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"If you were to ask me what the key risk in the 2020 election is, I would say it's not deepfakes," said Kathryn Harrison, the founder and CEO of the DeepTrust Alliance, a coalition fighting deepfakes and other kinds of digital disinformation (that is: intentional, malicious false info). "It's actually going to be a true video that will pop up in late October that we won't be able to prove [whether] it's true or false."
This is the bigger, more devious threat, what's known as the Liar's Dividend. The term, popular in deepfake-research circles, means the mere existence of deepfakes gives more credibility to denials. Essentially, deepfakes make it easier for candidates caught on tape to convince voters of their innocence -- even if they're guilty -- because people have learned they can't believe their eyes anymore.
[...] "I don't think anyone's going to see a piece of video content, real or fake, and suddenly change their vote on Election Day," said Clint Watts, distinguished research fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute who testified to Congress last year about deepfakes and national security. "Trying to convince people Joe Biden touches people too much or whatever….I don't see how people's opinions can be really shaped in this media environment with that."
What worries him more are deepfakes that undermine election integrity -- like an authoritative figure reporting misinformation about turnout, polling site disruptions or voting machines changing your ballot.
Another worry: Deepfakes could destabilize the vote on US soil by causing havoc at a US outpost abroad. Imagine a fake that triggers an attack like the one on the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012, which became a political flashpoint in the US. State actors like China or Russia, for example, could find an effective strategy in forged videos that endanger US soldiers or US diplomats, particularly in war-torn regions or countries ruled by a dictator, where populations are already struggling to separate truth from propaganda and rumor.
[...] No matter what form an election deepfake tries to take, the time to be on highest alert is right before you cast your vote.
"If it happens 48 hours out of the Election Day," Watts said, "we may not have a chance to fix it."
(Score: 5, Insightful) by edIII on Tuesday May 05 2020, @01:19AM (36 children)
Voting never made a difference anyways. Only thing that will make a difference is killing every Republican Senator with hanging by the neck, which is entirely legally appropriate for those guilty of treason against the former United States Of America.
Country already died when they refused to even call witnesses to a trial. Ironic that this article is about trust huh? How can Trump possibly be innocent when those who are Constitutionally charged with providing America justice refuse to even call witnesses?
The rest of the world knows this too. Which is why we are now a laughing stock of a Banana Republic with a demented childish dictator leading a political party that couldn't deal with reality and facts if their lives depended on it. They're literally immune to facts.
Trust the elections? Most people now have zero trust in the entire working processes of the country. I'm oddly reminded of the thugs and hooligans involved in the "thug culture" that predisposes them to live on the outside of society, since society itself is broken and never serves their interest. I really get their position now.
Why work? Why pay taxes? Why play the Man's games at all? We're never represented, always abused, with no way of getting ahead. Fuck voting. It's better just to figure out how to switch to crime, take whatever you can, and survive. If possible at all, escape the corpse with whatever resources you have to some other country. It will either be you in servitude with no hope of a good life, or you become the lion to survive. When lions are hungry, the fucking lion eats. Only rule that will exist in the wasteland that is now America.
What's my choice again? Biden or Trump? Choose between two rapists and creepy old white dudes? Choose the status quo Democrat dipshit, or the quasi-Republican sociopathic childish monster that will continue to permanently stain the soul of our country with concentration camps for children?
Nah. Fuck it. America had its time, and now is the inevitability of the decline into lawlessness, poverty, and general third world shit-hole methods of operation.
Elections would matter in the United States Of America. There is nothing united about America anymore, our honor and virtue gone forever after running concentration camps for children, and all credibility with the world lost when we refused to bring accountability to the leaders that never represented us.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @01:25AM (4 children)
This. But with Democrats.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @01:30AM (1 child)
...of the population that voted for them.
With the newfound space and freedom the rest of us can get busy repopulating the country, or giving it back to its indigenous peoples with a better grasp of how to keep it out of foreign hands in the future :)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @06:58PM
that's correct. there's about 2% that are Real Americans. The rest are useful idiots and active subversives (cops, lawyers, legislators, etc).
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @03:14AM
This. But with bourgeoisie.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @04:48AM
Why Not Both?
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @04:25AM
Wrong. America is declining because we chose to give rights to darkies. It's a proven fact that darkies want to destroy America. Fools like you are letting them win.
I hate niggers, kikes, wetbacks, towelheads, chinks, injuns, dune coons, curry munchers, japs, gooks, pakis, and all other darkies. I hate darkies for the sole reason that they all hate America and are actively trying to destroy our country. My hate is strong and I'm damned proud of it. In fact, my hate is getting stronger as I talk to you people. However, I'm not racist, and there's nothing racist about my comment.
Democrats like you will try to discredit my comment by labeling me a racist. In fact, you're racist because you allow darkies to engage in lawlessness that would never be tolerated from a true American. Niggers prowl the streets of our cities, stealing our money and our goods, then murdering people with guns. Wetbacks smuggle contraband across our southern border, then take away our jobs. Kikes are greedy and are swindling us out of our hard-earned money at every turn. Injun reservations are hotbeds of crime and full of lazy drunk darkies. Sand niggers attacked us on 9/11, killing thousands of innocent Americans, then continued to plot additional terrorist attacks. Darkies are constantly attacking America because they hate us.
Our demise is because fools like you continue to tolerate darkies in our country. Of course, we all know you and the jap, Osama Hazuki, also truly hate America.
Go back to your country. We need to elect a President who will rid our country of darkies, not an idiot like Trump. Hillary was our last best chance to stop the rising threat of darkies within our country, but we foolishly elected Trump. I can only hope that Biden selects Hillary as his running mate, so maybe we could have some hope of purging our country of darkies.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @08:54AM (19 children)
Maybe you should think carefully how fucked up it will become because people like you are unwilling to get their lazy asses out to vote.
1. If you have a good idea, you can run for an office
2. If you don't have a good idea, maybe you could help someone that has a good idea
3. If you are not so much motivated, ok, then maybe just vote for the person with a good idea
4. If you are too fucking lazy and think everything will be whatever, at least vote in the general election where you can choose between "status quo" or "fucking psycho"?
5. If you are unwilling to even vote, then it's 100% on you. You are the enabler that allowed the crazy to take over.
Rome didn't fall in a day. It fell because of apathy over generations. And it didn't stop falling for a millennia.
Afghanistan or Somalia style lawlessness is now aspiration of Americans?
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday May 05 2020, @12:55PM (17 children)
So what if President Trump is a terrible president. There are lawful ways to get rid of him that work. Use those rather than whine about ineffective they allegedly are.
(Score: 3, Informative) by bussdriver on Tuesday May 05 2020, @06:26PM (4 children)
You are not smart enough, you should post anonymously to avoid outing yourself. Not that this will change your mind since you are likely so confident you can't see it.
Biden had nothing to do with the crime Trump was 100% guilty of. The excuse was not at all relevant. Trump had zero right to withhold evidence; which is the same obstruction crime that mobsters use to prevent themselves from being convicted of the serious crimes; that and also tax evasion -- because they clearly are mobsters but because they keep their crimes so secret they avoid taxes on their illegal actions that is all you can get them on. Oh, we also have Trump ILLEGALLY withholding all his taxes. That law is clear cut and obvious, you can read it yourself.
There is so much blatant corruption going on and the media can't pick something and do it's job; a new distraction happens every day. Literally 100,000 people will die mostly due to Trump and he is getting away with it, by distraction and the apathy and gullibility of the voting public.
(Score: 2, Touché) by khallow on Tuesday May 05 2020, @08:34PM (2 children)
Withhold evidence of what crime?
Well, something that actually looks like it has some evidence [vox.com] for it. Though those particular shenanigans appeared to have ended in the mid 1990s. But maybe there's similar transfers of wealth to Trump's children?
Evidence?
Evidence? I notice that a large portion of those people will be from Democrat-run states which didn't do their jobs either (for example, 12k deaths so far in New York City).
I don't mind demanding assuming existence of wrong-doing under circumstances of opaque government operation or lack of accountability. But this is probably the best monitored presidency in a few generations, and well, you just don't have a lot of dirt to reflect the claims you're making.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 06 2020, @04:12PM (1 child)
Wow, dumber than we all thought.
Pay no mind to Trump saying he will release them, the subpoenas for them, or the criiminal running the DOJ who got those convinced the next WH to let off the treasonous Iran Contra bastards. Have you no spine? Or just that much of a political cuckold?
Wow, you got even more dumb within the span of a single post! Someone call Guinness.
Holy hell, HAT TRICK! Khallow, you win the game of ignorant stupidity. Congrats pal!
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday May 07 2020, @01:47PM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @10:33PM
You really should do your research on the Biden family and the corruption in Ukraine during the Obama years.
Just who installed the "US friendly" politicians in Ukraine?
"Biden had nothing to do ..." are you serious?
It should be pretty apparent that both Democrooks and Republocrooks are just as bad --
its past time to get rid of all corrupted polictical entities.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by edIII on Tuesday May 05 2020, @06:34PM (11 children)
You're wrong on this one. This particular situation showed that the entire system of checks and balances fail.
Trump is 100% guilty just based on his own statements, and you can't seriously be saying that you can have a real trial with no witnesses.
That was THE abject failure of the whole system, and the moment it died. It's absolutely treason when you actively cover up a crime and refuse to let the wheels of justice turn.
That's whataboutitism. Biden has nothing to do with the corruption and crime that Trump committed. There is absolutely 100% zero excuse for what Trump did, regardless of whether or not Biden/Hunter are guilty. If they were guilty, there were so many other legal ways to do it. Don't you understand that? Your question can easily be reworked to question why we would have a trial for a dirty cop, when it might let a different criminal off the hook. What does that other criminal have to do with the price of fish again? Nothing. You still put the dirty cop on trial, and when you refuse to put the dirty cop on trial for such a bullshit excuse, the whole system just failed.
There are no lawful ways left to get rid of this President, other than a bullet in his head. When the Republican Senators refused to call witnesses, what they refused was justice itself. Whether or not you and I agree, we both know the country is now 100% fractured because of it.
How many Americans now have zero trust in the process? Yeah, exactly.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 3, Informative) by khallow on Tuesday May 05 2020, @08:05PM (10 children)
I notice that there's a lot of people talking in this thread about the "crime", but they can't even say what it is. It's some vague, alleged violation of the executive version of the emoluments clause. The problem here is that Hunter Biden's possible shenanigans (and more importantly, the possible involvement of his father while serving as Vice President of the US) qualify as being in the national interest and hence, something for a US president with broad powers of interacting with other countries and their heads of state to put in a phone call to another head of state.
And a missile system for an investigation into possible misdoings by a past Vice President sounds like a good deal to me.
Or voting him out of office in 2020, or waiting till early 2025. It's quite lawful.
(Score: 4, Informative) by edIII on Tuesday May 05 2020, @08:32PM (9 children)
My apologies. I didn't know you needed such clear reality spelled out. Seriously, this is the part that amazes me, simply as a matter of human perception and decision making. I mean, Really?
Ok. What Trump did wrong was the Quid Pro Quo. Instead of handing it to the appropriate bodies in Congress to investigate, he decided to be a mafia don and hold back financial aid till he got what he wanted. There is more than enough evidence for this, but all the witnesses and evidence was suppressed. The best evidence is from the mouth of Orange Anus itself. It's not a question of whether or not he withheld aid from the Ukraine till they agreed to publicly state Biden was under investigation. We all know this is true, and Orange Anus is on video saying it. That's extremely clearly an attempt to manipulate elections, manipulate justice, and in general, perform corrupt actions not befitting the office of the President Of The United States.
You act like it's an appropriate thing to do, while ignoring the quid pro quo. No, it's not, and nothing makes it appropriate. Like I stated, the appropriate way to do it without any semblance of political machinations, is to publicly hand everything over (all the evidence you think you have, your suspicions) to Congressional bodies. Then it's not the President doing it, but the legally appointed bodies in Congress that conduct the investigations.
I would agree with you on this, if Trump never pushed the quid pro quo. If all Trump did was have a conversation with the guy, and said he believed Biden had possibly committed crimes and the Ukraine should investigate their corruption, then I would agree that it is a total nothing-burger. That's an appropriate thing to speak about it with another head of state, if still pretty unwise and stupid with a political rival. The best way to protect yourself, is not to be a vigilante, but involve law enforcement. Trump had a more than friendly Senate he could've passed the investigation to, and it would've likely been quite a partisan affair by itself. Yet, it still would not have been a crime, and it still could've been possible that they uncovered Biden's corruption and held a powerful person accountable.
Trump involved nobody but himself, demanded a specific outcome, and then withheld previously agreed upon military aid to a country with an extreme aggressor right next to it. There is nothing impartial about that, and nobody seriously believes this was an appropriate vehicle to deliver justice to anyone.
Yes, I love investigations and trials too to make powerful people accountable. That's why the impeachment trial should've removed Orange Anus from office. I'm not saying don't investigate Biden, and it's a false dichotomy to say we can't have both.
No, Trump still needs a bullet in the head. Justice was never delivered, the "court" was a complete farce, the facts are clear for everyone to see, and those charged with bringing justice, flagrantly, blatantly, and openly turned a blind eye to justice for purely political reasons.
That's why the system is broken. A person who clearly committed crimes in the highest office of the land wasn't removed, in an extremely polarized and partisan fashion. There are no more lawful ways to get rid of Trump, and we already used the method of last resort, the impeachment process. It failed, the Senators failed, the Congressmen failed, America failed.
We are a failed broken country sliding into decline. Period.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2, Informative) by khallow on Tuesday May 05 2020, @08:48PM (7 children)
Actually, yes, that is one of his many jobs. You can always amend the Constitution to reduce the latitude given to the President concerning such negotiations or reduce his power to investigate wrongdoing in Congress, but I would oppose both of those. Sorry, even existence of quid pro quo arrangements is not good enough. In particular, it's too easy to interpret any way you'd like. For example, quid pro quo is a standard diplomatic tactic in treaty making, and the President usually benefits politically from a successful treaty. So should we be throwing them into impeachment every time they make some quid pro quo arrangements in order to get a treaty because they'll personally benefit?
The specific outcome was an investigation not a conviction. Nobody has accused him of more than that. Given that it was in the national interest to investigate the two Bidens and an alleged key reason for why that investigation hadn't happened before was the elder Biden's alleged interference, I'm going to need more than just a quid pro quo arrangement to decide that Trump violated the respective emoluments clause.
Elections, of course, being the obvious and well mentioned counterexample.
(Score: 2) by edIII on Tuesday May 05 2020, @11:12PM (6 children)
100% disagree, and I couldn't disagree more in any measurable way known to science :)
Quid Pro Quo involving a political rival is 100% impeachable, it's dishonorable, it's unnecessary, it's unwise and stupid optics, and especially with Trump, it's an impossible time selling impartiality in the process to gain bipartisan support. Yes, we should be throwing them into impeachment each and every time they don't immediately inform Congress when it involves a political rival. Going with your assumption of glowing motives in the best interests of the country, it's entirely inappropriate for that to be kept secret from the public when it involves the election process. Whatever angle you want to look at this, it's inexcusable for Trump to have done what he did.
However, I don't think you're a rabid Trumpette, or suffer from the delusions those people have to support their side at all moral and ethical costs. So I respect your position.
The specific outcome was to sabotage an election process, which is why I don't believe Trump had any pure motives whatsoever. It was just a campaign trail Tuesday to him. The quid pro quo is more than enough for me, especially with all the blocking of all witnesses, the blocking of the trial. If the quid pro quo was innocent enough, then why can't we have the whole trial again? We suffered through how many different Hillary investigations in a search for the truth, but we can't suffer ONE investigation into Trump? If you can't talk about the truth, and it needs to be blockaded from testifying, loudly proclaimed to be unnecessary, than it isn't truth. It's providing shade and darkness for activities to be performed outside of the public, beyond accountability.
Only as a process in an intact and functional system. When the system is malfunctioning, the logic perverted, pathways and channels blocked, other processes or inputs must be considered. Like how the body selects fever as a response to infection. In this analogy, elections are no longer the appropriate process. Wholesale revolt, and replacement (repair) of the system is required, while isolating the infection and purging it from the system.
We may not agree on this, but for me the system failed so abjectly at the highest level, that I have no more faith in it at all. I used to have the faith that maybe the system could evolve, but not anymore. Not under the current conditions of corruption.
Only voting process that I'm interested in now is a single issue. Article 5 convention. That way we can amend the Constitution as you suggest, and you can oppose, and I can propose, and we can attempt to fix the checks and balances within it.
Otherwise, yeah, I'm out at the fringe now. Not interested in participating in the normal economy, or taxation without representation we have now. The extent of my contributions to the community will be extremely direct and local, with supporting food banks and the growing hordes of the unemployed shitting in the streets. So seriously, my contributions might be supporting "porta-potties" in the local communities.
That's it. You have my official vote of no confidence in the system, and a vote for wholesale replacement including firing of every politician simultaneously. You know, by paper, by email, by proclamation, by canon, by firing squad, .etc :)
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday May 06 2020, @12:57AM (5 children)
And NO BAG LIMIT. You want less corruption? This is how you get less corruption. Reward them for going after each other rather than just taking their place at the trough. Cultures of corruption work because few rat anyone out. When big fish start going after each other's misdeeds in public and in court, that creates the climate for a sea change to a less corrupt system as everyone exposes each others' criminal misdeeds in a spectacular nuclear exchange. That's why I just don't care about the optics. We're way beyond that. Look at you. There's some serious shit that looks attractive, because of how corrupt things are.
My take is that if things really are that bad, we need a house cleaning. Not a return to the status quo.
(Score: 2) by edIII on Wednesday May 06 2020, @01:01AM (4 children)
Well, that is something we 100% agree on.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 06 2020, @04:14PM (1 child)
Starting to think most of the conservative users around here are Russian agents. Seems a little far fetched, but the alternative is that they're reaaaaallly fucking dumb. Like unimaginably dumb.
Could that simply be the Fox News effect at work? Like, do their brains literally auto-filter out negative Trump press because "fake news!" or something?
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday May 07 2020, @04:19AM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 06 2020, @04:27PM (1 child)
Nothing says Russian shill like "well, in that case you should all kill each other" because while the sentiment "clean house of all corruption" sounds nice it is effectively just a way to kick of civil war.
Khallow's posts have taken on a new angle, and I for one do not trust it. Most likely he projections show Trump getting his ass handed to him even by Biden so the narrative is shifting to continue the division and chaos in the US.
Don't worry, I am totally comfortable with the possibility of Hanlon's razor.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday May 07 2020, @04:39AM
All Soylentils can read my words and decide for themselves. Meanwhile your posts can't be so read because you post anonymously. Let's remember that fundamental dishonesty in what follows.
Notice that nobody other than you, Mr AC said "well, in that case you should all kill each other". And is it coincidence that I get accused of being a Russian shill after I start criticizing some blatant Russian propaganda [soylentnews.org] on the Crimea?
And who here really believes that civil war could be kicked off by political foes taking out the most corruption on each side? Should I turn that same, peculiarly broken reasoning to Trump's impeachment? Are the House Democrats risking civil war by accusing Trump of crimes? Should they tread lightly, letting him get away with whatever because conflict is to be avoided at all costs?
(Score: 2) by Pav on Wednesday May 06 2020, @03:22PM
That's some top shelf delusion - yes, Trump is guilty of plenty, but not of "russiagate" (which has certainly been a moving target over the years), at least as presented in the mainstream left media where no credible alternate opinions are ever presented. Alternate media is better. Cenk (host on The Young Turks, and proprietor) is a genuine russiagater, and has been intellectually honest enough to debate others on the merits of russiagate. He has been forced to concede there was no quit-pro-quo... and also no truth to all the previous incarnations of russiagate right back to the pee tapes. Notice how the narrative shifted over time, always on to the new when fact emerge that make the old uncomfortable? Cenk still refuses to believe Trump is innocent (understandable given his standard fare corruption... but he IS innocent of russiagate). Cenks position now is that everyone is looking in the wrong place, and the REAL russian collusion involves laundering money for Russian mobsters in Trumps realestate deals.
The best reporters on russiagate are Aaron Mate and Matt Taibbi. They're lefties, but are very detail oriented, and also intellectually honest enough to call out their own side when it's required, and that's certainly the case when it comes to the ever evolving russiagate narrative.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @05:11PM
No, I can't. The monoparty is both status quo and fucking psycho.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday May 05 2020, @10:48AM
Ed! Ed, New York State just cancelled its Democratic Presidential Primary. You consider that for a moment, and then ask yourself again who's really undermining democracy. They're not even pretending anymore.
You mean like when the United States started torturing people at Abu Ghraib? Or when that one guy everybody loved thought it would be cool to summarily execute American citizens with drones?
I will tell you one thing, and I mean this very sincerely: turn off the news. Stop watching it. It poisons the mind. Free yourself from the Narrative. Inform yourself by reading the data, the raw reports. If you have to read crap cranked out by semi-literate journalists, at least read the raw submissions from Reuters or the AP Wire or some other feed, instead of the massaged and curated crap you get from the publishers; at least then you'll be able to see how stories are fed into the system to manipulate the public.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by khallow on Tuesday May 05 2020, @01:05PM (7 children)
Why not answer those questions rather than just ask them? For me, I work to better myself and others, to have purpose, and to make a future I feel good about. I pay taxes because well, they occasional pay for stuff that matters to me, like civilization.
If you think you can do that without playing "The Man's" game, then do it. Don't bother asking about it.
Or those third party candidates some people can't seem to recall exist.
Going Galt, I see.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @05:26PM (1 child)
You know the old saw about finding a job you enjoy, and you'll never work a day in your life?
It's bunk, of course*, but the point is there -- you can still find all the purpose you need in something you undertake because you enjoy it.
Now, perhaps you'd say that's still work, as in the most expansive sense "work" encompasses any activity other than sleeping, eating, and fishing, but the post you're replying to clearly means it in the sense of engagement in the economic system, i.e. employment.
*IRL it plays out more like "find a job doing something you enjoy, and within five years you'll have come to hate that activity by association".
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday May 05 2020, @08:51PM
And I did.
There's nothing forcing him to engage. People, even communities of people routinely live off the grid. It's not easy, but it's not impossible either.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @07:03PM (4 children)
"I pay taxes because well, they occasional pay for stuff that matters to me, like civilization."
only cowards, sell outs and idiots pay the income tax.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday May 05 2020, @08:17PM (2 children)
Sounds like you must pay a lot of income tax then.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @09:06PM (1 child)
I'll have you know that I'm delinquent on more tax debt than you are!
NB: different AC here
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday May 05 2020, @09:44PM
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Wednesday May 06 2020, @02:45AM
So, you've lived on the public teat your whole life?
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Aegis on Tuesday May 05 2020, @02:40PM
Biden will pass whatever the Democrats put on his desk.
The focus on the President when it comes to passing good laws is such a perfect example of American ignorance about our own system. If you want good laws to pass you want a good Congress.
Since I presume you're a Bernie supporter: guess where he works.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @01:20AM (44 children)
Just be sure to get your news only from authoritative sources like SoylentNews and you have nothing to worry about.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Ethanol-fueled on Tuesday May 05 2020, @01:32AM (40 children)
Yes, indeed. Like the News that the Democrats would have mopped the fucking floor with Trump running Bernie in 2016 and Tulsi in 2020.
But they don't want to win. They are desperate to bury their complicity in the destruction of flight 752 and the Goldman Sachs-owned coke freighter and other horrors beyond your imagination. Also, being agents of China.
Congresswoman Susan Davis of California's 53rd district, for example. She's not known for being a heavy-hitter like fifth-columnist Feinstein and Liddle Adam Schitt, but she too was outed as one of the people who dumped stock early [sandiegoreader.com] upon getting inside information about the COVID-19 outbreak while immediately loading up on Baidu.
Do you hear me, traitors? You will be marched by bayonette straight into the ocean!
(Score: 2, Redundant) by fustakrakich on Tuesday May 05 2020, @01:46AM (5 children)
But they don't want to win.
No, they are winning. DNC/GOP™ is in full control
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 3, Insightful) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday May 05 2020, @02:19AM (4 children)
That is correct. Your system is working as designed.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Tuesday May 05 2020, @02:29AM (3 children)
Just the way we like it!
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday May 05 2020, @04:17AM (2 children)
Too bad it's immoral, illegal and fattening (by it I mean "the best govt money can buy")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @01:16PM (1 child)
You forgot: And causes cancer in rats.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday May 05 2020, @08:52PM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @02:07AM
You're the reason they invented fragging.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday May 05 2020, @02:18AM (32 children)
Are you claiming the Democrats run the Iranian Revolutionary Guards now? Because that's who shot that plane down.
If you're upset about drug smuggling, just wait until you hear about time your president Reagan sold arms to Iran to fund his murder squads in Nicaragua, then had the CIA send literal plane loads of drugs to the US to fund his illegal war.
I don't suppose you're bothered, because those people were all Republicans though, weren't they?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @02:26AM (5 children)
Yeah, do you remember who was governor of Arkansas when all that coke was passing through? A little bit of blackmail, and suddenly he's president for eight years! Pretty cool, huh?
(Score: 4, Funny) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday May 05 2020, @02:55AM (4 children)
Of course! He was selling it out of the basement of that pizza joint.
(Score: 1) by DECbot on Tuesday May 05 2020, @01:54PM
Hold on, you've got to keep the story strait. It was a friend's pizza shop and he and Hillary would come to visit the children. The really story is how Bill & Hill's friends and former colleagues love them so much that they either drop dead, find a murderer, or kill themselves.
cats~$ sudo chown -R us /home/base
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @07:05PM (2 children)
read "Bush, Clinton and the CIA", you dumb fuck.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday May 05 2020, @10:33PM (1 child)
Why? There are plenty of more interesting, and funnier conspiracy theories that that one.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 06 2020, @03:49AM
I'm like you. I only believe official conspiracy theories. I mean, really! They're professionals! It's their job!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @03:08AM
Bonus points for using the drugs to destroy minority populations.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Ethanol-fueled on Tuesday May 05 2020, @03:22AM (24 children)
I knew about Iran-Contra back when I was a kid watching the news about it on TV, and have hated every one of those motherfuckers to this day. I was particularly disgusted when Fox News later brought on Ollie North as a commentator.
And I made a mistake about Flight 752, I was actually accusing the Dem mafia of MH17. In a frenzy I Googled something like "flight shot down Ukraine" and Jewgle's deceptive results returned flight 752 rather than the MH17 I had meant to post.
(Score: 5, Informative) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday May 05 2020, @03:35AM (23 children)
MH17 was shot down by the Russian army during its invasion of Ukraine.
I don't think the Russian Army are Democrats.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @04:31AM (2 children)
Why are you even engaging the troll? Just mod troll and move on.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @08:12AM (1 child)
Right on! Round here we vote as we're told.
(Score: 1) by DECbot on Tuesday May 05 2020, @05:09PM
Republicrats! Get him! He's clearly a Demolican!
cats~$ sudo chown -R us /home/base
(Score: 2) by coolgopher on Tuesday May 05 2020, @04:37AM
I don't think your Democrats are really democrats either...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @05:16AM
Maybe he meant TWA 800 ?
(Score: 0, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @01:30PM (17 children)
Russian army didn't invade. They were defending Ukraine against a U.S. instigated (under Obama, remember him?) coup.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Tuesday May 05 2020, @08:15PM (16 children)
There's no other way they'd end up taking over Crimea.
Not even trying to lie well.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday May 05 2020, @10:25PM (6 children)
I would have thought Soylent News was too small for Russian trolls to bother with but who knows?
Unless that's our resident flat earth, anti-vaxx conspiracy theory A/C. He believes some pretty far-out stuff.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Wednesday May 06 2020, @01:02AM (5 children)
Doubtful, the guy has his own weird standards. We have a few pro-Russian Soylentils here.
But even given the Flat Earth example, it amazes me how people can gloss over the Russian misdeeds while ignoring the obvious parallels to the Nazis of the last century: claiming this was merely a non-invasion rescuing Ukraine from a "coup" while ignoring that only the tasty part of the Ukraine got so "rescued" with the help of a bunch of invading Russian soldiers doing the perfunctory minimum theater to claim that they were freeing anyone from anyone. The Nazis would admire such efficient handiwork and heap scorn on the tools so willing to lap it up.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday May 06 2020, @05:08AM (4 children)
I hadn't noticed. Weird. I wonder where they live?
In recent news [aljazeera.com]
That sort of thing seems to be quite common.
(Score: 2, Funny) by khallow on Wednesday May 06 2020, @12:48PM (3 children)
Well, authoritarian governments need their Emmanuel Goldsteins to distract the public. Maduro certainly isn't going to stay in power under the strength of his economic reforms!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 06 2020, @04:21PM (1 child)
Hah, you're more likely a Russian shill than fusty. Not that I really think he isn't, but you have a habit of sticking to an agenda in the face easily verified reality. That is something the shills do, and your pattern of arguing seems to fit the bill. Perhaps you're just a brainwashed propaganda zombie, so hard to tell what flavor of asshole people are these days.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday May 06 2020, @10:15PM
Rational people are like that. Your easily verified reality needs to be just that. When it's not, there's no reason to change one's mind. I've had many endless arguments with people who insist that there's some easily verified reality supporting their arguments or point of view, but they can't ever find it. Those Russian trolls are top of the list.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday May 06 2020, @08:24PM
I hadn't really inferred that from fustakrakich. I usually argue with him about the usefulness of voters in the US political system. I might need to read his comments with more care in future.:-)
I am pretty sure those Emmanuel Goldsteins in Venezuela will wind up having been paid by somebody in the US, but the plot has thickened a bit there. Maduro is now claiming the Americans they've captured were "members of Donald Trump's security" which stretches credibility beyond breaking really.
On the other hand, that guy Guaido is just a sock puppet.
As is usual in Latin America it is the ordinary people who will lose out, one way or another.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 06 2020, @03:37AM (8 children)
Ah, so you're denying the coup of 2014, eh?
I guess your kool-aid is better
(Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday May 06 2020, @04:35AM (7 children)
Not at all. Just saying it was just. And as I recall, Russia was on the wrong end of that one.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 06 2020, @09:38PM (6 children)
That's some heavy shillin', man!
An aggressor claiming his wars are just. What have we come to?
(Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday May 06 2020, @10:17PM (5 children)
Who again is occupying land in Ukraine? Russia, not the US. Narrative isn't working for you, bro.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 06 2020, @11:36PM (4 children)
Your IronMaiden overthrew a democratically elected government in 2014. It is very common for you gringos to do such things. Talk to your buddy, Joe Biden
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday May 07 2020, @04:15AM (3 children)
Which had the landing gear down for tyranny. Let us keep in mind the anti-protest laws [wikipedia.org] that were passed into law on January 17, 2014, shortly before the Yanukovych administration fell. The "democratically elected government" should have fallen! Democracy isn't a suicide pact.
For all the whining, nobody has ever shown that the Euromaidan have ever been a problem for democracy like their predecessors were! Just vague accusations that they're "Nazis". Well, I see Russia as being more Nazi-like due to a higher degree of Fascism and a flair for ridiculous propaganda.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 07 2020, @06:19AM (2 children)
Ah, I see, so you support Nazi takeovers, because you believe tabloid propaganda trying to sell a war. I never took you for one of those! I thought you were better than that.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday May 07 2020, @12:06PM (1 child)
I haven't supported the one in Russia.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 08 2020, @04:01AM
You support the 2014 Nazi takeover of Ukraine.
(Score: 3, Informative) by krishnoid on Tuesday May 05 2020, @03:11AM (2 children)
I have absolute trust in your verifiable identity and trustworthy statements in this matter. Plus, I just have a good feeling that I can believe you, Mr. ... Ms... spore-reproducing fungal organism ... ?
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday May 05 2020, @11:19AM (1 child)
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @02:49PM
That is rust you malfunctioning droid.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @01:39AM (1 child)
Nothing deep about her or the attempt to blame the attack on a YouTube video.
We don't have this problem in the West where every single thing our corporate owned media push is obvious bullshit.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @08:15AM
That reminds me of the quote, maybe by a drunken Marlon Brando: "Imagine the mind of man, who watches pro-wrestling"
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday May 05 2020, @10:59AM (1 child)
Deep fakes underscore the importance of critical thinking. It's not just a good idea, but a survival skill.
And while I'm on the subject--critical thinking also comprises pattern analysis and a grasp of statistics. If an actor (person, state, organization, etc) lies about little things and cheats people in trivial matters, they probably also tell big lies and and commit big cheats/crimes. By extension, for example, if a news agency like CBS stages footage to pan a car, then they probably routinely lie about everything else and mostly aren't caught.
Sadly, it's not a skill that is taught in schools anymore, and hardly anywhere else.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday May 05 2020, @05:53PM
Critical Thinking?
Puuuuulease. Not in the USA.
We're in a post-thinking world.
If you eat an entire cake without cutting it, you technically only had one piece.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by PiMuNu on Tuesday May 05 2020, @12:58PM (5 children)
It is very clear to me, that "noise", deepfakes, whatever bullshit from whichever leader only matters to their detractors. No one really cares whether Trump (or whoever) hints that (s)he might be rascist, or sexist. What matters is policy, and for Trump those have been consistent vote-winners, much more so than any coming out of the Democrats.
* What was Trump's policy? MAGA, the Wall, isolationism, low tax/deregulation.
* What was Hilary Clinton's response? Wasn't it something about the Russians?
In the UK (I am English):
* What was Johnson's policy? Brexit. Less expenditure.
* What was Corbyn's response? Mucking about for another year on Brexit. Massive government borrowing.
I don't know or care which policy was better, though I have an opinion of course. My point is that the victorious candidates won on the grounds of their policy. This is a good thing! And all the crap about deepfakes or fake news or whatever is just bullshit and whinging from the losers. They lost because their policies did not win enough votes.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @01:19PM (4 children)
What you're basically claiming is that people are stupid, and in order to win, politicians must cather to stupid people.
Tell me again why democracy is Good Thing (tm) ?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @03:45PM
Because democracies require more consent from people to go to war.
Democracies rarely war on other democracies, and war is bad.
https://www.vox.com/2015/6/23/8832311/war-casualties-600-years [vox.com]
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday May 05 2020, @04:39PM
It's vastly better than the governments that don't have to cater to anyone.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @06:55PM
Because this is my country too; it is not some fuck on SoylentNews' kingdom.
(Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Wednesday May 06 2020, @09:19AM
> people are stupid
No, I'm saying bullshit doesn't matter - it is policy that matters. How is that stupid?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @07:09PM (1 child)
this sounds like someone is worried a tape of Ol' Creepy Joe Biden sniffing and grabbing kids is going to be shown on prime time TV for all the old TV Watchers to see for themselves.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 05 2020, @10:40PM
What is sad is that a person of Biden's apparent lack of intellect (same for Republicans) can
even get a mention in the media, much less become the candidate for a major political
party -- and then have those that tried to run against him to start supporting him.