by Robert Whitcomb | Sep 2, 2016 | Initiative
A U.S. voting machine.
Russian hackers working at the behest of President Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian government have apparently stolen data on thousands of U.S. registered voters.
Why?
The Guardian suggests that even if “Russia doesn’t want to help tip the scales in {Donald] Trump’s favor, there are plenty of other reasons why they might want to interfere with the U.S. political process. As Russian troops amass on Ukraine’s border for a possible new offensive, it is in Russia’s interest to ensure that {Hillary} Clinton is a weak and embattled president, and cyber-attacks are a cheap and plausibly deniable way to do just that.”
Of course, the more political chaos in the U.S., the better for the Russian dictator.
To read The Guardian’s article on this, please hit this link.
by Robert Whitcomb | Jul 22, 2016 | News
America’s NATO allies, already dealing with an aggressive Russia, the rise of nativist populism and the possible effects of Brexit, became even more worried this week when they read Donald J. Trump say that the United States might not come to the defense of NATO allies that do not foot their share of joint-defense bills as mandated by agreements but often ignored by European governments.
American officials have pressed European countries in recent years to increase military spending in line with their commitments to NATO, but Mr. Trump much more explicitly has linked financial considerations to the strategic response he would order as president in the event of an attack by Russia.
To read an article on this, please hit this link.
by Robert Whitcomb | Jul 21, 2016 | News
Republican Party presidential nominee Donald Trump says that if he is elected U.S. president, America will not necessarily come to the aid of a NATO ally under attack {most likely by Russia}. He said that such aid might depend on how much that ally has contributed to the alliance.
He has long said that other countries should start sharing more of the NATO’s collective-defense costs, much of which has long been borne by Washington And he threatened to move to cancel treaties he believes place too great a burden on the U.S.
The real-estate/reality TV mogul Mr. Trump also said that he would not pressure Turkey or other authoritarian allies to end crackdowns on political foes or the suppression of civil liberties.
To read The Guardian’s article on his remarks, please hit this link.
