This is just too uncomfortable. After the EU pressured a reset of the Romanian elections, after the ban on LePen running, and so on, it feels like European democracies are set on creating certain outcomes while calling it a defense of democracy. If you’re focused on banning candidates or parties, or on eliminating speech / access to speech, you aren’t a democracy. But you’re also going to cause an escalation in response rather than actually suppressing the people you want to ban.
And given that France arrested Durov (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrest_and_indictment_of_Pavel...) and is now allegedly offering “assistance” with his case in exchange for cooperation in censorship, this is all getting very messy and looks bad. Curious what the other side of the story is.
sleepyguy•25m ago
Russia has reportedly spent over €200 million influencing elections in Moldova. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is said to control assets worth $ Billions $ in the poorest country of the Eurozone. Pictures of his $500 Million dollar estate with Zebras and many African animals litter the Internet. Meanwhile, some British MPs have even admitted to accepting Russian bribes.
Moscow has effectively built a “fifth column” across many European nations. Without decisive government intervention, they risk successfully undermining democracy across the continent. Russia has a long history of such tactics, and it has perfected the art of political manipulation. Just look at the corrosive effect of money in politics in the United States—Donald Trump, for example, would sell out the entire country if it meant more money for himself and his allies.
What’s alarming is how few people in the West understand that they are already engaged in a full-scale information and influence war with Russia and its allies. Most citizens remain unaware of the scale and sophistication of this threat.
SilverElfin•3m ago
Is influencing is just speech, why have a problem with that? What makes it different from groups of activists doing the same thing within a country? It’s all propaganda to some, or free speech to others. I agree it’s an “influence war” but disagree that a foreign source changes things at a basic level - even from within the same country, brigading and bot like voting or comments, corrupts the process of politics. So I disagree about the choice to violate free speech principles. But do you see it differently? Do you agree with the part about activists behaving similarly?
SilverElfin•1h ago
And given that France arrested Durov (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrest_and_indictment_of_Pavel...) and is now allegedly offering “assistance” with his case in exchange for cooperation in censorship, this is all getting very messy and looks bad. Curious what the other side of the story is.
sleepyguy•25m ago
Moscow has effectively built a “fifth column” across many European nations. Without decisive government intervention, they risk successfully undermining democracy across the continent. Russia has a long history of such tactics, and it has perfected the art of political manipulation. Just look at the corrosive effect of money in politics in the United States—Donald Trump, for example, would sell out the entire country if it meant more money for himself and his allies.
What’s alarming is how few people in the West understand that they are already engaged in a full-scale information and influence war with Russia and its allies. Most citizens remain unaware of the scale and sophistication of this threat.
SilverElfin•3m ago