The role of Russia(and other anti-US countries) in spreading 9/11 Conspiracy Theories

MrFliop · 29th September 2020, 04:46 PM

In 2016 we witnessed Russia conduct a massive disinformation campaign against Hillary Clinton on Facebook.

I wonder if Russia, or other adversaries of the US, played a major role in spreading false information about 9/11 on MySpace, YouTube or hundreds of other websites in the 2000s.

Redwood · 29th September 2020, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by MrFliop

In 2016 we witnessed Russia conduct a massive disinformation campaign against Hillary Clinton on Facebook.

I wonder if Russia, or other adversaries of the US, played a major role in spreading false information about 9/11 on MySpace, YouTube or hundreds of other websites in the 2000s.

Actually, Russia has been squelching 9/11 conspiracism for a long time.

Venom · 29th September 2020, 07:23 PM

I dunno, but RT (Russia Today) did host David Ray Griffin one time IIRC.

But they also had Alex Jones on as a guest in 2011 and he changed his stance from "WHAT ABOUT BUILDING 7!" earlier in his career to suggesting that the US government intentionally allowed the hijackers to enter the U.S. to carry out the attack.

Of course internal consistency is the least of RT's concerns; if it makes Americans distrust their government a little more, they'll keep playing it up.

Vladimir Putin has said that the 9/11 conspiracy theories are nonsense and has never explicitly pushed them as an anti-US narrative. I think he might have had a good reason to shut down conspiracist speculation because two years before the 9/11 attacks, this happened.

Axxman300 · 30th September 2020, 11:46 AM

911-CTs run counter to Russian and Chinese objectives.

911 allowed the US to turn a blind eye to Putin's actions in Chechnya. Currently China has rounded up thousands of Muslim citizens and put them in "Re-Education Camps".

Neither wants to make Muslims look like victims of an industrial power.

BStrong · 30th September 2020, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by MrFliop

In 2016 we witnessed Russia conduct a massive disinformation campaign against Hillary Clinton on Facebook.

I wonder if Russia, or other adversaries of the US, played a major role in spreading false information about 9/11 on MySpace, YouTube or hundreds of other websites in the 2000s.

I can't give you a cite, but in terms of cost effectiveness the internet disinformation campaign was most likely the most cost-effective intel. operation in history - post a smear, 10k people repost/forward etc. and away we go!

Russia et al hasn't restricted themselves from disseminating disinformation on all sorts of U.S. social and political issues on all platforms - again, it's a cheap operation that yields the results they're looking for.

Allen773 · 30th September 2020, 12:09 PM

Originally Posted by Axxman300

911-CTs run counter to Russian and Chinese objectives.

911 allowed the US to turn a blind eye to Putin's actions in Chechnya. Currently China has rounded up thousands of Muslim citizens and put them in "Re-Education Camps".

Neither wants to make Muslims look like victims of an industrial power.

True, but in Russia's case anything that enhances the conspiratorial, anti-government and anti-institution tendencies of Americans is beneficial to them purely because it screws us over.

They can't challenge US hegemony like China can, so they engage in asymmetric information warfare, giving our own homegrown dysfunction a nudge to the point where we can't agree on what is factually accurate - anything that deters and distracts us from challenging their sphere of influence in Eastern Europe and to some extent, the Middle East (Syria).

Allen773 · 30th September 2020, 12:13 PM

Of course both Russia and China, respectively, justify their horrific actions in Chechnya (and in their alliance with Assad in Syria) and Xinjiang as part of the Global War on Terror. Very convenient.

The Great Zaganza · 30th September 2020, 12:39 PM

It's all the fault of the Elders of Zion.

Oystein · 1st October 2020, 03:02 PM

Is everybody enjoying their evenings of leisurely armchair imaginations of what "Russia" may or may not do on the internet?

I wonder if you can conjure them up better with a glass of vodka, or rather bourbon?

Seriously: None of what you write is of much value unless you can offer sources, ideally politically neutral ones (if there ever is such a thing), that inform your opinion.

I think the posts so far mostly help the proverbial lurkers to determine the political locus of the respective posters.

Venom · 1st October 2020, 06:18 PM

I would say Americans do an excellent job spreading baseless conspiracy theories about their own government without any outside help, but the rise of RT in particular in the last decade and a half and the high ratings it gets with younger people is concerning.

They've had plenty of time to jump fully onboard the AE9/11Truth train, but they have not. They prefer to not look like total morons.

29th September 2020, 04:46 PM	#1
MrFliop Thinker Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 197	The role of Russia(and other anti-US countries) in spreading 9/11 Conspiracy Theories In 2016 we witnessed Russia conduct a massive disinformation campaign against Hillary Clinton on Facebook. I wonder if Russia, or other adversaries of the US, played a major role in spreading false information about 9/11 on MySpace, YouTube or hundreds of other websites in the 2000s.
MrFliop Thinker Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 197

29th September 2020, 07:23 PM	#2
Redwood Graduate Poster Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 1,552	Originally Posted by MrFliop In 2016 we witnessed Russia conduct a massive disinformation campaign against Hillary Clinton on Facebook. I wonder if Russia, or other adversaries of the US, played a major role in spreading false information about 9/11 on MySpace, YouTube or hundreds of other websites in the 2000s. Actually, Russia has been squelching 9/11 conspiracism for a long time.
Redwood Graduate Poster Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 1,552

30th September 2020, 11:46 AM	#4
Axxman300 Illuminator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Central California Coast Posts: 4,959	911-CTs run counter to Russian and Chinese objectives. 911 allowed the US to turn a blind eye to Putin's actions in Chechnya. Currently China has rounded up thousands of Muslim citizens and put them in "Re-Education Camps". Neither wants to make Muslims look like victims of an industrial power.
	__________________ Disingenuous Piranha

30th September 2020, 12:00 PM	#5
BStrong Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: San Francisco Posts: 13,087	Originally Posted by MrFliop In 2016 we witnessed Russia conduct a massive disinformation campaign against Hillary Clinton on Facebook. I wonder if Russia, or other adversaries of the US, played a major role in spreading false information about 9/11 on MySpace, YouTube or hundreds of other websites in the 2000s. I can't give you a cite, but in terms of cost effectiveness the internet disinformation campaign was most likely the most cost-effective intel. operation in history - post a smear, 10k people repost/forward etc. and away we go! Russia et al hasn't restricted themselves from disseminating disinformation on all sorts of U.S. social and political issues on all platforms - again, it's a cheap operation that yields the results they're looking for.
	__________________ Music is what feelings sound like "Dulce bellum inexpertīs." - Erasmus

30th September 2020, 12:39 PM	#8
The Great Zaganza Maledictorian Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 14,871	It's all the fault of the Elders of Zion.
	__________________ The things that you're liable To read in the Bible It ain't necessarily so

29th September 2020, 07:23 PM	#3
Venom Illuminator Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: United States Posts: 4,965	I dunno, but RT (Russia Today) did host David Ray Griffin one time IIRC. But they also had Alex Jones on as a guest in 2011 and he changed his stance from "WHAT ABOUT BUILDING 7!" earlier in his career to suggesting that the US government intentionally allowed the hijackers to enter the U.S. to carry out the attack. Of course internal consistency is the least of RT's concerns; if it makes Americans distrust their government a little more, they'll keep playing it up. Vladimir Putin has said that the 9/11 conspiracy theories are nonsense and has never explicitly pushed them as an anti-US narrative. I think he might have had a good reason to shut down conspiracist speculation because two years before the 9/11 attacks, this happened.

30th September 2020, 12:09 PM	#6
Allen773 Graduate Poster Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Cali Four Neea Posts: 1,370	Originally Posted by Axxman300 911-CTs run counter to Russian and Chinese objectives. 911 allowed the US to turn a blind eye to Putin's actions in Chechnya. Currently China has rounded up thousands of Muslim citizens and put them in "Re-Education Camps". Neither wants to make Muslims look like victims of an industrial power. True, but in Russia's case anything that enhances the conspiratorial, anti-government and anti-institution tendencies of Americans is beneficial to them purely because it screws us over. They can't challenge US hegemony like China can, so they engage in asymmetric information warfare, giving our own homegrown dysfunction a nudge to the point where we can't agree on what is factually accurate - anything that deters and distracts us from challenging their sphere of influence in Eastern Europe and to some extent, the Middle East (Syria).

30th September 2020, 12:13 PM	#7
Allen773 Graduate Poster Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Cali Four Neea Posts: 1,370	Of course both Russia and China, respectively, justify their horrific actions in Chechnya (and in their alliance with Assad in Syria) and Xinjiang as part of the Global War on Terror. Very convenient.

1st October 2020, 03:02 PM	#9
Oystein Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 17,028	Is everybody enjoying their evenings of leisurely armchair imaginations of what "Russia" may or may not do on the internet? I wonder if you can conjure them up better with a glass of vodka, or rather bourbon? Seriously: None of what you write is of much value unless you can offer sources, ideally politically neutral ones (if there ever is such a thing), that inform your opinion. I think the posts so far mostly help the proverbial lurkers to determine the political locus of the respective posters.
	__________________ Thermodynamics hates conspiracy theorists. (Foster Zygote)

1st October 2020, 06:18 PM	#10
Venom Illuminator Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: United States Posts: 4,965	I would say Americans do an excellent job spreading baseless conspiracy theories about their own government without any outside help, but the rise of RT in particular in the last decade and a half and the high ratings it gets with younger people is concerning. They've had plenty of time to jump fully onboard the AE9/11Truth train, but they have not. They prefer to not look like total morons.