The Internet has been a blessing on the one hand and a curse on the other. When we sent a letter containing confidential information only a generation ago, we assumed that no one would learn the contents of the letter except the intended recipient. But our generation of 24-hour marketing and almost instantaneous delivery of some items has become standardized and expected. Along with speed comes risk; Internet messages can be intercepted or monitored, phone calls can be overheard by security devices operated by criminals and security agencies.
One of the fastest ways to get messages to someone in another state, another nation or another hemisphere is by Internet. But hackers have become as adept as programmers and companies that insure the safe transmission of Internet messages. A relatively recent development of Internet information interchange is called ‘social media’ such as Facebook and twitter. While these organizations work hard to assure the safety of users and their messages, the Russians recently posted false information at will. These foreign hackers used assumed names and spun tales that weren’t facts and situations that didn’t exist.
Why do Russian hackers both in their government and in their companies want to make mischief on the Internet? Our investigators apparently believe that they want to put their thumbs on the voting scale in favor of one candidate. It is probably true that they would have preferred Hillary so our friendly Obama policies of cosmetic diplomacy, superficial scolding and gifts of uranium would be continued. But for those who believe that Russian hackers and companies wanted to alter the vote in favor of one candidate, wipe your mental slate clean of any such thoughts.
Here’s precisely what these foreign interests, called Russians, were doing. They were and are sowing seeds of discontent and dysphoria. Hackers from Russia and other foreign countries want to help our citizens find fault with our government, our corporations and with each other. It is in the best interests of totalitarian governments like Russia, China, North Korea and some of the theocracies and corrupt governments of the Middle East and Africa to generate distrust among our friends. Consider our membership in NATO, an alliance of 29 nations that was created in 1949 and continues to be active today. One of the founding principles of NATO was for regional security.
That is exactly why Russia does not belong to NATO. It is a nation with a shrinking population of about 144 million people, largest land area of any nation with 6.6 million sq. miles (compared to mainland USA at 3.8 million sq. miles). An important comparison with the U.S. is Russia’s annual GDP of $3.7 trillion or about 1/5th of our GDP. Russia’s duel objectives are to bring down the world’s perception of the United States while enhancing their own fearful power of growth through conquest. Their internal growth is negative due to policies of totalitarianism and regulation of personal freedoms and entrepreneurial limitations.
Immigrants and refugees seeking to escape suppression in their homeland are generally not interested in moving to another corrupt autocratic nation and thus choose nations like the UK, Germany and the U.S. where opportunities exist and are backed by generous welfare programs.
Now, let’s be clear-eyed about our own United States of America. Like all countries, we have our own problems to solve. Our military has been ‘right-sized’ over the past administration so that if we were to be invaded by a military power such as Belize or Iceland, we could repulse their advances. The invasion from the south is now in progress and over the next few years we will probably cede one of our Pacific properties over to Mexico that will perhaps be named Mexifornia.
Corruption has found its way into our governmental, corporate, union and educational institutions. Our legislators at all local, state and federal levels have in many cases abdicated interest in long-term solutions in favor of short-term fixes. Social Security is out of whack financially and welfare, entitlements and pension benefits are short by at least $10 trillion. Currently our great nation is locked in the heated battle of a coup-d’état by liberals who have disguised their efforts to overthrow the government as ‘resist.’
Go in peace, not pieces.
Dick Baynton
