I don’t want to get too deep into the US presidential elections - for obvious reasons - but this discussion of some of the TV ads sponsored by Republicans is worth reading (also read story about the actual facts). I’ve heard people here refer to criticism like “The Conintern propaganda machine is running full tilt.” as “shrill”. Let me just add one thing: I grew up about one hundred miles from the border of a Communist regime - unlike all those anti-Communist crusaders here who, I bet, never actually met a real Communist - and I think the characterization of the Republican machinery as a “Conintern propaganda machine” is entirely justified. You know, I could even dig into German history a bit and come up with even less flattering descriptions for what can only be described as an utterly disgraceful and - in the end - undemocratic campaign: Nazi spinmeister Joseph Goebbels would have applauded the Republican smear campaign that’s spewing out hatred and lies across the US these days.