#russian hacking

[aunti-christ-ine]

SO OBVIOUS.

Somebody PLEASE do something.

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

Report: NSA Authorized to Spy on 193 Countries

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court allowed information to be intercepted in all but 4 of the world's countries, according to a new report

From Time Magazine, 2014: The National Security Agency exempted four countries from its list of places where it could rightfully intercept information, leaving the world’s 193 other countries open to surveillance, according to a new set of top secret documents leaked by Edward Snowden.

Four countries that had signed a no-spying agreement with the U.S. — Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand — were declared off-limits by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, the Washington Post reports, but the court approved a list of 193 countries where the NSA could legally conduct surveillance.

------------------- 

Remember how, a few weeks ago, the corporate media were so amazed at the lack of "Russian interference" in this year's presidential election (as opposed to the imagined interference in 2016)? But then a few days ago, once the Democratic faction of the ruling  class seemed to finally be in the driver's seat, there was suddenly a big "Russian hacking" scandal.

This sudden shift in the narrative reflects the priorities of different ruling class interests within U.S. imperialism. The faction behind Trump has been focused on war with Iran and China. The faction behind Biden, which also wants to undermine and destroy Iran and China, prioritizes encircling and breaking up the Russian Federation. (Trump is certainly no friend of Russia -- having, for example, withdrawn from arms agreements and attacked many of Moscow's allies.)

Spying is a reality among capitalist powers. No doubt Russia does so, as many other countries do, as a matter of self-defense against the biggest military power on earth -- U.S. imperialism. But what is talked about in the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, et. al., is grossly exaggerated when it is not outright fantasy.

What's not a fantasy is the biggest spying operation, which monitors other countries and its own residents on a scale unmatched in history -- the one based out of Washington, D.C.

-- redguard

[parcival2]

Ocasio-Cortez Gives McConnell A Semantics Lesson After His McCarthyism Gripe

The freshman lawmaker has a few words about McConnell's leadership skills.

[inner-muse]

SECURITY WARNING: delete FaceApp from your phone!

Democrats Issue Warnings Against Viral Russia-Based Face-Morphing App

FaceApp's surge in popularity has driven Sen. Chuck Schumer to call for a federal investigation into the St. Petersburg-developed app over p

It’s owned by a Russia-based company! The article explains the issues better. There’s no need to panic – there’s no evidence anyone’s camera rolls have been compromised, for example – but if you’ve uploaded a photo, the company might keep it (they say “most images are deleted from our servers within 48 hours,” emphasis mine) or give it to one of “the group of companies of which FaceApp is a part”, which for all we know could include some scary Russian intelligence facial recognition operation.

Delete the app if you’ve downloaded it! Please signal boost this, also, the app was really popular on tumblr for a while!

[sarcasticcynic]

House majority leader to colleagues in 2016: ‘I think Putin pays’ Trump

Speaker Ryan responded: ‘What’s said in the family stays in the family.’ GOP leaders now cast the exchange as ‘an attempt at humor.’

House Republicans, on June 15, 2016:

McCarthy: The Russians hacked the DNC and got the opp research they had on Trump.

McCarthy: laughs

[Crosstalk]

Ryan: The Russians hacked the DNC...

McHenry: ...to get oppo...

Ryan: ...on Trump and like delivered it to... to who?

[Unintelligible]

McCarthy: There’s two people, I think, Putin pays: Rorhabacher and Trump... [laughter]... swear to God.

Ryan: This is an off the record... [laughter]... NO LEAKS... [laughter]... alright?!

[Laughter]

Ryan: This is how we know we’re a real family here.

Scalise: That’s how you know that we’re tight.

[Laughter]

Ryan: What’s said in the family stays in the family.

House Republicans, when asked to comment:

“That never happened.”

House Republicans, upon learning the conversation was recorded:

“This entire year-old exchange was clearly an attempt at humor.”

[fresherbrine]

by Matthieu Bourel

[factcheckdotorg]

Michael Cohen gave public testimony under oath that contradicted past statements by President Trump on WikiLeaks, Stormy Daniels, a proposed Trump Tower in Moscow and other things. 

We look at the available facts in “Cohen, Trump at Odds.” 

[porterdavis]

House GOP refuses to boost funding for election security

House Republicans are refusing to provide additional funding for state election security grants in a spending bill despite upsetting Democrats pointing at Russian election interference.

Gee, I wonder why?