NSA Report on Russia Spearphishing [pdf]
assets.documentcloud.org
assets.documentcloud.org
Besides, what exactly does Russia stand to win from hacking into the US? To influence the elections to get Trump elected? Because that can happen without repercussions? And because the US doesn't have 10 times the resources and counter-measures?
It's only a constantly BS-fed public that watches a show like 24 or Homeland like it's some kind of documentary that will buy into that.
Russia is not USSR, and there's not much antagonism (since Russia is not exactly a world player), except one sided (the US treating Eastern Europe like it's the 60s and using Eastern European allies to suffocate the non-existant communist threat).
If Putin was actually full blown autocratic and despotic but friendly lackey, they'll be singing his praises like they did for Yeltsin back in the day. But as it stands, the problem is more than he's not selling Russia wholesale to foreign companies, than any BS "autocracy" (because the much beloved Saudi royalty are not?).
It's just that there are guns to be sold, proxy wars to be fought, and sanctions to be imposed, etc., until that country (Russia) is finally allowed to be plundered like everybody else. How dare they have their own interests in mind?
There is the world of difference between the interests of Russian people and the interests of Russian government.
The rest of comment is also sadly completely misinforming.
Sure. But not much larger than with the interests of the people of most other countries and their government, and not that much as most western media present it.
They blow any opposition parties, activists etc., out of all proportion, and favor western-educated and pro-western spokepersons as if they represent the country at large. Of course they have their own interests in mind when doing that -- plus the usual racist "the western way is the only way, and we know better".
From what I can gather (my country is a neutral third zone with historically good ties with both EU and Russia), the majority of the people in Russia very much like Putin, and if one checks the numbers (economy) from when we was first elected and afterwards, one can easily see why. If an American president did a similar change in the economy he would have been worshipped as a god.
The majority are also conservative and quite devout than the western media darlings, so they are with him on such issues too (just like lots of us citizens liked conservative politicians like Reagan or Bush Jr. -- or Trump for that matter).