[WilliamofCarmichael]

RE: "Man chill out, I cant believe how up tight some folks are over this,at the very worst they are guilty of failing to register as foreign agents and they haven’t even been found guilty."

Thanks for the reminder about innocent until proven guilty.. I disagree with the tenor of the rest however.

Whether these people are guilty or not there is nothing new about foreign efforts to influence public opinion and thus secure benefits for foreign governments, through funding or active participation.

In some cases it is indeed with the aim to stir dissatisfaction and violence -- to benefit hostile foreign powers. Downplaying Soviet influence in the 1950s and the "anti-war" offensive of the 1960s are the most glaring examples in my lifetime -- though Islamist influence today arguably exceeds both.

Some foreign efforts are simply to secure economic advantages over Americans, totally lawful -- though repugnant IMO -- such as activist organizations and Congressional hyphenated caucuses that purport to speak for the rights of their citizens living in the U.S.

BTW, IMO Putin, et al former Soviet officials do very much want to "get even."

[piasa]

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