Of course, the Russians did none of these things, and not even the DNI, the CIA, the FBI, or the most determined media conspiracy theorists have suggested otherwise.
In fact, all of this undermining of the American elections was done by American politicians -- primarily Republicans. If the rigging of national elections corrupts the very soul of democracy -- which it most certainly does -- where is the outrage over domestic rigging which was unquestionably done on a vastly greater scale than that allegedly done by the Russians?
In fact, there is no outrage. Instead, crickets! To be fair, Trump's free media coverage and voter suppression have received some mainstream media attention. But investigation and reporting of suspected hacking of paperless DRE machines, of cross-checking disenfranchisement, of exit-poll discrepancies -- all this is verboten. And the rare MSM reporter who dares to mention these topics puts his career in jeopardy.
And so, Florida 2000. ("The people have spoken: all five of them" -- Mark Russell. "Get over it!" -- Antonin Scalia). Also, Ohio, 2004, and numerous congressional elections.
But accuse the Russians of releasing the contents of DNC emails, the accuracy of which is not in dispute, and with no significant effect on the outcome of the election, and point out that the Russian government finances a cable channel which almost no one watches -- do this, and all holy Hell breaks loose. The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!
Get a grip, America!
IV
We learn from press reports that when the Russian Duma (parliament) was told that Trump had won the elections, the members rose and cheered. Also, we learn that there were celebrations in the Kremlin by government officials. I have no doubt that both reports are true. Yet somehow we are expected to be shocked by these celebrations. However, they in no way serve as evidence that the Russians hacked or leaked the contents of those DNC emails.
So why the obvious Russian preference for a Trump victory? Just consider what the Russians have gained. The American people have elected as their president, an incompetent, narcissistic ignoramus, ignorant most significantly of his own shortcomings. Add to all that, because he is an unconstrained liar, nothing he says can be believed. Once the Trump administration takes office, the United States promises to be a nation in domestic disarray and in global disrepute, its international leadership severely compromised.
Say what you will about Vladimir Putin -- that he may be a cruel despot, and a ruthless autocrat -- one cannot deny that he is a wily tactician, well informed, smart and capable. And what are the capabilities of the incoming American leadership? Need I say more?
Regardless of whether or not the Russians had a hand in determining the outcome of our election, they have much to celebrate. The United States is a diminished and vulnerable adversary. And the Russians did not do this to us. We did it to ourselves.
V
Our politicians and media complain vehemently that the Russians are interfering with our elections. The hypocrisy is breathtaking.
We Americans openly proclaim and execute "regime change" without an iota of embarrassment -- most recently, Serbia, Iraq, Libya, now Syria, arguably Ukraine, and if we could, Russia itself. And who bestowed upon The United States the office of judge, jury and executioner of other nations' regimes? We appointed ourselves, of course!
The list of American "regime change" attempts, successful and failed, is long. And these attempts do not always "bring democracy" to the affected nations. In 1953, the CIA and British intelligence ousted the legitimately elected President of Iran, Mohammad Mossaddegh, who had the audacity to suggest that Iranian oil belonged to Iran. He was replaced with the despotic Shah (Reza Pahlevi). In 1973 Salvador Allende, the elected President of Chile was overthrown and succeeded by the brutal dictator, Augusto Pinochet.
Most significantly, for our purpose, is the case of Russia in 1996: the re-election campaign of Boris Yeltsin. Then, a team of American "election experts" travelled to Russia, where they raised Yeltsin's paltry single-digit approval ratings to an election victory. A nine-page Time Magazine cover story, dated July 15, 1996, spells out "how four US advisers used polls, focus groups, negative ads and all the other techniques of American campaigning to help Boris Yeltsin win." The tone of the article reeks with chauvinistic pride and smugness. There is not a hint that there might be something wrong about Americans "interfering with the outcome" of the Russian election.
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