Anonymous has declared 'total war' on Donald Trump, threatening to 'dismantle his campaign'

[steve2470]

http://www.businessinsider.com/anonymous-has-declared-total-war-on-donald-trump-2016-3?IR=T

Hackers affiliated with the Anonymous hacktivist collective have vowed to relaunch cyber-operations against US presidential candidate Donald Trump from 1 April. They threaten to 'dismantle his campaign' by taking his election websites offline in a large-scale and orchestrated distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack.

In December 2015, Anonymous officially 'declared war' on Trump after a radical speech in which he said Muslims should be banned from entering the United States. The operation at the time resulted in a number of websites being targeted by hackers, but failed to have lasting impact.

A new video statement has been posted to YouTube which claims the 'loyalists and veterans' of Anonymous have decided to ramp up cyber-operations against Trump – dubbed #OpTrump – on a far larger scale than ever before.

"Dear Donald Trump, we have been watching you for a long time and what we see is deeply disturbing. Your inconsistent and hateful campaign has not only shocked the United States of America [but] you have shocked the entire planet with your appalling actions and ideas. You say what your audience wants to hear but in reality you don't stand for anything except for your personal greed and power."

[In_The_Wind]

1. Wow.

[Angel Martin]

2. I thought "Anonymous" had recently declared "total war" on ISIS

why don't they finish that first.

[pintobean]

7. Impotence.

[WhiteTara]

3. Go Anonymous!

[DCBob]

4. Wow.. this is great news!

Take him down Anonymous!

[jberryhill]

5. Voting against him is simpler

But, sure, if an anonymous hacker collective wants to decide who can run an election campaign, I guess I don't have to vote.

[Crepuscular]

6. I suspect

that from a strategic standpoint, being attacked by Anonymous will do nothing but enhance Trump in the eyes of many. Whether it is Occupy or BLM or Anonymous or any other left leaning group, attacking an opposition political candidate like Trump, by disrupting rallies or through an internet "take down", is unlikely to sway support away from that candidate, instead it turns them into a martyr. You defeat such a candidate by presenting a cogent, intelligent alternative position, not by trying to silence them through what is seen by many independents and moderates as distasteful, underhanded tactics. It will also provide him with an almost unlimited quantity of free media attention, which keeps his name in the headlines and which can easily be manipulated by making him appear as the victim, as has already been occurring.

It may be a feel good move from an emotional standpoint but is IMHO a strategic mistake which could have tragic consequences.

[Stellar]

8. Yessss!