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Anonymous Leaks to the WashPost About the CIAs Russia Beliefs Are No Substitute for EvidenceGlenn Greenwald
The Intercept
Deep down in its article, the Post notes rather critically that there were minor disagreements among intelligence officials about the agencys assessment, in part because some questions remain unanswered. Most importantly, the Post adds that intelligence agencies do not have specific intelligence showing officials in the Kremlin directing the identified individuals to pass the Democratic emails to WikiLeaks. But the purpose of both anonymous leaks is to finger the Russian government for these hacks, acting with the motive to defeat Hillary Clinton.
There is still no such evidence for any of these claims. What we have instead are assertions, disseminated by anonymous people, completely unaccompanied by any evidence, let alone proof. As a result, none of the purported evidence still can be publicly seen, reviewed, or discussed. Anonymous claims leaked to newspapers about what the CIA believes do not constitute proof, and certainly do not constitute reliable evidence that substitutes for actual evidence that can be reviewed. Have we really not learned this lesson yet?
Needless to say, questions about who hacked the DNC and Podesta email accounts are serious and important ones. The answers have widespread implications on many levels. Thats all the more reason these debates should be based on publicly disclosed evidence, not competing, unverifiable anonymous leaks from professional liars inside government agencies, cheered by drooling, lost partisans anxious to embrace whatever claims make them feel good, all conducted without the slightest regard for rational faculties or evidentiary requirements.
Good article from Greenwald. Of course he's not saying that Russia didn't try to affect the election, but he is right that there has been no evidence put forward that anyone could review. I think we may all want to step back from the ledge. We can't demand an new election or that electors change their votes because the CIA said so.
If there is compelling proof, the CIA should quit with the whisper campaign and the Obama administration should release something. Let's see what the investigation turns up before we lose our freaking minds.
annabanana
(52,791 posts)portlander23
(2,078 posts)uponit7771
(90,367 posts)charlyvi
(6,537 posts)Greenwald does not look at facts then come to an opinion. He basically forms an opinion and gathers facts to support it. He says so himself. Calls it an "adversarial" point of view. He's also misogynistic as hell, though that doesn't have anything to do with the Russian hack.
OilemFirchen
(7,143 posts)His entire miserable portfolio is rife with "anonymous sources".
m-lekktor
(3,675 posts)enough
(13,264 posts)A lot of people on DU dislike Greenwald because he has been critical of Obama and Hillary. They don't seem to remember that he was one of the clearest, smartest, and most dedicated critics of GW Bush and his administration since the "election" of 2000. He was also a tireless critic of that electoral debacle.
The idea that you stop trusting a reporter because he or she says things critical of "our team" is the saddest thing I see on DU.
pnwmom
(109,009 posts)heavily criticized Obama and Hillary.
Libertarians believe in an economic policy that is the opposite of socialism. They aren't allies just because they opposed Bush, too.
And Greenwald was a big proponent of Snowden, who's living in Russia now, after leaking US secrets to China and Russia.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(108,304 posts)Glenn Greenwald is also a Rand Paulite.
pnwmom
(109,009 posts)since he's a libertarian and the libertarian economic philosophy is the opposite of socialism.
LonePirate
(13,431 posts)portlander23
(2,078 posts)I'm not saying there isn't a report and not saying that Russia didn't act, but do we actually have something that can be verified?
annabanana
(52,791 posts)Tarheel_Dem
(31,245 posts)still_one
(92,454 posts)Tarheel_Dem
(31,245 posts)opinion in the US. 'What, Russia steal an election? Oh, that can't possibly be true.' Good luck to Angela Merkel in fighting against the Red Tide.
still_one
(92,454 posts)KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)And was either duped by Russia/Snowden or knowingly helped them.
uponit7771
(90,367 posts)boston bean
(36,224 posts)JI7
(89,279 posts)Abu Pepe
(637 posts)I am convinced.
What a stooge.
kentuck
(111,110 posts)regrettably.
Charles Bukowski
(1,132 posts)Intel agencies that say Russia was behind the hacks?
still_one
(92,454 posts)Response to portlander23 (Original post)
Ilsa This message was self-deleted by its author.
rzemanfl
(29,573 posts)Shit. I just have to accept the fact people elected a moron dictator who is filling his cabinet with millionaires and billionaires. Congress wants to cut my Social Security. I probably don't deserve it-I only paid in since 1964. I shouldn't be so greedy, that's for the oligarchs.
Shame on me.
Odd though, that the "gang of twelve" had a meeting about all this speculative bullshit.
malaise
(269,219 posts)Rec
still_one
(92,454 posts)SubjectiveLife78
(67 posts)The right, it's alright with Russia and Putin somehow. The left, in terms of the CIA, that agency that we don't really like or trust because it's overthrown all those governments, and who knows what the hell else, well if they say so, then it's all good.
Barack_America
(28,876 posts)I'm sure you have very intimate, first-hand knowledge of this.
blue neen
(12,334 posts)Screw that. Glenn Greenwald? Screw him.
Not a credible, believable, or discerning source at all. Go peddle this somewhere else.
pnwmom
(109,009 posts)Democrats. We shouldn't be posting him here, or the Intercept.
underthematrix
(5,811 posts)leaks were not anonymous. They were intelligence officials. And let him know that I know that he knows how this works.
triron
(22,026 posts)which delegitimize Trump?
JTFrog
(14,274 posts)Takket
(21,644 posts)I want Obama to have every scrap of evidence put out there, and then I want the american public to start pressuring the electors to undo this travesty on December 19th.
Dr Hobbitstein
(6,568 posts)Libertarian fuckwit loves him some Putin.
ecstatic
(32,745 posts)after everything that's happened thus far?!? Are people still not seeing the connection here? Where did Snowden run to when shit hit the fan? Who gave him asylum? Who was his biggest advocate and cheerleader? Who empowered him and made sure his propaganda reached gullible souls in the U.S.?