The recent public focus of the “Russian interference” in the 2016 presidential election has been focusing on fourth-place finishing Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who is now under FBI investigation related to her “Russia ties.” This is also centering increasingly on the third-party presidential debate in 2016.
With the more publicized debates centering on the two major parties’ candidates, third-party debates were broadcast on Russian channel RT, which US intelligence has used in the past as “evidence” of Russian involvement in the campaign.
Stein, and the organizers of the debates, are defending the matter, however, saying that the debates were held to give third party candidates at least some access to the voters, and RT was chosen to reach the largest audience they could get.
The “defense” of the debate, really, boils down to the major US-based networks went out of their way to exclude third-parties from the debate system, and that RT didn’t insist on the same narrow political debate as the mainstream. Allowing such debate is such alien concept that everyone seems to feel the need to have those involved justify themselves, and failing that, the FBI is going to tar everyone involved as part of a Russian plot.
In a democratic country the investigation would center around why the third parties are systematically excluded from presenting their views with the voters, and not on RT.
The allegation of Russian interference is absurd because we’d have to have a democracy in the first place, for Russia to interfere with it.
Indeed, as I’ve been saying in progressive circles for awhile now to their great discomfort, Americans should ignore the innuendo about Russia that lacks evidence and thank them for definitely helping to make our republic more substantively democratic. And I’m not talking about political parties, I mean living up to all of our professed ideals for a change. Instead right now when there’s a messenger to be shot, plenty of volunteers come loaded for bear.
I wish Russia would conspire to give me something different than the right wing radio, right wing television, right wing newspaper in my town.
I thought competition not monopoly was the strength of a democratic society.
Sure but what does that have to do with the USA?
That’s what is called freedom of the press in the land of the free.
US officials would not dare to watch (subtitled!) debates on Russian TV where people speak openly in opposition to Putin’s policies and other issues and discuss US policies also with different points of view. Gilbert Doctorow’s recent posts and interviews, as well as the programs themselves are free online, as well as the regular programs by Prof. Stephen Cohen, who actually knows a great deal about Russia. Be brave-have a look!!!
RT is my favorite channel. Peter Lavelle’s “Cross Talk” is what “Meet the Press” was years ago. The “Max Keiser Show” is what “Forbes” , was years ago. Something about truth appeals to many and scares the elites. The day, RT gets illegal is the day, DISH starts making a $100/month less. I am one horse that definitely cannot be forced to drink foul water.
More on the witch hunt.
US Congress targets Green Party candidate Jill Stein over allegations of collusion with Russia
by Trévon Austin, 21 December 2017
“The targeting of Stein demonstrates that the anti-Russia witch-hunt is aimed ultimately at domestic political opposition.”
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/12/21/stei-d21.html
“What the two big-business parties fear most is the development of a mass movement against the capitalist system. They aim to combat this threat by censoring the Internet, criminalizing political dissent, and preventing the free exchange of ideas.”
In a peculiar backhanded way, the “investigation” is getting slightly closer to facts. RT has always pushed a progressive line, and its favored candidate in 2016 was Bernie, not Trump. Anyone who followed RT even occasionally could see this clearly.
Propaganda and opinion can’t possibly be called interference or meddling, but at least the “investigators” are starting to approach the actual content of Russian propaganda and opinion.
Americans Looks to Putin for Access to Free Speech.
Now there’s a f**king headline for ya!
this is all part of the new mccarthyite practices of the Elites, here via the FBI, to smear any dissidents and dissent from the status quo
it’s all a bunch of rubbish and a threat to true democracy, freedom of thought and association, and equality which these third parties represent or should be representing, because the two major parties certainly don’t