Politics

Yep, so many questions, and no answers.

WRT @Red Leg 's point, it is demonstrably true, as per what I have said and this, that this system was set up for cheating. There are absolutely no legitimate reasons for these systems to be configured the way they are, or more accurately, not configured [apparently] at all.

There is a constitutional remedy for this, it just remains to be seen if the state legislatures (GA, NV, AZ, PA, WI, MI) will step up to the plate. I'm not holding my breath.

You must be a few years younger than I am. When I was an undergrad in Comp Sci, we were on an IBM mainframe. I learned to code in ForTran77, COBOL, PL/1, Pascal, and Assembler (C had only just been released). A few of the richer kids had PCs, but they still had to dial in (on 2400 baud modems) to be able to submit work.
I am not arguing with you Zim. Just help me understand this. I have not examined Dominion's system. Though I wasn't a programmer or system's engineer or systems security manager, I ran a software development and systems engineering business unit for Northrop Grumman for a decade (the BU did $750 mil annual DOD combat systems sales - so pretty sophisticated stuff). Intellectual property with regard to design and subsequent engineering were the keys to the kingdom. Help me understand how it is possible to know how and why this particular system is designed from the "information" flying around the web. I mean we knew what a competitor's offering like Lockheed Martin did, and we could make assumptions about its capability. Consultants (as opposed to bloggers in this case) could tell us what they assumed. But without access to the actual code we didn't really "know" very much. If it is so obvious, then why has Trump's legal team had no luck to date convincing a judge there is a systemic problem? So help me understand.

By the way, glad to see you posting again. Hadn't "seen" you in a while. :giggle:
 
I am not arguing with you Zim. Just help me understand this. I have not examined Dominion's system. Though I wasn't a programmer or system's engineer or systems security manager, I ran a software development and systems engineering business unit for Northrop Grumman for a decade (the BU did $750 mil annual DOD combat systems sales - so pretty sophisticated stuff). Intellectual property with regard to design and subsequent engineering were the keys to the kingdom. Help me understand how it is possible to know how and why this particular system is designed from the "information" flying around the web. I mean we knew what a competitor's offering like Lockheed Martin did, and we could make assumptions about its capability. Consultants (as opposed to bloggers in this case) could tell us what they assumed. But without access to the actual code we didn't really "know" very much. If it is so obvious, then why has Trump's legal team had no luck to date convincing a judge there is a systemic problem? So help me understand.

By the way, glad to see you posting again. Hadn't "seen" you in a while. :giggle:

My argument starts and ends with not disabling external data ports. That's so basic, it isn't even bush league, which is why I believe things were intentionally not done. We do a lot of DoD/ITAR work, and something as simple as this would never pass a NIST audit. Granted, "election machines" aren't DoD/ITAR level stuff, but there should have been a lot of heavy-handed governance around these things.

At the most basic, permitting external data access would give a bad guy an opportunity to stick a thumb drive, loaded with Kali, into any of those PCs or servers and absolutely take them over, lock, stock, and barrel. That is preventable in UEFI, but I have to wonder that with something as glaringly stupid as allowing external data exchange if the UEFI were secured, either.

However this thing is sliced, a stem-to-stern audit is in order here. I might ordinarily say "if these systems have been audited in the past, we need to see the audit reports." But, that isn't good enough. Anything could have been changed since the last audit.

In all honesty, these should be proprietary systems with their own form of data exchange. We have developers and engineers that code operating systems and flash them onto the custom motherboards we use for our robots. they start with a RHEL kernel, but beyond that, it's all custom. that makes it exceedingly difficult for bad guys to do bad things. not impossible, but would almost certainly require the resources of a nation state to break.

In the strictest meaning of the word, it is incredible that this was a mere oversight.
 
Thanks for nothing

 
The spiderweb of corruption
 
My argument starts and ends with not disabling external data ports. That's so basic, it isn't even bush league, which is why I believe things were intentionally not done. We do a lot of DoD/ITAR work, and something as simple as this would never pass a NIST audit. Granted, "election machines" aren't DoD/ITAR level stuff, but there should have been a lot of heavy-handed governance around these things.

At the most basic, permitting external data access would give a bad guy an opportunity to stick a thumb drive, loaded with Kali, into any of those PCs or servers and absolutely take them over, lock, stock, and barrel. That is preventable in UEFI, but I have to wonder that with something as glaringly stupid as allowing external data exchange if the UEFI were secured, either.

However this thing is sliced, a stem-to-stern audit is in order here. I might ordinarily say "if these systems have been audited in the past, we need to see the audit reports." But, that isn't good enough. Anything could have been changed since the last audit.

In all honesty, these should be proprietary systems with their own form of data exchange. We have developers and engineers that code operating systems and flash them onto the custom motherboards we use for our robots. they start with a RHEL kernel, but beyond that, it's all custom. that makes it exceedingly difficult for bad guys to do bad things. not impossible, but would almost certainly require the resources of a nation state to break.

In the strictest meaning of the word, it is incredible that this was a mere oversight.
I would hope that a USB loaded with Kali, once it started scanning would set off alarms bells all over the place, but you are spot on with what you are saying.

Even though these aren't DOD systems, they would still fall under FISMA and NIST standards. USBs would/should be disabled. You are right this is the most basic of basic IT security.

@sgt_zim do you know if the voting machines would fall under each State CISO or would it roll up to the FEC? I honestly don't know. That could greatly impact the funding/responsibility/reporting on the security of these machines and software.
 
The spiderweb of corruption
I saw this and just shook my head, unbelievable. They aren't even trying to hid or deny it anymore.
 
Does Trump and Republicans really want to win? I just watched Sekulow host a show on Youtube. Should he not be working on cases? Many of the cases also seem to be amateurishly put together. Judge Alito is really active in PA and it seems like he is eager to try these cases because he has obviously seen all issues and violations. The Trump team looks more like something out of Celebrity Apprentice where everyone is trying to do PR for themselves rather than winning any cases. Are there not any conservative groups that can step in and do funding and hire specialists? There is an enormous amount of statistical evidence that support wrongdoing without having to push Dominion conspiracies. Biden actually underperformed almost everywhere except for a few places where all the voting irregularities occured.
 
Does Trump and Republicans really want to win? I just watched Sekulow host a show on Youtube. Should he not be working on cases? Many of the cases also seem to be amateurishly put together. Judge Alito is really active in PA and it seems like he is eager to try these cases because he has obviously seen all issues and violations. The Trump team looks more like something out of Celebrity Apprentice where everyone is trying to do PR for themselves rather than winning any cases. Are there not any conservative groups that can step in and do funding and hire specialists? There is an enormous amount of statistical evidence that support wrongdoing without having to push Dominion conspiracies. Biden actually underperformed almost everywhere except for a few places where all the voting irregularities occured.
Really good point and one I have not understood from the start. There are highly respected firms with established reputations in election challenges. I am certain that Trump trusts Giuliani as one of the few who have not turned on him in some way, but he is clearly no longer at the top of his game. Moreover he is viewed as a pure partisan. This is also not an area where Sydney Powell seems to have any real experience. It is almost as if the desire is to make as much noise about the potential fraud as to actually accomplish anything in court. Not sure I understand the strategy.
 
If the FBI/DOJ were not corrupted and weaponized against the right, neither Trump's lawyers nor anyone else would have to be proving a case because an honest investigation would show interest in ballots across state lines, voting machines hooked up to internet, same ink used on identical ballots, and on and on. They have not lifted a finger to investigate, and the public is in danger of losing confidence altogether in the institutions of media, DOJ, courts, election officialdom. That is a real blow to any republic. We could probably make up a pretty entertaining list of "How things would be if the shoe was on the other foot."
"China, China" only this time TRUE
"Trump's laptop scandal"...whole family incriminated, perp-walked!
"Innocent Dem poll watchers thrown out"
"Rep operated machines steal votes"
Grand juries actually summoned
Rep's going to jail
Rep donors paying election officials, training them in manipulation--full media coverage.
"Righteous courts halt election travesty, demand audits/new election"

Anyone want to continue the list?
 
Really good point and one I have not understood from the start. There are highly respected firms with established reputations in election challenges. I am certain that Trump trusts Giuliani as one of the few who have not turned on him in some way, but he is clearly no longer at the top of his game. Moreover he is viewed as a pure partisan. This is also not an area where Sydney Powell seems to have any real experience. It is almost as if the desire is to make as much noise about the potential fraud as to actually accomplish anything in court. Not sure I understand the strategy.
This is how it should be done:

Another good example:
 
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Really good point and one I have not understood from the start. There are highly respected firms with established reputations in election challenges. I am certain that Trump trusts Giuliani as one of the few who have not turned on him in some way, but he is clearly no longer at the top of his game. Moreover he is viewed as a pure partisan. This is also not an area where Sydney Powell seems to have any real experience. It is almost as if the desire is to make as much noise about the potential fraud as to actually accomplish anything in court. Not sure I understand the strategy.

Giuliani was a criminal lawyer. And I would guess it’s been years as a first chair trial lawyer. Powell is an Appellant lawyer (and one of the best in the USA).

My guess is Trump knows the deck is stacked against him by members of both parties. And is making as much noise as possible to carry him for the next election.
 
Tucker Carlson featured a clip tonight from a Chinese professor giving a speech (in Chinese with subtitles, to a Chinese audience). Arrogant. Claimed Chinese manipulated stock marker until 2008, manipulated plants high up in US politics UNTIL Trump was elected, schemed to get Biden elected, and joyous that the good old days were coming back. Anyone see it? Comments?
 
Tucker Carlson featured a clip tonight from a Chinese professor giving a speech (in Chinese with subtitles, to a Chinese audience). Arrogant. Claimed Chinese manipulated stock marker until 2008, manipulated plants high up in US politics UNTIL Trump was elected, schemed to get Biden elected, and joyous that the good old days were coming back. Anyone see it? Comments?
It is a pretty staggering bit of tape. Let's assume the character is overselling to his audience a little - particularly market manipulation - it is nevertheless pretty obvious China has its hooks into a lot of Washington on both sides of the aisle. Pretty ugly.
 
And China's hooks appear to be really well set in the Bidet family. I wonder what effect it will have when Ms Horrible throws the Bidet under the bus and assumes the presidency.
 
130277174_10159170380243832_8454159521483124493_o.jpg
 
Tucker Carlson featured a clip tonight from a Chinese professor giving a speech (in Chinese with subtitles, to a Chinese audience). Arrogant. Claimed Chinese manipulated stock marker until 2008, manipulated plants high up in US politics UNTIL Trump was elected, schemed to get Biden elected, and joyous that the good old days were coming back. Anyone see it? Comments?

I saw it, I would be shocked it's not true.
 
It's interesting that Mike Flynn became a "suspect" in 2016 because he stated that Russia was not as big a concern as China. China was the biggest problem for the US. The start of the Russian collusion issue.

Now in 2020, US politicians are waking up to the China threat.


The top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee on Friday warned of Chinese national security threats due to Chinese government efforts to “exert its global dominance.”

The joint statement from Acting Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) came a day after Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe penned an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal describing China as the “greatest threat” to the U.S. since World War II.

The senators' remarks also came a day after House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) put out a similarly strong statement warning of Chinese threats.

“We agree with DNI Ratcliffe that China poses the greatest national security threat to the United States,” Rubio and Warner said. “Our intelligence is clear: the Chinese Communist Party will stop at nothing to exert its global dominance. Beijing’s infiltration of U.S. society has been deliberate and insidious as they use every instrument of influence available to accelerate their rise at America’s expense.”

The committee leaders accused China of threatening U.S. “democratic values” through the Chinese Communist Party’s alleged targeting of “our free speech, politics, technology, economy, military, and even our drive to counter the COVID-19 pandemic.”

They said the U.S. must stand its ground in the face of threats against allies.

“We will not stand idly by as the Chinese Communist Party attempts to undermine our economic and national security,” Rubio and Warner said. “The message to Beijing and the world is that China’s behavior will not be tolerated and will be contested by democratic values, in close partnership with our allies and partners.”

Relations between Washington and Beijing have become more adversarial over the past four years, as the Trump administration has increasingly sought to push back against Chinese threats to U.S. technology and intellectual property, along with imposing tariffs.

Schiff, in his Thursday statement, said “it’s imperative the Intelligence Community rebalance its focus and funding to more effectively address the vast array of challenges that China poses to our national security.”

The House Intelligence Committee put out a report in September warning that the U.S. intelligence community is not equipped to handle evolving threats from China in the fields of technology and geopolitics.

Schiff this week emphasized that while threats from China were important to the committee, it was “critical not to lose sight of challenges posed by other actors, including Russia, Iran, North Korea, and transnational issues, such as terrorism, global health, and climate change.”

China is considered among the four nations that pose the biggest threat to the U.S., alongside Russia, Iran and North Korea.

The 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment compiled by former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats listed China as one of the top global threats to the U.S. in fields such as cybersecurity, election interference, weapons program, space and counterintelligence.
 
The Chinese congratulated Joe Biden on his win.

What does that tell us?
 
I would hope that a USB loaded with Kali, once it started scanning would set off alarms bells all over the place, but you are spot on with what you are saying.

Even though these aren't DOD systems, they would still fall under FISMA and NIST standards. USBs would/should be disabled. You are right this is the most basic of basic IT security.

@sgt_zim do you know if the voting machines would fall under each State CISO or would it roll up to the FEC? I honestly don't know. That could greatly impact the funding/responsibility/reporting on the security of these machines and software.
No idea on that last. It will probably vary state-to-state anyway.
 

As you all know, I have been skeptical that it will be possible to prove enough fraudulent activity took place in any particular state to overturn a certification. I have also been skeptical that the Supreme Court will be willing to actually hear any of these appeals.

However, this is interesting. Texas has filed suit directly with the SCOTUS alleging sister states violated the constitution with respect to the conduct of the presidential election. This has nothing to do with fraud, but rather whether those states failed to follow the law in choosing electors, specifically violating the equal protection clause. Not exactly sure if a remedy would necessarily turn the election to Trump, but it cold throw a monkey wrench into what has looked like a certain Biden election.

Moreover, I am not sure there is a way for the court to refuse to rule on the allegations. Haven't seen anything on MSM - just this and local Texas news.
 

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