Category Archives: Global Politics

Russian troll factory hiring for new anti-U.S. operation; biggest danger is not to America | Trudy Rubin

The troll factory’s original purpose, starting in 2014, seems to have been to shape the thinking of ordinary Russian, by viciously attacking domestic opposition activists and fueling public hostility towards Ukraine – and towards the United States.

Source: Russian troll factory hiring for new anti-U.S. operation; biggest danger is not to America | Trudy Rubin

Now that its secret internet project has been exposed,  the  troll factory will apparently focus more on open information warfare. Kremlin propaganda mills masquerading as  news agencies will try to insert anti-American propaganda into U.S. – and Russian – media.

Given the rising tensions between Moscow and Washington, I think the domestic trolling operation holds more potential threat to America – than any (over-hyped) efforts to subvert U.S. democracy. It promotes Kremlin efforts to convince Russians that the United States wants to destroy their country and start WWIII (enhancing similar messages on state-controlled TV).

The India I grew up in has gone. These rapes show a damaged, divided nation | Anuradha Roy | Opinion | The Guardian

Source: The India I grew up in has gone. These rapes show a damaged, divided nation | Anuradha Roy | Opinion | The Guardian

When the police in Jammu (the Hindu-dominated part of Kashmir) tried to register a charge against the men they had arrested, a Hindu nationalist mob threatened the few honest policemen and lawyers who were trying to do their jobs. The was a mob with a difference: it included government ministers, lawyers and women waving the national flag in favour of the arrested men, as well as supporters of the two major Indian parties, Congress and the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) – the party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Britain this week to attend the Commonwealth heads of government meeting.

A Palestinian mother’s open letter to Melania and Ivanka Trump

On the occasion of Mother’s Day in Palestine, one Palestinian mother discusses how teaching tolerance is becoming more difficult as American policies sow more divisions and violence. By Dalal Erakat Raising kids in Palestine is exhausting — not just physically but also mentally. For as soon as kids become aware of the reality surrounding them, at around the age of three or four, every Palestinian mother must find explanations to help them comprehend what’s going on around them. [tmwinpost] Even a simple trip from the West Bank to Jerusalem requires a strategic plan, especially after Mr. Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem…

Source: A Palestinian mother’s open letter to Melania and Ivanka Trump

Cambridge Analytica execs boast of role in getting Trump elected | UK news | The Guardian

Source: Cambridge Analytica execs boast of role in getting Trump elected | UK news | The Guardian

In secretly recorded conversations, Cambridge Analytica’s CEO, Alexander Nix, claimed he had met Trump “many times”, while another senior member of staff said the firm was behind the “defeat crooked Hillary” advertising campaign.

“We just put information into the bloodstream of the internet and then watch it grow, give it a little push every now and again over time to watch it take shape,” said the executive. “And so this stuff infiltrates the online community, but with no branding, so it’s unattributable, untrackable.”

Caught on camera by an undercover team from Channel 4 News, Nix was also dismissive of Democrats on the House intelligence committee, who had questioned him over Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign.

Senior managers then appeared to suggest that in their work for US clients, there was planned division of work between official campaigns and unaffiliated “political action groups”.

Andrew McCabe’s statement: Former FBI Deputy Director speaks out – Vox

Source: Andrew McCabe’s statement: Former FBI Deputy Director speaks out – Vox

This attack on my credibility is one part of a larger effort not just to slander me personally, but to taint the FBI, law enforcement, and intelligence professionals more generally. It is part of this Administration’s ongoing war on the FBI and the efforts of the Special Counsel investigation, which continue to this day. Their persistence in this campaign only highlights the importance of the Special Counsel’s work.

Spy poisoning: why Putin may have engineered gruesome calling card | UK news | The Guardian

Source: Spy poisoning: why Putin may have engineered gruesome calling card | UK news | The Guardian

The Skripal attack also appears to have been calculated for its domestic impact. It sends a chilling message to anyone from inside Russia’s spy agencies and bureaucracy thinking of cooperating with western intelligence. The message: that the state can mete out punishment at its own pleasure and in the most barbaric way. Oh, and your family might suffer too.

Moscow’s covert operation to support Trump during the 2016 US election was a large enterprise. It involved career intelligence officers, cyber-criminals and professional trolls. Only Putin and a few top officials know its full scope. But a wider group of individuals understand parts.

Anyone thinking of cooperating with Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating collusion, will think twice.

(1) Pussy Riot & Dave Sitek – Bad Apples – YouTube

you thought that i just made this for the club / no way i got this microphone to wake you up / and say that i can do just what i want right here / today and i don’t hear those sirens anyway / ok damn fools drunk on power dirty thieves, tiny cowards you wouldn’t act like this in front of your kids / NO ! you wouldn’t act like this in front of your kids / NO ! you say that you don’t like my attitude / it’s true i made its just for me and not for you / boo hoo you can cry until your face turns blue / you knew that i would be the one to watch you lose / woo hoo your back’s against the wall what will you do? doo doo i would join our gang if i were you / oo oo we always stick together like a glue / it’s true there are many more of us than you damn fools drunk on power dirty thieves, tiny cowards you wouldn’t act like this in front of your kids / NO ! you wouldn’t act like this in front of your kids / NO ! bad apples are good for something when’re 6 feet underground x2 killer cops – lock em up the death machine – just lock it up all this violence – lock it up the rest of us have had enough hatred – lock it up populism – lock it up fuck corruption – lock it up enough bad apples are good for something when’re 6 feet underground x2 no! don’t need no bad apples no! won’t eat those bad apples