like a third of the 2016 lefty commentariat went so insane denying this they became Trumpers and another third decided because it sounded cringe it was therefore not true
Your regular reminder that basically all of the most unhinged resist-lib Russiagate stuff was actually true and the Trump administration just successfully covered it up by interfering in and shutting down the investigation (gift link) www.nytimes.com/2024/08/21/t...
The F.B.I. raided the homes of two prominent commentators on Russian state television channels as part of an effort to blunt attempts to influence November’s election.
Hm. I don't think it 'almost all' was verified. There were SO many allegations. Putin hacked the voting machines! Practically everyone was accused of being a Russian agent. Since the Dems have come to terms with the actual danger is fundamentally a DOMESTIC issue, things have improved quite a bit.
I mean, there was a lot of absolutely inconclusive hysteria attached to it as well (HRC lost because of some FB posts, Joy Anne Reid's WP account hacks, etc), but many leftists were happy to conflate that with the real stuff because dunking dynamics were just too sweet.
A blessing in disguise, I think. The leftists who were able to keep a clear head now have a lot more influence compared with those other two, which frees us up to focus more on practical issues like unionization while ditching the ridiculous "read mao" crowd.
It's not that I thought it wasn't true, it's that I thought he was going to successfully wriggle out of it, and that there were other avenues of attack that they ignored in favor of putting all their eggs on that particular basket. You are very right about the out-and-out deniers, though
Going out on a limb here because I am not, and never could be, a journalist but there is a distinction between professionals and hacks in all fields. Hacks do what they are told because they want/need the paycheck. Professionals know that their reputation matters and will walk away on principle.
The Chapo position seemed to be that the CIA convinced thousands of Ukrainians to risk their lives in the Maidan uprising but it was impossible for Russian hackers to convince a few thousand Facebook addled old people to vote for Trump or not vote.
maddening how it's a matter of public knowledge Donald Trump Jr willingly took a meeting with a Russian spy in his campaign capacity wherein she offered dirt on Hillary Clinton in exchange for quid pro quo lifting of sanctions and Jr's main defense is that he was too stupid to understand the ask.
Why do you think that is? Are 2/3 of leftists in thrall to Putin? (obviously we know 1/3 are vulgar aesthetes)
A very good litmus test for “is your contrarianism based on healthy skepticism or is it your entire personality”
The number of times I saw people decrying “Russophobia” istg