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kpete

(72,760 posts)
Fri Dec 16, 2016, 08:21 AM Dec 2016

KRUGMAN: "Yes, The Election Was Hacked"

Does anyone really doubt that these factors moved swing-state ballots by at least 1 percent? If they did, they made the difference in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — and therefore handed Mr. Trump the election, even though he received almost three million fewer total votes. Yes, the election was hacked.

...................

So as I said, there were a lot of useful idiots this year, and they made the election hack a success.

Now what? If we’re going to have any hope of redemption, people will have to stop letting themselves be used the way they were in 2016. And the first step is to admit the awful reality of what just happened.

That means not trying to change the subject to campaign strategy, which is a legitimate topic but has no bearing on the question of electoral subversion. It means not making excuses for news coverage that empowered that subversion.

And it means not acting as if this was a normal election whose result gives the winner any kind of a mandate, or indeed any legitimacy beyond the bare legal requirements. It might be more comfortable to pretend that things are O.K., that American democracy isn’t on the edge. But that would be taking useful idiocy to the next level.


MORE!:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/16/opinion/useful-idiots-galore.html

16 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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KRUGMAN: "Yes, The Election Was Hacked" (Original Post) kpete Dec 2016 OP
Comey, Voter suppression, Russia... !!!! uponit7771 Dec 2016 #1
Squirrel!!!! DK504 Dec 2016 #13
Squirrel? KamaAina Dec 2016 #15
Comey, Cross Check, Russia, and a useless media Botany Dec 2016 #2
Most Americans don't care compsports Dec 2016 #3
MORE from Krugman: kpete Dec 2016 #4
They are clueless mcar Dec 2016 #5
Sure they can.. Friend or Foe Dec 2016 #6
She may yet be mcar Dec 2016 #8
i care. barbtries Dec 2016 #10
STUPID AMERICANS DON'T CARE Skittles Dec 2016 #14
And it started during the primaries BainsBane Dec 2016 #7
The biggest problem is that he doesn't even have a right to lead, let alone a mandate world wide wally Dec 2016 #9
Or Florida and Pennsylvania. Switching 40K votes flips the electoral college....surgical precision. Coyotl Dec 2016 #11
Thank you, Mr. Krugman! brer cat Dec 2016 #12
As usual, Krugman with a bullseye. gulliver Dec 2016 #16

kpete

(72,760 posts)
4. MORE from Krugman:
Fri Dec 16, 2016, 09:31 AM
Dec 2016

… Still, the general picture of a president-elect who owes his position in part to intervention by a foreign power, and shows every sign of being prepared to use U.S. policy to reward that power, is accurate.

But let’s be honest: Mr. Trump is by no means the only useful idiot in this story. As recent reporting by The Times makes clear, bad guys couldn’t have hacked the U.S. election without a lot of help, both from U.S. politicians and from the news media. …

… Now what? If we’re going to have any hope of redemption, people will have to stop letting themselves be used the way they were in 2016. And the first step is to admit the awful reality of what just happened.

That means not trying to change the subject to campaign strategy, which is a legitimate topic but has no bearing on the question of electoral subversion. It means not making excuses for news coverage that empowered that subversion.

And it means not acting as if this was a normal election whose result gives the winner any kind of a mandate, or indeed any legitimacy beyond the bare legal requirements. It might be more comfortable to pretend that things are O.K., that American democracy isn’t on the edge. But that would be taking useful idiocy to the next level.


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/16/opinion/useful-idiots-galore.html

mcar

(43,281 posts)
5. They are clueless
Fri Dec 16, 2016, 09:36 AM
Dec 2016

Or hypocrites, or both. Many Americans also don't know who the Vice President is and cannot name even one Supreme Court justice.

barbtries

(29,539 posts)
10. i care.
Fri Dec 16, 2016, 10:13 AM
Dec 2016

but i need to look forward because it's a done thing, and i plan to resist the end of our democracy as long and as hard as i possibly can.
it sucks of course. who believes the republicans will do jackshit about it? not me

BainsBane

(54,307 posts)
7. And it started during the primaries
Fri Dec 16, 2016, 09:46 AM
Dec 2016

Let us not forget that. Russia tried to take Clinton down during the primaries.

 

Coyotl

(15,262 posts)
11. Or Florida and Pennsylvania. Switching 40K votes flips the electoral college....surgical precision.
Fri Dec 16, 2016, 10:27 AM
Dec 2016

brer cat

(25,879 posts)
12. Thank you, Mr. Krugman!
Fri Dec 16, 2016, 11:09 AM
Dec 2016

"Useful idiots galore" is well said. Diversion is one of their favorite tools and Krugman will not let them get away with it.

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