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March 6, 2022
How Vladimir Putin Brought the West Together
The Ukraine war is uniting the West – politically, militarily, morally. But what will the world's democracies do with this newfound unity? Can they succeed in preventing further escalation?
By Markus Becker, Georg Fahrion, Katharina Graça Peters, Ralf Neukirch, René Pfister, Maximilian Popp, Jan Puhl, Britta Sandberg, Lina Verschwele und Bernhard Zand
04.03.2022, 19.54 Uhr
(Der Spiegel) The small Romanian town of Câmpia Turzii doesn't look like the kind of place where global political developments take place. The bed of gravel in front of the town hall is waiting for new asphalt, the "Asia” market next door has lost its "i," and the hotel on the outskirts of town bears the simple name A3. The town’s biggest attraction stands at the city limits. Once you pass the last single-family homes, you suddenly find yourself in front of a mounted aircraft. A blue, Soviet-produced MiG-21 fighter jet juts into the sky like a signpost.
Câmpia Turzii has been home to an air base for almost 70 years. During the Cold War, Warsaw Pact pilots took off and landed here. These days, though, NATO troops are stationed behind the metal gate.
People waited for precisely that for more than 50 years, says Laura Ștefan, a Romanian who works for the Expert Forum, which promotes trans-Atlantic relations. "The Americans were the salvation," she says. "When the first U.S. soldiers moved in, people greeted them with flowers."
NATO, the West – synonymous for many with freedom and prosperity back when Romania joined NATO in 2004.
Today, the country that has for so long stood in the shadow of European history is a front-line state. "We border Ukraine," Ștefan says. "If it came to an invasion of Romania, that would be the end. For many of us, but also for Putin. But I don’t think an invasion of Romania is likely. Still, we have to be prepared for anything.”
....(snip)....
The same West that for so long seemed powerless in the face of Putin’s provocations has now been united by his attack on Ukraine in a way that neither the Kremlin nor Western politicians could have foreseen. ..............(more)
https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/united-by-danger-how-putin-brought-the-west-together-a-f2b871da-500a-41d4-8e13-db7cdd99567c
How Vladimir Putin Brought the West Together
How Vladimir Putin Brought the West Together
The Ukraine war is uniting the West – politically, militarily, morally. But what will the world's democracies do with this newfound unity? Can they succeed in preventing further escalation?
By Markus Becker, Georg Fahrion, Katharina Graça Peters, Ralf Neukirch, René Pfister, Maximilian Popp, Jan Puhl, Britta Sandberg, Lina Verschwele und Bernhard Zand
04.03.2022, 19.54 Uhr
(Der Spiegel) The small Romanian town of Câmpia Turzii doesn't look like the kind of place where global political developments take place. The bed of gravel in front of the town hall is waiting for new asphalt, the "Asia” market next door has lost its "i," and the hotel on the outskirts of town bears the simple name A3. The town’s biggest attraction stands at the city limits. Once you pass the last single-family homes, you suddenly find yourself in front of a mounted aircraft. A blue, Soviet-produced MiG-21 fighter jet juts into the sky like a signpost.
Câmpia Turzii has been home to an air base for almost 70 years. During the Cold War, Warsaw Pact pilots took off and landed here. These days, though, NATO troops are stationed behind the metal gate.
People waited for precisely that for more than 50 years, says Laura Ștefan, a Romanian who works for the Expert Forum, which promotes trans-Atlantic relations. "The Americans were the salvation," she says. "When the first U.S. soldiers moved in, people greeted them with flowers."
NATO, the West – synonymous for many with freedom and prosperity back when Romania joined NATO in 2004.
Today, the country that has for so long stood in the shadow of European history is a front-line state. "We border Ukraine," Ștefan says. "If it came to an invasion of Romania, that would be the end. For many of us, but also for Putin. But I don’t think an invasion of Romania is likely. Still, we have to be prepared for anything.”
....(snip)....
The same West that for so long seemed powerless in the face of Putin’s provocations has now been united by his attack on Ukraine in a way that neither the Kremlin nor Western politicians could have foreseen. ..............(more)
https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/united-by-danger-how-putin-brought-the-west-together-a-f2b871da-500a-41d4-8e13-db7cdd99567c
March 6, 2022
(Guardian UK) The strength of Ukraine’s resistance “continues to surprise Russia”, a British intelligence report has said, despite attempts by invading troops to break Ukrainian morale by targeting populated areas.
In its daily intelligence report, the Ministry of Defence said Russia had responded to the unexpected ferocity of the Ukrainian military response by targeting cities such as Kharkiv, Chirnihiv and Mariupol.
It used similar tactics in Chechnya in 1999 and Syria in 2016, employing both air and ground-based munitions.
The Kremlin has repeatedly denied that it is targeting civilian areas.
The intelligence report said there was a “realistic possibility” that Russia was “attempting to conceal fuel trucks as regular support trucks in an effort to conceal losses”. Its supply lines reportedly continue to be targeted, slowing the rate of advance of its ground forces. ........................(more)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/06/biden-and-zelenskiy-discuss-more-aid-for-ukraine-as-russian-attacks-intensify
Russia targeting cities as strength of Ukraine's resistance 'continues to surprise', UK says
(Guardian UK) The strength of Ukraine’s resistance “continues to surprise Russia”, a British intelligence report has said, despite attempts by invading troops to break Ukrainian morale by targeting populated areas.
In its daily intelligence report, the Ministry of Defence said Russia had responded to the unexpected ferocity of the Ukrainian military response by targeting cities such as Kharkiv, Chirnihiv and Mariupol.
It used similar tactics in Chechnya in 1999 and Syria in 2016, employing both air and ground-based munitions.
The Kremlin has repeatedly denied that it is targeting civilian areas.
The intelligence report said there was a “realistic possibility” that Russia was “attempting to conceal fuel trucks as regular support trucks in an effort to conceal losses”. Its supply lines reportedly continue to be targeted, slowing the rate of advance of its ground forces. ........................(more)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/06/biden-and-zelenskiy-discuss-more-aid-for-ukraine-as-russian-attacks-intensify
March 6, 2022
Politics & performance: Why Zelenskyy succeeds where others fail
One of the reasons the Ukranian president is winning the PR offensive is that he's a comedian who knows his people
By MELANIE MCFARLAND
PUBLISHED MARCH 5, 2022 3:30PM
One emergent piece of trivia about Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy that may have conquered more hearts and minds than any video propaganda ever could is that he provided the voice for Ukraine's versions of 2014's "Paddington" and 2017's "Paddington 2."
Politicians playing roles in movies stopped being novel decades go, but this is something else. Paddington Bear is a children's literature institution, a soft-spoken, polite character who disarms adversaries with kindness. He's also a talking bear, pure fiction, and Zelenskyy isn't channeling him in the role he's playing right now.
However, in each of his persuasive speeches to world leaders and conversations with journalists, Zelenskyy conveys the deportment of a rational, determined man. In the viral video he filmed in a studio and others taken in the streets, using his own mobile device, he's personable and calm. Reassuring.
Vox's Emily VanDerWerff wrote a defining piece about the ways in which Zelenskyy is using his stagecraft to successfully dominate the propaganda space, analyzing his expert staging of backgrounds and angles, even breaking down the importance of where he stands in each frame. .............(more)
https://www.salon.com/2022/03/05/and-performance-why-zelenskyy-succeeds-where-others-fail/
Politics & performance: Why Zelenskyy succeeds where others fail
Politics & performance: Why Zelenskyy succeeds where others fail
One of the reasons the Ukranian president is winning the PR offensive is that he's a comedian who knows his people
By MELANIE MCFARLAND
PUBLISHED MARCH 5, 2022 3:30PM
One emergent piece of trivia about Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy that may have conquered more hearts and minds than any video propaganda ever could is that he provided the voice for Ukraine's versions of 2014's "Paddington" and 2017's "Paddington 2."
Politicians playing roles in movies stopped being novel decades go, but this is something else. Paddington Bear is a children's literature institution, a soft-spoken, polite character who disarms adversaries with kindness. He's also a talking bear, pure fiction, and Zelenskyy isn't channeling him in the role he's playing right now.
However, in each of his persuasive speeches to world leaders and conversations with journalists, Zelenskyy conveys the deportment of a rational, determined man. In the viral video he filmed in a studio and others taken in the streets, using his own mobile device, he's personable and calm. Reassuring.
Vox's Emily VanDerWerff wrote a defining piece about the ways in which Zelenskyy is using his stagecraft to successfully dominate the propaganda space, analyzing his expert staging of backgrounds and angles, even breaking down the importance of where he stands in each frame. .............(more)
https://www.salon.com/2022/03/05/and-performance-why-zelenskyy-succeeds-where-others-fail/
March 6, 2022
PALMETTO, Fla. - Manatee County deputies had their eyes in the skies as one man tried to flee and hide from them early Thursday morning.
Around 1 a.m., patrol deputies spotted a truck without headlights, driving on the wrong side of the road on Harrison Ranch Boulevard. They said when they attempted a traffic stop, the driver – later identified as 42-year-old William Ballard – fled.
The sheriff's office helicopter followed Ballard's truck as it drove through a fence at the Buffalo Creek Golf Course, traveled through the course, and entered a shallow pond.
They said Ballard exited the truck and waded through the water into nearby brush and trees "attempted to hide from deputies." However, deputies said the aviation unit was watching from above, directing deputies on the ground. ...............(more)
https://www.fox13news.com/news/officials-florida-man-drives-through-manatee-county-golf-course-hides-in-pond-to-avoid-traffic-stop
Man drives through Manatee County golf course, hides in pond to avoid traffic stop
PALMETTO, Fla. - Manatee County deputies had their eyes in the skies as one man tried to flee and hide from them early Thursday morning.
Around 1 a.m., patrol deputies spotted a truck without headlights, driving on the wrong side of the road on Harrison Ranch Boulevard. They said when they attempted a traffic stop, the driver – later identified as 42-year-old William Ballard – fled.
The sheriff's office helicopter followed Ballard's truck as it drove through a fence at the Buffalo Creek Golf Course, traveled through the course, and entered a shallow pond.
They said Ballard exited the truck and waded through the water into nearby brush and trees "attempted to hide from deputies." However, deputies said the aviation unit was watching from above, directing deputies on the ground. ...............(more)
https://www.fox13news.com/news/officials-florida-man-drives-through-manatee-county-golf-course-hides-in-pond-to-avoid-traffic-stop
March 6, 2022
(TIME) For more than a year, a mask has been as essential at the airport as a boarding pass: you can’t fly without one. But the federal mask mandate for planes, trains, buses, and transit stations including airports is set to expire on March 18, and so far, the government has not announced plans to extend it.
That could change. The Transportation Security Administration has extended the face mask requirement several times so far. But as Omicron cases decline nationwide and states drop their own mandates, it’s not clear whether the policy will be renewed again. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Feb. 25 relaxed its own guidance around masking and currently says indoor masking is not necessary for about 70% of the population. Though that guidance is separate from the travel mandate, it signals a growing acceptance for going bare-faced.
For months, airline executives have questioned the need for in-flight mask mandates, arguing that the air filtration systems on planes are effective enough to eliminate virtually all airborne pathogens. Representatives for the nation’s largest flight attendant union, however, have said they expect the mandate to be extended, since COVID-19 is still circulating widely and young children remain ineligible for vaccines.
It’s not clear yet whether the Biden Administration will extend the transportation mask mandate. But here’s what the research says about wearing masks on airplanes.
.....(snip).....
Khatib says the federal travel mask mandate probably should be extended again, but it remains to be seen whether that will happen. “Given that we’re still coming off a huge Omicron surge” and that there have been reports of a new, related variant, “it does seem a little bit premature to lift these mask mandates,” she says.
Even if the mandate expires, Khatib says she will continue masking up on flights. Jacobson says he will do the same. Highly protective masks, such as N95s and KN95s, can filter out almost all particles when worn correctly, so they can help keep the wearer healthy even if those around them are unmasked. ............(more)
https://time.com/6151061/should-you-wear-mask-flights-covid-19-mandates/
Why You Should Keep Wearing a Mask on Planes--Even When You No Longer Have To
(TIME) For more than a year, a mask has been as essential at the airport as a boarding pass: you can’t fly without one. But the federal mask mandate for planes, trains, buses, and transit stations including airports is set to expire on March 18, and so far, the government has not announced plans to extend it.
That could change. The Transportation Security Administration has extended the face mask requirement several times so far. But as Omicron cases decline nationwide and states drop their own mandates, it’s not clear whether the policy will be renewed again. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Feb. 25 relaxed its own guidance around masking and currently says indoor masking is not necessary for about 70% of the population. Though that guidance is separate from the travel mandate, it signals a growing acceptance for going bare-faced.
For months, airline executives have questioned the need for in-flight mask mandates, arguing that the air filtration systems on planes are effective enough to eliminate virtually all airborne pathogens. Representatives for the nation’s largest flight attendant union, however, have said they expect the mandate to be extended, since COVID-19 is still circulating widely and young children remain ineligible for vaccines.
It’s not clear yet whether the Biden Administration will extend the transportation mask mandate. But here’s what the research says about wearing masks on airplanes.
.....(snip).....
Khatib says the federal travel mask mandate probably should be extended again, but it remains to be seen whether that will happen. “Given that we’re still coming off a huge Omicron surge” and that there have been reports of a new, related variant, “it does seem a little bit premature to lift these mask mandates,” she says.
Even if the mandate expires, Khatib says she will continue masking up on flights. Jacobson says he will do the same. Highly protective masks, such as N95s and KN95s, can filter out almost all particles when worn correctly, so they can help keep the wearer healthy even if those around them are unmasked. ............(more)
https://time.com/6151061/should-you-wear-mask-flights-covid-19-mandates/
March 5, 2022
(Guardian UK) Five Russian soldiers sit in a brick building. They are blindfolded: the latest prisoners to be captured inside Ukraine. A Ukrainian voice interrogates them. “Speak,” he says to the group’s Russian officer. What message would he like to send to his soldiers and to Russians back at home?
“Frankly speaking, they tricked us,” the officer replies, referring to his military superiors sitting in Moscow. “Everything we were told was a fake. I would tell my guys to leave Ukrainian territory. We’ve got families and children. I think 90% of us would agree to go home.”
The three-minute video was filmed under conditions of duress. The soldiers are evidently scared. And yet there are numerous similar interviews with Russian captives which have been circulating on Ukrainian social media channels, expressing similar sentiments.
....(snip)....
But low morale among invading troops might be one reason why Russia’s blitzkrieg plan to overwhelm Ukraine appears not to have progressed at the speed Putin would have wanted. The assumption in Moscow was that the operation would be swift and successful. Soldiers were given food and fuel supplies for only two or three days, the videos suggest.
The Kremlin also appears to have had a totally fantastical idea of the reception they would get. Several prisoners of war said they had been assured Ukrainians would welcome them as liberators. Russian forces were expecting flowers and cheers, not bullets and bombs, they said. ...............(more)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/04/russian-soldiers-ukraine-anger-duped-into-war
Demoralised Russian soldiers tell of anger at being 'duped' into war
(Guardian UK) Five Russian soldiers sit in a brick building. They are blindfolded: the latest prisoners to be captured inside Ukraine. A Ukrainian voice interrogates them. “Speak,” he says to the group’s Russian officer. What message would he like to send to his soldiers and to Russians back at home?
“Frankly speaking, they tricked us,” the officer replies, referring to his military superiors sitting in Moscow. “Everything we were told was a fake. I would tell my guys to leave Ukrainian territory. We’ve got families and children. I think 90% of us would agree to go home.”
The three-minute video was filmed under conditions of duress. The soldiers are evidently scared. And yet there are numerous similar interviews with Russian captives which have been circulating on Ukrainian social media channels, expressing similar sentiments.
....(snip)....
But low morale among invading troops might be one reason why Russia’s blitzkrieg plan to overwhelm Ukraine appears not to have progressed at the speed Putin would have wanted. The assumption in Moscow was that the operation would be swift and successful. Soldiers were given food and fuel supplies for only two or three days, the videos suggest.
The Kremlin also appears to have had a totally fantastical idea of the reception they would get. Several prisoners of war said they had been assured Ukrainians would welcome them as liberators. Russian forces were expecting flowers and cheers, not bullets and bombs, they said. ...............(more)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/04/russian-soldiers-ukraine-anger-duped-into-war
March 4, 2022
Capitol Riot man faces own son as witness in federal court
Guy Reffitt, a 49-year-old man from Texas, was the first to stand trial for felony charges stemming from his participation in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. Reffitt is charged with obstruction, civil disorder, and carrying a firearm while on Capitol property.
One of the witnesses to take the stand to testify against Reffitt was his own teenage son, Jackson Reffitt, who spoke about Googling an FBI tip line to report his father's actions during the Capitol riots.
Scott MacFarlane, a CBS News Congressional Correspondent, live-tweeted from the court room during Jackson's testimony, and you can read that thread in full here:
https://twitter.com/MacFarlaneNews/status/1499485198169296903
Jackson stated that his relationship with his father began to go downhill after the 2020 election, according to Huffington Post, and that he felt "paranoid" that his father's rhetoric would one day lead to violence. .............(more)
https://www.salon.com/2022/03/03/capitol-riot-man-faces-own-son-as-witness-in/
March 3, 2022
Trump unleashed the poison of racism — and new research suggests it will linger for years
New research reveals how Trump's presidency shifted social norms to make racism acceptable. Can that be undone?
By CHAUNCEY DEVEGA
PUBLISHED MARCH 3, 2022 6:00AM
(Salon) ew research by a pair of social psychologists suggests that Donald Trump's presidency unleashed racial animus and white supremacist ideology in ways that will shape American society for years or decades to come.
The study by Benjamin C. Ruisch of the University of Kent in England and Melissa J. Ferguson of Yale, published last week in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Human Behaviour, is entitled "Changes in Americans' prejudices during the presidency of Donald Trump." The authors summarize their findings this way:
Ferguson and Ruisch explain this by referencing the power of "social norms," which, they say,
....(snip)....
It was never accurate to describe Trump's voters as predominantly belonging the "white working class," with which mainstream news media became so obsessed. In reality, the average Trump voter in the 2016 Republican primaries had a household income of $72,000, substantially above the national median at the time. Moreover, researchers have shown that Trump's followers who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, were more likely to be from suburban communities experiencing "demographic change" than from economically disadvantaged working-class communities. ...............(more)
https://www.salon.com/2022/03/03/unleashed-the-poison-of--and-new-research-suggests-it-will-linger-for-years/
How Trump's presidency shifted social norms to make racism acceptable. Can that be undone?
Trump unleashed the poison of racism — and new research suggests it will linger for years
New research reveals how Trump's presidency shifted social norms to make racism acceptable. Can that be undone?
By CHAUNCEY DEVEGA
PUBLISHED MARCH 3, 2022 6:00AM
(Salon) ew research by a pair of social psychologists suggests that Donald Trump's presidency unleashed racial animus and white supremacist ideology in ways that will shape American society for years or decades to come.
The study by Benjamin C. Ruisch of the University of Kent in England and Melissa J. Ferguson of Yale, published last week in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Human Behaviour, is entitled "Changes in Americans' prejudices during the presidency of Donald Trump." The authors summarize their findings this way:
In 13 studies including over 10,000 participants, we tested how Americans' prejudice changed following the political ascension of Donald Trump. We found that explicit racial and religious prejudice significantly increased amongst Trump's supporters, whereas individuals opposed to Trump exhibited decreases in prejudice.
Ferguson and Ruisch explain this by referencing the power of "social norms," which, they say,
do not exert a uniform effect on people's attitudes. Rather, adherence to social norms occurs largely along group boundaries: People primarily assimilate to norms that are held by 'social reference groups', that is, individuals and groups that they personally respect and admire. In the highly polarized political landscape of the United States, this translates into the prediction that Trump's counter-normative behaviour should not have uniformly affected the attitudes of all Americans. Rather, it should have increased expressions of prejudice primarily amongst those who view him positively, that is, his supporters.
....(snip)....
It was never accurate to describe Trump's voters as predominantly belonging the "white working class," with which mainstream news media became so obsessed. In reality, the average Trump voter in the 2016 Republican primaries had a household income of $72,000, substantially above the national median at the time. Moreover, researchers have shown that Trump's followers who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, were more likely to be from suburban communities experiencing "demographic change" than from economically disadvantaged working-class communities. ...............(more)
https://www.salon.com/2022/03/03/unleashed-the-poison-of--and-new-research-suggests-it-will-linger-for-years/
March 2, 2022
Amtrak, Penn Station Partners begin Baltimore Penn Station construction
The full historic preservation and state-of-the-art redevelopment of the city’s main transportation hub is now under way.
March 1, 2022
Construction has commenced at Baltimore Penn Station with Amtrak and Penn Station Partners, the Baltimore-based global development team leading the transformation of the city’s main transportation hub, installing scaffolding, fencing and materials around the station exterior.
“Amtrak and the Penn Station Partners team are returning Baltimore’s Penn Station to a much-needed state of good repair by making vital core and shell improvements to polish the station’s appearance and increase overall functionality,” said Amtrak Executive Vice President, Strategy, Planning and Accessibility Dennis Newman. “Once it is fully renovated and repurposed, Penn Station will serve as the prominent anchor for all future development that springs up on the adjacent properties while remaining the lively beating heart of the vibrant surrounding neighborhoods. We appreciate the support of Baltimore and the surrounding community during this transitional period as we work together to improve and preserve this treasured landmark.”
Essential core and shell improvements, tentatively scheduled to start in Summer 2022, include masonry repairs, existing window refurbishment, a new roof, new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems as well as updated elevators, stairs and ramps.
“Watching this scaffolding go up and seeing this transformation start to unfold right before our eyes is an exciting development and a signal to everyone who passes through here that Penn Station’s best days are yet to come,” said Tim Pula, vice president of community development for Beatty Development Group. “We thank Amtrak and all of our local, state and federal partners for their continued collaboration and support. Together we will realize the full potential of this station not only as a major transportation hub and gateway to Baltimore City, but as an anchor for the equitable and socially responsible future growth of the surrounding neighborhoods.” .....................(more)
https://www.masstransitmag.com/technology/facilities/press-release/21258668/amtrak-amtrak-penn-station-partners-begin-baltimore-penn-station-construction
Amtrak, Penn Station Partners begin Baltimore Penn Station construction
Amtrak, Penn Station Partners begin Baltimore Penn Station construction
The full historic preservation and state-of-the-art redevelopment of the city’s main transportation hub is now under way.
March 1, 2022
Construction has commenced at Baltimore Penn Station with Amtrak and Penn Station Partners, the Baltimore-based global development team leading the transformation of the city’s main transportation hub, installing scaffolding, fencing and materials around the station exterior.
“Amtrak and the Penn Station Partners team are returning Baltimore’s Penn Station to a much-needed state of good repair by making vital core and shell improvements to polish the station’s appearance and increase overall functionality,” said Amtrak Executive Vice President, Strategy, Planning and Accessibility Dennis Newman. “Once it is fully renovated and repurposed, Penn Station will serve as the prominent anchor for all future development that springs up on the adjacent properties while remaining the lively beating heart of the vibrant surrounding neighborhoods. We appreciate the support of Baltimore and the surrounding community during this transitional period as we work together to improve and preserve this treasured landmark.”
Essential core and shell improvements, tentatively scheduled to start in Summer 2022, include masonry repairs, existing window refurbishment, a new roof, new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems as well as updated elevators, stairs and ramps.
“Watching this scaffolding go up and seeing this transformation start to unfold right before our eyes is an exciting development and a signal to everyone who passes through here that Penn Station’s best days are yet to come,” said Tim Pula, vice president of community development for Beatty Development Group. “We thank Amtrak and all of our local, state and federal partners for their continued collaboration and support. Together we will realize the full potential of this station not only as a major transportation hub and gateway to Baltimore City, but as an anchor for the equitable and socially responsible future growth of the surrounding neighborhoods.” .....................(more)
https://www.masstransitmag.com/technology/facilities/press-release/21258668/amtrak-amtrak-penn-station-partners-begin-baltimore-penn-station-construction
March 2, 2022
It’s time to confront the Trump-Putin network
Rebecca Solnit
A stunning number of Trump’s closest associates had deep ties to the Kremlin. The significance of this cannot be overstated
Wed 2 Mar 2022 06.22 EST
(Guardian UK) In 2014, the Putin regime invaded Ukraine’s Crimea. In 2016, the same regime invaded the United States. The former took place as a conventional military operation; the latter was a spectacular case of cyberwarfare, including disinformation that it was happening at all and promulgation of a lot of talking points still devoutly repeated by many. It was a vast social-media influencing project that took many forms as it sought to sow discord and confusion, even attempting to dissuade Black voters from voting.
Additionally, Russian intelligence targeted voter rolls in all 50 states, which is not thought to have had consequences, but demonstrated the reach and ambition of online interference. This weekend, British investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr said on Twitter, “We failed to acknowledge Russia had staged a military attack on the West. We called it ’meddling.’ We used words like ‘interference.’ It wasn’t. It was warfare. We’ve been under military attack for eight years now.”
As she notes, Putin’s minions were not only directing their attention to the United States, and included pro-Brexit efforts and support for France’s far-right racist National Front party. The US interference – you could call it cyberwarfare, or informational invasion – took many forms. Stunningly, a number of left-wing news sources and pundits devoted themselves to denying the reality of the intervention and calling those who were hostile to the Putin regime cold-war red-scare right-wingers, as if contemporary Russia was a glorious socialist republic rather than a country ruled by a dictatorial ex-KGB agent with a record of murdering journalists, imprisoning dissenters, embezzling tens of billions and leading a global neofascist white supremacist revival. In discrediting the news stories and attacking critics of the Russian government, they provided crucial cover for Trump.
In her 2019 testimony to House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, former National Security Agency staffer Fiona Hill declared, “Russia was the foreign power that systematically attacked our democratic institutions in 2016. This is the public conclusion of our intelligence agencies, confirmed in bipartisan congressional reports. It is beyond dispute, even if some of the underlying details must remain classified. The impact of the successful 2016 Russian campaign remains evident today. Our nation is being torn apart; truth is questioned; our highly professional expert career Foreign Service is being undermined. US support for Ukraine, which continues to face armed aggression, is being politicized. President Putin and the Russian security services aim to counter US foreign policy objectives in Europe, including in Ukraine, where Moscow wishes to reassert political and economic dominance.” ................(more)
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/02/time-to-confront-trump-putin-network
It's time to confront the Trump-Putin network
It’s time to confront the Trump-Putin network
Rebecca Solnit
A stunning number of Trump’s closest associates had deep ties to the Kremlin. The significance of this cannot be overstated
Wed 2 Mar 2022 06.22 EST
(Guardian UK) In 2014, the Putin regime invaded Ukraine’s Crimea. In 2016, the same regime invaded the United States. The former took place as a conventional military operation; the latter was a spectacular case of cyberwarfare, including disinformation that it was happening at all and promulgation of a lot of talking points still devoutly repeated by many. It was a vast social-media influencing project that took many forms as it sought to sow discord and confusion, even attempting to dissuade Black voters from voting.
Additionally, Russian intelligence targeted voter rolls in all 50 states, which is not thought to have had consequences, but demonstrated the reach and ambition of online interference. This weekend, British investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr said on Twitter, “We failed to acknowledge Russia had staged a military attack on the West. We called it ’meddling.’ We used words like ‘interference.’ It wasn’t. It was warfare. We’ve been under military attack for eight years now.”
As she notes, Putin’s minions were not only directing their attention to the United States, and included pro-Brexit efforts and support for France’s far-right racist National Front party. The US interference – you could call it cyberwarfare, or informational invasion – took many forms. Stunningly, a number of left-wing news sources and pundits devoted themselves to denying the reality of the intervention and calling those who were hostile to the Putin regime cold-war red-scare right-wingers, as if contemporary Russia was a glorious socialist republic rather than a country ruled by a dictatorial ex-KGB agent with a record of murdering journalists, imprisoning dissenters, embezzling tens of billions and leading a global neofascist white supremacist revival. In discrediting the news stories and attacking critics of the Russian government, they provided crucial cover for Trump.
In her 2019 testimony to House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, former National Security Agency staffer Fiona Hill declared, “Russia was the foreign power that systematically attacked our democratic institutions in 2016. This is the public conclusion of our intelligence agencies, confirmed in bipartisan congressional reports. It is beyond dispute, even if some of the underlying details must remain classified. The impact of the successful 2016 Russian campaign remains evident today. Our nation is being torn apart; truth is questioned; our highly professional expert career Foreign Service is being undermined. US support for Ukraine, which continues to face armed aggression, is being politicized. President Putin and the Russian security services aim to counter US foreign policy objectives in Europe, including in Ukraine, where Moscow wishes to reassert political and economic dominance.” ................(more)
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/02/time-to-confront-trump-putin-network
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