The final stretch of the electoral standoff saw an intense burst of activity from Republican contender, Donald Trump and Democratic contender, Kamala Harris. Trump held sway in the spotlight at Madison Square Garden in New York City, an event noticeably populated with celebrities including Elon Musk, UFC CEO Dana White, and Hulk Hogan. Yet, the distinct undertone of bigotry marred the event; Tony Hinchcliffe, a comedian also known as Kill Tony, denigrated Puerto Rico as a ‘floating garbage island’ – an opinion his campaign was quick to distance itself from. Later, Trump amplified his grandiose schemes of an unprecedented deportation plan, unable to resist resorting to name-calling in usual Trump fashion, labelling his counterpart, Kamala Harris, as a figure of ‘low-intelligence’.
Meanwhile, Harris spent her day on the campaign trail in Philadelphia. Determined to secure the coveted votes from this pivotal state, she tirelessly rallied support. Interestingly, this phase of the campaign succeeded a warm introduction from Michelle Obama herself for Harris in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Michelle Obama refrained from mincing words about Trump, questioning his honor, morals, and human decency. Clearly, while Trump and Harris were physically campaigning on opposite coasts, their views were poles apart.
Spare a thought for those working behind the scenes to facilitate the election process – those tirelessly counting ballots and ensuring the electoral machinery hums without a glitch. Their dedication to the cause might be obscure to most, yet their passion for diligence and the intricate process remains unflinching despite the growing hostility they encounter.
These personnel are vastly experienced in dealing with the little-known intricacies of swing states and are working diligently to ensure the democratic process comes to fruition.
The conversation also ventures into the shadows of cyber warfare, highlighting concerns about its impact on critical US infrastructures. Remember the alarming 2021 attack on the Colonial gas pipeline? That wasn’t a forgettable episode, considering its vast effect on almost half of all fuel intake on the East Coast.
More recently, a disturbing incident identified as Salt Typhoon began making headlines. This episode concerned a telecommunications company, primarily Verizon. The threat was identified as a system attack focusing on wiretap tracks, particularly involving Chinese nationals and spy investigation efforts.
Are we noticing a pattern here? Are such incidents on an upward trajectory, becoming a regular cause for concern? Or are they merely warning signs of increasing threats in the digital realm? Cybersecurity experts may have differing views on the matter, but they all agree that there is a very real distinction between government-orchestrated cyber intelligence and the darker side of cyber warfare.
Such warfare is a completely separate beast from the ‘typical’ cyber-attacks we often hear about. These regular attacks are typically hacking events aiming to hold data to ransom, often the work of criminal enterprises.
While in some instances, these criminal groups may have ties to certain governments, it’s usually murky territory.
Simply put, the full extent of these clandestine cyber operations could only become clear in a scenario of major geopolitical upheaval – a war, for instance. Imagine the United States and China tangled in a web of war. A terrifying picture indeed.
At that juncture, we would then apprehend the real penetration level of these covert digital intrusions and the subsequent chaos they could trigger.
In summary, this tells a tale of a race filled with stark contrasts on each side of the aisle. Trump, with his robust and often offensive language, finds himself contrasted with Harris, with her measured approach focused more on strategic campaigns. In the meantime, the diligent election workers and the looming specter of cyber warfare remain somewhat overlooked factors in what has become an increasingly polarized political landscape.