Louis Shalako: Election Interference and the Comments Section. Analysis by Louis Shalako.

Sunday, June 23, 2024

Election Interference and the Comments Section. Analysis by Louis Shalako.

Xi.

Louis Shalako

Election interference, and the comments section.

I am having a hard time making my mind up on this one, and not drawing too many hasty conclusions.

This is one of those cases where an individual story might be a bit shallow, where a few alleged facts are stated and much of what might be implied from it lies mostly in the mind of the beholder. It is also one big, heaping, steaming pile of bullshit.

Here’s a quote:

“The report also says intelligence assessments indicated at least two transfers of funds - roughly $250,000 (£192,000) each - from Chinese officials in Canada, possibly for foreign interference-related purposes. Another of the foreign-meddling tactics mentioned in the report is the targeting of diaspora Canadians by threatening their families in their countries of origin. It accused both China and Russia. The 194-page document is based on the first phase of hearings by the inquiry, which in April heard public testimony by witnesses including members of parliament, national security officials, senior government aides and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. (BBC)

Okay, if there is evidence of transfer of funds, fairly large sums, we have to wonder from where it came, where did it go to, and what was the intended purpose of the exchange.

Suivez l’argent, a cardinal rule of good journalism. Follow the gold, ladies and gentlemen, even though it is a smokescreen and a red herring, it came from somewhere and it is there for some purpose…

One of the most interesting things in the BBC article is the claim, by former Conservative Party of Canada leader Erin O’Toole, is that he figures his party lost nine seats in the previous election due to Chinese interference. Due to his ‘failure’ as a leader, party faithful duly called for a leadership review, with the result that Pierre Poilievre became head of the party and presumed, next Prime Minister of Canada. The secondary result, was that Patrick Brown, was stabbed in the back a second time, in what seems almost a pattern. Mr. Brown has since become the Mayor of Brampton.

Vlad.

***

There is nothing implausible about interference in electoral affairs by China, Russia, North Korea, India, Iran. They don’t have too much to lose, one wonders what they actually hope to gain. It is difficult to accept, as rational people, that they do it for its own sake, the sake of disruption. It probably does have an effect, somewhere, sometimes, under certain circumstances. If nothing else, it is deeply embarrassing to the government.

What is concerning, is when someone shrieks ‘name the traitors’ in the comments section, and when I go to look at the profile, it’s not public, there are no friends, no posts, nothing but a pic and a name which may or may not be real. I’m an author, I have five pen-names in different genres. I know how easy it is, to set up accounts for email and then various social media platforms. I know how easy it is to click on a few profiles and find a few ‘friends’ or ‘connections’ on social media. It’s not like I haven’t spammed out a few book links over the years.

I would like to persuade, you to buy a book—which seems innocent enough.

If you want to talk about effects, some alleged interference in the past, well, all of this is having one hell of an effect in the present—and perhaps this is where we might look into relationships of a more intuitive nature. The idea, supported by the polls, is that Mister Pierre Poilievre is going to be the next Prime Minister of Canada, and the Progressive Conservatives are going to form a majority government. It is disturbing how this idea seems to have emboldened some of the more abusive members of his following. Some of them seem just a little bit farther to the right than seems healthy, and some of them are downright scary.

Then there is the question of who anonymously broke the original story, giving an exclusive to Global News, a for-profit news source who just so happens to be having some financial difficulties and whose audience and advertisers can’t quite cover the budget and provide some small profit.

How desperate were they…???

The individuals, whose identity is (or are) being protected as a journalistic ‘source’, (or sources), have their own motivations, and one wonders just what those motivations might be, beyond bringing attention to foreign interference. Bearing in mind no one is going to testify before a committee of inquiry and admit, that yes, they somehow voted differently due to someone on the phone threatening their family back in their country of origin, for surely, if they can compel your vote, they can also compel your silence by their threats or blandishments.

Modi.

With some it is the stick, with some it is the carrot. If I were a foreign espionage agency, I would make some heavy-handed approaches. I would make some payments, relatively easily traced…a few threats in all the right places. I might even be seen and photographed with the subjects of our interest. And then, when the time is ripe, I might even drop a dime and give an anonymous tip, to someone who might be employed in the industry and consider it a public duty and go check it out using sources available to them…sources which can be predicted. If they can be predicted, they can also be managed.

If I were a foreign espionage agency, reading the Canadian news on this subject, I would be fairly pleased with myself. You’ve stirred up the extreme right wingers, sowed all kinds of dissension and discord, and got the witch-hunters and Toronto Sun columnists out in full force. And it didn’t even cost too much. It’s right out of Sun Tzu. Defeat the enemy mind, and you defeat the enemy—which in this case, happens to be us.

So far, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May has applied for, and received, clearance to read the (relatively) un-redacted report from NSICOP. (I will check this acronym.) Mr. Jagmeet Singh, head of the New Democratic Party, currently engaged in a supply-and-trade agreement to support the minority government in exchange for certain social programs, has also done so. The gentleman from the Bloc Quebecois plans to read the document. One must presume the Prime Minister has read the document, and they all agree there is no ‘list of the names of traitors’, which some folks in the comments section are stridently calling for. Yet I have my doubts about the validity of some of those accounts, and while some accounts might be real people, they don’t appear to be anywhere near the mainstream in terms of their opinions, or in how those opinions are stated. This is hardly political discourse, it is political harassment—the only form of harassment that is legal, and it must remain so if the Constitution is to have any meaning at all. When I see the sort of similarities in the content of these comments, it’s almost like they are taking it out of a common playbook, a common script. Mr. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, makes some kind of announcement, and you’ve got twenty or thirty comments in a row talking about the price of groceries—and yes, ‘name the traitors’.

The comments might be relevant, the sheer repetitiveness is something else. I have the impression that if Mr. Pierre Poilievre became Prime Minister tomorrow, the comments would quickly dry up, having served their purpose.

Khameini.

Monsieur Poilievre, it must be said, has so far not applied for security clearance, nor has he read the (relatively) un-redacted report on foreign interference, which is believed to contain information about Chinese students, bussed in to local riding associations, in order to ballot for one candidate as opposed to another, presumably to forward the aims and ambitions of the government of the People’s Republic of China. I’m usually pretty intuitive, but his mind is a total blank to me. If I thought he could be brainwashed, I’d be tempted to give a go myself—

What with being a senior citizen, and not just an irascible old man much of the time. (I'm going to need you to keep up those Carbon Tax Rebates, Buddy, among other things. Quite frankly, I have a list.)

As Mister Scheer has stated, this may have cost his party as many as nine seats at the time of the election, although this may underplay the rather bland nature of Mr. Scheer and his platform. His successor, the blandest person who has ever lived, a big gob of pablum on two legs, has gone to the opposite extreme in terms of the vagaries of rhetoric, and considering the party has been extremely careful not to state anything about this country that they actually believe in, neither have they stated any sort of positive program other than getting rid of any and all institutions that stand in the way of ‘progress’, as defined by them, one can only wonder how all of this may turn out. Other than quickly returning us and this nation to 1957. Or whatever—

Just a quick and dirty little disclaimer here, ladies and gentlemen. I pay my own way, and my vote has never been influenced by China, Russia, North Korea, India, Iran, or any other polity or non-state actor acting against the best interests of the Canadian people. I am a citizen, and I will work to influence Canadian politics and the electoral process as and when I see fit. I have no anonymous sources, which could at least give some background, even if it is confidential and not for publication. If nothing else, these so-called facts would be available to the journalist and perhaps guide them in further investigations...

I have earned the right, ladies and gentlemen. No foreign actor has the right, and in this sense, it really is a serious matter.

Also, I have done an honest day’s work, (at least once in my life), and that is more than Monsieur Poilievre can say.

It is true, that the list of China, Russia, India, Iran and North Korea, (Pakistan has also been mentioned), includes some of the most violent, aggressive, ignorant and anti-social state actors in the world. That part is credible, and they must be overjoyed to have done such a good job, not only of eroding trust in public institutions—including the ballot box, but also in terms of wasting our time.

It is also true that this kind of threat can hardly be ignored. It is a disinformation campaign. And it seems to be working.

Kim Dumb Fuck.

However—

The biggest threat to Canadian democracy comes from Canadians themselves. More than half of us will simply not bother to get out and vote—I don’t need to be a pollster to predict that this election will show the lowest turnout in our history; in spite of all the good reasons for turning out, and casting our votes, in what is the worst kind of irony.

This is the result of political demoralization of all stripes, no matter the base ideology of the individual.

What in the hell is the point, right.

Why would you even bother.

#Louis

END

Foreign Interference ‘Deeply Embedded’ in Canadian political affairs. (Global News)

Election Interference a ‘Stain’ on Canadian Democracy. (BBC)

Global News is owned by Corus Entertainment. ‘Judge Finds No Evidence’ to back up story.

Global News Claims Eight-Month Investigation.

Intelligence and Prosecutions.

Elizabeth May Reads Report.

Jagmeet Singh Reads Report.