I don't get it

[hollodero]

(03-21-2017, 09:15 AM)Matt_Crimson Wrote: I'm being completely serious when I say this. Could someone please explain to me why the Russians hacking the DNC or "swaying" the elections as it has been put is a bad thing? I guess I'm not entirely informed on why this is a bad thing so I'm looking for someone to educate me. 

You might start by asking yourself what Russia's goals probably might be.

I give you my take:
Russia tries to distort the political discourse all over Europe. They aren't even too secretive about that and why they are doing it. It's destabilization, of the political systems (like EU) and of the societies. That's also what they now aim for in the US. By the same means, which means supporting the destructive forces, loosely labeled as "alt-right".

In the end, technically it probably is about Ukraine (parts of that souvereign country are annexed by Russia), about lifting sanctions against Russia that followed (by weakening the rejection by weakening the rejecting global society, weakening their conviction) - and apart from that, about global influence and power, and probably also about the games of Putin himself he just knows how to play. KGB at its finest, this man.

The Russian game is simple. Facts get questioned, distorted and disputed, so opinions count just as much. Bad deeds (deeds Putin does, like annexing other countries, murdering opponents etc.) get compared and legitimized by alleged other bad deeds (Trump fell hard for that line of argueing, see Bill O Reilly interview), it's about relativization of core democratic values, of say our western values, about increased mistrust and destabilization, a descending into authoritarian structures, this is what Putin's Russia aims for. The western world is under Russian propaganda attack, that starts with hacks/releases of Emails and ends with forged news stories flooding social media. Always to help the destructive forces.

- Apart from that and more directly, Putin might have leverage against Trump people in his hands and hence could directly influence policies (see: Ukraine, sanctions; think also crazy tweets, if you want). There could have been laws broken. If that's the case is yet unclear and up to investigation.


If it's a "bad thing" - well, I'd think foreign meddling in domestic affairs always is "bad" from a mere patriotic standpoint (when you forget everything I said before). But if you think it is or not is up to you. I might be right or get it dead wrong, for all you know. I'm being completely serious when saying stop using your ignorance as excuse to not know things. Inform yourself, reach an opinion and don't ask others for one to take over.