# If you were a Russian troll ... **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 12, 2018, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780 "2018-07-12T14:32:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/21 "2018-07-16T00:43:12Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > … and of course, anybody who would suggest or impose a sanction of \*\*Siam Sam \*\*for making this suggestion would be also suspect. Da, comrade. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/22 "2018-07-16T02:06:31Z")
I’d just spam FB accounts with Putin’s hockey prowess. [(Here - no.11, with defensemen all over him)](https://youtu.be/NRgFEYhOqIk?t=102) Actually the OP title made me think of [frustrated barristers who really want to be train engineers.](https://youtu.be/dLplQWB2S_8?t=456) ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/23 "2018-07-16T02:15:33Z")
Wasn’t Terr/Okrahoma outed as Russian? I recall them always taking the Republican side, haggling down discussions to the bitter end with tendentious BS, having way too much free time on their hands. Never outright supporting Trump, but always on the devil’s advocate side for Trump, and a bitter antagonist of anybody to the left of McCain. I see a few posters here who seem to fit that mold, but it’s not worth my time to play junior detective. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/24 "2018-07-16T02:37:03Z")
Some might just be trolling in their spare time. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/25 "2018-07-16T03:52:23Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > Wasn’t Terr/Okrahoma outed as Russian? I recall them always taking the Republican side, haggling down discussions to the bitter end with tendentious BS, having way too much free time on their hands. Never outright supporting Trump, but always on the devil’s advocate side for Trump, and a bitter antagonist of anybody to the left of McCain. > > I see a few posters here who seem to fit that mold, but it’s not worth my time to play junior detective. No, Terr was never “outed as a Russian”.Afaik, he never hid the fact that he was Ukrainian by birth, had lived in Israel and currently lived in the States. He was very much not on Russia’s side over the Crimean thing. I wonder how many other posters you have scoped are equally as well researched. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/26 "2018-07-16T05:01:41Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > I am assuming that the primary goal is to have America further removed from being in a position of world leadership and less able to build coalitions that can work against Russian interests. To that end Trump and the current Trump dominated and dysfunctional GOP being in charge is a major aim. Sowing division on the D-side and undermining any possible Democratic comeback in midterms has to be job one. > … > What sort of things would you write to catalyze those occurring? If I were a Russian troll seeking to sow division on the D-side, it would be easy. Progressives are divided into various clans that each believe their beliefs are perfect and that questioning them is hatemongering. On “left twitter” and “left facebook”, they immediately pile on when any accusation is made against anyone, and are unwilling to logically discuss whether the person might actually be innocent. So a Russian troll would simply try to start as many such pile-ons as possible. Accuse the Sierra Club of being white supremacist. Denounce Black Lives Matter for being ableist . Complain that Planned Parenthood doesn’t have enough black transwomen executives. Attack Bernie Sanders for not providing a safe space in his office for disabled Native Americans. Whine about Nancy Pelosi not hiring enough undocumented campaign staff. Doesn’t matter whether any of this stuff is true, since left-wing Twitter users couldn’t care less. For all I know, Russian trolls may be using this strategy already. Check out, for instance, [this article](https://medium.com/@marcelslimjim/this-is-a-bullys-language-8075a8713f17) about how a DSA campaign got attacked for “ableism” on Twitter and got shut down, for no particular reason. Who’s to say that it wasn’t the Russians who started it all? ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/27 "2018-07-16T12:50:09Z")
I think the aim of Russian intelligence is to use our strength, cultural diversity, as a weakness. They want to use ethnic tensions as a wedge, which is what they have done repeatedly - and successfully - throughout Eastern Europe. So if I were a Russian intelligence operative, perhaps I would start by exploiting the potential fissures and divisions within the Democratic party, and race is one of those potential fault lines. Nobody wants to talk about it, but as more and more of the leadership in the Democratic party becomes less like Diane Feinstein and Joe Biden and more like Barack Obama and Tom Perez, there is the risk that the Democratic party becomes viewed as the party for minorities. Let me be clear: I’m not saying that it is the party of minorities or that it’s somehow wrong if they are; I guess I’m trying to say that they could lose a propaganda war. I would expect Russian intelligence operatives to come up with propaganda suggesting that the Democratic party has become the party of African and Hispanic Americans and that it’s hostile to whites. I suppose they could view the victory of Ocasio-Cortez over Joe Crowly (New York) and the endorsement of DeLeon over Feinstein (California) as opportunities to exploit. They could exploit every off-the-cuff remark made by someone within the party and amplify it, with the hope that white women would see themselves as damned if they vote Republican, and damned if they vote Democrat. White women wouldn’t necessarily become Republican, but they could become Independents and wildcards in elections, which is really nothing new. Republicans have been trying to do this for years. The difference is the Russian military are very skilled at information warfare, and they don’t give a shit about unwritten rules and boundaries that aren’t supposed to be crossed. They will use any tactic they deem necessary to sow internal divisions within our culture because they know that when you destabilize the culture, you destabilize democracy. ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/28 "2018-07-16T15:57:10Z")
I’d make posts about how effective Russia trolls were in getting Trump elected. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/29 "2018-07-16T16:28:42Z")
I’d postthingsnestedfashiononeinsideanother ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/30 "2018-07-16T22:10:30Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > What sort of things would you write to catalyze those occurring? Target the most activist elements of particularly divisive movements. As pointed out, they heavily rely on others to pick up the messages and spread them. Besides increasing the reach, people are less likely to be critical of information passed by people they already trust. It’s also a technique that offers a lot of feedback to allow quick adjustment of messaging. They literally can throw out attempts supporting any halfway decent sounding idea and see what gets traction on social media. It’s also possible to simply see what’s already trending and merely tweak it with more hyperbolic claims. Responsiveness is probably more important to their success than carefully crafting the intitial campaigns. It’s also important to consider working the troll piece in with other potential tools of the disinformation campaign. We can see some of the kinds of issues they already have targeted on the left to get a sense. American [racial issues](https://slate.com/technology/2018/05/russian-trolls-are-obsessed-with-black-lives-matter.html) were a major target during the 2016 elections. Maya Angelou fans and those supportive of Mumia Abu Jamal (of the former “Free Mumia” campaign fame) were especially targeted. They even had a large Black Lives Matter soundalike group on Facebook, [Black Matters](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/sean-hannity-black-lives-matter-among-targets-russian-influence-campaign-n872926) and the “Don’t Shoot” group spreading messages tailored to the left. Don’t Shoot not only focused on messages about police brutality it went as far as encouraging violence against police. That last link shows another way to use troll farms. They provided publicity via social media, including paid ads, to demonstrations already being planned. They also worked to [stage demonstrations](http://fortune.com/2018/02/17/russian-organized-rallies-election-meddling/) and publicize them, both Pro-Trump and Anti-Trump. They have even gone so far as [funding activists](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/17/russian-troll-factory-activists-protests-us-election) to organize rallies. The California Secession movement was [another big target of Russian support](https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-41853131) in the early hours after Trump’s victory was announced. (Texas secession has also received Russian support on the right.) That was quick enough there may have been some preplanning; there was also an already existing link between the head of Yes California and Russia to build on. There’s a lot of fertile trolling ground for the left just in what they’ve done. Race based issue trolling presents opportunities and they have experience trolling both sides there. Police brutality still has traction and the recent addition of ICE actions to jump on. There’s a good chunk of the left that has traditionally been pacifist or isolationist. That might be a newer focus area to potentially create pressure on US foreign and military policy. Then there’s the trending left focused hashtag of the day. If it’s already trending, just jump in with even more emotionally charged language. Move on to trying to Godwinize or JAQ-off implying something even worse than the facts support. See what sticks and adjust. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/31 "2018-07-17T06:45:06Z")
What I wouldn’t do?: I wouldn’t spend 90% of my energy bleating about a fucking millionaire actress taking a role away some hypothetical trans actor (actress? who gives a fuck). The new Disney show: That’s So American. You could fill out half the cast with posters on this very board. And I wouldn’t spend the other 10% bleeting (Thats what sheep do on Twitter) my utter misunderstanding of what treason is. I don’t give a fuck if Trump and Putin personally forged every goddamn ballot. It’s not treason as defined by the US Constitution. You morons don’t even understand your own fucking laws. Now when you so called liberals are done digging up Senator McCarthy and skull-fucking him between Bleeter meltdowns…let me know. …there…that’s what I would post. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/32 "2018-07-17T16:29:14Z")
[https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GGRV\_enUS751US751&ei=ORlOW4mcNsO-ggfzsLjwCQ&q=define+treason&oq=define+treason&gs\_l=psy-ab.3..0i131k1l3j0i7i30k1j0i131k1j0i7i30k1l5.4370.5386.0.5692.7.7.0.0.0.0.98.592.7.7.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.7.574...0i13k1j0i13i10i30k1.0.QXVaFaThOx8](https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GGRV_enUS751US751&ei=ORlOW4mcNsO-ggfzsLjwCQ&q=define+treason&oq=define+treason&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0i131k1l3j0i7i30k1j0i131k1j0i7i30k1l5.4370.5386.0.5692.7.7.0.0.0.0.98.592.7.7.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.7.574...0i13k1j0i13i10i30k1.0.QXVaFaThOx8) Who is misunderstanding treason? ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/33 "2018-07-17T17:52:28Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I’d postthingsnestedfashiononeinsideanother I opened them all like Christmas presents. Then I got dizzy. I wonder how many you’d need to effectively weaponize nested spoiler click baits. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/34 "2018-07-17T17:57:42Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > I opened them all like Christmas presents. Then I got dizzy. I wonder how many you’d need to effectively weaponize nested spoiler click baits. Did he make a Russian matryoshka doll joke? ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/35 "2018-07-17T18:34:43Z")
I would use the term “Bernie Bro” as often as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/36 "2018-07-17T19:25:12Z")
In all seriousness…I don’t think there’s anything I could do on the internet that isn’t in full force Now…actual physical actions? Oh there’s plenty. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/37 "2018-07-17T20:36:50Z")
I’d encourage a right/left split over racial and cultural issues. Encourage the left to think the right are racists and warmongers, encourage the right to think the left were violent radicals who would leave the nation defenseless. Thats pretty much what Russia did. They supported white nationalists and Trump, and the also supported militant black lives matter groups, Sanders and Jill Stein groups too. They want to empower the most angry elements of the right and left to go to war with each other. I’m not sure how to discredit democracy. I guess if you radicalize enough people, they will vote for incompetent politicians just so long as those politicians share their radicalized values. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/38 "2018-07-18T00:10:03Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I’m not sure how to discredit democracy… \*\*Cool people don’t vote. Spiritually-advanced people don’t vote: it’s such a dirty business. Voting is for losers. Your vote doesn’t matter, so why bother? If a politician doesn’t give you a good reason to vote for him or her, how can they expect your vote? No politician has a right to your vote. Your vote is the expression of your very being, so don’t just give it to anyone. Don’t compromise. Expect purity and perfection–and if you don’t get it, don’t vote. All politicians are alike, so why vote?\*\* …etc. etc. etc. We’re going to be seeing a lot more of these being trotted out as November gets closer. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/39 "2018-07-18T02:05:06Z")
Exactly. ‘The lesser of two evils is still evil’ ‘Vote for None of the Above!’ ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2018, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780/40 "2018-07-18T17:30:18Z")
At this point “But Hillary!” is serving very effectively to discredit democracy among the ones who might have voted thoughtfully in the past. It doesn’t need any facts or reasoning to reproduce itself. It does require a vagina however. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-a-russian-troll/817780.md?page=3)