https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68685604

A Russian-backed "propaganda" network has been broken up for spreading anti-Ukraine stories and paying unnamed European politicians, according to authorities in several countries.
Investigators claimed it used the popular Voice of Europe website as a vehicle to pay politicians.
The Czech Republic and Poland said the network aimed to influence European politics.
Voice of Europe did not respond to the BBC's request for comment.
Czech media, citing intelligence sources, reported that politicians from Germany, France, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Hungary were paid by Voice of Europe in order to influence upcoming elections for the European Parliament.
The German newspaper Der Spiegel said the money was either handed over in cash in covert meetings in Prague or through cryptocurrency exchanges.
Pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk is alleged by the Czech Republic to be behind the network.

https://newrepublic.com/article/180630/r...ns-america

The idea is to push narratives and policies that help Russia but to mask them behind a local face. (In the aforementioned case, the popular website Voice of Europe was allegedly used to push the propaganda and to facilitate payments.) This provides Russia plausible deniability, but it also makes it more likely that audiences will trust the messages. It serves a purpose within Russia too, as domestic propaganda purportedly showing that people in other countries agree with the Kremlin’s positions

The Voice of Europe scandal is merely the latest example of Russian influence on the continent. Last year, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project revealed that politicians in Germany, Italy, and Cyprus were paid by Russian operatives to introduce legislation literally written by Russian intelligence officers. The OCCRP also uncovered examples of parliamentary staff members, party activists, and members of think tanks publishing articles in European press outlets under their name, while the articles were actually written by Russian handlers. One activist from Austria even complained to his handler about the quality of one article that had been coordinated with the Kremlin. “I am not a robot,” he said. Nevertheless, he published the article under his name in a Swiss media outlet.

It is naïve to think the same pattern does not exist in the United States, given the ample evidence of coordinated pro-Russian talking points from several Republican politicians. Just this week, Marjorie Taylor Greene spoke to Steve Bannon about Ukraine’s persecution of Christians, which is a Kremlin talking point aimed at boosting the pro-Moscow wing of Ukraine’s Orthodox Church. The U.S. should be spending money on the border with Mexico, not on Ukraine aid? That’s a Kremlin talking point. Russia invaded Ukraine to defend itself against an expanding NATO? That’s a Kremlin talking point. Call for a cease-fire, and give Russia Crimea and eastern Ukraine? That’s a Kremlin talking point.

"The U.S. should be spending money on the border with Mexico, not on Ukraine aid? That’s a Kremlin talking point."

Wow. I never knew I was a Russian agent !!

WHERE'S MY MONEY????

Virtually ALL of our politicians are paid off by someone, whether Dem or GOP. And it ain't Russia paying them off. It's Big Tech and Big Business.

Hey look over here so President Daisy doesn't look as compromised as he is.

(04-16-2024 08:18 AM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  "The U.S. should be spending money on the border with Mexico, not on Ukraine aid? That’s a Kremlin talking point."

Wow. I never knew I was a Russian agent !!

WHERE'S MY MONEY????

That sentence alone shows how idiotic the article is. Seems the left either is oblivious to their stupidity or they are embracing it.

Hey Mensa, how many of your Progressive heroes are sucking up that Chinese money?

Too many to list!

Why are democrats so stupid?

(04-16-2024 08:28 AM)gdunn Wrote:  Hey look over here so President Daisy doesn't look as compromised as he is.

Dem talking points…

(04-16-2024 08:33 AM)bearcat65 Wrote:  

(04-16-2024 08:18 AM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  "The U.S. should be spending money on the border with Mexico, not on Ukraine aid? That’s a Kremlin talking point."

Wow. I never knew I was a Russian agent !!

WHERE'S MY MONEY????

That sentence alone shows how idiotic the article is. Seems the left either is oblivious to their stupidity or they are embracing it.

Both. The are oblivious and stupid af.

(04-16-2024 08:03 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68685604

A Russian-backed "propaganda" network has been broken up for spreading anti-Ukraine stories and paying unnamed European politicians, according to authorities in several countries.
Investigators claimed it used the popular Voice of Europe website as a vehicle to pay politicians.
The Czech Republic and Poland said the network aimed to influence European politics.
Voice of Europe did not respond to the BBC's request for comment.
Czech media, citing intelligence sources, reported that politicians from Germany, France, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Hungary were paid by Voice of Europe in order to influence upcoming elections for the European Parliament.
The German newspaper Der Spiegel said the money was either handed over in cash in covert meetings in Prague or through cryptocurrency exchanges.
Pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk is alleged by the Czech Republic to be behind the network.

https://newrepublic.com/article/180630/r...ns-america

The idea is to push narratives and policies that help Russia but to mask them behind a local face. (In the aforementioned case, the popular website Voice of Europe was allegedly used to push the propaganda and to facilitate payments.) This provides Russia plausible deniability, but it also makes it more likely that audiences will trust the messages. It serves a purpose within Russia too, as domestic propaganda purportedly showing that people in other countries agree with the Kremlin’s positions

The Voice of Europe scandal is merely the latest example of Russian influence on the continent. Last year, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project revealed that politicians in Germany, Italy, and Cyprus were paid by Russian operatives to introduce legislation literally written by Russian intelligence officers. The OCCRP also uncovered examples of parliamentary staff members, party activists, and members of think tanks publishing articles in European press outlets under their name, while the articles were actually written by Russian handlers. One activist from Austria even complained to his handler about the quality of one article that had been coordinated with the Kremlin. “I am not a robot,” he said. Nevertheless, he published the article under his name in a Swiss media outlet.

It is naïve to think the same pattern does not exist in the United States, given the ample evidence of coordinated pro-Russian talking points from several Republican politicians. Just this week, Marjorie Taylor Greene spoke to Steve Bannon about Ukraine’s persecution of Christians, which is a Kremlin talking point aimed at boosting the pro-Moscow wing of Ukraine’s Orthodox Church. The U.S. should be spending money on the border with Mexico, not on Ukraine aid? That’s a Kremlin talking point. Russia invaded Ukraine to defend itself against an expanding NATO? That’s a Kremlin talking point. Call for a cease-fire, and give Russia Crimea and eastern Ukraine? That’s a Kremlin talking point.

Sadaam bribed people high up in the French, German and Russian governments to get around sanctions. Its part of the reason we had to go in and take him out.
Taking out Putin is not an option. Besides, he's not going to get any more dangerous. He already has nukes.

Brokebavk broadcasting corp. They have alresdy surrendered.

Meh.

Obama made propaganda legal

Didn't read the article but I don't believe American politicians need Russian money.....

the NIV (name, image, vote) game in America, from special interest and China is more than enough money to get in bed with, fill the bank account than to need or take Russia's money

(04-16-2024 02:14 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  Didn't read the article but I don't believe American politicians need Russian money.....

the NIV (name, image, vote) game in America, from special interest and China is more than enough money to get in bed with, fill the bank account than to need or take Russia's money

Biden got plenty of money from Russia when he was unemployed after being VP. They funneled it through Ukrainian oligarchs owned by Putin and through Hunter.

(04-16-2024 08:55 AM)MemTigers1998 Wrote:  Why are democrats so stupid?

It is amazing isn’t it.

Why do you insist on repeatedly showing us your abject stupidity?

(04-16-2024 08:00 PM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  Why do you insist on repeatedly showing us your abject stupidity?

It's the only thing he knows how to do.

Until Americans demand term limits in DC, nefarious activities will continue. We also need changes in laws that make it illegal for an elected official to receive anything from a lobbyist. Presently if you are a federal employee you have to report every gift you receive from the public. At the same time, the idiots who made the laws don’t have to report anything.

Cool. Now do China, an actual Communist country.

(04-17-2024 11:15 AM)CardinalJim Wrote:  Until Americans demand term limits in DC, nefarious activities will continue. We also need changes in laws that make it illegal for an elected official to receive anything from a lobbyist. Presently if you are a federal employee you have to report every gift you receive from the public. At the same time, the idiots who made the laws don’t have to report anything.

It is possible that it will get worse before it gets better. The first round of newbies will be hyper focused on "getting theirs" in a condensed period of time.

(04-17-2024 03:21 PM)Eldonabe Wrote:  

(04-17-2024 11:15 AM)CardinalJim Wrote:  Until Americans demand term limits in DC, nefarious activities will continue. We also need changes in laws that make it illegal for an elected official to receive anything from a lobbyist. Presently if you are a federal employee you have to report every gift you receive from the public. At the same time, the idiots who made the laws don’t have to report anything.

It is possible that it will get worse before it gets better. The first round of newbies will be hyper focused on "getting theirs" in a condensed period of time.

I'm currently trying to define a neg exponential in socio time... I'll give ya credit 'if' defining in coy or BAM! ... #noMiddle ... can make it work either way...

@al-gore-rhythm