Cardin: Russia's election meddling is 'an act of war'

[DonViejo]

Source: Politico




By LOUIS NELSON 11/01/2017 11:03 AM EDT

Russian efforts to interfere in last year’s presidential election amount to “an act of war,” Sen. Ben Cardin said Wednesday, and to question otherwise plays right into Russia’s hands.

“You’re falling into Russia’s trap. Russia is spending money in this country to convince us that this is nothing more than what’s been done since the beginning of time,” Cardin (D-Md.) said Wednesday at an event hosted by the National Democratic Institute. “It’s a conscientious effort to say ‘we all so this, so why is America getting upset?’ And we’re falling trap to it because we’re giving legitimacy to this.”

“Cyber is an attack against our country. When you use cyber in an affirmative way to compromise our democratic, free election system, that’s an attack against America,” he continued. “It’s an act of war. It is an act of war.”

That Russia sought to interfere in last year’s presidential election, an allegation it denies, has been the assessment of the U.S. intelligence community dating back to last year. The FBI, CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence all concluded that the Kremlin’s efforts were aimed at the candidacy of President Donald Trump, who held warmer positions towards Russia during the campaign, and harming that of Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/01/russia-meddling-us-elections-ndi-event-244414

[ck4829]

1. Cold War II is here. Denying it exists only helps Putin

That being said, we need to make a distinction between "Putin" and "Russia"

Remember that liberal and progressive Russians and moderate Russians also opposed to Putin are not our allies... they are our brothers and sisters. We need to help them and we need to listen to them when they warn us of creeping authoritarianism.

Putinists tried to steer issues, but it doesn't make them wrong. Black Lives Matter is still right. The "pro-Muslim" pages they also made were made for the perceptions of Islamophobes from what I gather. We need to remember that.

[Raster]

3. Excellent points, thank you.

[Raster]

2. If we had a real patriot and scholar as our Chief Executive, she/he would be on this like...

...white on rice. Cyberwar and cyber warfare ARE NOW FACTS OF LIFE. We must be able to defend our country and its citizens from all forms of attack. And the undisputed fact that Russia used their cyber warfare resources to attack our elections and electoral systems are beyond the pale. And to add insult to injury, under the tRump* "leadership" NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE to rectify the situation. Nothing. It's almost as if he wants Russia to be able to interfere with our elections.

[Botany]

4. PBS tonight Frontline: Putin's attack on our elections / NY Times that this presidency is a crime

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/


BRUTAL NY Times Op-Ed "The Plot Against America"


By Michelle Goldberg

Despite Trump’s hysterical denials and attempts at diversion, the question is no longer whether there was cooperation between Trump’s campaign and Russia, but how extensive it was.

In truth, that’s been clear for a while. If it’s sometimes hard to grasp the Trump campaign’s conspiracy against our democracy, it’s due less to lack of proof than to the impudent improbability of its B-movie plotline. Monday’s indictments offer evidence of things that Washington already knows but pretends to forget. Trump, more gangster than entrepreneur, has long surrounded himself with bottom-feeding scum, and for all his nationalist bluster, his campaign was a vehicle for Russian subversion.

So here’s where we are. Trump put Manafort, an accused money-launderer and unregistered foreign agent, in charge of his campaign. Under Manafort’s watch, the campaign made at least two attempts to get compromising information about Clinton from Russia. Russia, in turn, provided hacked Democratic emails to WikiLeaks.

We’ve had a year of recriminations over the Clinton campaign’s failings, but Trump clawed out his minority victory only with the aid of a foreign intelligence service. On Monday we finally got indictments, but it’s been obvious for a year that this presidency is a crime.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/10/30/opinion/mueller-manafort-indictment.html

[dalton99a]

8. +1

[Maven]

5. Yes, it is an act of war, and those who aid our enemy should be treated as traitors.

To do otherwise is also playing right into Russia's hands.

[Imajika]

6. No, it is not an act of war...

This stuff is completely irresponsible.

The Soviet Union and then Russian Federation have been trying to influence our elections forever (as well as those in other countries), and we have been trying to influence Russian elections (as well as elections elsewhere) for a very, very, very long time.

That doesn't minimize or excuse a candidate or party actively colluding with a foreign power to win an election, but even that is sketchy. It is not illegal to meet with foreign governments while running for office. Trump flat out asked Russia to release these phantom Hillary emails if they had them - and that isn't illegal either.

No, we are not a war with Russia. No, Russia did not commit an act of war for doing the same thing we do all the time. And no, I am not even sure that the fairly obvious collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia is even illegal. Hopefully they broke laws so we can get rid of Trump, but I really wonder if people aren't getting way, way ahead of themselves with this investigation.

[ck4829]

10. We're not at war with Russia

Last edited Wed Nov 1, 2017, 04:44 PM - Edit history (1)

But Putin and his band of thieves and butchers are at war against us and people in Russia trying to expose and resist them.

[rockfordfile]

11. You sound like a person that watches Fox News

[bluestarone]

13. absolutely

1000% i'm ignoring him this day on for sure

[Fla Dem]

7. According to U.S.Code, maybe not "act of war", but could be "International Terrorism"

(1) the term “international terrorism” means activities that—

(A) involve violent acts or acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State, or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or of any State;

(B) appear to be intended—
(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;
(ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or

(iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and

(C) occur primarily outside the territorial jurisdiction of the United States, or transcend national boundaries in terms of the means by which they are accomplished, the persons they appear intended to intimidate or coerce, or the locale in which their perpetrators operate or seek asylum;
(2) the term “national of the United States” has the meaning given such term in section 101(a)(22) of the Immigration and Nationality Act;

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2331

[lindysalsagal]

9. Should be screamed from the Capitol steps daily!

[Gothmog]

12. I agree with Senator Cardin's analysis

[bluestarone]

14. absolutely

1000% agree