Democrats Ask FEC To Create New Rules To Keep Foreign Influence Off Social Media Ads (thehill.com)

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Democrats Ask FEC To Create New Rules To Keep Foreign Influence Off Social Media Ads (thehill.com)

Posted by BeauHD on Wednesday September 20, 2017 @02:20PM from the rules-and-regulations dept.

Cristina Marcos reports via The Hill: Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday asked the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to establish new guidelines for online advertising platforms that would prevent foreign spending to influence U.S. elections. The move comes after Facebook provided information to Congress and special counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading the FBI's investigation into Russia's election interference, about Russian ad purchases during the 2016 campaign.

"The recent revelations that foreign nationals with suspected ties to the Russian government sought to influence the 2016 election through social media advertisements are deeply concerning and demand a response," 20 House and Senate Democrats wrote in the letter. "We are fast approaching the 2018 election cycle. As such, it is imperative the Federal Election Commission begin this effort in earnest," they wrote. CNN, which first reported on the Democrats' letter, cited Facebook sources saying they expect Congress may try to require disclaimers on online political ads in the future, similar to political television ads. The Democratic lawmakers suggested that any FEC guidance address how foreign actors can use corporate or nonprofit designations to avoid disclosing political spending; what advertisement platforms can do to prevent foreign campaign activity; and possible changes to disclosure standards for political advertisements.

195 comments

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

Too bad.... by Zurkeyon3733 · 2017-09-20 14:21 · Score: 1, Insightful

They don't also wan't to keep that influence out of our ballot boxes... and Across our Borders.
1. Re:Too bad.... by elrous0 · 2017-09-20 14:32 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  They're happy to invite in any immigrant who they think will vote Democrat. But heaven forbid a Russian conservative buy an ad.
  
  --
  SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
2. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 14:38 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  The Democrats don't seem to have a problem with the millions of dollars Hillary Clinton took from foreign governments.
3. Re:Too bad.... by Crashmarik · 2017-09-20 14:57 · Score: 0, Troll
  
  Wow you hit a nerve. Someone on the left doesn't like the idea that Democrats use illegals to pack ballotboxes
  Which is amazing seeing as Nancy Pelosi will even admit it when she isn't watching what she says.
  https://www.msn.com/en-us/spor...
4. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 15:02 · Score: 0
  
  You Putin blowing faggots need to get a real job.
5. Re:Too bad.... by PopeRatzo · 2017-09-20 15:05 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  But heaven forbid a Russian conservative buy an ad.
  You know it's illegal for a foreign national to buy campaign ads in the US, right? Has been for a while now. For 45 years, to be exact. FECA was signed into law in 1972, by Richard M. Nixon.
  
  --
  You are welcome on my lawn.
6. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 15:06 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Just as they have no problem with the 'hate speech' or violence from their own supporters.
7. Re:Too bad.... by starblazer · 2017-09-20 15:14 · Score: 0
  
  but, let me guess, it's totally OK for a foreign national to make a donation to a super-pac, right?
8. Re:Too bad.... by PopeRatzo · 2017-09-20 15:22 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  but, let me guess, it's totally OK for a foreign national to make a donation to a super-pac, right?
  No, it's against the law. Unfortunately, Congress has never implemented the disclosure laws that the Supreme Court insisted upon with their Citizens United decision. It's a fucked up situation all around, and there's been zero will from the Republican-controlled Congress to do anything about how easy it is to game our elections with money.
  
  --
  You are welcome on my lawn.
9. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 15:27 · Score: 0
  
  make me.
10. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 15:28 · Score: 0
  
  but, let me guess, it's totally OK for a foreign national to make a donation to a super-pac, right?
  there's been zero will from the Republican-controlled Congress to do anything about how easy it is to game our elections with money.
  Whoa. My neck about broke from snapping around when you just blamed that on the republicans. Obama had 8 years to clean that up and chose not to because he was the high money guy in 2008.
11. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 15:33 · Score: 0
  
  Why don't the Democrats take an example of the British Labor party. They simply want to take away the right to vote from trolls. Even Trump would have lost the right to vote is such a thing was a reality.
12. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 15:43 · Score: 0
  
  As soon as they get the power to do that, they'll find themselves in a conundrum after they lose an important election and find that the Republicans now get to determine what constitutes a "troll". Kind of like the one they're currently in now.
13. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 16:02 · Score: 0
  
  How can Facebook ads still be in the US when they offshore pretty much all profits to dodge taxes? Social media and the internet are a completely different thing since they are global and distributed. Once hailed because it would allow people in totalitarian regimes get access to information from abroad, but now all of the sudden when it bites back it should be banned? The only way to ban it is to prevent information from abroad to reach the American public.
  
  How different is this from China putting up a firewall? One of the things China does is to block foreign media. Isn't it the same thing as preventing Russian funded ads? What if Trump is really the Nazi that many left wingers claim he is and he wanted to control the media and block foreign news papers and websites. Do you not want to have access as an American to that foreign media in such a case? What if a law and the tools existed to ban foreign information, all with good intentions of course, and Trump could use it to silence the opposition?
  It's a slippery slope. The problem is not the Russian funded ads. The problem is that Clinton was such a weak candidate that she even lost from Trump. Russian funded ads are not enough to let a strong candidate lose the election. Even the obvious fake news will not let a strong candidate lose. Instead of inventing laws to protect a political ideology that is over due, they should instead try to reinvent themselves and give younger politicians, new blood a chance. Maybe even encourage a third party to form with fresh ideas. Something that is missing in most western nations is classic liberalism (not the social liberals) with 'realistic politics'.
  
  Strangely enough, the former left wing classic liberalism are put in the camp with the far right in many western countries. This is dangerous. The reason many socialist projects failed during the social liberal era was because socialism simply does not work. Socialist projects have to get the money from somewhere. In the case of western nations that somewhere comes from the next generations, who inherited an enormous depth but who will not get the same benefits as their parents or grandparents. When there is too much depth, something will have to be done eventually. Taxing the middle class that is struggling is not the solution nor is even more socialism.
14. Re:Too bad.... by skids · 2017-09-20 16:02 · Score: 2
  
  1 year. The ruling was in 2010 and Republicans took the congress in 2011.
  
  --
  Someone had to do it.
15. Re:Too bad.... by PopeRatzo · 2017-09-20 16:02 · Score: 1, Informative
  
  Obama had 8 years to clean that up and chose not to because he was the high money guy in 2008.
  When Obama was president, there was a law in place to cover disclosure of campaign money. It was called McCain-Finegold and got overturned the by the Supreme Court, after which the Republicans took over the House and as I said, then there was no will to pass any laws requiring disclosure of campaign funding.
  
  --
  You are welcome on my lawn.
16. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 16:06 · Score: 0
  
  Seems to me it's lil' Kim in North Korea who wants genocide of everyone else - and that genocide in the US of African Americans is predominantly an African American thing (based upon actual facts regarding who kills them). But hey, I get it - TRUMP!
17. Re:Too bad.... by skids · 2017-09-20 16:07 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  I think they are overspending on this thread. There's like 5 putin rogonosets to every one actual slashdotter who even bothered to open the thread.
  
  --
  Someone had to do it.
18. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 16:19 · Score: 0
  
  It's more like hundreds of millions especially during the primaries. Republicans also do not seem to have any trouble with this so they are probably doing this.
19. Re:Too bad.... by PopeRatzo · 2017-09-20 16:31 · Score: 1
  
  How can Facebook ads still be in the US when they offshore pretty much all profits to dodge taxes?
  Because Facebook is an American company, they are subject to the laws of the United States. At least in theory. Do you think the Trump DOJ has any appetite for enforcing this particular law? I don't.
  
  --
  You are welcome on my lawn.
20. Re:Too bad.... by DNS-and-BIND · 2017-09-20 18:31 · Score: 1
  
  The hilarious part is you think Slashdot has enough influence to bother spending on. It doesn't. Comments barely reach into the triple digits any more, and single digits aren't uncommon.
  The real tragedy is that by Podesta creating the dolchstoss-legende blaming the foreigners, now any contradictory opinions look like propaganda. Considering we have hard proof that Share Blue did in fact astroturf a bunch of websites with paid commenters, that just makes it worse as far as confirmation bias goes. The liar's punishment is not in the least that he is not believed but that he cannot believe anyone else.
  
  --
  Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
21. Re: Too bad.... by bestweasel · 2017-09-20 18:32 · Score: 1
  
  Here's a piece by the former vice-chair of the FEC: How the FEC Turned a Blind Eye to Foreign Meddling
  
  I warned that Vladimir Putin could meddle in our elections nearly three years ago ...
  I suggested to the commission that the FEC consult with internet and tech experts to discuss how the agencyâ(TM)s current approach may or may not fit with future innovations. Starting this conversation should have been noncontroversial, especially at an agency whose very mission is to inform the public about the sources behind campaign spending.
  But my comments were greeted with harassment and death threats stoked by claims by the three Republican commissioners that increased transparency in internet political advertising was censorship. Requiring financial disclosure, they argued, âoecould threaten the continued development of the internetâ(TM)s virtual free marketplace of political ideas and democratic debate.â One commissioner went so far as to tell me that even talking about this subject at the commission would itself âoechill speech.â
  Not only was it taboo to suggest that the FEC adapt to the times, the commission was barely interested in enforcing rules already in place. In one instance, Republican commissioners had blocked enforcement of a law that explicitly prohibits foreign interference in U.S. elections, despite clear evidence that foreign nationals had spent large sums of money to influence a California ballot measure. Next, they blocked attempts to strengthen FEC regulations to protect the integrity of our political process when there is evidence of foreign contributions.
22. Re: Too bad.... by DNS-and-BIND · 2017-09-20 18:34 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  You still don't get why Trump won. The sheer level of insufferable arrogance from upper-middle class liberals that dominate internet discussion is a massive reason why. A huge part of why nationalism (whether it's Trump or Brexit or populist parties Swedish Democrats in Sweden, Front Nationale in France, and others throughout Europe) is seeing such a surge in support is in opposition to the CONSTANT liberal circlejerking in the media and refusal to even consider that the working class isn't a bunch of idiotic, evil racists, but bases its vote on real world experiences that they go through and rational self interest.
  They are sick and tired of sneering upper middle class liberals scaremongering about anybody who isn't part of the political establishment and being called racists for wanting to maintain a national sovereignty and set of values.People are sick and tired of ad hominems being the dominant form of discourse from the left whenever issues relating to protecting our national borders and culture come up. They are sick and tired of their acquaintances screaming on Facebook UNFRIEND ME IF YOU SUPPORT TRUMP YOU RACIST BIGOT.
  
  --
  Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
23. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 18:38 · Score: 0
  
  Cuz each immigrant is equlivalent to a Russian oligarch. If you love Russia so much, move there.
24. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 18:39 · Score: 0
  
  Somebody had better goddamned well be spying on the "Donald camp," or they'll sell the whole country down the Volga.
25. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 18:50 · Score: 0
  
  100% bait. Piss off.
26. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 19:10 · Score: 0
  
  And yet Trump spent a tenth of what Hillary did on her presidential election and even less than the entire GOP in the primaries.
  Which proves there's more to it than money - which was why Citizens United was rightly decided.
27. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 19:25 · Score: 0
  
  http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/dems-on-fec-move-to-regulate-internet-campaigns-blogs-drudge/article/2555270
  "Democratic FEC Vice Chair Ann M. Ravel announced plans to begin the process to win regulations on Internet-based campaigns and videos, currently free from most of the FEC’s rules. “A reexamination of the commission’s approach to the internet and other emerging technologies is long over due,” she said.
  The power play followed a deadlocked 3-3 vote on whether an Ohio anti-President Obama Internet campaign featuring two videos violated FEC rules when it did not report its finances or offer a disclosure on the ads. The ads were placed for free on YouTube and were not paid advertising.
  Under a 2006 FEC rule, free political videos and advocacy sites have been free of regulation in a bid to boost voter participation in politics. Only Internet videos that are placed for a fee on websites, such as the Washington Examiner, are regulated just like normal TV ads.
  Ravel’s statement suggests that she would regulate right-leaning groups like America Rising that posts anti-Democrat YouTube videos on its website.
  FEC Chairman Lee E. Goodman, a Republican, said if regulation extends that far, then anybody who writes a political blog, runs a politically active news site or even chat room could be regulated. He added that funny internet campaigns like “Obama Girl,” and “Jib Jab” would also face regulations.
  “I told you this was coming,” he told Secrets. Earlier this year he warned that Democrats on the panel were gunning for conservative Internet sites like the Drudge Report.
  Ravel plans to hold meetings next year to discuss regulating the internet. She charged that groups placing paid TV ads use the FEC exemption to disseminate similar messages on the internet, regulation free. But Goodman says that Ravel misconceives the exemption. If the same message that is run on TV also is posted online, it is regulated, he said. The Internet exemption applies only to videos posted for free, solely on the Internet."
28. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 19:36 · Score: 0
  
  Luckily the working class is about to become obsolete and redundant. After we get rid of those deplorables, the world will be a more beautiful and enlightened place.
29. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 21:04 · Score: 0, Informative
  
  Somebody had better goddamned well be spying on the "Donald camp," or they'll sell the whole country down the Volga.
  Methinks you doth project too much.
  Selling the whole country down the Volga would be Hillary!'s bailiwick:
  Cash Flowed to Clinton Foundation Amid Russian Uranium Deal
  Note the source.
30. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 21:26 · Score: 0
  
  Course it doesn't stop US nationals pissing all over the integrity of every other countries elections.
31. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 22:42 · Score: 0
  
  Please provide citations to back up this claim. I'll wait.
32. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 23:07 · Score: 0
  
  Yea, but his money was like super evil which overwhelmed all the benevolent money she had.
33. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 23:37 · Score: 0
  
  That didn't stop the Clintons from accepting £100,000,000 from the Saudi's during her campaign. Or Soros orchestrating national "protests" to further the Rothschild's plan.
34. Re: Too bad.... by AmiMoJo · 2017-09-20 23:40 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  Trump won because of the standard populist tactic of telling people that they are being attacked, and offering simplistic solutions. Mexicans are stealing your jobs, so I'll build a wall to keep Mexicans out. Liberals and the political elite are corrupt and make you feel uncomfortable, so I'll throw her in jail and repeal everything Obama ever did.
  On top of that, Trump went full post-truth. He didn't even try to really hide the fact that he was lying, he just went with the idea that all politicians lie so you might as well stop worrying about it and vote for the one whose promises you like the sound of.
  
  --
  const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
  SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
35. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 23:42 · Score: 0
  
  And you have no problem with the millions of dollars from foreign governments every Republican candidate had for their campaign. So why are you only worried about Hillary?
36. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 00:19 · Score: 0
  
  " You still don't get why Trump won. The sheer level of insufferable arrogance from upper-middle class liberals that dominate internet discussion is a massive reason why "
  Actually, it seems you might not get why and the reason is far simpler than you realize.
  Americans are sick and tired of the status-quo that has reigned supreme for the past several decades.
  It may not have been the best choice, but with Hillary being the alternative, it was the only choice.
37. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 00:21 · Score: 0
  
  We are aborting thr undesirables as fast as we can. Just look at the race breakdown. ;)
38. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 00:22 · Score: 0
  
  Oooh, I spotted the Nazi (and the British one at that)! What do I win?
39. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 00:28 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Trump won because of the standard populist tactic of telling people that they are being attacked, and offering simplistic solutions.
  You mean lack of complex solutions like "tax the rich more"?
  As for the tactic of telling people they are being attacked....women, minorities, LGBT?
40. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 00:32 · Score: 0
  
  What a fucking idiot. You are in such a strong bubble that you have your own reality.
41. Re: Too bad.... by AmiMoJo · 2017-09-21 00:39 · Score: 1
  
  Man, I wish I got paid for this shit.
  
  --
  const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
  SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
42. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 00:44 · Score: 0
  
  I do not think the Democrat party can survive unless they can prevent people from access to the rest of the world.
  They already have their stupid as shit SJWs with the BS, worthless degrees, and now that tactic and the ballot stuffing tactic is flaming out, so they control nothing. They are in full on panic mode and are willing to stoop to any extreme to regain some semblance of control.
43. Re: Too bad.... by Reverend+Green · 2017-09-21 00:57 · Score: 1
  
  How long have you been on crack?
44. Re: Too bad.... by Reverend+Green · 2017-09-21 01:05 · Score: 1
  
  Now the baizou even openly express their lust for genocide. I hope trolls like this are merely (Chinese-bankrolled?) social destabilization agitprop.
45. Re: Too bad.... by Reverend+Green · 2017-09-21 01:09 · Score: 1
  
  I notice the posters who loudly denounce supposed Russian trolls, are the same folks who like throwing around obscure Russian slang terms. Coincidence?
46. Re: Too bad.... by gtall · 2017-09-21 01:18 · Score: 0
  
  BS. Trump won because without Obama or Sanders, many Democrats stayed home. In addition, Republicans have been in Science denial for years and Trump spoke their language because he comes across just as ignorant about Science and just as irritated have having his lifestyle altered because of things he doesn't like hearing from Science. Add a bit of jingoistic rhetoric and white angst over "losing" America and wishful thinking it could be turned back to the 1950s when lynchings were tolerated, and a bit of fake religious fervor on his part and the part of this the religious right, and there you have it, his coalition of misanthropic dumb asses.
47. Re: Too bad.... by e_pluribus_funk · 2017-09-21 01:31 · Score: 1
  
  Proof that paid Russian trolls posted millions of posts?
  
  Proof that it had any impact on the election?
  
  You can usually tell what a leftist is guilty of by what they accuse their opponents of doing. AFAIK, there is no right wing counterpart to Shareblue.
48. Re: Too bad.... by skids · 2017-09-21 01:36 · Score: 1
  
  Nope, just retaliation. The altright decided to call everyone who doesn't adhere to their xenophobia "cuckolds" while meanwhile acting as cuckolds for Russian interests themselves. So I looked up "cuckold" in Russian and now use it as a fitting term for our new domestic population of foreign-led dissidents.
  
  --
  Someone had to do it.
49. Re: Too bad.... by e_pluribus_funk · 2017-09-21 01:39 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  While I agree with you that hubris plays a big role, it's also bigger than that.
  
  It's the blatant dishonesty combined with the hubris. The left basically says we are going to lie to you because we don't trust you to make the "correct" decision if you are fully informed. To wit, in Germany, they claim importing over a million Syrian refugees is vital to the economy, despite the fact that most of them are illiterate in their own language (much less German), and the vast majority are simply unemployable and so will be huge net drains on the economy. So the economic argument is bullshit, but clearly they are serving some other purpose which the left is not being honest about. Same thing with the Affordable Care Act. Remember how it was going to lower prices for most Americans? Remember how it was going to increase access to care? Compare the promises with the actual outcome. The left is pathologically unable to tell the truth about their agenda or their tactics, because the vast majority of people would recoil in horror if they were honest. So they cloak it in terms like fairness, affordable, economic vitality, humanitarianism, etc, while the real goal is enervating the populace and taking ever more control over everyone's lives.
50. Re: Too bad.... by MMC+Monster · 2017-09-21 01:52 · Score: 1
  
  Unfriend
  
  --
  Help! I'm a slashdot refugee.
51. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 01:56 · Score: 0
  
  Let me get this straight, east coast intellectuals, college professors, upper middle class internets, the college educated, all of the media are “the other side”, and a huge part of why Trump won is because they treat his side like dum dums. You want congrats?
52. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 01:58 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  It was clear since June of 2016 that the news media were trying to elect Hillary President all by themselves while trying to bury Trump in fake news. Rather than speak with college kids that don't bother going to the polls I spent my time speaking with senior citizens. They all saw the circus going on with the news and decided they were going to vote for Trump just to spite the bullshit taking place. I personally voted for Trump to get rid of ObamaCare which penalizes people that cannot afford healthcare with a tax penalty that they can't afford either. If this country wants universal healthcare it needs to be single payer heathcare, not "tax the middle class" healthcare. Even Michael Moore, Liberal cock-sucker that he is, knew that Trump was going to be elected but no one paid attention.
53. Re: Too bad.... by crtreece · 2017-09-21 02:00 · Score: 1
  
  bases its vote on real world experiences that they go through and rational self interest.
  
  ROFLMA! It's in the interest of middle to lower class Americans to lower taxes on the rich and corporations, gut social and medical assistance programs, and nearly double spending on imperial militarism?
  I get that part about being tired of politics as usual, but anyone that thought Trump was going to actually do something about it wasn't paying attention. There seems to be some expectation of going back to the good parts of 1950s America, without getting the parts they consider undesirable. Manufacturing jobs that earn enough for 1 person to support a family aren't coming back.
  We're better off without the institutional racism, sexism, and homophobia of that time. But e'd probably be doing better with the highly progressive taxation schedules of the same era.
  
  liberals scaremongering ... ad hominems being the dominant form of discourse ... acquaintances screaming on Facebook
  The same tactics are coming from the other side. Conservatives that want more military and police action against terrorists and protestors, calling anyone that complains about anything, or needs any kind of social assistance whatsoever a special snowflake or social leech, UNFRIEND ME IF YOU SUPPORT OBAMA/HILLARY/BERNIE. It's all just the other side of the same coin.
  I don't know how to do it, but until the US finds some way to stop the polarization thats happening, it's just going to get worse. Our voting system that is setup in a way that leads to the 2-party system, and everyone hanging out in their internet echo chamber of choice are causing us to lose the ability to compromise and work together. The ruling oligarchy has to be laughing their asses off at the in-fighting they've created amongst the lower and middle classes and how they've convinced the "conservative" faction of the same to fight AGAINST what's really in their best interest because they're all really temporarily embarrassed millionaires.
  
  --
  file: .signature not found
54. Re: Too bad.... by ArmoredDragon · 2017-09-21 02:41 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  No, it's because GP is correct. Hillary's campaign mostly catered to upper spectrum socioeconomic democrats, while ignoring the wants of practically all of the states that she lost, while at the same time referring to them as "deplorables" and "angry white men", with the media (especially pop-culture talk shows like the view, the daily show, etc) and the democratic political elite doing the same. I see the democrats talk about how we need to protect marginalized groups all the time, and it seems that their solution to protecting them is by marginalizing another group. (European politicians are doing the same thing on a large scale lately, by the way, and they wonder why there's a sudden dramatic rise in the number of people voting for far, far right parties.)
  You yourself are beholden to this exact same hypocrisy.
  Hillary's loss was well deserved. Besides, I distinctly recall during the 2004 election when the Democrats were praising foreign intervention:
  https://www.theguardian.com/wo...
  Not that I support Russian intervention, mind you, nor do I support Trump, nor am I a conservative.
55. Re: Too bad.... by AmiMoJo · 2017-09-21 03:18 · Score: 1
  
  No, it's because GP is correct.
  Nope, can't be. If it was merely incorrect the the correct thing to do is post a reply, as you did. What actually happened is people stared bombing with -1 Troll mods.
  -1 Troll is not a substitute for -1 Disagree or -1 Wrong. Neither is -1 Overrated or -1 Flamebait.
  I'd argue that +1 Interesting is more than justified, even if you think I am wrong, as it provides a counter argument and moves the debate forward. All -1 Troll does is re-enforce the Slashdot echo chamber. It is in itself a form of trolling.
  
  --
  const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
  SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
56. Re: Too bad.... by SomePoorSchmuck · 2017-09-21 03:21 · Score: 1
  
  So it was nothing to do with the millions of posts made by paid Russian trolls such as yourself? Was all that effort and money wasted?
  If your post has any basis in reality we're all doomed -- the user you're responding to has a 400k slashdot ID. So Russian trolls in 2017 hopped in their time machine and zipped back 18 years to register accounts on a very influential nerd website, knowing full well that by the time 2016 comes around that website will have become overwhelmed by the increasingly fractured nature of internet communication and won't be nearly as influential as it was originally.
  So, the Russian hackers have a time machine, you better be careful what you post, otherwise they might decide to go back 14 years and kill your parents before they conceived you.
  
  --
  
  Hollywood, Television, has become the dream machine. We need to take that back; each of us is a Dream Machine
57. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 03:42 · Score: 0
  
  bases its vote on real world experiences that they go through and rational self interest.
  ROFLMA! It's in the interest of middle to lower class Americans to lower taxes on the rich and corporations, gut social and medical assistance programs, and nearly double spending on imperial militarism?
  Yes, there are a handful of countries around the world where poverty is a basically a solved problem: very few people are poor and no one is trapped in poverty. That is, poverty is a choice. If people in the USA wanted less Americans to be trapped in poverty - or just generally for less Americans to be struggling economically, it's clear from looking around the world what policies need to be supported.
  Thanks to the electoral college, there are a lot of states where a significant fraction of the population could have stayed home from the election, left the presidential ballot blank or voted third party without having any effect on the outcome of the election. And Hillary was a deeply flawed candidate to say the least. So I completely understand that someone in a state like California (where Hillary beat Trump by 2 to 1) would not bother to vote or vote third party.
  But a working class American who actually voted for Trump, wow, it's hard to imagine a better way to vote against your own self interest.
58. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 03:47 · Score: 0
  
  Fuck your tired-out rhetoric from Last Thursday, and FUCK YOU, asshole. You fuckstains trot that shit out every chance you get, meanwhile Republicans are at least as dirty but in different ways, and half of you are fucking DOMINIONISTS who want to fuck everything up and destroy the planet because you think it'll make Zombie Jesus come back.
59. Re:Too bad.... by chispito · 2017-09-21 03:48 · Score: 1
  
  Thank goodness you you included his middle initial or I wouldn't have known which Richard Nixon you were referring to :)
  
  --
  The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!
60. Re: Too bad.... by DNS-and-BIND · 2017-09-21 03:49 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Wow, this is a parody, right? I said shitting all over people and ridiculously exaggerating what they say was the problem, and you post a comment doing exactly that?
  
  --
  Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
61. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 03:50 · Score: 0
  
  Right, right, everybody who doesn't agree with me is secretly Russian.
  Maybe you missed the /r/science article about how losers are more prone to conspiracy nonsense?
62. Re: Too bad.... by DNS-and-BIND · 2017-09-21 03:53 · Score: 1
  
  Share Blue was caught red-handed with hard proof that they were paying people to post. Yaknow, when you see opposition, it doesn't mean that they're being paid, too. The shill's punishment is not in the least that she is not believed but that she cannot believe anyone else.
  
  --
  Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
63. Re:Too bad.... by hey! · 2017-09-21 04:13 · Score: 1
  
  I am actually open to the suggestion that foreigners should be able to influence US elections; but only provided that it is done transparently. If Russia wants to make an argument that America should vote for candidate X, fine by me, as long as the message prominently informs readers of its source, e.g. "This message was funded in part by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation."
  In fact I think this is a good idea all around. In an era where so much information is being delivered by the web, it is entirely feasible to put up links to all the corporate and organizational sources of messages and their officers. So if an anti-smoking regulation message is put up by a group named "Americans for Healthy Choices", we should be able to see a list of directors of that group and their resumes (which might tell us they work as attorneys for a tobacco company).
  
  --
  Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
64. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 04:38 · Score: 0
  
  they might decide to go back 14 years and kill your parents before they conceived you.
  Boom! goes the dynamite
65. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 05:41 · Score: 0
  
  Also the lowest voter turnout in US history, along with mountains of corruption among both parties. Thanks for the further evidence that the right wing simply can't grasp elementary math.
66. Re: Too bad.... by orgelspieler · 2017-09-21 05:59 · Score: 1, Interesting
  
  People expressing their opinions as foreign nationals, and specifically stating that they are from another country, is not even in the same ballpark as: the son of a presidential candidate having clandestine meetings with Russian spies, or a campaign manager taking millions of dollars in Russian mob money, or the National Security Advisor having to literally register as a foreign agent; or Russian agents making bot accounts to leave thousands of pro-Trump messages on various forums pretending to be Americans. Take your false equivalence elsewhere.
  While I am no fan of HRC, to say that she ignored the wants of the states that she lost dismisses the fact that she had a lot of plans in place, and that she communicated those plans quite well time and time again. The problem was that she was perceived as having no empathy for the plight of these people. It's the same problem I have with my wife sometimes. If she tells me about a problem she is having, I always jump to, "here is how we can solve this." All she wants to hear is, "I understand what you are saying, and that this problem is important to you." Although I'm sure that if Hillary tried her husband's "I feel your pain" shtick, she would have been lampooned for that as well. She was just an atrocious candidate.
  Now Trump on the other hand, did a great job of empathizing with people. It's just that the solutions he offered, and the solutions he's trying to deliver, won't actually help the people who got him into office. If you had told folks last year that "repeal and replace" means "drastic cuts to medicare," maybe they would have changed their mind. Then again maybe not. The Daily Show just ran a segment on a guy who owns a golf course that will be destroyed by The Wall (TM). Even with that knowledge, he believes he made the right choice by voting for Trump.
  For the record, I think that marginalizing racist assholes is a way better solution than saying they are "very fine people." I have friends who supported and still support Trump. But even with them, I do not tolerate statements about how impressive it is that he has the balls to break apart Mexican families by arresting parents at a children's hospital, or how funny it would be if you had to eat a bacon sandwich to get through the TSA checkpoint. Unfortunately, Trump has normalized this sort of behavior and sentiment to an extent that was unthinkable even two years ago.
  To claim that embracing equal rights for women and minorities is somehow marginalizing white men is just astonishingly ignorant. I simply cannot fathom what data you have that you think might support such a premise. I am a white man, and any time I hear somebody claiming reverse sexism or racism, I challenge it. So far, the only place that has proven to have an endemic problem is in the public elementary school system.
67. Re: Too bad.... by orgelspieler · 2017-09-21 06:09 · Score: 1
  
  What part of the status quo do you think people are sick and tired of? Because I can tell you Trump has only made the parts of the status quo I was sick and tired of even more entrenched: ICE overreach. General disregard for the Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments. Congress failing to reach consensus on major legislation. Propping up oil companies with massive tax incentives. Extreme income inequality. Dysfunctional international relations. Net neutrality. The Wars on Drugs and Terror. Gitmo, for Christ's sake! The supposed roaring liberal I voted for 9 years ago didn't make things any better either. 8 years of hand wringing and soul searching. I can't say HRC would have fared any better, but at least she wouldn't have looked like a complete buffoon in front of the entire world.
68. Re:Too bad.... by PopeRatzo · 2017-09-21 06:11 · Score: 1
  
  I am actually open to the suggestion that foreigners should be able to influence US elections; but only provided that it is done transparently.
  That's worthy of discussion. As long as every dollar that goes into American politics is directly attributable to a human being (not a corporation!). And I mean every dollar. No more pretending that there is some difference between ads that talk about issues with ads that talk about candidates. There should be disclosure of all political money, period. Give me that, and I may be open to foreigners influencing our elections.
  Unfortunately, the people in power benefit from obfuscating the sources of their funding, so it will not happen until people start to demand it.
  
  --
  You are welcome on my lawn.
69. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 06:11 · Score: 0
  
  It really isn't. They can't understand why they are such cunts. Even though they're RIGHT, damnit!
70. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 06:40 · Score: 0
  
  It looks like you haven't read up on how Trump funded his campaign. He spent MUCH more than reported, but since it was effectively loans to himself, it "looks" like he spent much less to the uneducated. Everyone else knows his spending was upwards of Clinton's.
71. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 07:08 · Score: 0
  
  You still don't get why Trump won. The sheer level of insufferable arrogance from upper-middle class liberals that dominate internet discussion is a massive reason why.
  This is true for me and all my friends who voted for Trump - and we live in California, and we're upper-middle class moderates.
  My friends and I would watch speeches from both sides, and we laughed at/with Trump due to his presentation. But then we saw news articles the following days where Trump's statements were largely misrepresented. And over time, the frequency increased.
  And as people started calling them out for it, they responded with emotionally charged personal attacks with a holier-than-thou attitude. It was ridiculous.
  It was also weird to see the left stereotype Trump supporters. I thought that was one of their ethical pillars: to not marginalize groups nor base anything on stereotypes.
  And it continued. We thought one of the left's claim to fame was a moral high ground where attacking someone for their looks and whatnot was beneath them. But all we saw was them making fun of Trump's hair, his hands, his voice, his mannerisms, etc.
  What happened?
  And what's more, this was being parroted across so many mediums that collaboration was statistically probable.
  Then we saw the San Jose videos, where people on the left were fighting cops and beating up Trump supporters in the streets.
  So we all came to the same conclusion: the left is a bunch of douchebags. Fuck em.
72. Re:Too bad.... by h4ck7h3p14n37 · 2017-09-21 07:22 · Score: 1
  
  ...and Obama sent money to an NGO to interfere in Israel's election in order to hurt Benjamin Netanyahu.
73. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 07:59 · Score: 1
  
  the Affordable Care Act. Remember how it was going to lower prices for most Americans?
  Depends on whether you live in a red state or a blue state. Or (and it's interesting how this works out) whether your state decided to participate in the exchange and take advantage of the subsidies or not. It's the same map.
  Strange how that lines up.
74. Re: Too bad.... by khandom08 · 2017-09-21 08:00 · Score: 1
  
  Gloria, I too know what it feels like to be thirsty. I too have had a dry mouth.
75. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 08:01 · Score: 0
  
  This is true for me and all my friends who voted for Trump - and we live in California, and we're upper-middle class moderates.
  California went 2 to 1 for Hillary. No amount of voting for Trump in California was going to have any effect on the outcome of the election.
  
  So we all came to the same conclusion: the left is a bunch of douchebags. Fuck em.
  That explains why you didn't vote for Hillary. But there were all kinds of third party candidates to choose from. Or you could have just stayed home. So it doesn't explain why you voted for Trump. Unless you were/are expecting Trump to hurt the upper-middle class leftists?
  But it's actually the working class (whites without a college degree) Americans in the middle states that are likely to be hurt the worst by Trump and his Republican allies - taking away their children's healthcare, etc.
  So were you really not understanding what Trump and his Republican allies were intending to do? Or do you actually hate working class Americans in the middle states most of all?
76. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 08:21 · Score: 0
  
  The sheer level of insufferable arrogance from upper-middle class liberals that dominate internet discussion
  Aaaand you lost me. You can't make an unprovable sweeping generalization in your first two sentences and expect anyone to bother to read the rest of what you said.
77. Re: Too bad.... by Crass+Spektakel · 2017-09-21 08:53 · Score: 1
  
  I think Trump won because most Americans are Idiots. You know, those kind of idiots full of incompetence, lazyness and envy. Those kinds which are considering being laught upon is a violation of free speech. Those who think partying through childhood is ok, never safing money is ok, doing life decisions on gut feelings is ok, living a glamoros life from depts and after that everyone is guilty but not the idiot.
  Nothing wrong about that, most people on earth are born, idiots, some get a bit smarter in school bust most still die as idiots.
  But the US made it a habid to ruin schools and wondering where are all the idiots from.
  Electing a goverment from one party and a parliament from a hostile party so everyone is blocking everyone and nothing gets done for the whole election period. This is actually the case for 70% (!!) of US history.
  Refusing to reform a nation coz the founding fathers (which lived with pigs in their houses and died of illnesses like cough and dysenterey) decided like 1000 years ago how to run a 21st century nation and this holy message should not be questioned (image some generic sermon which pleases both Islamic State and founding fathers fundamentalists) and then wondering everything is so fucked up.
  You want proof of this decay? Take a random redneck and watch a random spongebob episode. He will not get half the jokes.
  And the biggest wrongness of all: Thinking America is great. It isn't. It was sometimes. But mostly it was just above average. And to even hold this level everyone has to fight. Lets call it the "civilized nation jihad", reflecting yourself, dropping whats old and wrong and adapting. EVERY FUCKING DAY. Thinks wont get better by behaving like school bullies though. Right now America is not Great. Well, Canada maybe. But not the US. It is isolated, falling back fast. I always thought the 21st century will be the asian century but I thought this would happen because asia wakes up, not by the US falling asleep.
  
  --
  "Life is short and in most cases it ends with death." Sir Sinclair
78. Re: Too bad.... by andydouble07 · 2017-09-21 09:04 · Score: 1
  
  Sorry to burst your ego bubble, but shitposting on forums does not have the kind of effect on the real world that you think it does. Good luck with the keyboard warrior thing, though.
79. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 09:30 · Score: 0
  
  Oh, where to begin.
  First off, Germany doesn't have "over a million" Syrian refugees. At best estimates, it has between 600,000 and 700,000.
  Second, nobody in Germany ever claimed that they were "vital to the economy". You just made that up out of whole cloth.
  Third, 86% of the population of Syria is literate. I haven't seen any study of how the refugee population differs from the population at large in this respect, so the most reasonable assumption is that approximately 86% of the refugees are also literate.
  I get that you need to demonise the Left so that you can safely hate them and not listen to their arguments. Really, I understand. But don't spread your bullshit here.
80. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 09:32 · Score: 0
  
  So people who express an opinion you disagree with, for whatever reason, are lying? The ACA provided coverage for tens of millions of people that didn't have it before, and retarded the growth of health care costs. It worked just fine in states that worked with it, and not as well in states that tried to sabotage it.
  You're also lying your ass off about the motives of liberals.
81. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 09:39 · Score: 0
  
  They're happy to invite in any immigrant who they think will vote Democrat. But heaven forbid a Russian conservative buy an ad.
  That's a hell of a thing to say after thirtysome years of welcoming Cubans to the country with a wink, a nod, and a Ronald Reagan t-shirt.
82. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 09:45 · Score: 0
  
  But heaven forbid a Russian conservative buy an ad.
  You know it's illegal for a foreign national to buy campaign ads in the US, right? Has been for a while now. For 45 years, to be exact. FECA was signed into law in 1972, by Richard M. Nixon.
  yet SEIU (the I being International) with its highest offices being, well, INTERNATIONAL, can choose to spend its members involuntary dues, communications resources and member time (and in many jobs/states membership for employment is mandatory) on influencing politics at every level from local to Federal, on all issues?
83. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 09:59 · Score: 0
  
  The truth hurts. If everyone in the world thinks you're a piece of shit, then you're probably a piece of shit. Go examine your life choices and stop being a dick.
84. Re:Too bad.... by PopeRatzo · 2017-09-21 10:17 · Score: 1
  
  yet SEIU (the I being International) with its highest offices being, well, INTERNATIONAL
  SEIU headquarters is in Washington DC. Its highest offices are not, well, INTERNATIONAL, silly. It has one (1) local in Canada (affiliated with the Canadian Labour Congress). It is registered as a non-profit corporation in the United States.
  
  --
  You are welcome on my lawn.
85. Re:Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 10:47 · Score: 0
  
  AIPAC spy indictment didnt even make the "news."
86. Re: Too bad.... by ArmoredDragon · 2017-09-21 13:52 · Score: 1
  
  People expressing their opinions as foreign nationals, and specifically stating that they are from another country, is not even in the same ballpark as: the son of a presidential candidate having clandestine meetings with Russian spies, or a campaign manager taking millions of dollars in Russian mob money, or the National Security Advisor having to literally register as a foreign agent; or Russian agents making bot accounts to leave thousands of pro-Trump messages on various forums pretending to be Americans. Take your false equivalence elsewhere.
  Foreign influence is foreign influence, no matter the circumstances. If you want to go about it your way, then you can argue that a private citizen in another country can just go ahead and buy ads for political messages, which will be legal even if this person was bankrolled by a government entity.
  
  While I am no fan of HRC, to say that she ignored the wants of the states that she lost dismisses the fact that she had a lot of plans in place, and that she communicated those plans quite well time and time again. The problem was that she was perceived as having no empathy for the plight of these people. It's the same problem I have with my wife sometimes. If she tells me about a problem she is having, I always jump to, "here is how we can solve this." All she wants to hear is, "I understand what you are saying, and that this problem is important to you." Although I'm sure that if Hillary tried her husband's "I feel your pain" shtick, she would have been lampooned for that as well. She was just an atrocious candidate.
  If somebody repeatedly refers to you with terms like 'a deplorable', you won't give a flying fuck what their plans are for you. Besides, during her campaign, Hillary didn't bother visiting these states, instead holding rallies in states with people she liked. Guess who did visit these states?
  
  Now Trump on the other hand, did a great job of empathizing with people. It's just that the solutions he offered, and the solutions he's trying to deliver, won't actually help the people who got him into office.
  Most voters have not a clue about what their guy plans on doing, so this doesn't matter. In fact, I recall during the 08 election, most people I spoke to who were voting for Obama just said that they were voting for him because their friends were voting for him. Practically none of them knew what his campaign was all about. This lady certainly didn't:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
  For most voters, emphathizing and understanding is all that matters.
  
  For the record, I think that marginalizing racist assholes is a way better solution than saying they are "very fine people."
  Actually the thing about that...it won't work. In fact when you do this kind of thing, it tends to backfire. Look at the anti-vaccine movement; the more you tell them that it's stupid, the more they hold firm in their beliefs.
  https://www.nbcnews.com/storyl...
  Even then, most of the people you're talking about aren't racist. Hell, I've had people on slashdot label me a racist just because I think black lives matter shouldn't be allowed to block freeways, and that the "unfair campaign" was retarded.
  
  But even with them, I do not tolerate statements about how impressive it is that he has the balls to break apart Mexican families by arresting parents at a children's hospital, or how funny it would be if you had to eat a bacon sandwich to get through the TSA checkpoint.
  Usually statements like these are in jest, in my experience. The person wouldn't actually do these things themselves. I've heard people say they'd force a kid with peanut allergies to eat peanuts rather than ban peanut butter sandwiches f
87. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 23:34 · Score: 0
  
  Well you are dumb then. Ikanreed was paid by the DNC to post here on /. a couple years ago. I called him out frequently and the day the DNC stopped paying people to post on social media he stopped posting. Specifically their SC operation, which is where he was from.
  So you are supporting corrupt politician for free. You are an idiot. Hope you can help them rig their next primary against the will of the voters as well, for free of course.
88. Re: Too bad.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-22 02:44 · Score: 0
  
  According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_literacy_rate, 86.4% of Syrians (age 15 and older) are literate.
89. Re: Too bad.... by e_pluribus_funk · 2017-09-22 04:20 · Score: 1
  
  >You're also lying your ass off about the motives of liberals.
  
  That's funny, because I didn't mention liberals or their motives at all.
  
  I said the left, which maybe you conflate to be the same thing as liberals, but they aren't. Not at all.
90. Re: Too bad.... by e_pluribus_funk · 2017-09-22 04:27 · Score: 1
  
  >First off, Germany doesn't have "over a million" Syrian refugees. At best estimates, it has between 600,000 and 700,000. This article:
  
  https://www.washingtonpost.com...
  
  Says Germany's official tally for net new refugees in 2016 was 890,000. The article was written in September of 2016. It's now September of 2017. I would say a million+ refugees is probably a fairly safe extrapolation.
  
  >Second, nobody in Germany ever claimed that they were "vital to the economy". You just made that up out of whole cloth.
  
  https://www.theguardian.com/bu...
  
  See, this is why normal people fucking hate the left. You are all liars. IMF has made that argument, Merkel and her henchmen have made that argument. Multiple times. Of course it's bullshit, just like your claim that no one is making it. That's what you guys do, get caught in a lie, move to another lie.
  
  >Third, 86% of the population of Syria is literate. I haven't seen any study of how the refugee population differs from the population at large in this respect, so the most reasonable assumption is that approximately 86% of the refugees are also literate.
  
  LOL. So you believe those official government statistics published by Syria on literacy rates, eh? Here you go:
  
  http://www.zeit.de/2015/47/integration-fluechtlinge-schule-bildung-herausforderung
  
  >I get that you need to demonise the Left so that you can safely hate them and not listen to their arguments. Really, I understand. But don't spread your bullshit here.
  
  Blah blah blah, anonymous coward ends with: "I don't have the energy to lie any more, so I'll just do an ad hominem attack to close..".
91. Re: Too bad.... by Reverend+Green · 2017-09-23 16:07 · Score: 1
  
  Sure, sure, I believe you. How's the weather in Moscow today?
92. Re: Too bad.... by jandersen · 2017-09-24 20:15 · Score: 1
  
  You still don't get why Trump won. The sheer level of insufferable arrogance from upper-middle class liberals that dominate internet discussion is a massive reason why.
  Oh, I think we get it, but you have left out the other, big factor: the massive, largely self-inflicted ignorance of those that fell for the populist scams. And funnily enough, you also left out one remarkable election result that can be attributed to the disillusion with the well-fed middle class: Corbyn's support in UK, which nobody - not even Corbyn's supporters - had expected.
  
  People are sick and tired of ad hominems being the dominant form of discourse from the left ...
  So, why don't you go in front and show us the kind of well-balanced, fact based kind of discourse that we are all longing for? Starting with not singling out what you call "the left", since the rather infantile level of discussion especially in the US comes from all over the spectrum, not least from mr Trump and his supporters. Also, tell us all what you define as "the left", because I have no idea, and judging from what gets called "left" or similar by different people, seems to be anything that isn't uninformed and biased in the same way as whoever uses the word.
hand back by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 14:25 · Score: 0

Will they also hand back all the money they have taken from foreign govs? Or does that not count? What did they use that money for then?
Free speech by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 14:26 · Score: 0

Once again the loony lefties show they don't understand the concept of free speech.
1. Re: Free speech by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 00:26 · Score: 0
  
  Google "Justice Brandeis politics," and "clear and present danger test," and come back when your sophistication of understanding of free speech reaches that of someone who has completed 9th grade civics.
Hahaha by rsilvergun · 2017-09-20 14:27 · Score: 1, Insightful

No.

--
Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
YOU JUST THOUGHT OF THIS NOW?!! by Narcocide · 2017-09-20 14:27 · Score: 0

Fuck you all. Fuck. Go head, mod me down. Social media is a scourge on society. FUCK YOU!
1. Re:YOU JUST THOUGHT OF THIS NOW?!! by Gravis+Zero · 2017-09-20 14:32 · Score: 1
  
  Fuck you all. Fuck. Go head, mod me down. Social media is a scourge on society. FUCK YOU!
  Please, there's no need to hold back on slashdot. Tell us how you really feel. ;)
  
  --
  Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
2. Re:YOU JUST THOUGHT OF THIS NOW?!! by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 15:16 · Score: 0
  
  Fuck you all. Fuck. Go head, mod me down. Social media is a scourge on society. FUCK YOU!
  I personally see no practical solution other than banning any kind of targeted advertisement, say 2 months before an election. That doesn't stop the truly fake news, but at least they can't target every voter with different targeted fake news.
  The problem is hard, and doing things like requiring more due diligence on the part of tech companies and such are difficult. The best I can think of is some kind of wiki link to every article or video passed around. That plus paid moderators who document and if necessary lock an article once an official determination of fake (or not fake) has been made.
  Of course it would help if the republicans (I'm looking at you McConnell) would take it seriously rather than just ignore it because it happened to benefit them this time.
First amendment by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 14:27 · Score: 0

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
This is a clear violation of the first amendment.
1. Re:First amendment by viperidaenz · 2017-09-20 15:06 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  There are already restrictions on campaign advertising. No one claims they violate the first amendment
2. Re:First amendment by BitterOak · 2017-09-20 15:17 · Score: 2
  
  Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
  This is a clear violation of the first amendment.
  I wish the Supreme Court saw it this way, but they have already considered this matter in refusing to hear a case from a lower court which had decided that restrictions of foreign nationals' contributions or attempts to influence U.S. elections is not unconstitutional. (See Bluman vs. FEC.)
  
  --
  If I can be modded down for being a troll, can I be modded up for being an orc, or a balrog?
3. Re:First amendment by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 15:44 · Score: 0
  
  Those laws are unconstitutional.
4. Re:First amendment by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 15:47 · Score: 1
  
  It’s not the first time incompetent judges appointed by the left failed to do their job.
5. Re:First amendment by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 23:09 · Score: 0
  
  Hello, No one.
6. Re:First amendment by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 23:20 · Score: 0
  
  It’s not the first time incompetent judges appointed by the left failed to do their job.
  Oh, but they did do their job:
  Silencing opponents of "progress".
7. Re:First amendment by Attila+Dimedici · 2017-09-21 03:12 · Score: 1
  
  You are mistaken. Not only do restrictions on campaign advertising violate the First Amendment, the laws they are written do the reverse of their claimed purpose. The restrictions on campaign advertising are mostly written into "campaign finance reform" laws (or regulations created to enforce those laws), which were promoted as a way to get money out of politics...often with the argument that getting money out of politics would make it easier to remove incumbents from office. The result of all of our campaign finance reform laws has been to increase how much it costs to get elected and to make it harder for an incumbent to get voted out of office.
  
  --
  The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
Censorship Leads to Authoritarian Regimes by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 14:30 · Score: 0

The democrats are butt hurt because of what happened with their political candidate. It's OK when their corporate funded machine "influences" an election, but it's not OK when a foreign entity does it? Give me a break. Both parties need to die already. Stop restricting the people and give me my damn rights back. I want to be able to say what I want, fund who I want, see what I want, go where I want, and eat what I want when I want. You have no right to infringe on my freedom to travel within or out, nor my friends, wherever they may have been born or currently live. You have no right to demand permission slips when I travel. Or to stop me without cause. Nor do you have a right to censor my friends in other countries or demand extradition when they do something that is completely legal where they are, but you dislike for prosecution here. I may not succeed and bringing freedom to a national audience, but damn it to hell. I'm going to grab as much of it as I can with the help of those who have moved here to NH for freedom and liberty.
And foreign owned corporations? by VeryFluffyBunny · 2017-09-20 14:35 · Score: 4, Insightful

And how much influence do foreign owned corporations exert in the US election cycle through their unlimited and unaccountable spending on party political advertising and campaigning. Then there's the issue of such corporations' influence over law-making through lobbying. Fake news and hacking political parties email accounts are the least of the US's worries in this respect.

--
Debate is a form of harassment. Do not question my truth.
1. Re:And foreign owned corporations? by Luthair · 2017-09-20 14:58 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  I suggest listening to Planet Money's Rough Translation in Ukraine if you think that fake news isn't an issue.
2. Re:And foreign owned corporations? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 07:31 · Score: 0
  
  He didn't say it's a non-issue, he said it's infinitely less important than other abuses of influencing. It's a fair point, who cares which "representative" takes the seat, if ultimately either one of them will be bribed and bullied by multi-national corps?
Russia needs a better money launderer by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 14:39 · Score: 0

The Democrats have been almost-openly working for China, Russia, Venezuela, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran, PLO, Muslim Brotherhood, etc. It's just "marketing".
Russia buys a few ads for Trump and it's a national scandal.
1. Re:Russia needs a better money launderer by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 15:18 · Score: 0
  
  Russia buys a few ads for Trump and it's a national scandal.
  From the blog post "The vast majority of ads run by these accounts didn’t specifically reference the US presidential election, voting or a particular candidate."
Whah? That's UN-AMERICAN! by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 14:47 · Score: 0

What are you, some sort of COMMIE!
Ever notice.... by ckatko · 2017-09-20 14:52 · Score: 5, Informative

...how these discussions and articles and pundents never mention... China... in the list of foreign influences on the USA?
It's not like China has ever directly involved themselves in our elections before...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... ... shit.
1. Re:Ever notice.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 15:30 · Score: 1
  
  Or Israel.
2. Re:Ever notice.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 16:05 · Score: 0
  
  You mean this?
  http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/12/obama-admin-sent-taxpayer-money-oust-netanyahu/
3. Re:Ever notice.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 16:47 · Score: 0
  
  It's amazing what a huge deal Chinagate was at the time. Even SNL, especially Norm MacDonald on Weekend Update, talked about it a lot for years, but it just disappeared from the news. Even Bob Woodward himself, probably the most well known journalist in the world, knew it was a real scandal, investigated it, and wrote a lot about it. After Janet Reno killed the investigation, the story just died.
4. Re:Ever notice.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 17:11 · Score: 1
  
  Brexit too.
  I read a story in USA today just this morning about how the right wing in the US is "meddling" in German elections by making comments on message boards. Seriously.
  "Instead, they say, right-wing groups in the United States are behind materials popping up on YouTube, messaging board sites like 4chan and reddit and texting service Gab.ai. The evidence comes less than a week before Sunday's vote that is likely to hand German Chancellor Angela Merkel a fourth term. "
  Obama goes and campaigns against Brexit, works with opposition parties in Israel to oust Netanyaho, yet people talking on message boards is "meddling". The hypocrisy is astounding.
5. Re: Ever notice.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 00:51 · Score: 0
  
  As per Israel, I completely agree with Obama's spend there. Netanyahoo is a cancer and so is his party.
6. Re: Ever notice.... by Reverend+Green · 2017-09-21 01:22 · Score: 1
  
  That's 'cuz most of the outrage trolls posting here are funded by China. Probably a lot of the more extreme "social justice" hypocrites are Chinese backed as well. I quite admire it really - it's excellent social destabilization propaganda.
7. Re:Ever notice.... by e_pluribus_funk · 2017-09-21 01:41 · Score: 1
  
  The government hates competition. Try setting up your own Ponzi scheme like Social Security and see what happens.
8. Re:Ever notice.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 02:17 · Score: 0
  
  Israel... the country that would be vaporized if the USA stopped giving them gobs of money!
9. Re: Ever notice.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 03:24 · Score: 0
  
  That's 'cuz most of the outrage trolls posting here are funded by China. Probably a lot of the more extreme "social justice" hypocrites are Chinese backed as well. I quite admire it really - it's excellent social destabilization propaganda.
  Sounds like something a Russian outrage troll would say...
10. Re:Ever notice.... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 03:28 · Score: 0
  
  Good thing China would be covered under this initiative given how they are a foreign country and all. Thus I would assume that logically you'd be a supporter of the democrats plan to reduce foreign influence. But logic doesn't hold a candle to tribalism so if you're not a liberal you are certainly against this plan based solely on who is currently presenting it. Shit indeed.
Muh Rusha by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 14:59 · Score: 1

Of course, nobody gives a shit about AIPAC or Saudi Arabia.
Dems are behind the curve again by PopeRatzo · 2017-09-20 15:11 · Score: 4, Informative

It's been illegal for foreign nationals to purchase campaign ads for US elections since 1972. It's even illegal to sell campaign ads to foreign nationals (putting Facebook in some jeopardy in the event the Justice Department decides to enforce the law).
The letter from Dems to the FEC is a request for information from the commission explaining how they're going to meet this legal obligation in regard to social media advertising.

--
You are welcome on my lawn.
1. Re:Dems are behind the curve again by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 15:41 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  And yet George Soros has done it for the past 12 years. But that's ok because the money is laundered through the political committees.
  Let's not even get into the Clinton foundation that essentially took international bribes for US policy in all but name.
  And, I can't help but point out, once again you're just spewing DNC talking points. It's illegal for foreign nationals to advertise for political candidates. It is NOT illegal for foreign nationals to advertise for issues. Otherwise CAIR and the ADL leaders would have to be thrown in prison.
  Facebook advertised for the Russians - WHAT advertising remains to be revealed.
  Damn that pesky first amendment that you now loathe so much.
  And Hillary would've gotten away with it too if it weren't for those pesky Russians.
2. Re:Dems are behind the curve again by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 16:06 · Score: 0
  
  *Squawk* George Soros *Squawk* George Soros chirp chirp.
3. Re:Dems are behind the curve again by PopeRatzo · 2017-09-20 16:07 · Score: 0
  
  Damn that pesky first amendment that you now loathe so much.
  Are you advocating for civil rights for foreign nationals? Does that extend to illegal immigrants?
  
  --
  You are welcome on my lawn.
4. Re: Dems are behind the curve again by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 17:00 · Score: 0
  
  People who violated the law to enter the country, as compared to foreigners who did not violate any such laws?
5. Re:Dems are behind the curve again by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 17:01 · Score: 0
  
  Indeed. This is the fatal #CitizensUnited problem with the current mainstream democrats. I would go further and suggest that the laws you mentioned, even if they were perfectly enforced, are still not the best strategy for the real 'problem'. The best strategy is to make $$ not matter as far as persuasive speech distribution goes. The lofty promise of the internet was framed as kin to the revolution of the printing press. Even after the printing press massively increased Speech, it still had the colloquial problem of "don't make enemies with people who buy ink by the barrel". The promise of the internet was to solve that problem, by taking the price of ink out of the equation. Unfortunately establishment goons have nipped the 2-way streets of the internet into a recentralized one-to-multitude tv-2.0 system. If it weren't for home server persecution, any candidate could have effectly unlimited Free (text) Speech (just for a starting point). That right there is how I advise making big-$$ influence in politics less relevent. So less relevant in the long term it simply doesn't matter that laws against $$ influencing elections are going to be impossible to enforce (the complete spirit of). There are simply too many ways that rich people, of any nationality, can spend their money to influence via ad-buys. I for one think that original promise of the internet was actually, and is still actually attainable. Of course politicians are gonna do as they do, and we'll see crap like this. This isn't going to fix any real problem. It is a lot of cover for many years of brain-dead views of the issue coming from the top. Yeah, like this is some issue that is really significantly new and different in 2017 than it was in 2010, 2000, 1990. Fuck, McCarthyism in the 50's was it? The intrique tactics against international influence go back so many decades before cyber social media even existed. To hear the politicians hem and haw about this new problem we face- what a load of crock.
6. Re:Dems are behind the curve again by Antique+Geekmeister · 2017-09-20 17:22 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Foreign election interference has gone both ways, on several axes. The USA has certainly intervened in many foreign elections, as they have in ours, since the founding of the USA. Public statements of concern about or support for one candidate or another have been traditional, at many levels of public and private announcement. So has foreign support of election monitoring, to help ensure a fair election, both by the US and on several occasions of USA elections.
7. Re: Dems are behind the curve again by Antique+Geekmeister · 2017-09-20 17:27 · Score: 1
  
  They both have rights: the extent to which these rights are recognized depends on many factors, especially treaties with their nations of origin. They may not include all the rights of the Constitution, but even in military involvement they are covered by the "Code of the US Fighting Force". There are violations of these laws, these treaties, and these laws. The prison for untried and unconvicted "illegal enemy combatants" in the US base at Guantanamo Bay is an example of such violations of civil rights and of the Geneva Convention.
8. Re: Dems are behind the curve again by PopeRatzo · 2017-09-20 17:52 · Score: 1
  
  People who violated the law to enter the country, as compared to foreigners who did not violate any such laws?
  If they bought campaign ads, they broke the law.
  
  --
  You are welcome on my lawn.
9. Re:Dems are behind the curve again by PopeRatzo · 2017-09-20 17:54 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah, like this is some issue that is really significantly new and different in 2017 than it was in 2010, 2000, 1990.
  It is significantly different. In 2000 we had campaign finance laws.
  
  --
  You are welcome on my lawn.
10. Re:Dems are behind the curve again by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 18:01 · Score: 0
  
  I can't stand the Nazi George Soros either (and he really is a Nazi), but he has this right because he is a US citizen.
11. Re:Dems are behind the curve again by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 18:36 · Score: 0
  
  Awww - couldn't argue the other points so you had to deflect the issue to illegal immigrants and make a strawman argument. Poor little Poopy.
  Again - the FEC foreign influence laws do NOT apply here IF the Russian advertising only applied to issues in general and did NOT attack or support one candidate or the other. As I pointed out - CAIR (funded by foreign nationals) and the ADL (funded by foreign nationals) run issue ads during campaign seasons too. But they're not considered political if they only state their cause and do not support a particular candidate one way or the other.
  Hell - the ads could all be for Kapersky antivirus. Facebook hasn't bothered to state what the ads were for.
  And because you snarkily went for it - Illegal immigrants do have the right to free speech, the right to own guns and all the other rights enumerated in the bill of rights - but they do NOT have the right to vote, nor the right to a job, nor the right to entitlements as that drains resources that should be going to actual citizens of the US.
  So, do we want to go into Obama letting every illegal immigrant into the nation with a wink and a smile and telling them he won't prosecute them if they vote and remember which political party did this when it comes time to vote. Is that foreign influence? Is that advocating for civil rights? Or is that gross abuse of power?
12. Re: Dems are behind the curve again by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 18:40 · Score: 0
  
  True conservatives know that the US Constitution applies to US citizens only.
13. Re: Dems are behind the curve again by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 18:41 · Score: 0
  
  But if Saudi Arabian nationals start and fund CAIR (and they did) and CAIR makes public statement for and against campaign statements( and they did), did they break the law?
  How about Al Jazeera which editorialized throughout the campaign, attacking all the GOP candidates?
  Or are we just applying the rules subjectively?
14. Re:Dems are behind the curve again by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 18:58 · Score: 0
  
  AGAIN with the idiotic deflection - The campaign finance laws DIDN'T AFFECT FOREIGN INTERVENTION and applied only to domestic limitations.
  Dear GOD at least try to argue with some semblance of coherence that your ego claims you have.
15. Re: Dems are behind the curve again by Hognoxious · 2017-09-20 20:29 · Score: 1
  
  But not all of them, right?
  
  --
  Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
16. Re:Dems are behind the curve again by houghi · 2017-09-20 23:19 · Score: 1
  
  You are aware that you can influence people without buying ads for campaigns directly, right? Just post "But her emails" several million times and people will start to think it is relevant.
  Say many times "We have already won" and people won't even bother to vote.
  All you need to do is fool some of the people some of the time.
  
  --
  Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
17. Re: Dems are behind the curve again by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 00:31 · Score: 0
  
  Last I checked, Soros was a U.S. citizen, dipshit.
18. Re: Dems are behind the curve again by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 00:52 · Score: 0
  
  You do know Soros is a US citizen right? So how does your statement make sense?
19. Re: Dems are behind the curve again by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 00:59 · Score: 0
  
  I will give you credit for commentimg with your moniker and the benefit of the doubt that maybe you just have not slept in days.
20. Re: Dems are behind the curve again by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 01:23 · Score: 1
  
  I understand that you people are pissed that you spent hundreds of millions on a losing candidate. If you did not live in a bubble, sheltered from the rest of the country, maybe you could have made more intelligent investments.
21. Re: Dems are behind the curve again by nomadic · 2017-09-21 03:35 · Score: 0
  
  Haha, first, the majority of voters voted for the Democrat.
  Second, the "bubble" exists in deep red states in the South and midwest. Have YOU ever tried to step out of your bubble? And maybe understand why most of the country voted against Trump?
22. Re: Dems are behind the curve again by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 05:40 · Score: 0
  
  Is Al Jazeera in US jurisdiction?
  If there is an Al Jazeera - US (which I assume there is), does their money come from outside or inside the US?
  I don't know the answers, but they are pretty important legally, I would bet.
23. Re:Dems are behind the curve again by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 07:12 · Score: 0
  
  There's George Soros again, funding both sides with his quadrillions of dollars. I wish the majority of right wingers were smart enough to realize how ludicrous this is, but sadly they're not. The VAST majority of right wingers believe George Soros owns literally the entire solar system.
24. Re:Dems are behind the curve again by friedman101 · 2017-09-21 07:25 · Score: 1
  
  And yet George Soros has done it for the past 12 years.
  
  George Soros is a US citizen
25. Re: Dems are behind the curve again by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 07:42 · Score: 0
  
  Foreigners aren't held to domestic political laws because they aren't part of the political system. Whoever sold them the ads would be the law breaker here.
Would that include George Soros by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 15:16 · Score: 0

Foreign investor who funds many leftist and democratic political action groups here in the US?
No?
Huh...
1. Re:Would that include George Soros by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 17:01 · Score: 0
  
  He'll continue to use proxies just like every other foreigner / country already does. Speaking of foreign influence and propaganda, what's the CIA up to these days?
2. Re:Would that include George Soros by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 19:59 · Score: 0
  
  George Soros has US nationality.
  Next wingnut lie please...
3. Re: Would that include George Soros by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 00:56 · Score: 0
  
  If you object to new US citizens advertising, can we shut down fox news for being owned by an Australian Rupert Murdoch?
4. Re:Would that include George Soros by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 07:43 · Score: 0
  
  George Soros has US nationality.
  Next wingnut lie please...
  Nope, he has dual nationality. Nobody has two masters so he can't be of US nationality.
Hypocrits by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 16:20 · Score: 0

Are those same Democrats also going to suggest legislation to make it illegal for the US government to interfere and try to influence foreign elections? Things we have been doing as a nation for decades? Things which Obama openly did?
Our elections are our business and I'm all for keeping foreign money out of them. But we have no pedestal to preach from considering our history of meddling.
1. Re:Hypocrits by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 21:29 · Score: 0
  
  Are those same Democrats also going to suggest legislation to make it illegal for the US government to interfere and try to influence foreign elections? Things we have been doing as a nation for decades? Things which Obama openly did?
  Our elections are our business and I'm all for keeping foreign money out of them. But we have no pedestal to preach from considering our history of meddling.
  No shit.
  Why do you think Putin wanted HilLIARy! to lose?
  Note the date on this Washington Post story (before HilLIARy! snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and managed to lose to Donald Fucking Trump):
  The long history of the U.S. interfering with elections elsewhere
  So, what particularly pissed off Putin about HilLIARy!?
  Oh, yeah: Ukraine crisis: Putin adviser accuses US of meddling
  
  Sergei Glazyev said the US was spending $20m (£12.3m; 14.8m euros) a week on Ukrainian opposition groups, supplying "rebels" with arms among other things.
  Accusing the US of ignoring the Memorandum on Security Assurances, he suggested Moscow could also intervene.
  The American embassy in Kiev declined to comment on his accusations.
  ...
  Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych is due to meet Mr Putin on Friday in Sochi, on the opening day of the Winter Olympic Games there.
  He held talks in Kiev with US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland on Thursday, at which he said he favoured dialogue and compromise with the opposition.
  Meanwhile, an audio recording has been posted online, which is purported to be a hacked phone conversation between Ms Nuland and US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt, in which the female speaker dismisses EU efforts to resolve the crisis, using an expletive.
  Remember "Fuck the EU"?
  Who was Secretary of State for THAT?
  Oh, yeah. HilLIARy!
  Paybacks are a motherfucker, eh?
  Imagine the Russians fomenting a coup in Mexico that put into power fervently anti-US groups willing to go to war to reclaim parts of the US Southwest that used to be parts of Mexico. Imagine pretty much every other country in North and South America working to prevent such a thing from happening. Imagine a Putin lackey being caught saying "Fuck the OAS".
2. Re:Hypocrits by tomhath · 2017-09-21 01:55 · Score: 1
  
  Imagine the Russians fomenting a coup in Mexico that put into power fervently anti-US groups willing to go to war
  That already happened, albeit a while ago (early in the Mexican Revolution). Better examples would be Cuba and Nicaragua.
So, some sort of barrier for the foreign? by Z80a · 2017-09-20 16:37 · Score: 1

Like some sort of "Cyber wall"?
1. Re:So, some sort of barrier for the foreign? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 21:35 · Score: 0
  
  Like some sort of "Cyber wall"?
  Next thing you know, Hillary will be calling for the Russians to pay for it.
Keep democrats influence off Slashdot by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 18:43 · Score: 0

Lets keep Slashot off political blame game. Someone needs to put a stop to the repeated BS across all social media. Show these fb ads first! I bet Russians had to pay for truth to be shown as ads.
What is foreign spending by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 18:43 · Score: 0

... that would prevent foreign spending to influence U.S. elections.

So foreigners aren't allowed to do what the US already does to other nations. What qualifies as "foreign" anyway: A company that is majority-owned by Chinese nationals, or one that is headquartered in China? By the former standard, a lot of 'American' companies would be unable to fund SuperPACs. Remember SuperPACs, the Republican idea to fund free speech with corporations?

... corporate or nonprofit designations to avoid disclosing political spending ...

Again, foreigners can't do it but Americans can corrupt 'informed consent' as they please.
But why does by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 18:48 · Score: 0

the US govt interfere with elections in foreign countries?
Ban all advertisements as malware by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 18:59 · Score: 0

Problem solved.
1. Re: Ban all advertisements as malware by Reverend+Green · 2017-09-21 01:45 · Score: 1
  
  The first decent proposal in this whole thread!
Muh russian narrative! ree by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 22:18 · Score: 0

REEEE.
While we're at it by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 22:45 · Score: 0

Let's also prohibit media influencing the elections by requiring that all news stories about any candidates or their policies must be accompanied by verified and fact checked sources, no more anonymous sources said crap. And make sure we also prohibit the use of US Tax Payer dollars from being used to influence other nation's elections as Obama tried to do in Israel.
Good for the gander as well? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 23:11 · Score: 0

How about leading by example and putting in a law forbidding American nationals/corporations from interfering in foreign elections? Or more importantly the alphabet soup agencies. Or is that only the "good" kind of meddling?
"Election interference" = Exposing Hilary Clinton by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 23:13 · Score: 0

Funny how the media never mentions WHAT the 'interference' actually was - i.e. exposing Hilary Clinton's e-mails... Strange that, isn't it...
It's almost as if the entire media is LYING to you, trying to make you think that 'Russia' meddled with the ELECTION itself, i.e. the counting of votes...
PopeRatzo is peak stupidity. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-20 23:21 · Score: 3, Insightful

Here we have Clinton, who asked the Ukraine for dirt on Trump during the election.
Clinton who lied under oath 7 times provably, and had her husband interfere with an investigation.
Clinton took on the order of $150 million in bribes from Russia while running the state department.
Clinton who literally rigged a national primary for the DNC to win it because she couldn't beat Sanders.
And you complain about Republicans and elections? You are quite possibly the dumbest person on /. these days, and that is including creimer. Don't worry, you are so stupid you will still blindly vote DNC straight down the ticket no matter how corrupt they are or how badly they treat the middle class, because a rock has more common sense than you.
Liberals have hit peak stupidity. They support people who literally rig elections while complaining about a couple Facebook ads that "might" have been bought by Russia. They ignore actual election fraud, support those who commit it, and then complain about freedom of speech. Yes, we have hit peak stupidity with PopeRatzo.
1. Re: PopeRatzo is peak stupidity. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 00:25 · Score: 0
  
  Leave it tovarich, he's not worth it. Go and be rude about Soros on Breitbart instead.
2. Re: PopeRatzo is peak stupidity. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 04:41 · Score: 0
  
  >>Here we have Clinton, who asked the Ukraine for dirt on Trump during the election.
  >>Clinton who lied under oath 7 times provably, and had her husband interfere with an investigation.
  >>Clinton took on the order of $150 million in bribes from Russia while running the state department.
  >>Clinton who literally rigged a national primary for the DNC to win it because she couldn't beat Sanders. ...and that is, ladies and gentlemen, why this country will NEVER have a woman president, unless she is an empty headed bimbo who can be told what to say and do by the good ole' boys.
Peak stupidity by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 00:32 · Score: 0

You are co-winner of peak stupidity with PopeRatzo.
Yes, pointing out blatant illegal corruption makes you a Nazi, and not supporting the corrupt politician also makes you a Nazi.
Do you realize how incredibly dumb you sound? I'll take that as a no, since you made the post. Once again proving my point that liberals are literally the dumbest people that exist. They actually get mad at people pointing out corruption and will physically attack people, including women and gays, to prevent freedom of speech and brag about it. Yes, liberalism has completely collapsed and is only being help up by the dumbest people on earth.
More peak stupidity by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 00:36 · Score: 0

Yes, more corruption from Clinton. Not even debatable if it happened, it did. Marked a troll by the supporters of peak stupidity, the liberal wing of /..
How have we gotten to the point where pointing out corruption is a troll statement? Where using the NSA to spy on political campaigns is ok?
By the magic of liberal peak stupidity. They are so dumb they will violently support corruption they don't get any advantage from. They want their rights to be taken and will go out and riot to prevent free speech, specifically from women and gays.
Liberals must be proud this day with how completely dumb they have become. Keep the toll votes coming for pointing out political corruption and make sure to call them a Nazi as AC so your bad moderation doesn't get removed.
lols
Pelosi all over again by tomhath · 2017-09-21 01:17 · Score: 0

Remember when Nancy Pelosi tried to control talk radio because it wasn't delivering the message she wanted?
This is the same thing - Democrats whining about media they don't control
How about we just go with "shall make no law"? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 01:30 · Score: 0

"Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press".
There's no "unless they're dirty foreigners" clause that says the nationality of the people trying to buy the use of the press to express their opinions is relevant.
1. Re:How about we just go with "shall make no law"? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 03:43 · Score: 0
  
  "Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press".
  There's no "unless they're dirty foreigners" clause that says the nationality of the people trying to buy the use of the press to express their opinions is relevant.
  Agreed. As much as I find it distasteful to have the Russians (and other countries and foreign nationals) interfering in our elections... in the same way as I find it distasteful for out of state residents and out of state organizations to be similarly interfering in state level elections by taking out ads and supporting candidates. Americans' Freedom of Speech should not be interfered with as a somehow a remedy to this behavior.
Not a real candidate by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 01:34 · Score: 0

"UNFRIEND ME IF YOU SUPPORT TRUMP YOU RACIST BIGOT."
Hey, you're the one supporting a protest candidate.
If you actually *believe* in him, I don't know what to say.
If only the US would do the same by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 01:44 · Score: 2, Informative

The US has been interfering with foreign elections for over 60 years. Even a Liberal rag admits it: http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-us-intervention-foreign-elections-20161213-story.html
Democrats are pissed for having their dirty laundry aired, as if they felt that only Republicans should have their's aired. The facts remain that all of the leaked emails and social ads were merely revealing the truth about how crooked the DNC had become.
PopeRatz is an idiot by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 02:10 · Score: 0

HRC outspent Trump like 10 to 1, and lost.
HRC used foreign donations, by the tens of millions (as you claim illegally) and still lost.
But Russia spends a couple hundred thousands on Facebook ads and the world is ending!
I have to keep repeating this because it hasn't suck in to you yet. You are a complete moron. You are getting upset about the tiniest amount of foreign influence while supporting the candidate that had RECORD amounts of foreign influence. Clinton took in nearly $600 MILLION personally while Secretary of state from bribes, most were foreign. Yet you still support her. Its obvious corruption doesn't bother you in the least, and you have made the point perfectly clear. Your problem is people voting the way you don't like and you think that shouldn't be allowed.
You are a freedom hating Nazi, and the dumbest person posting on /. daily. Please stop embarrassing yourself. Voting up your posts with your alt accounts isn't fooling anyone. We ALL know how dumb you are. All you accomplish is making everyone think there are tons of morons here, but it really is only you and a couple others.
Foreign Influences in Elections Must be Good by CanadianMacFan · 2017-09-21 04:10 · Score: 1

If it wasn't good then the US wouldn't be interfering in the elections of other countries so often.
BS by Anonymous Coward · 2017-09-21 04:41 · Score: 0

Democrapes need to get off the dead donkey.
There wasn't any Russia influence.
if only... by liquid_schwartz · 2017-09-21 05:45 · Score: 1

If only illegal immigrants counted as a foreign influence to Democrats. Make no mistake, both parties sell you down the river, they just sell you to slightly different parties and word it differently though the net result is much the same.
I will support this... by hackel · 2017-09-21 07:38 · Score: 1

Just as soon as they also outlaw out-of-state contributions to local elections. National parties like the DNC and GOP shouldn't be allowed to contribute to local elections at all. Someone from a neighbouring city shouldn't be allowed to contribute to my local mayoral election. Where does it end?
Datchu? by shanen · 2017-09-21 07:39 · Score: 1

The game designer I knew (not that well) back in Austin?

--
Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.