Russia Isn’t Dividing Us — Our Leaders Are

Rolling Stone ^ | Feb 24, 2020 | Matt Taibbi

[edwinland]

The latest act in the comedy began Friday, just before voting opened in the Nevada Democratic caucus. The Washington Post ran a story — sourced, I’m not joking, to “people familiar with the matter” — explaining that Bernie Sanders had been briefed that “Russia is attempting to help his presidential campaign as part of an effort to interfere with the Democratic contest.”

Sanders was quick to see through the gambit. “I’ll let you guess about one day before the Nevada caucus,” he said ... He pointed to a Post reporter: “It was The Washington Post? Good friends.” The Post, after all, has spent years dumping on Sanders, a fervent critic of the paper’s billionaire creep of an owner, Jeff Bezos.

Intelligence officials and pundits have been screeching for years that patriotism demands voters reject the foreign agent Donald Trump and the Russian asset Bernie Sanders, and support a conventional establishment politician. Voters responded by moving toward Trump in national approval surveys and speeding Sanders to the top of the Democratic Party ticket. A more thorough disavowal of official propaganda would be difficult to imagine.

[snip]

But the biggest red flag of all was the way in which “Russia” over the past few years became shorthand to describe any brand of political deviance.

[snip]

The plot running through all of these stories has been the idea that Russia is trying to “undermine our democracy” by “sowing division.” But these charges are coming from the same people who spent the past four years describing Republicans as deplorable fascists, and progressives on the other side as racist, sexist, Nazis, and “digital brownshirts.”

[snip]

The only vision of “unity” they promote is one of obedience to the crackpot anti-utopia of neoliberalism that populations around the world are currently rejecting at the ballot box.

[edwinland]

Taibbi is a superb journalist. A leftist who opposes Trump but does not let his politics prevent him from seeing the obvious. And he's a great writer.

[Steve_Seattle]

He said some really nasty things about Sarah Palin, although I no longer remember the specifics.

[dp0622]

Has he been saying this about Russia even BEFORE the incident with Sanders?

Like when it only affected Trump badly? Or tried to?

And if so, do you happen to know where to find one of those articles off the top of your head.

Then I will be thankful there is one non insane writer at RS

[Alberta's Child]

He lived in Russia for several years, and finds the anti-Russia propaganda from the globalist leaders of this country’s ruling class repulsive.

[Responsibility2nd]

Yeah, but... For The Rolling Stone to post a criticism about the Washington Post is hilarious.

Fake News complaining about someone else’s Fake News.

[griswold3]

I do like his prose. He’s a very good writer. But still a “progressive”, doubt if he’ll be on the Right side if this country starts the Collective slide

[rktman]

Uh, “leaders”?

[bert]

Comcast is a more dangerous American enemy than russia or China or Coronavirus

[Leep]

Does the article mention any names?
Are any of those names democrats?

[Rurudyne]

Actually, being divided from the Left is a good thing.

[Kid Shelleen]

Not a bad article but he should have noted who profited from the Russian Hoax (CNN, NY Times, Wash Post) and who suffered ( Roger Stone, General Flynn, US tax payers) and how Trump was accused of obstruction for merely defending himself.

Lest We Forget: These Reporters Won Pulitzer Prizes For 'Deeply Sourced' Russia Reporting

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Tabbi has a good record on rejecting the Russia hoax and the Ukraine quid pro quo kerfuffle. He is that rara avis, a liberal with common sense. He reminds me, slightly, of Nat Hentoff. Hentoff who was laid off by the Village Voice in 2008 for being politically incorrect.

[Stravinsky]

The second I heard the news about Russian trolls supporting Sanders I knew it was more deep state BS. What people have to realize is that the deep state hates people it can’t easily control. For all their differences, that’s one thing Trump and Sanders have in common. They are not going to jump at the chance to go to war or follow orders from behind the scenes.

[richardtavor]

Isn’t interesting to see that this time is very similar to the 1930’s. Globalism is fighting with Nationalism. Communists are vying with Socialists to defeat the establishment, Jews are being persecuted in greater numbers on a daily basis, etc. What next? A National Democratic Socialist becomes the leader of the Free World? Nationalsozialistische Americanische Arbeiterpartei?

[NorseViking]

That’s it. Sanders might win the nomination based on the same principle Trump won. Even Democrat voters can’t stand the corrupt establishment anymore.

[yesthatjallen]

He's right. I've said the same thing.

It's not RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE it's the mainstream medias narrative of Russian interference.

The media and Democrats are doing the work for Russia. The media and Democrats are responsible for hyping the alleged extent and influence of the interference.

Yes, Russia tried to interfere in the election with Facebook memes and Twitter bots. But how many people CHANGED their votes after seeing a Facebook meme or reading a Tweet?

The influence was minimal if even measurable.

Nobody changed their opinions or their vote. People agreed or disagreed with the FB meme and Tweets depending on their political views.

The whole thing was a wash.

[Ancesthntr]

I have yet to see ANYONE connect the dots between the Russians trying to influence our elections on the one hand, and a WHOLE BUNCH of votes changing from Hillary to Trump. There’s a reason why I haven’t seen it...because it didn’t happen.

Russia, and a bunch of other nations, have long since tried to influence our elections...as we have tried to influence theirs. It surely isn’t nice, but it definitely is NOT new or unique. I don’t understand all of the ranting about it - it isn’t a big deal.