[xpe]

> It’s purely designed to counter a perceived threat by smearing it.

"smear" as understood by most people, means "to damage the reputation of (someone) by false accusations; slander: someone was trying to smear her by faking letters." (Apple dictionary)

If there are no false accusations, there is no smearing. Are you claiming the report makes false accusations? Where?

Disagreeing with emphasis or prioritization isn't sufficient. Not engaging with the reasoning (or not understanding it) isn't a valid basis for claiming "false accusations". I reply more fully at [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45493266

In case people will feel better knowing that I'm not on the team of their enemies, I can assure you I'm opposed to corrupt and authoritarian behavior anywhere. I'm sickened by who Trump is, what he has done, how he has confused so many Americans, and how he is a conduit for some of the worst beliefs and impulses of Americans. Some of these tendencies are rooted in confused ethics and bad reasoning.