Before election, pro-Donald Trump and pro-Hillary Clinton software robots produced 3.8 million tweets and social bots also accounted for 400,000 of the 2.8 million individual users

Fake Tweets, real consequences for the election

Software robots masquerading as humans are influencing the political discourse on social media as never before and could threaten the very integrity of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, said Emilio Ferrara, a computer scientist and research leader at the USC Information Sciences Institute (ISI), and USC Viterbi School of Engineering research assistant professor.

By leveraging state-of-the art bot detection algorithms, Ferrara and co-author Alessandro Bessi, a visiting research assistant at USC’s ISI, have made a startling discovery: a surprisingly high percentage of the political discussion taking place on Twitter was created by pro-Donald Trump and pro-Hillary Clinton software robots, or social bots, with the express purpose of distorting the online discussion regarding the elections.

The researchers analyzed 20 million election-related tweets created between Sept. 16 and Oct. 21. They found that robots, rather than people, produced 3.8 million tweets, or 19 percent. Social bots also accounted for 400,000 of the 2.8 million individual users, or nearly 15 percent of the population under study.

“The presence of these bots can affect the dynamics of the political discussion in three tangible ways,” writes in a recently released paper titled, “Social Bots Distort the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election Online Discussion,” appearing the journal First Monday.

“First, influence can be redistributed across suspicious accounts that may be operated with malicious purposes. Second, the political conversation can become further polarized. Third, spreading of misinformation and unverified information can be enhanced.”

“As a result, the integrity of the 2016 U.S. presidential election could be possibly endangered.”

Interestingly, Trump’s robot-produced tweets were almost uniformly positive, boosting the candidate popularity. By contrast only half of Clinton’s were, with the other half criticizing the nominee, according to the research paper. South Carolina produced the most fake campaign-related tweets, the study reports.

Because of social bots’ sophistication, it’s often impossible to determine who creates them, although political parties, local, national and foreign governments and “even single individuals with adequate resources could obtain the operational capabilities and technical tools to deploy armies of social bots and affect the directions of online political conversation,” the report says.

The “master puppeteers” behind influence bots, Ferrara added, often create fake Twitter and Facebook profiles. They do so by stealing online pictures, giving them fictitious names, and cloning biographical information from existing accounts. These bots have become so sophisticated that they can tweet, retweet, share content, comment on posts, “like” candidates, grow their social influence by following legitimate human accounts and even engage in human-like conversations.

News was taken from  http://phys.org/news/2016-11-fake-tweets-real-consequences-election.html#jCp

“Clinton and Trump have only tactical differences”

Socialists are participating in the U.S elections as well: Only a complete overturning of capitalism can realize the tremendous potential of humanity

Tulga Bugra Işik’s news,  from SoL international

Due to the choices of monopolistic system, imperialist-militarist state structure and anti-communism, only two parties and two candidates are visible in the so-called “fortress of democracy”.

But today in the U.S. elections, there are other candidates such as the candidate of Greens Jill Stein, Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and the candidate of Party of Socialism and Liberation, which continues its socialist struggle without concessions, Gloria La Riva.

We talked with the candidate of PSL on the policies of presidential candidates, electoral system of U.S., U.S. economy and the Middle East policy of U.S.

“ELECTIONS IN U.S. ARE ANTI-DEMOCRATIC”

Why is the Party for Socialism and Liberation running in the elections, in a political system designed for two parties? What does PSL think about two-party system and U.S. democracy?

The U.S. electoral and political system is the system of the ruling imperialist class. As such, it is one of the most important mechanisms to maintain its rule. The elections in the United States are one of the most anti-democratic in the capitalist world. For example, even though the presidential election is national, a candidate or party is required to apply for ballot status, state to state, and the requirements vary widely. It takes literally about a billion dollars for one of the two bourgeois candidates to run a campaign, so of course, that makes it necessary for those parties to be wholly responsible to the corporate donors. Then is the problem of access to the large-scale media, which engages in a fierce censorship of other candidates.

And yet, with this inaccessible scenario, our Party has participated in every presidential election since shortly after our founding. We do this because as Leninists, we believe it is essential to be where the masses are, to speak in the name of socialism and struggle as the only way that the crises of the working class and society as a whole can be overcome and resolved. If we were just to criticize from the outside without intervening in the electoral arena, we would not have meaningful access to the people, who still see the elections as the means for political participation.

We have had this year a tremendous experience, with our members and supporters in city after city, reaching out to so many communities, joining in the struggles and helping lead some, with our political program, which has received a positive response and interest from many. We also encourage those who are more interested than in just voting for an alternative candidate and party, to join our Party, which many have done.

We have helped give visibility and popular support to key struggles this year, for instance, when I and other members have traveled to North Dakota to support the great Native resistance struggle against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Our vice-presidential candidate in several states, Dennis Banks, is a well-known Native leader, co-founder of the American Indian Movement, who has been a continual presence there. This struggle is the most important environmental movement in the United States in years, and largest, most united movement of Native people in more than 100 years, with more than 450 Native tribes and nations who have joined together.

We have been part of dozens of protests and manifestations against the brutal police killings of Black and Latino people, defending people against evictions, marching against the US-Saudi bombing of Yemen, organizing protests against the U.S. proxy war against Syria.

“CLINTON AND TRUMP HAVE ONLY TACTICAL DIFFERENCES”

What do you think about differences between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump? Are there significant differences between them?

By the time you are able to publish this, perhaps the new president will be elected. It looks like it may be Hillary Clinton, since her close numbers seem to be improving in the last hours, due to the intense media push for her, and the fact that Republican and Democratic leaders alike are behind her. But we see that there would be little difference, perhaps small tactical differences, and certainly in their images. The public perception is different, although both candidates are greatly disliked. I can attest to the exhaustion that the mass of people feel, by us talking to so many thousands in the streets, in public events. There is a great feeling of distrust, anger at their justified perception that one, Trump, is a disgusting racist, anti-woman and overall bigot, and billionaire who has gotten away with huge tax breaks; While Clinton is seen by many as being in the pockets of the biggest banks, as a proven warmonger, and not trustworthy. Yet, there is definitely more fear of Trump. And that is the reason that Clinton will likely win, purely out of fear of Trump, and of course for many because she is a woman.

It is virtually a smooth transition from one president to another in terms of neoliberal policies that have intensified, whether it was NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement of President Clinton, to President Obama’s Trans Pacific Partnership, or the growing militarism, from the Gulf War of George H.W. Bush, to Clinton’s continuation of the genocidal sanctions against Iraq, to his bombing of Yugoslavia, to Obama’s support of the Honduras coup and the destruction of the Libyan state, notably with Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. The fact that most Republican leaders have all given their support to Clinton is because they fear the potential instability and perceived illegitimacy of a Trump presidency.

The U.S. president is simply the CEO of U.S. imperialism, and whomever is elected will pursue those objectives. Of course, history has shown us that when a truly mass movement arises, such as the great civil rights struggle of the African American population, especially in the South, even reactionary politicians can be forced to change their position and make concessions. We see the potential for mass movements developing in this coming period, as some are already on the march.

“SECULAR GOVERNMENTS IN MIDDLE EAST ARE PARTICULARLY TARGETED BY US”

What do you think about U.S. policies in the Middle East?

The U.S. has undertaken a highly-destructive, genocidal offensive for more than 25 years now since the Gulf War, in the Middle East and nearby regions. But of course, since U.S. imperialism’s emergence as the dominant world power after 1945, generally unscathed by World War II, it has continually waged one aggression after another on each continent. There are too many to mention here. With respect to the Middle East, we have been determined opponents to the U.S. wars and occupations, which of course includes its funding and backing of Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people. Many of us — even before our Party’s formation — were involved in defying the U.S. blockade of Iraq, taking massive shipments of medicines into Iraq. We are very active in the ANSWER Coalition, Act Now to Stop War and End Racism. Every independent state, especially secular government, have been particular targets of the United States, because they are seen as obstacles to full U.S. domination of the region.

…

We never fail to warn of Hillary Clinton’s openly stated intentions, starting with a U.S.-imposed no-fly zone that would lead to war. It is stunning, the recklessness of Clinton and her hostilities against Russia. We have often pointed out that her foreign policy advisers and future team, if she wins, will be the most hardened neoconservatives, like Rogert Kagan and Victoria Nuland. Clinton’s doctrine draft, one of whose architects is Michelle Flourney (who may become the next Secretary of Defense), the “Campaign for a New American Strategy,” spells out the objective of expanded American dominance in the Middle East, Africa and Europe (directed against Russia), as well as eliminating the “military budget cap,” as if there were any kind of restrictions to the Pentagon’s unlimited budget!

“REVOLUTIONARIES SHOULD BE PREPARED”

What is the current economic status of U.S.? What is the solution of PSL for the economic problems of U.S.?

In addition to the fact that, according to U.S. government statistics, half of the population is poor or near poor, there are millions more who are economically insecure, who lack medical care, or who are a paycheck away from poverty. This happens at a time when the wealth of the “1%” has grown astronomically. Of course the wealth at the top is because of the capitalists’ increased exploitation over the last 30 years while wages have been stagnant for many years. The 2007-2008 financial meltdown hit the working class and poor very hard, bringing many national pensions to the brink of collapse, and 3 million families lost their homes due to bank foreclosures, and student debt grew to $1.3 trillion dollars! Yet it was the banks that were bailed out by more than $700 billion, which taxpayers had to pay for ultimately. The same speculative actions of the bankers to maximize their profits, plus the cyclical crisis of capitalism, the drop in world commodity prices of oil, minerals and other key resources, overproduction in many other industries, all this points to an inevitable new economic collapse.

Each crisis leaves capitalism and the working class worldwide in a more precarious position, while the environment suffers intensifying degradation. It is critical for revolutionaries to be prepared, to build our organizations, to deepen our roots in the working class and fight the reactionaries’ and ruling class’s solution, which is war on the workers and repression. We believe, in spite of the growing economic crisis, that there is reason for optimism, because more and more people are becoming consciously anti-capitalism, and more are open to the ideas of socialism.

We believe that only a radical transformation of society, a complete overturning of capitalism, can realize the tremendous potential of humanity, on a socialist, sustainable basis.

That was the purpose of our socialist intervention in the U.S. elections, to educate, agitate, and grow the movement on a revolutionary basis, to join in unity with all popular movements and people wanting to work and struggle for real and lasting change.

We thank you comrades for your invitation once again and opportunity to express our views. We are in full solidarity with you in your struggle in Turkey.

For full reading, the quotes were taken from the link ‘Clinton and Trump have only tactical differences’

 

 

 

USA’s Z Generation is in tendency to “Socialism”

Millennials equally dislike Trump, Clinton & Putin – but would vote socialist

A new study surveying American attitudes towards capitalism, socialism or communism found younger Americans preferred George W. Bush and Bernie Sanders than Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Vladimir Putin. Nearly half of Gen Z would vote for a socialist.

Over half of Americans preferred George W. Bush and Bernie Sanders among living political figures to Hillary Clinton (41 percent disapproved of her), Donald Trump (whose negative rating was 49 percent), and Vladimir Putin (46 percent negative), according to a new study titled, “Annual Report on US Attitudes towards Socialism.”

The study’s findings came from polling 2,300 Americans aged 16 and above for their opinions on differing political economic systems, and their respective leaders.

As for the general economy, 53 percent of Americans said the country’s economic system works against them, while four out of 10 Americans call for a “complete change” of America’s economic system to ensure highest earners pay their fair share of tax.

Nearly half of Generation Z (45 percent) said they would vote for a socialist, while one in five (21 percent) said they would vote for a communist.

However, many millennials are unfamiliar with communist leaders Mao Zedong (42 percent); Che Guevara (40 percent); Stalin (18 percent); Lenin (33 percent); and oddly Putin (not a communist) at 18 percent. Of those millennials familiar with Vladimir Lenin, 25 percent have a favorable view of him.

Among the study’s findings, 26 percent of Americans and 32 percent of millennials think more people were killed under George W. Bush than Joseph Stalin. Nearly seven in 10 Americans believed more people were killed under Hitler than Stalin.

The poll was carried out by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit to educate this generation and future generations about the ideology, history, and legacy of communism.

With just five self-described communist countries in the world – China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea and Vietnam – younger Americans had different views of communism and socialism than their elders.

Roughly half of millennials (55 percent) believe communism was and still is a problem – compared with 80 percent of baby boomers and 91 percent of elderly Americans.

While 57 percent of all Americans have a “very unfavorable” view of communism, that view is shared by just 37 percent of millennials and 38 percent of Generation Z.

The quote from Karl Marx which underpins Marxist philosophy, “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs,” resonated with 64 percent of Americans.

But 68 percent of Americans were supportive of Milton Friedman’s quote “A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither. A society that put freedom before equality gets a high degree of both.” It was Friedman’s theories about the free market that underpinned the Ronald Reagan administration and that belief that wealth would “trickle down.”

Among those surveyed, the majority said they were moderates ideologically, 48 percent said they were interested in news and public affairs most of the time, 28 percent were born-again Christians, 51 percent were female, 66 percent were white, 32 percent were Democrat, 25 percent were Independent and 24 percent were Republican; while 66 percent were registered voters. Of those polled, 42 percent had a high school education or did not finish high school, while 31 percent at least started a college education.

Quotes were taken from RT news, https://www.rt.com/usa/363095-millennials-equally-dislike-trump-clinton/

PS: Z generation’s birth years ranging from the mid-1990s to early-2000s

There is nothing new on the eastern front

Western imperialists are giving the weapons to the some Kurdish groups and they are “so-called” fighting against ISID at Middle East. In many countries the situation is the same at the region. In Iraq we already have seen, Iraq Kurdistan; in Syria it is on the edge of establishment of Kurdish otonom state; in Turkey the situation is under the very hard conditions; and now it is very clear that Iranian Kurdish have been supporting for many years by USA, British and Germany so almost all western governments under the name of military aid, so called fighting against ISID.

Into this article:

KHARABRUD, Iraq (AP) — An Iranian Kurdish rebel group received military training in weapons and explosives from U.S. and European advisers as part of the international program backing Kurds in the war against the Islamic State group in Iraq, the group’s commander told The Associated Press.

The group, called the Kurdistan Freedom Party, is one of several Iranian Kurdish factions that have carried out attacks this year inside Iran, sparking a crackdown by security forces. At the same time, the group has been fighting alongside Iraqi Kurds against Islamic State group militants in northern Iraq…

Speaking to The Associated Press this week, the Kurdistan Freedom Party’s commander Hussein Yazdanpana said he recognized that the training was for the fight against IS.

“They helped and trained us within the framework of the fight against Daesh,” or the Islamic State group, he said…

you are seeing how Iranian Kurdish separatists are supported by western imperialists. The real issue is to create the puppet Kurdish state, actually in real to create Israel-Kurdish state at the region on very large lands. The map we all saw, it is about to create state for Israel aims, it has never been about with to establish free Kurdish state. In first already we have seen this map which made by Ralph Peters who was former lieutenant colonel United States Army in 2006. 

If they would achieve this aim, as you can see upper “after” part of the map, the lands of this state of Kurdish according to imperialists’ goal, it will be very large and almost biggest than Syria, Iraq, and close to the measurements of the lands of 2/3 of Turkey and half of Iran.

In Syria, the Kurdish opponents groups against Assad, are armed by western imperialists.

In Turkey, PKK terrorist organization is armed by western imperialists.

In Iraq, we know that already Iraq Kurdistan has been established by western imperialists.

In Iran, the Kurdish opponent groups who were already known fighting against Tehran management are armed by western imperialists.

Wow! How democracy lovers of these western countries and they are always trying to bring democracy to the Middle East countries! Hypocrites!

All tactics of the western imperialists are same and old, and there is nothing new at the east.

Let’s we focus again the issue is right now, so Iran. There is a PJAK which PKK’s Iran arms in Iran, and they have been fighting against Tehran management for many years, from the begining 2003. Their aim is “to establish Kurdish state in Iranian lands”. We see they chosen the name “PJAK” for themselves, so the meaning of “The Kurdistan Free Life Party”. Like PKK, their name is “Kurdistan worker’s party”. YPG in Syria, the meaning of YPG “People’s Protection Units”. All is using the terms like “free life”, “worker’s party”, “people”; very proper to get support from “democracy supporters” and to make propaganda; after all their names are smelling very leftist:)

I am really wondering the answer of this question, under the light of these informations, so the all informations about how the Kurdish organizations are supported by western imperialists,

-Is/was there any left organization or group which are/were supported by USA, and EU countries in military scale on planet Earth in all history of mankind; except these Kurdish groups in Middle East and Turkey?

How long USA and the other western governments have been supporting the “free life, worker’s life, and people’s life” into leftist scale!

I don’t have any idea, I have never seen they have supported the leftist ideas. But when it comes to Middle East and the Kurdish groups, all are being “freedom fighters” kind of the groups who are working over leftist idealism!

Like a kidding! This planet is cosmic joke!

In Iran, about 3-4 million Kurdish origin people are living at western Iran. The western imperialist are supporting to them for seperating of them from Iran.

Maybe this may be knowledge for you, about Iran:

There are about 25 million Turkish origin people are living in Iran. And Iran total population is nearly 80 million people.

Yes, there is not any separatist group inside of Turkish origin people in Iran. There is not any seperatist group inside of Turkish origin people which are supported by western imperialists.

This thought can come to the minds:

“So if these Turkish origin people don’t want to seperate, they are living under very good conditions, and they don’t have any problem while they are living.”

There are too many difficulties that Turkish origin people experinced in Iran; even maybe more than Kurdish origin people experienced in Iran. But I guess, any western imperialists didn’t think, “let’s we give the arms to them for they fight against the Tehran management”.:) Maybe they already knew that this would have been foolish plan, and never would work.

Inside the article that I gave its link upper lines, you have seen that it is very clear that USA government is supporting the Kurdish groups-PJAK in Iran at military scales. US government and PJAK have always denied any form of cooperation between themselves until today. After today, USA government cannot deny anything.

What would be result of this?

More mess would be in the Middle East. Iran is not easy rock at the region. Western imperialists are behaving with a thought like “any of the Middle East countries cannot stand against us, and we are unstoppable, we are capable to do what we want,” continuously.

People shouldn’t forget that Iran is a hard rock, there is no way to overcome of Iran easily. Actually there is no way to overcome to Iran! This new news (actually not new but it is formalised anymore) will not be forgotten by Iran. Also, is USA government really ready to open a new struggle in Middle East? Or will eveything make a shape like Hillary Clinton says in 2008?  “If I’m President, we will attack Iran… We would be able to totally obliterate them.”

PS: Some one needs to tell her, she is in very piteous situation. What a wasting life that she lives while she is speaking and behaving like a monarch of all hatred.

Anyway, the game of western imperialists will be spoiled. The real issue is if it won’t be, will WW3 start before the foreseen date of it? My opinion is that if it can’t be prevented, WW3 would start about May 2017 formally. Yes, we are as the extraterrestrials have seen that generally biggest wars of humans are staring in spring days, and we don’t know why the humans like the days of spring to fight:)

And for the ones who are wondering my opinion about the way of fighting against ISID, if I don’t approve any Kurdish or the other opponents in Syria?

My opinion is that if the governments want to destroy ISID, they need to help Syrian government, there shouldn’t be any opponent groups against the Syrian state in the name of “to fight against ISID”; all governments, including, USA, EU, Russia, Turkey and etc. Whether the governments like it or not, Syrian government has been chosen by the Syrian public. The only way to destroy ISID, should be helping to Syrian state forces and acting with them.