Noam Chomsky on Russiagate

[samplegirl]

https://www.democracynow.org/2019/4/18/chomsky_by_focusing_on_russia_democrats

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. What a bunch of crap.

In fact, you know, Russian interference in the election, if it existed, was very slight, much less, say, than interference by, say, Israel. Israel, the prime minister, Netanyahu, goes to Congress and talks to a joint session of Congress, without even informing the White House, to attack Obama’s policies. I mean, that’s dramatic interference with elections. Whatever the Russians tried, it’s not going to be anything like that. And, in fact, there’s no interference in elections that begins to compare with campaign funding. Remember that campaign funding alone gives you a very high prediction of electoral outcome. It’s, again, Tom Ferguson’s major work which has shown this very persuasively. That’s massive interference in elections. Anything the Russians might have done is going to be, you know, peanuts in comparison. As far as Trump collusion with the Russians, that was never going to amount to anything more than minor corruption, maybe building a Trump hotel in Red Square or something like that, but nothing of any significance.

Bob Mueller, after extensive investigation, would beg to differ.

[PSPS]

3. Chomsky seems to have missed the overall picture here. This was a multi-pronged influence campaign.

Last edited Mon Apr 22, 2019, 02:53 PM - Edit history (1)

Trump solicited and received huge sums of dark money from foreign nationals, including russians. Some funneled through secret groups, some funneled through other avenues like the NRA. All of this is illegal. Trump's bizarre but consistent deference to putin indicates russia is his biggest benefactor here.

Chomsky also dismisses the effect of social media and that could be due his age. He only needs to look at the effect social media plays in the "yellow vest protests" in France to see how that works.

[samplegirl]

2. I don't care what trumps ratings are

Russia is preparing now for 2020 and there is
no shortage of the stupid populous!

[jalan48]

4. Good analysis. We're not going to win the next election if Russia is our major focus.

"And, in fact, there’s no interference in elections that begins to compare with campaign funding. Remember that campaign funding alone gives you a very high prediction of electoral outcome. It’s, again, Tom Ferguson’s major work which has shown this very persuasively. That’s massive interference in elections.


The Democrats invested everything in this issue.(Russia) Well, turned out there was nothing much there. They gave Trump a huge gift. In fact, they may have handed him the next election. That’s just a—that’s a matter of being so unwilling to deal with fundamental issues, that they’re looking for something on the side that will somehow give political success. The real issues are different things. They’re things like climate change, like global warming, like the Nuclear Posture Review, deregulation. These are real issues. But the Democrats aren’t going after those. They’re looking for something else.."

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. It's crap. The Mueller report detailed how extensive and pervasive Russia's interference was

and continues to be. The reason the Dems keep talking about it isn't just because the Russians helped Trump (whether or not there was sufficient evidence of the federal crime of conspiracy) but because Trump's government continues to refuse to address the problem at all. It's possible to consider climate change, health care, etc., while at the same time tackling the very real problem of cyber attacks on our election system, which remains completely vulnerable. Chomsky is just another apologist for the Russians (and sometimes Trump) like Glenn Greenwald, who for reasons best known to them don't want to acknowledge that this is going on.

[jalan48]

13. It's not crap at all. If the Dems get Trump on anything it will be obstruction or money

laundering, not Russian interference in out elections. As Chomsky points out,

And, I should say, the Democrats are helping him. They are. Take the focus on Russiagate. What’s that all about? I mean, it was pretty obvious at the beginning that you’re not going to find anything very serious about Russian interference in elections. I mean, for one thing, it’s undetectable. I mean, in the 2016 election, the Senate and the House went the same way as the executive, but nobody claims there was Russian interference there. In fact, you know, Russian interference in the election, if it existed, was very slight, much less, say, than interference by, say, Israel. Israel, the prime minister, Netanyahu, goes to Congress and talks to a joint session of Congress, without even informing the White House, to attack Obama’s policies. I mean, that’s dramatic interference with elections.

[anarch]

6. "Russiagate" is not by any means the sole reason to impeach the fucker

But I do think Chomsky underestimates the extent of the corruption and misdeeds involved.

[lapucelle]

7. Poor Professor Chomsky.

It's terrible to see him exploited like this.

[mahina]

8. I thought it was a very good interview. He nailed Republican politics.

Hawk anti-abortion, xenophobia and guns to the people
to get elected but work for the 1% with tax cuts and deregulation.

It’s not news but he summarized it well.

He may be one of the only people who could say that focusing on the Russian aspect could have cost to us politically, whom I wouldn’t suspect of shilling for the right.

[triron]

11. You come off as ill-informed as Chomsky about Russian attacks on our election system.

[mahina]

14. Did you read my post? Did you listen to the interview?

Charmed.

[Blue_Tires]

9. Chomsky has lost the plot

And what the hell happened to Democracy Now?

[maxsolomon]

12. They have a soft spot for Chomsky and Greenwald

They're both opposed to the "Deep State" and understand how it actually works (not how Trump or Bannon think).

Noam is 90.

Neither he nor Greenwald have anything but Analysis to offer. No synthesis, no realpolitik suggestions for how to move forward.

[Blue_Tires]

15. Why the hell is Greenwald on that show every other day?

Pierre Omdiyar gave him TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS to build his own media empire. Even a brain-dead coward like Greenwald could have started his own cable news network with that kind of jack...

[triron]

10. Clearly he is ill-informed about this.

He is a very smart man but his statements about Russian interference are assinine.

[Blue_Tires]

16. And what does it mean when a supposedly

intelligent man knowingly spouts something he knows to not be true?