On Alleged Russian Hacking, The Fake Reporting Of The Washington Post And Lessons Of Iraq Lost

Back when the U.S. was arguing for war with Iraq, they presented several factors and reasons for doing so. However, the primary excuse they settled on was WMD's. At the time, I considered each one and concluded the United States stated its case based on the aggregate and not just WMD's.

In retrospect, while seemingly logical, it wasn't the best of decisions. Sure, both sides can continue to claim failures and successes of the invasion of Iraq, but that's merely an intellectual game at times  descending into a vortex of counterfactuals.

The important thing was to learn how government presents it case for war. We were told and lectured about the need to ask questions and be skeptical; to be vigilant and demanding of proof for such undertakings.

All good advice.

Yet being forgotten in the story of America now angling for war with Russia. Funny how that happens when 'your guy' is in power.

The latest story comes out of Vermont where it's been alleged Russia 'hacked' its electrical grids. It was originally erroneously reported in The Washington Post  (wade through the comments if you must. If anything, it reveals how people will suspend any interest in facts for partisanship. The lust for war with Russia - fuelled by an irrational hatred for Trump - is clouding their judgment and brings into question if progressives hold any principles at all) and has quickly been debunked lead by Glenn Greenwald and other people who make it their business to understanding what hacking is.

Excerpts:

"...Apparently, the Post did not even bother to contact the company before running its wildly sensationalistic claims, so they had to issue their own statement to the Burlington Free Press which debunked the Post’s central claim (emphasis in original): “We detected the malware in a single Burlington Electric Department laptop NOT connected to our organization’s grid systems.”

...So the key scary claim of the Post story – that Russian hackers had penetrated the U.S. electric grid – was false. All the alarmist tough-guy statements issued by political officials who believed the Post’s claim were based on fiction.

Even worse, there is zero evidence that Russian hackers were responsible even for the implanting of this malware on this single laptop...."

"...This matters not only because one of the nation’s major newspaper once again published a wildly misleading, fear-mongering story about Russia. It matters even more because it reflects the deeply irrational and ever-spiraling fever that is being cultivated in U.S. political discourse and culture about the threat posed by Moscow."

Cyber-attacks of any kind are serious and should indeed be investigated. However, once doubt is established, it should not be used as a basis to agitate the population by spreading lies like the Democrats are. In this case, Leahy and Shumlin are acting derelict for their boss Obama.

Indeed, one has to wonder if this is to hijack a smooth Presidential transition.

If WMD's were the Trojan Horse for Iraq, is it a stretch the Democrat party has found its own Trojan Horse via Russian hacks?

All this rhetoric can in theory lead to war so why are the Americans doing it? It's further infuriating considering it's being pushed by a President who but four years ago mocked Romney for asserting Russia was a threat by saying the 1980s wanted its Cold War back.

That's the magic question. Why now and why Russia?

For eight years, Russia has managed to maintained the upper hand on the United States under this administration, could this be a factor?

It's not hard to interpret progressives looking for Russian blood as wanting to stick to Trump.

Don't let the irrational fear of Moscow pimped by the Obama administration control the narrative.

Be citizens regardless of party affiliation.