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Asymmetric warfare at its finest LTC Eric Udouj LTC (Join to see) SFC James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSgt GG-15 RET Jim Lint PO1 William "Chip" Nagel PO1 Brian Austin MGySgt (Join to see)
How Putin Got Into America’s Mind
Posted from theatlantic.com
Russia
Vladimir Putin
Propaganda
Elections
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 6
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Meh... maybe so, maybe no.
I spent a lot of time studying Russia; past, present, and possible future once. Between focusing on it during my time and USNA, and five years of dedicated research as a civilian... here's what I think; take it for what it's worth.
Putin's not trying to rebuild the USSR... he's trying to build something that blends (and perhaps weaponizes) the nostalgia of Imperial Russia's pre-Soviet era with what many middle-aged former Soviet citizens "miss" about the "old days" of the USSR. Part of that strategy likely includes portraying Russia as not only a "peer" with the USA... but an ideological, economic, and military contender for pole position with us. I don't think Russia wants to go to war with the USA-but I do think they want Russians (and everyone else) to think they might win a war with the USA.
I don't discount the Federation's clandestine efforts to throw a wrench in our processes... but I sense everything is done to "maintain appearances". I'd wager that includes making the front-runner of EITHER American political party look like a bafoon, a criminal, or just a "bad person" by cultural Russian standards. When one thinks about it, they very nearly became a "client state" of ours going into the 1990s, and I think many Russians resented the Yeltsin government for getting so "cozy" with their former Western nemesis.
If we want to be honest... we're not above doing exactly the same things to them.
The real question (in my mind) has always been this; has Russian "gaslighting" truly caused people to change their decision in the ballot box... or are his intelligence and propaganda arms merely capitalizing and exaggerating what we already believe and fear? Personally, I think it's the latter. Russia didn't concoct the incident in Libya out of thin air. They didn't "create" comments made by the Democrat nominee in 2016, let alone the proposals actually put forward by the previous Administration. They may be working to ensure we constantly hear about everything from Joe Biden's lapses of coordinated thought, to Trump's business dealings... but it's not like anyone's voting for Trump or Biden (or against them for that matter) because of the frequency at which they view "memes" affirming what they already believe.
Most people who want more funding for social programs, more regulations aimed at climate change and personally owned firearms, and greater acceptance of "alternative" and progressive morals... vote Democrat. Most who want none of those things vote Republican. No one's going to suddenly change their mind because Joe Biden sniffs women's hair too often, or Donald Trump says something "mean". The only thing that MIGHT change their minds would be major platform shifts on key economic, social, and foreign policy issues... and that's just not likely to happen.
I spent a lot of time studying Russia; past, present, and possible future once. Between focusing on it during my time and USNA, and five years of dedicated research as a civilian... here's what I think; take it for what it's worth.
Putin's not trying to rebuild the USSR... he's trying to build something that blends (and perhaps weaponizes) the nostalgia of Imperial Russia's pre-Soviet era with what many middle-aged former Soviet citizens "miss" about the "old days" of the USSR. Part of that strategy likely includes portraying Russia as not only a "peer" with the USA... but an ideological, economic, and military contender for pole position with us. I don't think Russia wants to go to war with the USA-but I do think they want Russians (and everyone else) to think they might win a war with the USA.
I don't discount the Federation's clandestine efforts to throw a wrench in our processes... but I sense everything is done to "maintain appearances". I'd wager that includes making the front-runner of EITHER American political party look like a bafoon, a criminal, or just a "bad person" by cultural Russian standards. When one thinks about it, they very nearly became a "client state" of ours going into the 1990s, and I think many Russians resented the Yeltsin government for getting so "cozy" with their former Western nemesis.
If we want to be honest... we're not above doing exactly the same things to them.
The real question (in my mind) has always been this; has Russian "gaslighting" truly caused people to change their decision in the ballot box... or are his intelligence and propaganda arms merely capitalizing and exaggerating what we already believe and fear? Personally, I think it's the latter. Russia didn't concoct the incident in Libya out of thin air. They didn't "create" comments made by the Democrat nominee in 2016, let alone the proposals actually put forward by the previous Administration. They may be working to ensure we constantly hear about everything from Joe Biden's lapses of coordinated thought, to Trump's business dealings... but it's not like anyone's voting for Trump or Biden (or against them for that matter) because of the frequency at which they view "memes" affirming what they already believe.
Most people who want more funding for social programs, more regulations aimed at climate change and personally owned firearms, and greater acceptance of "alternative" and progressive morals... vote Democrat. Most who want none of those things vote Republican. No one's going to suddenly change their mind because Joe Biden sniffs women's hair too often, or Donald Trump says something "mean". The only thing that MIGHT change their minds would be major platform shifts on key economic, social, and foreign policy issues... and that's just not likely to happen.
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MAJ Byron Oyler
Well said Sir. I spent a lot of time studying Chinese years ago, spent a year living in Korea, did Japanese martial arts, and have a Filipino wife. I have similar insights on China and when you learn about these two countries, they are not all about destroying us. I do not believe either is our friend and making them an enemy is a very bad idea.
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From the article:
"to reap dividends for Moscow by turning American against American."
That says it all.
"to reap dividends for Moscow by turning American against American."
That says it all.
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SSG Robert Perrotto
It's not the Russians who did that - we did it to ourselves with identity politics -people abandoned what makes us the same and started to focus on differences, one could say that grievance studies paved the way to what is happening today. they take a perfectly normal scenario, and look for perceived slights and injustices, Then write a paper how problematic it is for men to have their own spaces, and it must be diverse, but it's totes ok for women, minorities, or what have you to have their own segregated spaces to protect them from the big mean white straight male. It's fucking hoot listening to these people when I was attending University.
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SSG Robert Perrotto
MSG Stan Hutchison - And that is ok - would be boring if everyone had the same viewpoints. But just to add a little perspective - Girls are allowed in the boy scouts, but Boys are still not allowed in the girl scouts.
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