‘Lullaby’ — Paul Randall, all rights reserved

The Russian Midterm Meddling Narrative has a Point, and It’s Not ‘Defending Democracy’

Or, beware tales of memes of mass discord

In my opinion, the entire ‘midterm meddling’ story is idiotic, a fantastic tale of dubious logic based on intimations of evidence. If there is a ‘there there’, it represents a tiny fraction of the threat being claimed, and is nowhere close to being ‘proven’ by the crumbs of backing information provided to this point. But there is a very real ‘influence campaign’ stalking in the shadow of the Russiagate freak out, which very much intends to undermine democracy.

As I argued in a previous story, the house of cards that composes the midterm meddling narrative falls to pieces when lightly poked with any one of three questions: ‘How will the Russians meddle, and not be exposed?’, ‘How will that meddling actually have a significant impact on election outcomes?’, ‘How will this meddling translate into benefits for them dastardly Russkies?’. As my other piece illustrates, any of the three questions cannot be convincingly answered by the Russiagate hysterics.

Beyond questioning the evidence or logic of Russian interference, most Americans (intelligently) simply don’t seem bothered by tales of continued meddling. Despite a massive media push to hype the danger, concerns about Russia aren’t brought up when Americans are asked about their greatest concerns (globally, folks find another country more threatening). Economically battered by stagnant (or diminishing) wages and growing costs, they worry more about paying for frivolous things like food, housing, and health care, or their inability to handle an unexpected $1000 expense, instead of comparatively minuscule, random ‘Russian’ (or Iranian, or whatever other designated enemy is ‘attacking’ us per our beloved spooks) efforts to ‘sow discord’ or ‘interfere in elections’, elections which much of the US public find so pointless that they don’t even participate.

But the story continues to stumble along, like a 350 lb. blind drunk being propped up and guided by half a dozen friends, because as with any well-established, useful (to the powerful) mainstream media fable (like the necessity of continuing the war on drugs, or the occupation of Afghanistan), the establishment reinforces helpful story lines by regularly pumping out fresh streams of bullshit to nurture withering tropes. Hence the regular dribble of fresh ‘Facebook found more devious fer’ners a messin’ with our precious freedom!’ and ‘Russians hacked (and when one examines such DHS claims in detail, they largely fall apart) another state election system!’ type stories.

The Russiagate farce keeps getting pushed and promoted because it has a very real, very important purpose to serve. For the mainstream media and the collective establishment, battered by (logically) plummeting public confidence and threatened by new, independent media operating outside the overton window, the boogeyman of Russkie (/Iranian, /Venezuelan, /pick your US imperial enemy) influence makes for a handy cudgel to beat alternative views into submission. It also provides a ready to blare air horn of meaningless noise to distract from critically real issues, like endless war, rocketing health costs, or wage stagnation, which cannot be meaningfully discussed as their obvious, often popular, solutions would inevitably harm the establishment.

This is the hidden narrative creeping along in the shadow of Russiagate. The narrative that any discussion, investigation, or publicizing of topics that create discord or question establishment talking points may well represent devious foreigners trying to turn Americans against their government and all it’s handmaidens, including the major media. That activists, and even more usefully, political candidates, who vigorously criticize government/ establishment wrongs are unwitting (or even willing) tools of foreign influence campaigns.

THAT effort is very much a threat to American democracy, and it’s quiet crafting should genuinely concern, if not terrify, U.S. citizens worried about preserving what’s left of their democracy. The specter of the imminently dishonest security services, the (rightfully) distrusted mainstream media, the entire political establishment, and silicon valley billionaires working together to smear and muffle dissent should be the real object of collective worry, not $5 worth of dippy, remarkably random ‘Russian’ clickbait mislabeled as disinformation.

This very clear thread in the entire Russiagate tapestry, easily seen by anyone bothering to look, somehow completely escapes notice in the mainstream press. Even when their reporting explicitly connects completely legitimate criticisms of the establishment with ‘dangerous’ foreign foes, like the recent stories on ‘Iranian influence operations’ which equated support for the Iran nuclear deal, Palestinian rights, and, curiously, ‘anti-Saudi’ views, to ‘disinformation’. Because, evidently, if you’re for the Iran deal, support Palestinians, or find the Saudis repulsive, you’re both wrong and being manipulated by evil America haters.

According to the entire mainstream media, the danger represented by the security state, political establishment, and corporate tech billionaires labeling all dissent as ‘foreign inspired treason’ is unworthy of mention, while tiny, pitifully unpopular, supposedly foreign social media campaigns and random phishing attacks on politicians and ‘election infrastructure’ requires constant screaming and frenzied, unregulated action to deflect these deadly bolts aimed at the heart of American democracy.

Using the cover of fighting this dastardly foreign influence, actions to repress dissent are already quietly occurring. Tools of disinformation are identified and reported, without a hint of evidence that the ‘foreign-conspiring traitors’ so labeled deserve the smear. Social media giants keep ‘mistakenly’ unplugging dissenters and taking down pages that voice opposition views, while de-ranking and de-funding non-centrist sources.

In what should have been the most chilling example of this action, a presidential candidate- a completely American, fully legitimate presidential candidate- has been labeled as either a useful idiot or willing co-conspirator to Russian actions to interfere with Hillary Clinton’s coronation, err, election. An innocuous, peacenik pediatrician, Dr. Jill Stein, was compelled to testify to a Congress suspicious of her ‘Russian’ connections. Evidently, running as a third party candidate, and ‘interfering’ with the unstated right of the two-parties to exclusive access to presidential votes, is enough to label you as a traitor.

This example represents one of the two great tools enabled by conflating ‘dissent’ and ‘foreign propaganda’: to be able to claim political candidates who strongly oppose the current establishment (with its endless wars, growing inequality, and unchecked, rampant environmental destruction) just may be tools of foreign influence. We have already seen prep work being done to use this theme to inoculate the voting public against the man who scared the shit out of the establishment in 2016, one Bernie Sanders, possible Russian agent. The second tool is the ability to claim that these candidates’ fellow travelers, alternative media sources attacking inequities and crimes ignored by corporate media, are also treasonous, externally driven liars.

This is the real purpose of the constantly re-animated, shaky Russian collusion tale, to shore up a widely despised, deeply corrupt, imperialist, militarist, plutocratic system by labeling objections to corruption, imperialism, militarism, and inequality as dishonest, foreign originating threats. To reinforce failing, increasingly distrusted corporate media sources by knee-capping and smearing increasingly popular alternative media sources. To make sure that any change promoted stays safely within the narrow little window of allowed debate, and never threatens ever-growing corporate profits (and attendant inequality), constant, endless military interventions (and the disaster they unfailingly bring), or ‘unquestionable’ views, like the necessity of massive military budgets or blind support of rouge states like Saudi Arabia and Israel.

It is an obvious, deeply undemocratic ploy plain to all but the densest, or the completely bought. It should have every journalist of quality screaming from the rooftops. It should have every American wondering why suddenly the alphabet spook agencies have the power to determine the direction and parameters of public debate.

But no time for that, some Russian (or Iranian, or Syrian, or…) is probably posting some meme of mass discord to social media, RIGHT NOW! Our democracy may well collapse under the weight of dangerous retweets and treasonous likes. Save us, saintly CIA/NSA/FBI, along with your patriotic friends, the social media giants and the mainstream media, you’re our only hope!