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Old 12-08-2019, 03:08 PM
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Arrow Pentagon Concerned Russia Cultivating Sympathy Among US Troops

Pentagon Concerned Russia Cultivating Sympathy Among US Troops
By: Jeff Seldin - VOA News - 12-8-19
RE: https://www.voanews.com/usa/pentagon...rVoc3_nTgCyo5E

WASHINGTON - Russian efforts to weaken the West through a relentless campaign of information warfare may be starting to pay off, cracking a key bastion of the U.S. line of defense: the military.

While most Americans still see Moscow as a key U.S. adversary, new polling suggests that view is changing, most notably among the households of military members.

The second annual Reagan National Defense Survey, completed in late October, found nearly half of armed services households questioned, 46%, said they viewed Russia as ally.

Overall, the survey found 28% of Americans identified Russia as an ally, up from 19% the previous year.

Generally, the pollsters found the positive views of Russia seemed to be “predominantly driven by Republicans who have responded to positive cues from [U.S.] President [Donald] Trump about Russia,” according to an executive summary accompanying the results.

While a majority, 71% of all Americans and 53% of military households, still views Russia as an enemy, the spike in pro-Russian sentiment has defense officials concerned.

“There is an effort, on the part of Russia, to flood the media with disinformation to sow doubt and confusion,” Defense Department spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Carla Gleason told VOA.

“This is not only through discordant and inflammatory dialogue but through false narratives designed to elicit sympathetic views,” she said, adding, “we are actively working to expose and counter Russian disinformation whenever possible.”

Reagan National Defense Survey

The Reagan National Defense Survey, conducted on behalf of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, questioned just more than 1,000 adults between Oct. 24 and Oct. 30, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Concern among U.S. officials runs deep, partly because other surveys have also found a growing willingness in the U.S. to view Russia positively.

For example, a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults by the Pew Research Center from September 2018 found 35% of Americans wanted more cooperation with Russia.

Photo link: https://media.voltron.voanews.com/Dr...?itok=_hLPwNd1
FILE - The "troll farm" in St. Petersburg, Russia, Feb. 17, 2018. Yevgeny Prigozhin is considered the driving force in a media empire that includes the Internet Research Agency, the St. Petersburg "troll farm" whose members were indicted by U.S. special investigator Robert Mueller.

However, there is more to the fears than just polling data.

U.S. defense and security officials have told VOA that Russia has been targeting U.S. military personnel, specifically, with a ramped-up influence campaign, as far back as 2017 in preparation for the November 2018 midterm elections.

Russia’s goal, they said, was not so much to swing the result of the elections but to seed U.S. military personnel with the right type of disinformation so that they would be predisposed to view Russia and its actions in a more favorable way in the future.

“We know it goes on,” said Ed Wilson, then deputy assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy, said at the time. “That’s why we’ve amped up and increased the attention that we’re paying.”

Countering Russia’s efforts, both against the U.S. military and American society at large, has not been easy, according to both analysts and former officials, because of the political climate and the rhetoric coming from the White House.

“It is dangerous,” said Jorge Benitez, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council who specializes in transatlantic relations, U.S. security and Russia.

“The new polls reveal a significant change among Republican voters who historically have been opposed to Russia,” he said. “More and more Republicans have changed their views on Russia because of President Trump’s positive statements about Russia and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin.”

Others fear Russia’s gains in public opinion are symptomatic of a bigger problem that the Kremlin has managed to exploit.

“People’s beliefs and perceptions are shaped more by whatever the leaders of their own political tribe say than by ideology, history, or even their own self-interest,” said Paul Pillar, a former senior CIA officer now with Georgetown University.

He said, for now though, the gradual change in U.S. perceptions of Russia has had limited impact.

“Many Republicans can slavishly follow Trump’s lead on most matters, including the rhetorical line on Russia, but still, say, support defense expenditures designed to maintain strength vis-a-vis Russia,” Pillar said, noting a variety of U.S. sanctions against Moscow are still in place.

The U.S. national defense strategy, updated just two years ago, likewise lists Russia along with China, as the prime threats to the U.S.

For the most part, the Reagan National Defense Survey found a majority of Americans are in agreement.

“When we asked Americans which countries were tops on their list in terms of the threat that they posed to the United States the first was China [28%] and the second was Russia [25%],” said Ronald Reagan Institute Policy Director Rachel Hoff.

She also said there was strong sentiment that the U.S. should not cede any ground on the global stage, to Russia or anyone else.

“They want America to take the lead when it comes to international events rather than a less engaged posture where our country is reacting to global events,” Hoff told VOA, pointing to a 50% to 33% margin.

At the same time, other polls have pointed to a lingering wariness on the part of a majority of Americans when it comes to Russia.

A Gallup survey published in February of this year found only 24% of Americans had a positive view of Russia, down from a 44% favorable rating in February of 2013.

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Personal note: The Russians ain't exactly our buddies. But if I had to pick one of the three in question regarding who I'd rather be more concerned with would be North Korea and China. They all have spies and misinformation programs. But I don't think Russia wants a war with the U.S. - but - China I don't know? Maybe not - but you never know. North Korea is the one that bother's me - they could be the trigger for an all out war in the near future unless they demobilize their nukes. Russia and the US have been pretty good when it comes to the current Space programs. They work together a lot since NASA came to be. They are also pretty good with their space program. China is the wild card. Maybe he's only looking for a show of power (that he thinks he has or might have?).

The Middle East is the issue that seems to have most radicalization. Unstable leadership and religious zealous are fueling those conflicts. And they don't care if they die because they supposedly go directly to their God. It's nuts the way our world is so set on weapons of mass destruction whereas if those monies put into their countries (lands & people) they could most likely resolve much of their issues.

I won't pretend to know everything but I've live long enough to know there's good in all people - more-so than those willing to die. If we all had spent our monies in our infrastructures and education we would be a great society worldwide.

Most people want to marry have kids and a job. They want decent paycheck and the ability to be free from invasion or nuclear war. We haven't learned that yet - it seems the word of the day is weapons. Today if used them we would most likely drive us back into the stone age. Starvation and climate change & contamination around the world. Don't they see that?

We hear very little about Peace on Earth anymore. Weapons are the number one issue in the world today. To me that's insecurity and that's the spark plug that we have to keep from being fired.

I've traveled around this world at lease 2.5 times in my life. I've met people from different countries and seen the good in most of them. The small radical minorities are the drivers of discontent. Those people threaten and bully the locals in which insecurity becomes the norm. We here in the states have neighborhoods that are mainly operated by gangs or some sort of syndicate. People today carry weapons and will take away a human life for a few bucks. This is the garbage - we need to rid ourselves of. To live without fear is the word of the day. And that should apply all around the world - not just in a few places.

Race has got to be resolved. All men are brother under the skin. We all bleed and we all die eventually either from gang warfare, national wars, and hopefully to old age - if your so lucky. We still have terrible medical issues today where people suffer without any chance of being cured. This breaks my heart - I have to ask: Why?

Why are our talents not being used for the betterment of mankind rather then in weapons to eliminate mankind?

I think about all those monies being spent on each countries insecurities with no consideration for humanity in their lands. That's pretty poor to me. A 3rd world would result with kids who will starve to death or may be disfigured from warring. Landmines are still killing thousands and the attitude of late doesn't seem to mean much to many.

Cancer kill's most of us - why haven't we found a cure for that is beyond me? We are pouring contaminates into our environment. Our ice caps are melting. We all know this - but whats really being done about it? Hell we rather have weapons of mass destruction then try to keep our civilizations from burning out like a candle.

We call ourselves humans - yet we can kill one another - not yet for sport - but rather because we can. Does warring upon others make us better? Many soldier's think about this all the time. I dare any of them to tell me that they don't. The God awful results or war are such that our hospitals - are full of veterans - I want peace on earth. I want security for all - and I want most of all to have our doctor's tell me - yes we can cure you - not tell me there's nothing we can do for you or your family. I don't want to see our soldier's suffer the scars of war anymore. I don't want my grandson or your kids damaged by war. War Sucks! It's not sport - its killing outright taking another persons life. Why? Because we can. Though taking another persons life is often call self-defense. Yet it's kill or be killed - this is what we are taught.

Boats
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Boats

O Almighty Lord God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest; Protect and assist, we beseech thee, all those who at home or abroad, by land, by sea, or in the air, are serving this country, that they, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore in all perils; and being filled with wisdom and girded with strength, may do their duty to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"IN GOD WE TRUST"
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