The false accusations being leveled at
Vladimir Putin and his phantom "hackers" are so preposterous that even
Boobus Libtardus shouldn't need us to rebut this piece of "fake news." Nonetheless, this remains a very useful piece for analytical dissection because, when stripped naked, it features some of the classic tactical tricks often used by journalistic deceivers -- mainly, the
"sell-the-sizzle-but-not-the-steak" marketing trick. By catching and exposing the subtle Sulzbergerian subterfuge of Messrs.
Mark Mazzetti & Eric Lichtbblau (cough cough), we thereby inoculate the reader against future false stories which utilize the same mendacious magic.
Sub-Headline: The conclusion that Russia intervened in the election to help Donald J. Trump was based on what many believe ....
Analysis: "based on what many believe" --- sounds impressive but tells us nothing. "Many" also believe that the allegation is false, and the word "believe" implies opinion, not hard evidence.
Sub-Headline: ... is overwhelming circumstantial evidence, ...
Analysis: And yet, this "overwhelming circumstantial evidence" -- (sizzle sizzle) -- has still not been released! We are left to blindly trust an unnamed (imaginary?) CIA source that the "evidence" is indeed "overwhelming."
Mazzetti & Lichtblau: American spy and law enforcement agencies were united in the belief, in the weeks before the presidential election, that the Russian government had deployed computer hackers to sow chaos during the campaign.
Analysis: "were united in the belief" --- apart from being an untrue statement, that claim still does not provide the reader with any evidence of the "Russian hacking." Oh waiter --- Where is my damn steak, please?
Mazzetti & Lichtblau: Last week, Central Intelligence Agency officials presented lawmakers with a
stunning new judgment that
upended the debate.Analysis: "Stunning," eh? -- "upended the debate," eh? Those are mighty strong words. But you two ass-clowns still haven't described the nature of this "overwhelming" and "stunning" evidence that so "upended the debate". How do "youse guys" know that it is so "stunning" if you aren't actually privy to it? Sizzle sizzle, but still no steak.
Mazzetti & Lichtblau: Russia, they said, had intervened with the primary aim of helping make Donald J. Trump president.
Analysis: "they said," --- again, tells us nothing. We don't care what "they say." In fact, we still don't even know who "they" even are! We want to see what the "overwhelming" and "stunning" evidence says. Stop with the sizzle and bring us the steak!
Mazzetti & Lichtblau: The C.I.A.’s conclusion ..... was an analysis of what many believe is overwhelming circumstantial evidence —
Analysis: "many believe." --- There "youse guys" go again! We don't care about the "many" and nor are we impressed by the word "belief." Tell us what "youse guys" actually KNOW!
Mazzetti & Lichtblau: ... evidence that others feel does not support firm judgments
Analysis: "others feel does not support firm judgments" --- Ah! A tiny little truth gem slipped in to give the appearance of objectivity. So, there are "others" in the intelligence community who do not buy this tale. Interesting. But didn''t "youse guys" just say that the intelligence gencies "were united in the belief?" ... Hmmm? Gotcha!
Mazzetti & Lichtblau: -- that the Russians put a thumb on the scale for Mr. Trump, and got their desired outcome.
Analysis: Even if the Russians did "put a thumb on the scale for Mr. Trump," --- the entirety of the "mainstream media" put their collective bodies on the scale for Killary! Why is that not considered to be a scandal?
Mazzetti & Lichtblau: Mr. Trump’s response has been to dismiss the reports by citing another famous intelligence assessment — the botched 2002 conclusion that the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, had weapons of mass destruction —
“I think it’s ridiculous. I think it’s just another excuse. I don’t believe it,” Mr. Trump said on Sunday in an interview on Fox News.
Analysis: Hard to argue with Trump's logic there.
Mazzetti & Lichtblau: Yet
there is a loud chorus of bipartisan voices, including Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, going public to accuse the Russians of election interference.
Analysis: Ah! A "yeah but" to offset Trump's observation. And of course, the devious duo cites every libtard's favorite Republican't, John McCain the Insane, to support their deceitful journalism.