China has Interfered with U.S. Elections – An Act of War?
The concept of election interference by foreign powers has become a critical concern for the United States. A particularly alarming development in this arena is the growing evidence of China’s attempts to influence U.S. elections. This issue, transcending mere political intrigue, represents a serious breach of international norms and could be interpreted as an act of aggression akin to warfare.
At the center of these concerns is a report from Martin Estrada, the U.S. attorney for the central district of California, who has raised the alarm about China’s meddling in U.S. elections. Estrada, in a confidential briefing to the House Judiciary Committee, highlighted the unique vulnerability of California, a state that serves as a major gateway to Asia, to Chinese influence. This revelation is significant, considering California’s strategic importance in U.S. politics and economics.
What makes this situation more complex and concerning is the subtlety of China’s methods. Unlike more overt acts of aggression, election interference is a covert operation, designed to manipulate public opinion and policy subtly. This strategy has been evidenced in several instances, such as the operation known as “Spamouflage Dragon,” identified by Meta. This campaign, aimed at influencing U.S. public opinion, has been linked to the Chinese government and represents a sophisticated effort to sway the outcome of elections in favor of Beijing’s interests.
The implications of such interference are profound. It challenges the very foundation of democracy – the sanctity of free and fair elections. By attempting to influence election outcomes, China is not just meddling in the internal affairs of another nation but is also attempting to reshape the global political landscape to its advantage.
Moreover, this kind of interference can have lasting impacts on U.S.-China relations. Trust, already a fragile commodity in international relations, is further eroded by such actions. It also places U.S. leaders in a difficult position, having to balance the need for a robust response to protect national sovereignty with the complexities of diplomatic engagement with a major global power.
The U.S. response to these revelations has been multifaceted. Efforts to fortify election systems against such interference are underway, with emphasis on inoculating the public against disinformation. These measures are crucial in safeguarding the integrity of U.S. elections. However, the challenge remains daunting, given the sophisticated nature of the threats and the ever-evolving tactics of foreign adversaries.
China’s interference in U.S. elections is a matter of grave concern. It represents not just a challenge to the integrity of U.S. democracy, but also a potential flashpoint in international relations. Addressing this issue requires a nuanced approach, balancing firm resistance to any form of electoral interference with the maintenance of constructive international relations. The stakes are high, and the outcome of this struggle will have far-reaching implications for the future of global democracy and international order.
Attempting to surreptitiously change the government of another country is very much an act of war. Yes, the U.S. has done this to other countries in the past, as have most of the major powers. And since governments do not like to be overthrown by this or other methods, It is usually accompanied by violence.
The democrats have allowed the Chinese to do a lot more damage than most people know about
And since you know very little, you happen to know this?
I bet you can’t add any factual evidence of damage.
Can you spell Covid you dumb ass?
Jim, while China MAY have done it via incompetence, I really don’t believe they did it as an act of War to take over the US and killed millions of their own people to cover their ass, dumb ass.
Fauci is not registered with any party, dumb ass.
Trump allowed GOF research to be funded after Obama ended it.
So how do you get to Democrats allowed China to damage us with covid, dumb ass?
Factual evidence of damage: Biden elected is enough!!!
Everyone always loves an enemy to demonize for all of our problems. Russia and now China fit the bill. China bad, blah, blah, the great evil, bent on destroying us blah, blah. Daniel Oliver hops on the bandwagon, is too lazy to do actual journalism, and merely fans the hate flame based on feckless accusations and shadowy facts. He’s a poor journalist.
“A particularly alarming development in this arena is the growing evidence of China’s attempts to influence U.S. elections.” Really? Got proof, evidence, examples…. Cuz you’re calling for war over this, I think you want to be sure, right….Mr. investigative reporter Oliver….
“a report from Martin Estrada, the U.S. attorney for the central district of California, who has raised the alarm about China’s meddling in U.S. elections.”
Really, what report? How long did he talk to Congress? Oh my, the horror of it all.
Except Politico has the transcript from Congress, there is no report presented to Congress and Estrada, “in a confidential briefing to the House Judiciary Committee, highlighted the unique vulnerability of California, a state that serves as a major gateway to Asia, to Chinese influence” when he said: “We’re the gateway to Asia,” Martin Estrada, the U.S. attorney for the central district of California, said in a closed-door interview with the House Judiciary Committee on Oct. 24. “And we have the People’s Republic of China trying to influence our elections, trying to target some of our individuals.” OK then, where’s the beef? That’s what the report to Congress said and Oliver has nothing more except his lies.
Basically, that was it and then he got down to the real reason he was there: to answer questions about Hunter Biden. He said no more about China and when Politico asked (unlike Oliver who is clueless), Estrada’s office had nothing to say except to decline to comment. Some report. Could Oliver really be this stupid to miss all this and yet still keep his job at PBP?
In other news, if Oliver had been smart enough to look, CA’s secretary of state said CA has been hardening their systems because of threats from foreign and domestic bad actors: “These efforts are in response to a number of identified foreign threats, including from Russia, Iran and China, as well as from emerging domestic bad actors,” added Kocurek, a deputy secretary.”
Folks, yes, we must safeguard our elections from foreign and domestic interference which can be in two forms – disinformation and hard attacks on systems. And it ain’t just China, it’s anyone with a bone to pick and the internet to surf. Especially for disinformation since assholes like Musk want to profit from it. Free speech my ass, Musk just wants to push his racist, autocratic messages of hate to line his own pockets with more gold. There are examples of foreign interference, but to use a guy talking about Hunter who drops a line about the Chinese and then run a half-cocked story is just piss poor journalism. Again.
In terms of actual news from Estrada about election interference and the Chinese actions in America.
Estrada’s office has not recently brought any charges related to Chinese efforts to influence U.S. elections. But the office has prosecuted a number of sensitive Beijing-linked cases. In one recent case, a U.S. Navy sailor pleaded guilty to gathering sensitive military information for a Chinese intelligence officer in exchange for more than $14,000 in bribes. Estrada’s office also secured a guilty conviction of a Chinese billionaire’s company for bribing a Los Angeles city councilman. That former councilman, José Huizar, also pleaded guilty to financial crimes early this year.
In July of 2022 — a few months before Estrada was confirmed as U.S. attorney — a top U.S. counterintelligence agency warned state and local officials that the Chinese government was trying to persuade them to advocate for Beijing’s interests.
“The PRC understands U.S. state and local leaders enjoy a degree of independence from Washington and may seek to use them as proxies to advocate for national U.S. policies Beijing desires,” the report reads, “including improved U.S. economic cooperation with China, and reduced U.S. criticism of China’s policies towards Taiwan, Tibetans, Uyghurs, pro-democracy activists, and others.”
And Facebook’s parent company, Meta, released a report in September of 2022 describing small networks of fake Chinese social media accounts that aimed to influence U.S. public opinion in the lead-up to the midterms. Some of the accounts posed as liberal Californians.
You are so full of propaganda chit, it smells of a Marxist-Leninist ideology dementia!!!
CALL ME CRAZY! But we should nuke the hell out of China’s nuclear sites, any and all defensive sites, weapons, ships, submarines, etc.!! All at once!!! Knock everything out! Satellites, space station, etc!! Don’t miss anything, complete under destruction!!!