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Russian Trolls Visit our Website

Friday, 26 June 2015
Meryll
Jewish Luck Blog
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1 Comment
Russian Trolls Visit our Website

This image depicts how Leslie and I imagine a Russian troll. (Never mind that it was created by a Dane).  These trolls make us laugh and remind us of the bygone 1960s and   the KGB’s vast spy network. Today’s trolls labor in shifts in at least one St. Petersburg suburb trying to bend the internet and social media to  Putin’s purposes. 

On June 7, 2015 the New York Times magazine published an extensively researched article by Adrian Chen (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/07/magazine/the-agency.html) He detailed the inner workings of the Internet Research Agency.  Their mission is to post pro-Kremlin, pro Putin messages using social media. In addition to spreading propaganda, the troll farm can perpetrate hoaxes by hijacking a twitter account and fabricating fake news reports that create mass panic and a sense of crisis.  I recommend reading the New York Times article in its entirety.  It concludes with a typical Russian twist.  The reporter, Adrian Chen, becomes a victim of the agency he is investigating as they set him up to be discredited by manipulating his social media sites.

As in Soviet times, information or disinformation is seen by the Russians as a commodity.  The Russian government has probed the internet and social media for soft spots and pounced.  In Soviet times, information from the free world was blocked and the Soviet Union cranked out its own version of world events which appeared in its newspapers and on Soviet TV.  No wonder Soviet citizens used to declaim, “There is no truth in Pravda(which means “truth”) and there is no news in Izvestia (which means news”). “  This belief that the Russian government should shape the message for its citizens lives on. 

You may remember from Jewish Luck:  A True Story of Friendship, Deception, and Risky Business that Vera’s father worked in the Soviet military jamming Voice of America and Radio Liberty Of course, that meant he had access to western media and western information which he brought home to Vera and the rest of the family.  Today’s troll workers at 55 Savushkina Street constitute a phantom mercenary army of Putin supporters who manufacture news and reply scathingly to any anti-Soviet rhetoric. We wonder if they are confiding to their families the extent to which their Internet Agency has penetrated and perverted the worldwide flow of news and information.

And what does this have to do with Jewish Luck?  Although I am not well versed in technology, Leslie has been checking the Google Analytics for our web page.  We feel we know a lot of our readers so we’re not surprised to see hits from places where we have friends and relatives.  We have nearly a hundred hits lately purportedly from the far corners of Russia.  We’re being monitored, but apparently the trolls have not figured out what our point is or how to reply.   We presume we’re not special to be on Russian radar.

For those nostalgic for communist days, you don’t have to look far to experience the resurgence of the same spirit of suspicion and manipulation and distrust of individual freedom.  With each news flash about the inner working of Russia, I better understand Vera and Alisa’s sighs of disgust and complete suspicion of the Russian government.  And, whenever I read of another preposterous Russian initiative or twisted use of technology, I have the same response.  Thank you, grandparents, for restarting your lives in the US. 

Would any trolls like to comment?

And now another twist to the story.  Russia deploys trolls to infiltrate social media across the world.  Read the article in which the Russian member of Parliament whines about Facebook posts allowing celebration of gay marriage and displaying a rainbow symbol defying Russian law! Absurdity never sleeps!!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/11704307/Russian-MP-urges-Facebook-block-over-gay-rights-rainbow-flag.html

Tags:
Voice of America Russian trolls Internet Research Agency google analytics Adrian Chen
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Meryll

Meryll

  http://morejewishluck.com
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Meryll Levine Page is a retired high school history teacher with a special interest in women’s history. She taught extensively about the Soviet Union and its break-up. Currently she co-facilitates the Minneapolis Jewish Artists’ Lab.
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Comments 1

Guest - Marilyn on Friday, 26 June 2015 13:37

I'm with you. My Bubbe said, "I know how bad it was under the Czar; I can imagine it is just as bad now." So troll, shmoll - who cares. We just want the truth.

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I'm with you. My Bubbe said, "I know how bad it was under the Czar; I can imagine it is just as bad now." So troll, shmoll - who cares. We just want the truth.
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"I was very fortunate to be able to hear Meryll and Leslie speak at a Hadassah event in Israel. Each of the ~50 participants really enjoyed the event because Meryll and Leslie were so engaging. While they had a natural rapport with the audience, you could also tell they had prepared well so they could connect with our particular group's interests. I learned a lot from listening to them, and I found their sisterly interaction unique and fun. If you want an enlightening and uplifting experience, attend one of their book talks."
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"Truly, you have written a story that makes accessible the reality of existence in Russia, through the eyes of individuals who lived through the various regimes and dictates.  It is fascinating and very well told.  As I read Vera and Alla's story, I learned more Russian history than I had known from a textbook.  That's a big deal, women!  You tell the tale with vivid detail and hook us on the two women and their stories, then weave in the history to illuminate their journeys. It is such a necessary book.  I am thrilled that the two of you collaborated, as I can see the uniqueness of your personalities come through in the stories, and that, too, makes the book a gem."
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