US House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, a Republican from Texas, has released a staff report “uncovering Russia’s extensive efforts to influence U.S. energy markets through divisive and inflammatory posts on social media platforms,” according to a statement posted on his House webpage.
The report details Russia’s motives in interfering with U.S. energy markets and influencing domestic energy policy and its manipulation of Americans via social media propaganda. The report includes examples of Russian-propagated social media posts.
In other words, Mr. Smith believes Americans are unable to think for themselves and are easily influenced by social media to the point where it will adversely effect energy exports. He offers the following lame explanation:
U.S. energy exports to European countries are increasing, which means they will have less reason to rely upon Russia for their energy needs. This, in turn, will reduce Russia’s influence on Europe to Russia’s detriment and Europe’s benefit. That’s why Russian agents attempted to manipulate Americans’ opinions about pipelines, fossil fuels, fracking and climate change. The American people deserve to know if what they see on social media is the creation of a foreign power seeking to undermine our domestic energy policy.
This is an obvious and transparent attempt to put additional pressure on Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms and ramp up the effort to remove “propaganda” critical of the government and its policies.
Last July, Smith “sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin requesting that the Treasury Department investigate allegations of Russian interference in the U.S. energy market through covertly funding radical environmental groups opposed to fossil fuels.”
Smith’s use of the word “covertly” should be interpreted as meaning the congressman has no evidence.
This is merely another attempt to throw accusations up against the wall and see what sticks and thus keep the Russian meddling farce rolling along despite the fact it was long ago debunked as nonsense.