If you have been looking at Russia’s meddling in western democracies like I have, you will agree their number one target is the United States. I used to think Putin’s post cold-war posturing was just hot sauce from angry Russians, who did not care to know any better. I was wrong.
Russia’s embracement and use of digital subversion became notable over social media from about 2015. Their bold subversion in the 2016 US presidential campaign was striking, as was the road ahead for US politics. Still, in my ignorance, I thought US politicians would rally together against this communal threat from an old enemy.
United States Politics Caught In The Past
Instead of rallying together, US politicians either ignored it, or tried to benefit from it. The number of Senators that assisted Russia in subsequent years should have been a flat-out zero. Instead, a minority of GOP Senators were accepting weaponized narratives from Russian surrogates, and pushing them as truths into the US political ecosystem.
Make no mistake, the avarice of Trump campaign figures, gullible US Senators pushing pro Russian narratives blocking Ukraine aid, and more are key points. They materially contributed to the establishment of Russia’s digital hold over the United States. Ironically, US social media companies enabled this national security threat, and only faced questions from time to time about their conduct.
2020 Escalation In The United States
I noted on social media that disinformation temperatures rocketed in 2020, somewhat like it is doing now. Threatening of US officials who don’t bend to pro Trump demands, escalating disinformation on social media, plus more. Marriages of convenience with Russia, such as the one the Trump campaign had operatives from Russia’s IRA are stark. They are also a brief highlight of the damage done to US governance, society, and public discourse.
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We never get the full story, but we can be certain that the Kremlin is fully using this cheap access to the United States to meddle in her affairs. Russia is exploiting US social issues, political vulnerabilities, and societal weaknesses in a structured campaign of disruption, and societal influencing at scale.
Their partners in the shadows are also benefiting from what I can see. Iran’s digital subversion campaigns against the United States are taking an escalatory tone. They are currently taking advantage of the polarization of US politics and manipulated social chaos. So, why do we Europeans care?
United States Democracy Is One of Many
The United States is a large democracy. She has, at some point, been a direct adversary to just about every dictator, tyrant and authoritarian you can think of. Russia, and just about every major authoritarian regime in her alliance, has developed digital subversion skills and effectiveness on their own people. Since 2013, this authoritarian alliance has gone international with their digital subversion implementations.
The Muslim Brotherhood administration in Egypt was the first victim in 2013. The harnessing of this new weapon below the threshold of war has targeted democracies ever since. As we saw in 2020, a US Insurrection on January 6th was a direct consequence of this.
Many examples since have brought us up to the 2024 EU election meddling by Russia. They had the audacity to use their disinformation networks to meddle in all EU states in the run up to last June’s EU elections. This level of Russian meddling heralds a new and brazen escalation in subversive activity by the rogue state.
The 2024 Presidential Elections in the United States
A brazen escalation, noted by the US Intelligence community in the 2020 presidential elections, takes another escalatory step as the 2024 presidential elections approach. Friends of the United States are rightly concerned by America’s handling of this threat to her own constitution. Russia’s intent is to see their ally, Donald Trump, in the presidential office after the November election.
How the United States responds now, given all that has happened, will shape future international relations the United States enjoys. It will also shape her future wellbeing as a nation of free people. The road to recovery from sustained digital subversion for any society is a long and winding path. For the United States, the next big step is coming this December.
About the Author
John is a versatile author known for his gripping fiction narratives in the thriller, action, and suspense genres. With a background as a journalist since 2016, and expertise in cloud technologies as an engineer; John brings a unique blend of storytelling prowess and technical acumen to his work.
