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REVEALED: Sophisticated Russian trolls are luring Twitter users to their accounts with heartwarming posts - then spreading disinformation to build distrust ahead of the 2020 election
2019-11-26
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news]
  • Clemson University professors and Russian trolling experts Darren Linvill and Patrick Warren reveal how Russia's 2020 disinformation operations work

  • They say that Russian trolls create Twitter accounts that appear to be run by Americans and share uplifting and heartwarming messages as a 'Trojan horse'

  • After building a following the accounts then spew divisive tweets

  • The controversial tweets are designed to plant distrust in the U.S. government

  • Linvill and Warren spent two years studying online disinformation to understand Russian strategy and combed through data Twitter released to the public

  • Together they worked with Twitter to suspend Russian-operated accounts

  • They say these kinds of accounts are run by Russia's Internet Research Agency

  • The IRA was the very group that was at the center of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation for interference in the 2016 presidential election
Posted by:Skidmark

#17  I think that's largely correct, Dron.

This is nothing new. The Russkies have been using dezinformatsiya and agitprop for over a century to spread the notion that AmeriKKKa is incorrigibly fascist 'n' racist and hyper capitalist.

But in the 20th century, no one took that stuff seriously.

It's only now, with the rise of social media, far-left identity politics taking over the Dems and craven virtue-signaling among our media and entertainment and corporate elites, that the Son- er Russian dezinformatsiya is getting legs and actually running over American common sense and culture.

Or maybe the metaphor is of seeds and soil: the American cultural soil was barren until the identity-politics warriors began to cultivate it and make it fertile for anti-American chaos-mongering.
Posted by: Lex   2019-11-26 23:06  

#16  
It's a very convenient ruse of certain 'experts' in the west, armed by greater media reach, and inordinate amounts of time, to raise McCarthy's ghost whenever they want to shift blame from Democrats. Nothing bad ever happens in America unless it's done by a white hyper-conservative, or got its roots somehow in Russia.

Besides, even if all this is correct, we can't blindfold or cotton wrap the population lest they hear 'what a sodding russian has to say to them !'

It's our job to make our national cultures and pride in our own societies more appealing and infinitely valuable to our generations. And MAGA was all about that. Trolls and influencers will exist forever. It's not new, posing as a citizen while disseminating incendiary ideas to destabilize society. The muslims have been doing it too. Wind up the natives, watch 'em go, pick out the remnant.

The trouble is, national integrity is held together by a willingness in society itself to remain integrated. I'm afraid it comes down to only this : there are just too many wakandans, militant bulldykes, globalist sell-outs and mercenary activists in America that have not been crushed under the nationalist boot. Remember that incident from the NYC subway, the mad tranny with her stilettos ? And the decent folks of NYC setting there like mannequins ? That is the problem.
Posted by: Dron66046   2019-11-26 22:03  

#15  the way that we used to mess with the Cubans

We did?
Posted by: trailing wife   2019-11-26 20:30  

#14  Trump 's administration has most definitely NOT good for calm, peaceful relations with Russia.

Which is not to say that, purged of the pestilent influence of the foolish "Interagency Consensus" Trump could not set our relations with Russia on a rational, realistic, intelligent and stable footing.
Posted by: Lex   2019-11-26 14:02  

#13  I see your point, Dron. Probably correct that this is not driven from the top, nor is it part of any coherent strategy.

Most likely just rogue elements of the GRU having some fun, effing with our (elite's) excitable minds the way that we used to mess with the Cubans and v-v.
Posted by: Lex   2019-11-26 13:59  

#12  They're probably just hoping to keep the narrative alive until another donk gets elected.
Posted by: gorb   2019-11-26 13:09  

#11  #9😎😎😎
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2019-11-26 13:09  

#10  As I recall, the old Soviet game plan was to keep things stirred up wherever and however it could, presumably on the theory that there were unpredictable opportunities in chaos. Think of it as chumming the waters.
Posted by: Mercutio   2019-11-26 13:08  

#9  And at the same time he's getting Trump elected by... what, setting in motion some predetermined dynamic that shall motivate conservatives to vote in larger numbers so... uhh no. I don't get it.

Is Trump good for Russia ? Or is chaos good ? Or is Trump the reason there's chaos and...

Look, isn't it just possible this divisiveness is a wholly indigenous product, and these are just inept mischief makers operating out of Moscow on Soros' dime to make it look like Putin's finest is up to no good ? A greater divisiveness at play ? I'm just thinking aloud, I may be wrong.
Posted by: Dron66046   2019-11-26 12:51  

#8  SteveS for the win.

Recall the name of the Soviet-style nemesis of spoof-sitcom Agent Maxwell Smart: KAOS.

Putin's Chaos Operation has succeeded beyond his or any FSB operative's wildest dreams.

Hating other Americans, our civilization's achievements and and our cultural heritage now defines American elite culture. It's what our elites do. Attacking the great men of our pastand distorting our history are required signs of 'woke' bona fides.

Putin's people are running rings around our pseudo-sophisticated fools. It's like watching a judo champ throw a blustering brawler on his arse again and again.
Posted by: Lex   2019-11-26 12:37  

#7  so why does Russia waste money on this ?

It is fairly cheap to do and given that the goal is not to help a particular candidate but to keep the country in turmoil, it seems to be working quite well.
Posted by: SteveS   2019-11-26 12:01  

#6  ...job protection.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2019-11-26 11:45  

#5  I noticed the same thing. The 'russian trolling experts' seem to be saying some pretty conflicting things too. Like how is this helping Trump win ? What purpose would the Kremlin achieve by this ? Also, it seems like too subtle a scheme to divide America - the mass psychology equivalent of a Rube Goldberg machine.

And there are already more effective in-country demoralizers working harder for this, so why does Russia waste money on this ?
Posted by: Dron66046   2019-11-26 11:06  

#4  Interesting that the examples of trollers these "researchers" highlight almost always involve accounts / characters whose postings serve to further the America-is-Evil-and-Racist narratives of Black Lives Matter and the NYT's "1619" campaign.

These trolls aren't scoring any points; they're just giving an assist to our own homegrown liars.

There's literally nothing that these Russian bots are saying that hasn't been said 100,000,000x already by our country's wretched race-baiters.

The Russian trolls' contribution to dividing and demoralizing this nation is about as close to zero as possible when you set it next to the cumulative destructive contribution KaepernickSharptonCoates TheSqualid Fauxcahontas Fartacus Dr.BlowseyFord NYT WaPo CNN MSNBC et al.
Posted by: Lex   2019-11-26 10:46  

#3  Herb doesn't make a very good honeypot. :-)
Posted by: gorb   2019-11-26 09:57  

#2  We'll see if Herb is available, Proc
Posted by: Mercutio   2019-11-26 08:37  

#1  Dad, can I have a Russian Honeypot for Christmas?
Posted by: Procopius2k   2019-11-26 06:50  

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