[aithoughts]

I think there is an implicit assumption that your last sentence is justification for condoning this type of hacking behavior, when it happens to us. I challenge this. Just because the US has meddled in elections in the past, it doesn't make it right, and it shouldn't render us mute when we are victims of it.

[speeder]

I think you don't understand the implications here.

US has a LOOOOONG history of meddling with other countries with some heavy-handed manner (like sending a carrier group to Brazil in 1964 to ensure a coup, bombing Chile to install Pinochet, attempt to assassinate Castro 60+ times or so, and so on...)

If US even HINTS in considering a minor hack of sorts as an act of war and attacks Russia over it, it could very well spark the entire world to attack US back.

US can be the most powerful country of earth, but I am very sure US vs all other countries US meddled with would mean US destruction (and maybe the other countries wouldn't survive it either...)

People shouldn't even joke about going to war over the "election hack", what should be done is fix your own security and redo the elections if the hack was proven.

[aithoughts]

> I think you don't understand the implications here.

My knowledge and familiarity with the US and South America more than likely doesn't supersede yours. I think we can agree that the implications of a war with Russia far outweigh the fear of Chile, Cuba, and Brazil making an unexpected comeback. But back to the initial point, even if Russia wasn't a concern.

1) These countries are disconnected geographically.

2) These events happened before our time.

a) Fidel is dead, Raul wants to do things differently.

b) Pinochet was the foulest human being to ever roam the planet, but Chile has been back to civilian rule since the 1990's, and has gone through its own national grieving process (including long drawn-out prosecutions of Pinochet, who just died before a conviction in 2006.)

c) Brazil has a crime and corruption problem. Its problems fragment the population and I don't think a war would fix them. I can discuss this further if you would like.

There is little probability that payback from these nations would be a real concern. The only thing I can think of is Cuba's strategic location. Please let me know if I'm missing something.

[brian-armstrong]

No, it doesn't justify it. The most powerful nations are being very cavalier and the consequences could be dire. But to imply that we should immediately go to war seems disproportionate.

[stale2002]

Sounds great! We declare war on Russia, and every other country that WE have hacked can declare war on us.

What's fair is fair.

[digler999]

> and it shouldn't render us mute when we are victims of it.

so we should do it [hack other countries' elections] and then be pissed when it happens to us ?

[ohyes]

No, we should be pissed when our government does it, we should be pissed when other governments do it, we should be pissed if anyone does it. It devalues democracy in a fundamental and dangerous way. We have been wronged in a multitude of ways, and we shouldn't forgive any of the wrongs.

I'm incredibly tired of hearing false dichotomies here. It is imperative to maintaining a democracy that it not be hindered. We've done a disservice to democracy by tampering in elections, as have the hackers here.