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The fact that Russian agents fomented both pro- and anti-Trump rallies after the election shows that discord, not a Trump victory, was their only goal all along.

Feb. 25, 2018 12:02 p.m. ET

Of course the Russians’ strategic goal with their machinations in the 2016 election was to “sow discord in the U.S. political system” (“The Russian Indictments,” Review & Outlook, Feb. 17). But in no way did they contemplate that the election of Donald Trump would result in such a triumph as provided to them by the Democratic-media axis and its unrelenting “collusion” hysteria. Little mentioned, or not at all, in most media coverage of the indictments was the fact that Russian operatives also supported the primary campaign of Bernie Sanders.

Why?...

Of course the Russians’ strategic goal with their machinations in the 2016 election was to “sow discord in the U.S. political system” (“The Russian Indictments,” Review & Outlook, Feb. 17). But in no way did they contemplate that the election of Donald Trump would result in such a triumph as provided to them by the Democratic-media axis and its unrelenting “collusion” hysteria. Little mentioned, or not at all, in most media coverage of the indictments was the fact that Russian operatives also supported the primary campaign of Bernie Sanders.

Why? Because the Russians could read the polls as well as anyone and assumed Hillary Clinton would win both the nomination and the general election. After any election discord is generally found among the losing party, and the Russians wanted to generate as much discord as possible among Trump and Sanders supporters; i.e., the odds-on favorites to lose.

The Russians were as shocked as everyone else that Donald Trump won but are now undoubtedly ecstatic that the loser Democrats have done their job of sowing discord infinitely better than they could ever do themselves. The fact that Russian agents fomented both pro- and anti-Trump rallies after the election shows that discord, not a Trump victory, was their only goal all along.

Don Cuzzocrea

Trabuco Canyon, Calif.

Rather than condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin for trying to interfere with the 2016 presidential election, we should thank him. The Russian machinations exposed how easy it was to manipulate a rabidly partisan, unreliable media and biased or inept governmental agencies, as well as a noncritical public whose insatiable need for the fodder of social media exposed how easy it was to undermine our fragile democracy.

Richard Carchman

Columbia, Va.

What’s all the excitement about the Russian government trying to interfere with our election? After all, we are their adversary. On the other hand, our own government under the Obama administration actively interfered with the election process of our best ally, Israel, by making statements against Benjamin Netanyahu and sending $300,000 of taxpayers’ money to OneVoice, an organization trying to replace the Netanyahu government.

Eli Litman

Las Vegas

What is the practical impact of these indictments? It seems unlikely that any of those indicted will ever stand trial, so the charges will stand unrefuted but also unproven. To my jaundiced eye this appears to be more an effort to make it look like the investigation is “doing something” than to make any real progress. If a bunch of bogus Facebook posts is what Russian “meddling” consists of, this seems like pretty weak tea.

The lesson for America is simple: don’t obsess over what appears on Facebook. Seek out the truth. Be skeptical of articles that present only one side of the political argument—including those in the “mainstream” press. I think that most Americans have already understood these lessons, and I doubt that fake posts from whatever source resulted in changing the election outcome.

Thomas Hafer

Arlington, Va.

 

Someone please identify one person who was misled by something on the internet that caused him or her to change their vote, and describe in detail the alleged misinformation and why the voter chose to believe it instead of what was provided by every other source.

Bob Gust

Bloomington, Minn.

From its secretive backing of the anti-Vietnam War movement in the 1960s, to its co-opting of Latin America’s churches through the faux “liberation theology” movement of the ’70s and ’80s, which was communism in religious garb, to the funding of the European protests against the installation of U.S. intermediate-range nuclear forces in Europe in the ’80s, Russia has meddled in U.S. and in Western politics.

The notion that Russia’s purchasing a million dollars worth of Facebook ads promoting Donald Trump (and Bernie Sanders) to the detriment of Hillary Clinton is somehow a new and egregious assault on American democracy is preposterous. How many people were really moved to vote against Mrs. Clinton because she was depicted as Satan, who didn’t already view her in that light?

William F. Marshall

Clifton, Va.

If Russia did successfully meddle in our election, and “steal” it from Hillary Clinton, what does that say about Barack Obama’s presidency?

Michael J. DiStefano

Jamestown, R.I.

The media and the deep state just don’t get it. The various agencies and officials have regularly done an excellent job of discrediting themselves with no need of help from the Russians.

Gerald B. Zelenock

Ann Arbor, Mich.

If it is a crime “to sow discord in the U.S. political system,” why hasn’t the whole of Congress been indicted?

Jouko M. Jaakkola

Wellington, Fla.

https://www.wsj.com/amp/articl...-election-1519578139

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