But does it alter the fact that Mr Trump refuses to even consider that the Russians are trying to interfere in our elections? That it is part of a Russian effort to undermine American institutions using cyber warfare? That everyone recognizes that cyber warfare can actually degrade critical infrastructure hardware? Remember, we pioneered that when we hacked into the Iranian nuclear program!

Trump wants us to ignore all this because he’s afraid it might cast doubt on the legitimacy of his technical knockout at the polls. He would rather cover his ass than admit it might mean his bro Putin is playing him.

The Russian leader he so admires is invading his neighbors, meddling in the middle east, threatening the security of Western Europe(including the former Soviet satellites) throttling the Russian press, and murdering
and imprisoning critics and dissidents. And why is Mr Trump doing this? Could it be he has business interests in Russia? Could it be that his Secretary of State designate signed a HUUUUGGGEEE oil deal with the Russian oil monopoly, to drill, drill, drill in the Arctic and the Gulf of fucking Mexico?

But you guys have locked on to this little WAPO/Infowars story because it distracts us from what is really going on, and why so many people (including many respected Republicans)are already scared shitless. You’ve even brought in a heavy-hitter ringer in from retirement–why, because if you can cast even a little doubt on this utility hack story then you can steer attention away from what a completely big mistake it was to install this orange buffoon in the White House.

OK. I’ll give you that that Vermont utility was not hacked by the KGB. So what. Can’t you see how you’re being played?

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*What, me worry about the dismantling of Obamacare? It doesn’t bother me, I’ve got Medicare. I know the Republicans are out to dismantle that,
too, or at least figure out how to profit from it by privatizing it. But there’s a lot of old fart Republicans who won’t be ready to go along with that, and they vote. The same goes for their war on Social Security. It ain’t likely to happen while I’m still alive. Like I said, old farts vote, even Republican old farts.

But it was reported, in the WP no less:

http://www.mediaite.com/online/washington-post-clumsily-gives-trump-easy-out-on-911-celebrations-after-fact-checker-gets-fact-checked/

The story wasn’t proven but it was printed.

It’s rather telling how you guys can hang on to this one but Obama’s “You can keep your doctor”- a blatant lie straight to the american people from their president……has never existed in your world.

Its standard propaganda technique. Keep your opponent scurrying about
fact-checking references and debunking conspiracies, and simply overwhelm him with half-truths, rumours and insinuendoes. Remember, the purpose of propaganda is not to debunk your enemy’s message, he knows you’re lying, it’s to keep your base happy and indignant so they’ll be more ready to accept your own lies.

This is how propaganda works. It is not meant to convince your opponents, they already know you are lying; it is designed to reassure your followers and confound or sway those who are uncommitted or confused.

No one on the Right has yet to seriously chastise Trump for his birther nonsense, which he sprung on us prior to the 2012 election; and no Conservative objected to the Socialist/Muslim nonsense, not in the alt-right/Tparty press, the Rush Limbaugh radio circus, the “Establishment” GOP, or even right here on the Habitable Zone. You know perfectly well most of the people on the Right never believed any of that shit, but they still looked the other way, lit a cigarette, or bent down to tie their shoelaces whenever it came up.

In America, we’re not as brutal and cynical as Lenin or Hitler’s propagandists. There will probably be no round-up of journalists, or death camps and gulags for Progressive thinkers and writers. But journalism is a business, academia and publishing are businesses, they rely on advertisers and ratings, and for those willing to manipulate this environment with money and coercion, you will see gentle pressures to get out the “American” Side Of The Story. We don’t send our newsmen and writers to re-education camps, or kidnap them off the street and drop them from helicopters into the ocean after interrogation. We just get them fired, make sure they don’t get hired, and otherwise wreck their careers.

Yeah, I know. They can always start a blog, right? Sure, sure. The internet was supposed to bring us a real paradise of debate and openness. A real high school debating society of gentlemanly discourse. SHEEEEEIIIIT!