Opinion: Obama might be right about Russia’s weak economy, but Moscow produces very good hackers

To the editor: President Obama makes a compelling case about Russian interference with our presidential election. (“Obama says election cyberattack came from the ‘highest levels’ of the Russian government and vows retaliation,” Dec. 16)

But while belittling Russia as a “smaller country” whose economy produces only “oil and gas and and arms,” he misses an important emerging element: Russia’s ability to directly influence the democratic process that underpins the United States — and probably that of many other countries.

Hacking may not be an acceptable way to boost a nation’s economy, but my guess is that brilliant minds (Russian or otherwise) are now becoming the No. 1 element in a nation’s economy. Witness the importance of Silicon Valley here in the United States.

Kathy Landis, Laguna Woods

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To the editor: Obama’s threat of cyber retaliation against Russia for hacking of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s advisors is a very dangerous move. Does he think that if the U.S. launches some cyberattack against the Russians, they will just say, “OK, we’re even”?

What Obama isn’t keeping in mind are the number of security break-ins that have taken place against all types of businesses. Does he want to risk financial institutions, safety systems, the power grid or other Internet-connected business being attacked?

He needs to think about these things before he considers any retribution against the Russians.

Les Hartzman, Los Angeles

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To the editor: On July 28, 1974, my husband and I drove into Lviv (today part of Ukraine) in the Soviet Union. Arriving at a campground we were greeted by a very young KGB officer, who engaged us in a debate about democracy, which he called “anarchism.”

I have always remembered his confident prediction: “We will not dominate you through another world war; we will dominate you through subversion.”

After our eight-month camping trip through Russia and Europe, we came home to find in our mail a letter from the Soviet government and a copy of Soviet Life asking us to subscribe. We had no mailing address before returning to the United States. How we were tracked down confounded us.

Now, 42 years later, President-elect Donald Trump calls the idea of Russian hacking “ridiculous”? I don’t think so.

Vivien Irving, Huntington Beach

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