Coordinated Response to Russian Covert Manipulations

[956 Worldwide 35516]

Peeling this away from the CR thread on propaganda and the Ukraine thread. There were pretty significant coordinated actions against Russian covert influence operations today.  Justice indicted two Russians and seized several domains, Treasury sanctioned Margarita Simonyan (she’s famous on the Ukraine thread) and others, and State slapped a foreign mission designation on Simonyan’s company Rossiya Segodnaya (translation: Russia Today) and pushed out visa restrictions on unnamed Russkies. 
 

The big bombshell news is that Simonyan’s RT brand funneled tens of millions of dollars to a U.S. company that employs people like Tim Pool and Dave Rubin to create Russia-approved content and videos that got pretty outstanding reach.  But beyond that, this network of actions allows people to piece together how the machine works. RT, for instance, doesn’t really exist.  It’s merely a convenient brand used within Rossiya Segodnaya internationally while Rossiya Segodnaya operates more of a media empire. 
 

At the Kremlin’s direction, the RT content  and messaging then gets amplified and spread via a network of Kremlin security service controlled networks run by shadowy entities like the Social Design Agency and Structura, using various LLM tools and botnets. 
 

The big piece here is two-fold and different from past shady Russia shit in that it differs from just propaganda and disinformation. The Russians are actually (covertly) financing pretty significant U.S. media figures and not just kooky bots.  The indictments are careful to say the Americans are “unwitting,” which you can decide the credibility of.  The second is the clear attempt to move beyond just chaos and discord and instead move to actually advancing Kremlin aims and policies including on Ukraine and upcoming elections.  
 

A slate of today’s actions at the links:

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2559

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-rt-employees-indicted-covertly-funding-and-directing-us-company-published-thousands

https://www.state.gov/state-department-actions-to-counter-russias-election-interference-and-foreign-malign-influence-operations/

 

 

[Homercles 10206]

Fuck yeah!

[Hefeweizen 5416]

Russia is asshole, example number ten billion.

[Brisketexan 106614]

47 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

The big bombshell news is that Simonyan’s RT brand funneled tens of millions of dollars to a U.S. company that employs people like Tim Pool and Dave Rubin to create Russia-approved content and videos that got pretty outstanding reach.  

Okay, where can we see the details on that.  Because it's important.  It's important the next time some fucking asshole around here re-posts some Pool or Rubin shit to be able to show them directly how those mouthpieces are Russian propaganda outlets.

[aggie08 21732]

Pssshh, it's not like a coordinated effort from one of our oldest enemies to spread propaganda and divide and weaken Western civilization from 5,000 miles away could ever have any real, lasting effect on our sacred institutions and way of life.

[956 Worldwide 35516]

13 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Okay, where can we see the details on that.  Because it's important.  It's important the next time some fucking asshole around here re-posts some Pool or Rubin shit to be able to show them directly how those mouthpieces are Russian propaganda outlets.

They are not named in the indictment because they were “deceived” allegedly.  But it’s all pretty fucking clear. 
 

 

[Brisketexan 106614]

5 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

They are not named in the indictment because they were “deceived” allegedly.  But it’s all pretty fucking clear. 
 

 

Got it.  And I love Tim Pool's self-defense:  "Russia didn't tell me what to post!  Instead, they like the fact that my stuff was SO pro-Russia and SO divisive to Americans that they paid me to KEEP posting it!"  Yeah....that's not the stirring defense you think it is, Tim.  

You were already committing so much fucking treason that they just paid you to keep doing what you were already doing isn't any real moral high ground.

[Gatorubet 30627]

I have a dream that Margie will go to the front to interview the TikTok Chechens - and will receive the treatment by the whole battalion that she so justly deserves.

[Armybrat 41314]

It’s no surprise that so many Americans today fall for devious foreign propagsnda, just like a lot of their stupid forefathers joined the German-American Bund prior to WW2.

 

[Chopper 17429]

This dude is a journalist with Talking Points Memo. Says his account getting hacked from Russia despite having 2FA was the last straw so he's abandoning the nazi site. 

[troph 25089]

At some point doesn’t state and DOJ need to either bring indictments or shine light on US media groups taking foreign money? Wittingly or not? Isn’t that part of how this gets unwound?

[Foosters 18223]

Damn. Who's Prong Horn going to get his info from now?

[B00M 6725]

40 minutes ago, Chopper said:

This dude is a journalist with Talking Points Memo. Says his account getting hacked from Russia despite having 2FA was the last straw so he's abandoning the nazi site. 

Not even using a VPN or did the VPN claim they were in Russia? Either way, isn’t twitter fucking banned by Russia? Yet twitter is cool with logins from Russia? 

[B00M 6725]

29 minutes ago, Foosters said:

Damn. Who's Prong Horn going to get his info from now?

Some furry with fake boobs? 

[956 Worldwide 35516]

 

And because of course there is a Tweet from Elon:

[HenryJames 67115]

Benny Johnson and Tim Pool?

The Russians aren’t hiring our best.

[Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand 13617]

Authoritarians never hire the best.

[atomheartbevo 90542]

3 hours ago, Gatorubet said:

I have a dream that Margie will go to the front to interview the TikTok Chechens - and will receive the treatment by the whole battalion that she so justly deserves.

[Sawbonz 28081]

Who will be the first moron to come into this thread and say it’s CR?

[Hefeweizen 5416]

They’re wondering how they can monetize this?

[F250 29170]

Wired has an article about Tenet Media.

https://www.wired.com/story/right-wing-influencer-network-tenet-media-allegedly-spread-russian-disinformation/

Quote

Tenet allegedly received some $9.7 million from RT, according to the DOJ. Of that, $8.7 million went to the production companies of three unnamed commentators, the indictment claims. One, referred to as “Commentator-1”—the description appears to be of either Johnson or Rubin—was allegedly contracted for $400,000 per month for four weekly videos. The nearly $10 million Tenet Media allegedly received from RT “represents nearly 90%” of funds deposited in the company’s accounts, the DOJ claims.

 

[Pato del Muerto 53327]

2 hours ago, Armybrat said:

It’s no surprise that so many Americans today fall for devious foreign propagsnda, just like a lot of their stupid forefathers joined the German-American Bund prior to WW2.

 

And who could have known that GAB band would want to drop a bomb on us?

[atomheartbevo 90542]

9 minutes ago, F250 said:

Wired has an article about Tenet Media.

https://www.wired.com/story/right-wing-influencer-network-tenet-media-allegedly-spread-russian-disinformation/

$400,000 a month for 16 videos?  Who would sell out for that kind of easy money?

[956 Worldwide 35516]

40 minutes ago, Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand said:

Authoritarians never hire the best.

“Idiot”’ is the senior partner in the “useful idiot” word pair but it’s important not to compartmentalize or downplay this stuff.  The Tenet stable is for sure a lineup of morons, but they are still morons with sizable audiences and the things they say resonate, repeat, and are responded to.  Russia understands it cannot dominate the information battlefield but it can conduct shaping operations. And that’s what this is.  These activities mean that we spend time as Americans having debates that Moscow wants us to have, not our own. 

[Brisketexan 106614]

“Idiot”’ is the senior partner in the “useful idiot” word pair but it’s important not to compartmentalize or downplay this stuff.  The Tenet stable is for sure a lineup of morons, but they are still morons with sizable audiences and the things they say resonate, repeat, and are responded to.  Russia understands it cannot dominate the information battlefield but it can conduct shaping operations. And that’s what this is.  These activities mean that we spend time as Americans having debates that Moscow wants us to have, not our own. 

And the Trumpers will never, ever stop or admit they’ve been played.
They’ve been turned. Totally, and completely. Russian manipulation of the dumbest and the greediest among us has helped create a fifth column that will never go away.
What it comes down to is the fact that we need to be waging real war against Russia. Ukraine gives us more than a little opportunity, but we are way underutilizing it. Ukraine should have B-1s and Tomahawks in their arsenal. And we should be killing hostile Russian assets wherever we find them. Not sanctioning them, or arresting them, but killing them.

[ultimaton 2985]

So I'm supposed to believe that the only person to not know that Tim Pool was on Putin's payroll was... Tim Pool?

[bolverk 30228]

If y'all remember Zavala, he seemed to be a TP fan (as was Chrispy apparently).

[Gil Bang 26174]

 

 

Edited September 5 by Gil Bang

[Chopper 17429]

The indictment seems to leave no doubt the founders of Tenet knew it was Russian money (they also have a digital record of one of the founders messaging one of the financiers about money they're owed and checking "time in Moscow" on their computer while waiting for a response) and there are plenty of clues the rest of the bunch did, too.

There's also an interesting split on one side of the spectrum where now some of 'em are screaming, "We were duped by Russia!" and others have been gaslighting for years that the Russia accusations are fake.

[F250 29170]

4 minutes ago, Chopper said:

There's also an interesting split on one side of the spectrum where now some of 'em are screaming, "We were duped by Russia!" and others have been gaslighting for years that the Russia accusations are fake.

Well, when you are facing this what would you say?

 

[Sawbonz 28081]

I’m not reading an indictment so dumb question amnesty: were people indicted or “the company?”

[Chopper 17429]

49 minutes ago, Sawbonz said:

I’m not reading an indictment so dumb question amnesty: were people indicted or “the company?”

So far just the 2 Russians.

correction: nm just the 2 russians so far

Edited September 5 by Chopper

[Sawbonz 28081]

Fuck Merrick Garland

[atomheartbevo 90542]

2 hours ago, ultimaton said:

So I'm supposed to believe that the only person to not know that Tim Pool was on Putin's payroll was... Tim Pool?

Yeah, if you asked me to name five Americans on Putin’s payroll, Pool would be in there.

[Sawbonz 28081]

We have like 1 million sanctions against Russia, so how the fuck could an American citizen getting money from Russia not be a crime?

[Chopper 17429]

The founders of Tenet have some interesting connections.

Edited September 5 by Chopper
sp

[Chopper 17429]

 

[Chopper 17429]

1 hour ago, F250 said:

Well, when you are facing this what would you say?

 

Right but when Trump screams election interference when he hopefully loses, some of the loudest voices on his side will have said they were duped into providing pro-Russian propaganda. 

[Satchel 6982]

4 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

 

And because of course there is a Tweet from Elon:

Well, in all fairness to the Pool guy, his formal educated ended when he was 14.

[956 Worldwide 35516]

One of the commentators (Rubin or Johnson) got a little suspicious about their benefactor so the Russians made this pdf and sent it around. Immaculate tradecraft. 
 

[randomhorn 2111]

[Pam Cummings 9823]

What? You mean anti-American rhetoric that is a clear attempt to damage our institutions and erode our rule of law came from Russia? And that people were paid money from Russian handlers to promote these subversive ideas? Sounds like treason to me.

Edited September 5 by Pam Cummings

[randomhorn 2111]

Anyone taking bets that this was the only Russian to right wing revenue stream?

[Ted Lange 16350]

 

[TwiceHorn 31984]

8 hours ago, Sawbonz said:

Fuck Merrick Garland

There's a good bit of informed speculation that Chen and Donovan are cooperating with the government and may themselves be subject to sealed indictment, although that's not a prerequisite to cooperation.

Indicting companies is pretty meh.

[Captainant 28381]

IDK man, can we can an ACKSHUALLY informed opinion on russian disinformation? Like GRUhorn or pronghorn?

[SquishMitten 10493]

14 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Got it.  And I love Tim Pool's self-defense:  "Russia didn't tell me what to post!  Instead, they like the fact that my stuff was SO pro-Russia and SO divisive to Americans that they paid me to KEEP posting it!"  Yeah....that's not the stirring defense you think it is, Tim.  

You were already committing so much fucking treason that they just paid you to keep doing what you were already doing isn't any real moral high ground.

From a legal standpoint, yeah, it actually may be a huge difference. Being a jackass spouting Russian bullshit entirely of your own accord isn’t treason, afaik. But if you’re being paid to do it, and not registered as a foreign agent (or whatever the correct term) is an entirely different thing. Not that I believe he was entirely unwitting or duped as some of the articles seem to imply. 

[Gatorubet 30627]

58 minutes ago, SquishMitten said:

From a legal standpoint, yeah, it actually may be a huge difference. Being a jackass spouting Russian bullshit entirely of your own accord isn’t treason, afaik. But if you’re being paid to do it, and not registered as a foreign agent (or whatever the correct term) is an entirely different thing. Not that I believe he was entirely unwitting or duped as some of the articles seem to imply. 

pretty much this

[crash_davis 23465]

Remember when the 7 GOP congressmen visited the Kremlin over 4th of July. It's funny that idiots who wrap themselves in the flag are the traitors amongst us. I'm too lazy to post it but there's a video from the 70s from a former Russia spy detailing how they are going to feed misinformation and deceit in the US. The plan is in full affect. Russia has bought so many idiots in power to influence the dumbest of the dumb into believing all kinds of shit under the veil of freedom and fake religious Christian persecution, 70M people in 2020 to be exact.

If you want to know who has been bought, just listen to the traitors painting Ukraine as the bad guy and wanting us to stop backing Ukraine. 

Edited September 5 by crash_davis

[crash_davis 23465]

59 minutes ago, SquishMitten said:

From a legal standpoint, yeah, it actually may be a huge difference. Being a jackass spouting Russian bullshit entirely of your own accord isn’t treason, afaik. But if you’re being paid to do it, and not registered as a foreign agent (or whatever the correct term) is an entirely different thing. Not that I believe he was entirely unwitting or duped as some of the articles seem to imply. 

Bro, do you even freedom of speech?

Assholes are using that as an excuse to spout all kinds of utter bullshit and lies.