Disinfo: Russia's effort to influence US elections is a conspiracy theory

Summary

The recent decision by Facebook to label as “state media” certain Russian, Chinese and Iranian outlets is an anachronistic propaganda tool which resembles Cold war tactics. Facebook labelled, among others, as state media Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik from Russia, Xinhua from China and Press TV from Iran. This move comes a few months before the next US presidential elections and some in the United States want to rejuvenate the conspiracy theory that Russia or some other foreign country meddled and influenced the results of the previous elections in 2016.

Disproof

This is part of the pro-Kremlin's media's ongoing efforts to deny Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. Facebook recently published a statement on the reasons for labeling state-controlled media that are wholly or partially under the editorial control of their government. This is not an "anachronistic propapanda tool" but a transparent, thorough exercise in which Facebook sought advice from experts in various fields. Indeed, Facebook has initiated an effort over the last few months to enhance its integrity profile ahead of the next US presidential elections in November 2020. There is extensive evidence and research demonstrating Russia's influence operations around the 2016 US presidential election, including exploiting Facebook to post ads and influence voters' preferences (see here, here and here). The US intelligence community had evidence since 2016 about Russia's activities to meddle in the elections, and the most thorough examination of these efforts is the Mueller report.. Moscow's efforts to interfere in elections in other countries is also widely documented. For similar cases, see here.

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sputniknews.gr (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 201
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 07/06/2020
  • Outlet language(s) Greek
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: China, Iran, US, Russia
  • Keywords: US Presidential Election 2020, social media, Russia Today (RT), New Cold War, Facebook, Sputnik
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Disinfo: US unrest is a second civil war

We can discuss if the events in the US are a racist war or a class war. Rather, it may be a multi-factor civil war, where what stands out is the demographic war of the white Anglo-Saxon protestants (WASP) against the unstoppable rise of Latins and permanent tensions with African Americans, the second and third minorities of the country, as well as the generational war between baby boomers and millennials. The dynamic of this second civil war is highlighted in those two incompatible cosmogonies, when each of them reclaims its existential fight.

Jun 06, 2020
Disproof

Despite high polarisation in the US, the unrest after the death of African American citizen George Floyd at the hands of a police officer is not a civil war. Though the situation was very tense for some days and protests spread to all 50 states of the country, military top officials and police officers worked effectively to de-escalate the situation, and demonstrations became largely peaceful after the first days. See more examples of pro-Kremlin disinformation about the racial justice protests in US , such as claims that they may be a colour revolution orchestrated by leaders of the Democratic Party or that they are being fuelled by Bellingcat site.

Disinfo: Soros' followers fear the US protests may lead to Trump’s reelection

After US protests, there are two scenarios for November’s election: the Grey Rhino that Joe Biden’s victory would mean, or the Nixon Moment, when the 1968 riots unseated Texan Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson and Californian Republican Richard Nixon came to power. The group affiliated to George Soros is the one that fears this outcome the most: Edward Luce and Gideon Rachman of the Financial Times, controlled by the Rothschild slaver bankers, and Ian Buruma of Project Syndicate.

Jun 06, 2020
Disproof

Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the US racial justice protests, also invoking the common narrative of a 'shadow government' led by powerful figures above elected officials. The claim that journalists Edward Luce, Gideon Rachman and Ian Buruma are part of a "group affiliated to George Soros" is baseless. The claim also has an anti-Semitic undertone, considering the framing of the Rothschild family as “slaver bankers” and billionaire George Soros as a sort of puppet master. Conspiracy theories with anti-Semitic elements are a recurrent feature in pro-Kremlin disinformation. You can find many examples in the EUvsDisinfo database, such as claims that the Rothschilds "created" Emmanuel Macron, that the Rothschilds and the Gates gave green light to the coronavirus pandemic at Davos Forum, that Karl Popper and George Soros invented the term ‘conspiracy theory’ to discredit those who speak the truth, or that Soros is behind immigration waves and colour revolutions all over the world, including the 2020 racial justice protests in the US. This disinformation message appeared in the same article as the claim that “US protests are a second civil war”.

Disinfo: The US is on the verge of civil war. This is a political game to prevent Trump from being re-elected.

What we are witnessing in the United States is a political game on the verge of a civil war in order to prevent Trump from being re-elected in November. The organisers of this campaign are not thinking that the fate of the United States is at stake.

Jun 06, 2020
Disproof

Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on George Floyd's death and protests against police brutality. Also consistent with the narrative that the protests are staged by the US Democratic Party ahead of the presidential elections. Protests in the US against police brutality and institutional racism broke out in different states sparked by the death of George Floyd.