A few thoughts about election interference after the hearing

Comey has confirmed that the actual investigation, as CIrca News puts it (and this is a site worth watching… VERY NEUTRAL) ..

Circa reported that the FBI was focused predominantly on Russia’s efforts to influence the election but has investigated incidental contacts between associates of Donald Trump and Russian figures to see if there was any collusion between the two. And to date, Circa reported, the nature of the investigation has been counterintelligence.

Comey, for the first time, confirmed that in public.

“The FBI, as part of our counter intelligence mission, is investigating the Russian government’s intention to interfere with the election. That includes whether there were any links or coordination between Trump campaign and Russia and if crimes were committed,” he told lawmakers.

In other words, Putin was certainly trying to do what we have done as recently as the Obama admin as semi open policy, specifically trying to change the result of the Israeli election so as to see elected someone who was more consonant with OTHER US policy goals.

I had felt interference in the actual election was an act of war.

We should BAN our citizens from acting as election or campaign consultants elsewhere and make illegal influencing the elections in other nations, and in the same legislation, make attempts to change the results of our election process by influence, agents of influence, money for advertising, aiding PAC’s or any other mechanism from banal attempts HERE to show favor to one candidate or denigrating another, to changing the ballot accuracy and result, CASUS BELLI.

Putin has clearly decided that a nationalist leading another nation in the West is something good for Russia, and it is this which underpins Russia’s STUPID efforts. In the end we will spew chaos, and fix the problems.

Putin is no genius. Worst case is a political revolution here which realigns more with the people, and strengthens the system, even if civil violence occurs along the way. I remember 1968 during the utter heights of the cold war.

To be for your nation is not to be against NATO or be helpful to Russia. We are about to modernize 1950’s designed ICBM’s, 1946 and 1980’s designed intercontinental bombers, and 1980 designed strategic missile launching submarines. We are about to increase the defense budget by $54Bn, IN ONE YEAR. There are articles every week about oil prices DROPPING as American oil output increases the world supply. Russia has 40% of its ENTIRE GDP as OIL $. NATO has been kicked in the ass to PAY UP and paying up means more and more modern weapons, and men. Look at the reponse despite everything going on, in the Baltic States. The USA, Britain and Germany have increased their presence in the air and on the ground.

Is THEORETICAL lenience by the USA over the Crimea and UKR worth a strategically weaker position?

We can see Putin same strategy at play over France right now with LePen.

He is wrong.

NATO and our alliance with the French exists because of common interests and values, a shared liberalizing history, and a common threat.

Nothing there has changed.

UPDATE:

German government increases defence spending

Nicholas Fiorenza, Brussels – IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly

21 March 2017

The German cabinet on 15 March approved the main points of a 2018 federal budget that foresees a EUR1.4 billion (USD1.5 billion) increase in defence spending to EUR38.5 billion.

The cabinet also approved the main points of a finance plan for 2017-2021 that will increase the defence budget by EUR8.3 billion to EUR42.3 billion by 2021.

German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen stated defence spending is growing at twice the rate of the federal budget. In 2018 German defence spending will account for 1.23% of its gross domestic product (GDP). This compares to 1.18% in 2017. Von der Leyen said spending would be increased step-by-step to meet the NATO target of 2% of GDP by the middle of the next decade.