Russian trolls (fl. 2011- ) are people paid to push the message of the Russian government on the Internet – on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LiveJournal, VKontakte, etc. They comment at news websites, like Politico and Fox News. They produce comments, tweets, memes, blog posts, videos and infographics.
Russia is hardly alone: the governments of Ukraine, China (50 Cent Party), Britain, Israel and the US (Operation Earnest Voice) also employ trolls. Presumably others do as well.
Astroturf: Russian trolls appear on both the Russian and English-language Internet as ordinary users, but they are under instructions, called technical tasks, to work in the day’s talking points.
For example, one fortune teller on her blog talked about ghosts and crystals and so on, but every now and then she would say something like:
“Bad premonitions: Why I’m worried about my sister living in Europe … [she told me] thousands of farmers have gone bankrupt in the EU because of sanctions [on Russia] … unemployment is thriving”.
That “fortune teller” was a Russian troll, Lyudmila Savchuk, who outed her troll farm and got fired. Savchuk:
“I was told on the first day that we were working for the good of the motherland, that we were supporting the authorities.”
But then Boris Nemtsov, an opposition leader, was killed, probably by a government hitman. “I felt the bullets between my shoulders,” she said. But then one of the technical tasks she received was to blame the murder on his friends!
It got worse:
“The scariest thing is when you talk to your friends and they are repeating the same things you saw in the technical tasks, and you realise that all this is having an effect.”
Marat Burkkhard, another former troll:
“When there were black people rioting in the United States we had to write that US policy on the black community had failed, Obama’s administration couldn’t cope with the problem, the situation is getting tenser. The negroes are rising up.”
“The most unpleasant was when we had to humiliate Obama, comparing him with a monkey, using words like darkie, insulting the president of a big country. I wrote it, I had to.”
“Of course, if every day you are feeding on hate, it eats away at your soul. You start really believing in it. “
Half of Russian trolls believe in what they are doing, the other half just need the money.
Russian trolls use Internet proxies (to hide where they are from), sock puppets, pictures of models for avatars, etc. They get facts and arguments from Ruxpert, a “patriotic” Russian Wikipedia.
Information war: The Russian government sees the Internet as a threat, a place of open debate, a pipeline of Russophobic ideas from the West. Therefore, as activist Leonid Volkov noted, the trolls are there:
“to spoil it, to create the atmosphere of hate, to make it so stinky that normal people won’t want to touch it.”
Since late 2015, Russian trolls have started to appear as American supporters of Donald Trump.
– Abagond, 2016.
Sources: mainly the Telegraph (2015), FAIR (2015), New York Times magazine (2015), Business Insider (2016).
See also:
- external:
- Ruxpert.ru
- FAIR – an article about Russian trolls commented on by Russian trolls!
- Internet troll
- xPraetorius – a paid troll that was on this blog.
- Black sock puppets
- Russia
- US
- Donald Trump
The Hillary campaign hired Internet trolls to go after Sanders.
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The Russians look for content that helps their self image and jumped on Ron Paul’s statements and used them for their own propaganda purposes.
https://www.google.com/amp/www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/439533/?client=ms-android-verizon
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Putin was a KGB agent.
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“michaeljonbarker
The Hillary campaign hired Internet trolls to go after Sanders.”
Was Abagond one of them?
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All Abagond has done is give the lesser of two evils argument.
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“All Abagond has done is give the lesser of two evils argument.”
.
All Abagond has done is choose the wrong lesser of the lesser of the two evils argument.
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“All Abagond has done is give the lesser of two evils argument.”
False. Abagond used the straw man argument that “Bernie” was against compensation to Blacks for slavery. Nothing wrong with that, but he failed to get on Clinton’s case for the same sin.
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“All Abagond has done is choose the wrong lesser of the lesser of the two evils argument.”
We both know that both canidates are corrupt and criminal.
So the question becomes which canidate will do away and violate the most civil liberties. How you answer that question should determining how you vote.
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“We both know that both canidates are corrupt and criminal.
So the question becomes which canidate ….”
.
… IS MORE LIKELY TO DELIVER HER TESTOSTERONE laden violent male mindset (WAR) to a world dominated by men who do not respect female led hegemony??
She’ll have a well stocked survival bunker to retreat to. What will the majority of Amerikan’s have??
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@Fan
Stien thinks Hillary is more likely to launch nuclear weapons but I dont trust either of them. Let’s hope that’s one glass ceiling she doesn’t break.
Clinton won’t go after guns directly but she has made it known she will ban sales at gun shows even though there is no correlation between mass shootings and guns purchased at gun shows. That’s a violation of civil liberty.
Trump is more likely to outright ban assault weapons if a mass shooting happens on his watch. Remember the NRA today is pro cop, pro state, pro war and Islamophobic.
The greatest deterent to genocide is if those marginalized groups have a way to defend themselves.
When it comes to other civil liberties who jails their critics and shuts down news agencies they don’t like? Dictators.
Who wants to Federalize the police and expand their abilities to check peoples papers, give them more state protections and have a direct line to Washington ? Need more military weapons for your police department give Trump a call. Will the lives of people who are not white and American born become easier or harder under Trump ? Who wants to interfer with American businesses like Amazon and Apple and force them “to make America great again” by interfering with how they run things ? Who is willing to deport millions of “illegal” humans, build walls and have detention centers ? Who is more likely to cause a stock market crash with tariffs and protectionist policies ? Who thinks they can ban a religion or put millions of Muslims under surveillance in the U.S. ? Who is going to continue to flame racism, Islamophobia and violence ?
To much that can go wrong with Trump.
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back to support for the assad regime!
clinton jumped on that but aleppo has been bombed to crap over several years now
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hills hates the russians i wonder why
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http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-18957096?post_id=1489932727_10210710101857243#_=_
“Profile: Aleppo, Syria’s second city”
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@mjb
http://www.thedailysheeple.com/breaking-fbi-in-revolt-top-fbi-official-exposes-massive-corruption-which-let-clintons-crimes-slide_102016
If the war hawks Clintons can circumvent the police, FBI, UN, gov’ment at large and the mainstream media, what can they not manipulate for their own nefarious agenda?? They’re 1000X more dangerous than Trump imo!
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it could be AI based code posting all this stuff too
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Wait….how did THIS become a Clinton vs. Trump discussion? Is this because of the paid troll thing? Is this where all of the paid trolls will come out of hiding?
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This blog post reminds me of the way Trojan Pam comments at this blog, whenever she does comment. She’s nothing more than a cheap propagandist, though, she doesn’t appear as a troll example alongside xPraetorius in your See Also section.
I certainly realize that Trojan Pam has a bunch of admirers at this site, and that others may be tempted to interpret my comment about her as ad hominem. To that end I refer others to an old thread, approximately titled: Obama as a Rented Negro. Her desperate reluctance to engage in discussion that threatened to go deeper than the pathetic, victim speech and pseudo science, talking points that she wished to ply, are fully on display in that thread. 🙂
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damn that emoji was supposed to be a big smiley face…
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bc hills is going on a rampage against the russians!
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the hacking accusation etc like syria for example
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putin’s not a kgb agent? i bet that gives him more leeway than with the cia and ‘presdential curiosity is not enough’ etc
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I can’t believe the incredible risk that this Lyudmilla Savchuk has taken, God bless her and any others who blow the whistle on this operation. (Yes, I know, one is reminded of Snowden…)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLLJx6k9kq4)
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@ Mack Lyons
It crossed my mind that some on this blog might be paid trolls for the Trump campaign, but I dismissed the idea because Trump seems too lost at sea to even think of that. But then I found out that the Russians are not…
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they both totally ditched out into the water over first strike nuclear capability
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@Legion
Are you being mean?
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@V8
Long time no see or read.
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@Abagond
I followed your link to the FAIR article about Russian trolls commented on by Russian trolls. I was struck by the vacuous jingoism of their comments. The same empty, repetitive arguments that a certain commenter on this blog engages in regularly for Trump. Hmmm….
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hi sharina!!!
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Are the Russians the only trolls on the internet? If there are others could we also have a thread on them? Just asking ….
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@ Joe
What you are asking for is already there. Look at the thread:
(https://abagond.wordpress.com/2014/02/13/internet-trolls/)
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Sharina dear,
it would be impossible to properly convey to you the cringing feeling that swept through my bones and over my skin when Trojan Pam was so stunned that a black person [me] would critically and intelligently question the “information” she offered on that thread, that she accused me of being white.
To put it very diplomatically: that is a very low state for her to be in and it was even lower for her to publicly show it.
You ask, if I’m being mean. Sharina, Trojan Pam is so mired in her propaganda narrative and thinks black people everywhere are of a certain “grade” that she accused me of being white because my rebuttals to her where more intelligent and/or inquiring than she expects of any black person. Sharina, that kind of thinking is off on another planet somewhere, and so I can’t think of my comments about her as “mean” or “nice”, the context to be able to do so doesn’t exist.
You took the trouble to ask me if I’m being mean. I hope you will take a moment of time to look over my exchange with TP in that old thread.
Abagond’s post is about propagandists in blog comment sections and elsewhere on the web. My mind instantly went to propagandists who comment here at this very site and I instantly thought of Trojan Pam. I know that I won’t be co signed for comments about her and that’s perfectly fine with me.
I don’t intend to make any further comments about Pam on this thread, I felt strongly about raising her as an example of a propagandist.
—————————————————————-
Sharina, above that dotted line you and I are disagreeing, however, beneath it I wanted to say Hi! I hope you know I always wish you well.
Oh, and thanks for the “like love” a few threads ago.
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@munubantu. Thank you for the link! I’m really talking about state sponsored trolling which is what this present thread is all about. God bless!
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@ Joe
Right in paragraph two I listed five other countries that are known to employ trolls. I did a post on Russian trolls because they are currently newsworthy in the US because of the election. At some point I might do a post on Operation Earnest Voice.
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“Sources: mainly the Telegraph (2015), FAIR (2015), New York Times magazine (2015), Business Insider (2016).”
and of course they have no anti-Russian bias or Russophobia and are not MSM propaganda nor infiltrated by the CIA
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@nomad
Feel free to offer better sources.
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“The most unpleasant was when we had to humiliate Obama, comparing him with a monkey, using words like darkie, insulting the president of a big country. I wrote it, I had to.”
While I can’t condone that ‘monkey’ or ‘darkie’ epithet, you should never feel bad about insulting Obama.
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abagond
“@nomad
Feel free to offer better sources.”
The sad part is that there probably are none. We live in a propaganda bubble. US paid trolls are likely more pervasive and pernicious. Israel trolls too.
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Speaking of trolls, what became of my nemesis Jefe? He’s been awol since I destroyed his silly arguments on HK and China on the Open Thread.
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Insulting Obama. I wonder, how do you get into this troll business? I’d love to make money doing something I enjoy.
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@ gro jo
I doubt a Hillary troll would write a post like this:
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And yet, knowing what you did about her, you mercilessly beat up on poor old “Bernie” using the Slavery compensation red herring that neither candidate backed, only to come back and tell your readers they had no choice but vote HRC! Mind you, I’m not claiming “Bernie” was a real opposition to HRC. His recent activity on her behalf eloquently testifies to the contrary. Given the “sophistication” of your audience, one would hardly expect you to try to convince anybody here without first telling them what they already know: HRC is no bargain.
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@ gro jo
Where did I beat up on Bernie about reparations?
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@abagond: Sorry I missed that! Look forward to your intended thread!
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Abagond, I owe you an apology. I can’t find any post where you “mercilessly beat up on poor old “Bernie” using the Slavery compensation red herring that neither candidate backed…”
I extrapolated that claim from your “class reductionist” criticism. Again, my apology.
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“Abagond, I owe you an apology.”
That gro jo!!
What a role model!
What a mentor!
What a portentous blogger!
😀
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@ Fan
Perhaps you are being facetious with gro jo, but it takes courage to admit mistakes.
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Fan being an unregenerate bs artist he can’t imagine that someone would apologize for misstating someone else’s position. Fan I can tell the difference between my opinions and the facts. I feel no shame for saying I’m sorry when I confuse them. Afrofem, no courage called for, just decency.
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“Perhaps you are being facetious with gro jo, but it takes courage to admit mistakes.”
.
@Afrofem,
Hope you’re having a great day. I am.
Courage? Maybe. Nonetheless, I think it takes more honesty than courage, imo. I won’t haggle the point!
Anyway, everything I said in my comment to Mr, Jo still stands as I meant every word … and character – just in case you were wondering. 🙂
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“Fan being an unregenerate bs artist he can’t imagine that someone would apologize for misstating someone else’s position.”
gro jo,
Please forgive me for seeing you as someone I felt comfortable enough to tease in a lighthearted manner. No offense was meant, just as in the last time I made a similar comment about me filling your shoes.
No disrespect intended. Seriously.
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@Fan
Since we don’t have vocal tonality to make sense of meaning on this forum, words alone can sometimes be misconstrued.
You possess the wonderful quality of playfulness. I wasn’t sure if you were being playful or not in this instance. I commented because I know how hard it is to admit error. Some people are too weak and shallow to say “I was wrong”. Honesty and decency are lacking in some people’s character.
I’m having a productive day which for me is a great day. Thanks Fan.
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@Legion
Awww…I was teasing you. However, was not sure you still disliked her after all this time.
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“gro jo,
Please forgive me for seeing you as someone I felt comfortable enough to tease in a lighthearted manner. No offense was meant, just as in the last time I made a similar comment about me filling your shoes.
No disrespect intended. Seriously.”
Sorry about that. I overreacted.
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@Afrofem
I don’t believe your comments in this matter between myself and gro jo helped any. I suspect you meant well, but good brothers can usually work it out ..
🙂
@ Gro jo
Brother to brother: I’m a straight heterosexual Black man. Nevertheless I’ve greatly enjoyed your presence (wit, intelligence, savvy, perspective, vocabulary, etc..) here. My bad. My apologies. My comments to you have never been BS, or hostile, but a friendly/playful way to communicate that I do enjoy you being here (unless you’re having one of those exceptionally long winded battles of wits and words with a certain feisty young lady) but I digress.
I’m not sure you overreacted. I may have under-communicated and not been as clear as I thought I was. Not everyone gets me… my humor, or my seriousness. I’ll try to work harder on that!
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@Fan
True.
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@Fan
“I don’t believe your comments in this matter between myself and gro jo helped any. I suspect you meant well, but good brothers can usually work it out”
On second thought…
When I stated, “Perhaps you are being facetious with gro jo, but it takes courage to admit mistakes.” I was really thinking of gro jo and his unfolding. There was a time when gro jo snarled and snarked at everyone on this forum. He would never, ever admit error. Only rarely would he allow his light to shine.
When I read his apology to Abagond, I was shocked and moved to comment.
Perhaps my only error was addressing the comment to you. gro jo was the rightful recipient.
In addition, gro jo’s reply to your comment shows that your intent was not clear.
Finally, while I am a Black Daughter of the South and socialized to defer to men, I am also a grown woman who recognizes that this is a public forum, not a private message board. So, whether my comment “helped” or not, I was not out of line in making the comment. I will continue to make comments as I see fit now and in the future.
Hope you’re having a great day. I am.
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@Afrofem
(1) “Perhaps my only error was addressing the comment to you. gro jo was the rightful recipient.”
(2) “So, whether my comment “helped” or not, I was not out of line in making the comment. I will continue to make comments as I see fit now and in the future.”
(???)
Afrofem, speaking of shocked, I certainly was amazed when I read your original one word reply, “True.” Typically, in my experience most people don’t concede or admit to anything that has a hint of admonishment – especially around here. I was so taken aback I almost wrote a lengthy (perhaps “too expressive”) reply to your one word response – but in the end I chose to remain quiet rather than share how impressed I was with you…. and your willingness to simply say “true.” That was the response of a rare woman!
Our Black community is so confused and damaged by hundreds of years of BS, so much so that I try never to have non-constructive exchanges with most of the people here, particularly Black people. I can and have chosen to make that part of my contribution here. I think I’m more heavy handed on Abagond than most – with two notable exceptions. Or maybe three. I feel that the three have earned it! Anyway. I try to behave here as I behave off-line. Do unto others as I would have them do unto me.
Yeah, that doesn’t work well here, but hey. I have to have a code, even if it doesn’t work for others. What code/belief does??
I don’t permit anyone anywhere at anytime to mistake my kindness for weakness. Or disrespect me. I can get down, nasty and dirty, not my preference, BUT I CAN – and will if the situation dictates. I don’t take intended deliberate crap/disrespect or BS off of anyone. I try not to over-react.
So now you have a second thought, that you can say anything to anyone because you are a grown woman… Remember when you were acting like a child, I still didn’t treat you like one during our lengthy discussion about why Black History Month ought to be a 365 days a year process instead of a 28 day thing. I treated you with respect even during the times you seemed to be disrespecting yourself and Black people in general – in your fiery opposition to my point.
I have counted you as an ally, comrade in the cause that brings and keeps many of us here – WHITE supremacy. Perhaps I should not have. Many or most of your contributions have been “positive”-ly off da hook! I thought I was one of your biggest and encouraging fans!
In some ways you remind me of the original Black Panthers.. so it causes me some consternation that we could be possibly heading in a negative direction that is non-constructive with each other. It’s your choice, however you wish to proceed. Do as you see fit. As will I.
I’m having an absolutely fantastic day, even with the dialogues I’ve been having lately here. Thanks for asking! 😀
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@Fan
Everyone has opinions. Thank you for sharing yours.
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How do u know Praetorius was paid?
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Never mind. Just. Never mind.
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Looks like more of the truth is coming out.
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Wait, Abagond, is that true about xPraetorius?
First off, if this is out-of-topic, I apologize first hand. But this link to him as a paid troll caught my eye.
As a side note, he continues to bring up both Abagond and my name into his posts. But he recently gone too far by calling me an “accomplice to black murders” and say how me wishing that slavery never occurred would doom Africans to suffer and not exist and how I endorsed the deaths of all white people, among other insane and hurtful things like calling me a chicken.
Though, I tried to converse with xPraetorius and uselessly defend myself from his attacks, he continued being just as bad or worse when he commented on my blog (until I banned his IP address) and when I responded to his blog.
I even cursed him out in spades. He continues to double down and repeat the same crazy and derogatory things.
If xPraetorius is paid to do this, then that explains a lot. It also makes him look more sinister.
I’m sorry, I just had to get that out.
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@ Brothawolf
xPraetorius admitted he was a paid troll. That is why I banned him. Even before he admitted it I suspected it given the volume and hours of operation.
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I dunno how I missed that, but it makes sense.
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Perusing this thread and learning that x-Praetorius is a paid troll. Interesting, so he gets paid for creating confusion.
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Honestly, xPraetorius is crazy. With the lack of traffic on his blog I often wonder who bothers to pay him. I also feel like at times he changes names and IP and re-enters the blog as someone else. Ready to start drama.
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[…] came across Abagond’s post about Russian trolls. There’s a link underneath with the name of our troll as a paid troll. So, I did a little […]
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Thnaks a lot, I need to reblog this.
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[…] came across Abagond’s post about Russian trolls. [LOLOLOLOLLLL! I’m a Russian troll!!! Woo hoo! That’s just about the funniest thing […]
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I thought this might be just another conspiracy theory
But now Brazil is under attack by russian trolls. Probably we will win and get stronger, but there is still some risk that the russian disinformation attack might help the corrupt members of our Supreme Court to try again to release from prison former president Lula and other corrupt politicians
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Brazilian magazine IstoÉ has a report about the russian attack against brazilian democracy:
https://istoe.com.br/cerco-aos-hackers/
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