I would support this if you broaden it out. Just doing this means you are supporting the big lie that the right has been spreading. Let’s look at the Clinton email investigation in more detail, in particular, lets see the emails of the agents who worked on her case. Let’s look at what other foreign intrusions they have investigated and how they handled them. Let’s see that FISA application. Let’s look at how many tips they get about shooters and how many they stop vs how many they miss and put it into historical context. (Compare it to the Terror Watch list.) So, by all means, please look at 2014-2016, but broaden it out.
Steve
“I left after 18 months.”
Sounds like about what most people are going to last working with Trump, unless they don’t work with him very closely.
Steve