Illustration artwork found on the Internet showing Fancy Bear

Politics

瑞典的俄罗斯问题

Jun 12, 2018 Paulina Neuding

斯德哥尔摩——随着9月大选的临近，瑞典选民正在接到警告，现在轮到他们抵制俄罗斯干预瑞典国内民主进程。据领导瑞典打击外国影响力行动的瑞典国家应急机构（MSB）统计，这样的干预极有可能发生，而瑞典民众应当对虚假信息和新闻保持警惕。

但只有一个问题：将俄罗斯的“谎言”与瑞典混乱的政治现实区分开来绝非易事。

近几个月，俄罗斯网络水军通过散布听上去可信的故事和针对社会动荡和道德腐败的有政治目的的八卦来影响瑞典民众。在一起案件中，据称俄罗斯特工在社交媒体上发布的海量消息旨在影响瑞典人有关移民问题的讨论。瑞典国家应急机构表示俄罗斯的目标是助推瑞典国内争端，从而转移人们对俄罗斯在欧洲其他地区活动的注意力。

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j. von Hettlingen Jun 20, 2018

Paulina Neuding highlights the challenge Sweden is facing ahead of the September election. She says the state of disarray in Swedish politics has given Russia “plenty of ammunition” to play mischief. In the last two years, the Kremlin has been conducting clandestine activities – information laundering, hacking, interference and propaganda – in the US and Europe. It aims to influence opinion and divide the public on issues from race to immigration etc.
While Russian meddling is real, the author says, “separating Russian ‘lies’ from Sweden’s messy political reality will not be easy.” The current government in Sweden makes up of a minority coalition of two centre-left parties – the Greens and the Social Democrats. “Barely tolerated by center-right forces,” they are united for the sake of preventing the anti-establishment, anti-immigration Sweden Democrats from gaining power. Following the 2014 general election, centre-right parties shunned this xenophobic party and reached out to the left, “fueling resentment among many voters.”
The author says the ruling coalition, eager to make Sweden a humanitarian superpower, “has downplayed the damage caused by the country’s immigration policies.” It has made the mistake by labelling its opponents “populists” and accused them of tarnishing Sweden’s image, “instead of engaging with sensible critics on the topic.” She points out how intransigent members of the ruling coalition are, and their refusing a “dialogue” has done much harm to the country’s reputation.
Crime has become one of the heatedly debated issues ahead of the general election. Gang shooting is said to be so common that it hardly makes headline. The police have been criticised for failing to combat crimes and to ensure security in the volatile suburbs of the major cities. Sweden’s population is booming, reaching 10 million last year due to a record arrival of migrants from mainly Syria and Afghanistan in recent years as well as high birth rates. The government has since then tightened immigration laws to curb the influx.
Those of us who have lived in Sweden remember that Russia has a history of deploying its submarines to the Baltic Sea, violating territorial waters of the littoral states there. Due to Russia’s annexation of Crimea, its support of separatists in Eastern Ukraine, centre-right politicians in Sweden have called for joining the NATO. Ever since Russia has stepped up its efforts using fake news, false documents and disinformation to influence public opinion. Swedish authorities say the Kremlin goes to great lengths to “preserve the geo-strategic status quo” by minimising NATO’s role in the Baltic region and keeping Sweden out of the military alliance.
The geopolitical games Putin plays are nefarious and despicable. The author urges Swedish politicians to “respond effectively, but their best strategy to fight Russia’s social-media fires is to remove the fuel.” The problem is that even if they have gotten their act together and put their house in order, Russia will still be meddling, seeking to divide and rule.
Unfortunately as long as Putin is around, he will seek to undermine the current global order and restore Russia’s former glory, which is merely an illusion. But a weakened West would certainly make Russia appear great again.
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анчутка анчутка Jun 19, 2018

the problem of Russian false propaganda is that it is very similar to the truth, and Western truth is often like a lie, stupid people fall for this trick, and they absorb the deceitful Russian propaganda, so similar to the truth.
Another Russian trick: they say: - "Nullius in verba. Take nobody's word for it, even ours". Аnd stupid people no longer believe, they doubt, take information critically, double-check in versatile sources, figure out if the "footage" can be arranged . In this situation, Western truth, so similar to a lie, no longer convinces them
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Godfree Roberts Jun 12, 2018

The article is nothing more than unsubstantiated allegations about Russia that are no more credible than those made by American propagandists.
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