I ran across this yesterday afternoon, thought you might find it interesting
This opinion piece pretty well sums up my feelings on this, thank you for finding it.
We need to focus on the upcoming election and how to safeguard it from future meddling as much as possible. This article highlights some important steps to take. Please consider reaching out to your representatives and asking them what they are doing on this issue. We must have faith that our votes are properly counted, that voters who are eligible to vote aren't removed from voter lists, and we need more transparency in who is paying for advertising or we need to completely overhaul the advertising allowed. Who here wouldn't be sad if there were no more TV commercials, or constant phone calls, during election season? I personally think it would be grand to have no PAC ads whatsoever. All media can only run 1 ad per candidate per day or week and they have to run one for each candidate so it's fair and equal. What are your ideas?
Special counsel Robert Mueller on Friday handed down multiple indictments of Russian individuals and companies for the country’s interference in the 2016 US elections. “NO COLLUSION,” the White House responded.
President Donald Trump subsequently fired off several tweets commenting on the matter, ranging from claiming to never have doubted Russian election meddling (he did), blaming the Florida shooting on the Russia investigation (that’s wrong), and musing what a great presidential candidate he was (¯\_(ツ)_/¯).
Dan Coats, director of national intelligence, told the Senate Intelligence Committee last week that Russia is likely to interfere again in the 2018 midterms. “There should be no doubt that Russia perceives that its past efforts have been successful and views the 2018 midterm US elections as a potential target for Russian influence operations,” Coats, the nation’s top spy, said. “Frankly, the United States is under attack.” America knows Russia is coming, so what’s the plan now?
I reached out to nine national security experts to ask them just that. They agreed that any measure must be a concerted effort that involves the White House, multiple federal agencies, state and local officials, private companies, the media, and citizens. Even so, there are no guarantees.
The responses, edited for clarity and style, are below.
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
The world is upside down. Now we have the Russians working to install GOP politicians, Red State takes on a whole new meaning. Then again, the Putinites also supported their more traditional allies like Bernie Sanders and Jill Stein. Did you see the story that the rotund documentarian Moore went to a anti-Trump demonstration organized by the Russians. This is all stranger than fiction. Maybe the Russians just enjoy watching all the drama and chaos in America right now?
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
I have to wonder if they are sort of testing things. It has to be obvious to other countries that our society is in turmoil. I can't believe it's just for entertainment. Russians historically are very methodical and purposed, so the question is, what is the real plan here? up end democracy? I am alarmed daily by the news. our legislators do not seem to be able to accomplish anything except throwing insults - setting a fine example for our youth by the way. If all our kids know is the turmoil they see every day on the news, how do we repair? things. How much of this is the Russian influence and how much comes from public discord? Anyone who has been on facebook knows there are people out there who are just angry or something at the world, very happy to dump on anyone who says anything they don't like. It's a bully forum sometimes, and some folks carry that out into the real world. I am glad to find a forum where folks are thinking about these things. Even if nothing gets solved, we are at least thinking about it, exploration is good. "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." T.W. Eliot
FredHayek wrote: The world is upside down. Now we have the Russians working to install GOP politicians, Red State takes on a whole new meaning. Then again, the Putinites also supported their more traditional allies like Bernie Sanders and Jill Stein. Did you see the story that the rotund documentarian Moore went to a anti-Trump demonstration organized by the Russians. This is all stranger than fiction. Maybe the Russians just enjoy watching all the drama and chaos in America right now?
Yea, it's strange to see a political party to appear to actually embrace russia/putin. One thing tho... Jill Stein actually went to russia and appears to possibly had more contact with them. Sanders, even though the russian agents and bots pushed stories and tweets to promote his campaign, there is nothing that shows he welcomed it and even more to the point showed no attempt to even contact the russians.
parkcobound wrote: I have to wonder if they are sort of testing things. It has to be obvious to other countries that our society is in turmoil. I can't believe it's just for entertainment. Russians historically are very methodical and purposed, so the question is, what is the real plan here? up end democracy? I am alarmed daily by the news. our legislators do not seem to be able to accomplish anything except throwing insults - setting a fine example for our youth by the way. If all our kids know is the turmoil they see every day on the news, how do we repair? things. How much of this is the Russian influence and how much comes from public discord? Anyone who has been on facebook knows there are people out there who are just angry or something at the world, very happy to dump on anyone who says anything they don't like. It's a bully forum sometimes, and some folks carry that out into the real world. I am glad to find a forum where folks are thinking about these things. Even if nothing gets solved, we are at least thinking about it, exploration is good. "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." T.W. Eliot
I think the first thing we need to do is actually 1. enable the freakin sanctions that were overwhelmingly and bipartisanly voted for. 2. Come up with an ability to get rid of the 'fake news'... and no... it's not what some think it is. 3. This is not just an attack on the USA but west democracy. This is Russia against not just us but just about every democratic society. We need to come together as a country but the russian ploy has worked very well at dividing us, along party lines and I for one am disgusted with the response of our elected officials to do something about it.
that is the real problem - we need to be working together to solve this and we are not. There are people I work with that I would not even tell I believe the Russians are attacking us - Not sure I would still have a job. We are so polarized at this point that many cannot even have a discussion about these issues without it turning into a hate filled screaming match.
"Finland teaches media literacy and the national press works together to purge fake news and correct misinformation."
The survivors in Parkland have shown there might be some hope there, they appear savvy and focused, but I think they might be the exception and not the norm.
We need better funding for our schools, pay our teachers a whole lot better and begin to build curriculum that includes a focus on this type of a critical thinking skillset.
One only needs to read the comment sections of some of the stories posted in whatever online medium to know those skills are severely lacking in critical thinking, depth of analysis beyond the actual story and a total lack of civic understanding. Of course I would LOVE to see civics brought back in to our curriculums starting with maybe the 5th or 6th grade.
I have a friend who is a very progressive teacher. They have started what they call Project LEAD which I think is actually nation wide, but severely underfunded, but they approach kids at the 3rd grade level.
The goal is to create responsible kids. it's a basic work program, for which they do not get paid, but instead get a pizza party or maybe they spend the day at the dog shelter.... that kind of thing. The school has a list of jobs, kids apply for the jobs, they must show up and perform the job, in uniform and if they do not they are "fired." Jobs are like help the handicapped kids get inside, assist with crosswalk duty, message deliverer. it's not a slave camp or anything, but it gives kids a goal and a purpose and this teacher friend said she cannot believe how excited these kids are to participate!!! I have visited with a few of these kids, actually did an article on it when they first got started - I'll have to try to find it and share it here - but it IS making a difference for some of these kids. The back story on many students is heartbreaking though. Both parents go to work, leave the house at 6:00 a.m. to commute, kids responsible for getting themselves to and from school, often not dressed appropriately (as in shorts and a tshirt in the middle of winter) kids who don't have food in the house for breakfast, or money to eat at school, the stories go on and on. Teachers these days are paid very little and are now required to not only teach, but also be psychologists, social workers, advocates, sponsors and to some of these kids, the only kindness they know. Even if they have nice parents, they see the teachers more than their parents. YES teachers should earn more.... and these programs are great, need to start earlier with these kids than middle school. Some of them by then are already lost. but how much can we put on our teachers? even if we pay them fairly? What is the burn out rate for teachers these days? It cannot be an easy job!
Then again, the Putinites also supported their more traditional allies like Bernie Sanders and Jill Stein. Did you see the story that the rotund documentarian Moore went to a anti-Trump demonstration organized by the Russians. This is all stranger than fiction. Maybe the Russians just enjoy watching all the drama and chaos in America right now? 
