The Russian connectionForeign cyberattacks, disinformation “should never be downplayed or tolerated”: George W. Bush

Published 19 October 2017

Former President George W. Bush said earlier today (Thursday) that the United States should not downplay Russia’s attempts to meddle in the U.S. election. Bush said that “the Russian government has made a project of turning Americans against each other. This effort is broad, systemic, and stealthy. It’s conducted a range of stealthy media platforms.” Bush’s remarks were a shot against President Donald Trump, who has dismissed the incontrovertible evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election as “a hoax” and “fake news.”

Russian election hacking appears more and more likely // Source: yahoo.com

Former President George W. Bush said earlier today (Thursday) that the United States should not downplay Russia’s attempts to meddle in the U.S. election.

Our country must show resolve and resilience in the face of external attacks on our democracy,” Bush said in a speech sponsored by the George W. Bush Institute ers in New York. “And that begins with confronting a new era of cyberthreats.”

America has experienced a sustained attempt by a hostile power to feed and exploit our country’s divisions,” he said. “According to our intelligence services, the Russian government has made a project of turning Americans against each other. This effort is broad, systemic, and stealthy. It’s conducted a range of stealthy media platforms.”

The Washington Examiner notes that Bush’s remarks were a shot against President Donald Trump, who has dismissed the incontrovertible evidence about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election as “a hoax” and “fake news”; who has rejected as “politically motivated” the unanimous conclusion of the fourteen U.S. intelligence agencies about the Russia meddling; and that he believed Vladimir Putin’s denial of Russian meddling more than he believes the U.S. intelligence community.

Ultimately, this assault won’t succeed,” Bush said. “But foreign aggressions, including cyberattacks, disinformation, and financial influence should never be downplayed or tolerated.”

Bush never mentioned Trump by name, but his remarks offered a broad criticism of other aspects of Trump’s conduct and leadership styles. Here is a sample from Bush’s speech:

· “Bigotry seems emboldened. Our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication.”

· “We’ve seen nationalism distorted into nativism.”

· “We’ve seen our discourse degraded by casual cruelty. .. . Argument turns too easily into animosity.”

· “It means that bigotry and white supremacy in any form is blasphemy against the American creed, and it means the very identity of our nation depends on passing along civic ideals.”

· “Bullying and prejudice in our public life … provides permission for cruelty and bigotry.”

· “Our identity as a nation—unlike many other nations—is not determined by geography or ethnicity, by soil or blood. Being an American involves the embrace of high ideals and civic responsibility.”

And, perhaps most directly:

· “The only way to pass along civic values is to live up to them.”