On Friday, Robert Mueller, the special counsel in charge of investigating Russian influence on the 2016 election, filed an indictment against 13 Russians for conspiring to defraud the U.S. political system and attempting to provoke political and social tensions in America.
The indictment gives fresh clarity to a heavily-scrutinized investigation that some leaders have attempted to undermine, and it also shows that Russia understands our social structures to an alarming degree.
According to the indictment, a Russian company known as the Internet Research Agency has since 2014 employed hundreds of people tasked with waging ‘information warfare’ against the United States. The company had a monthly stipend of millions of dollars that may have come straight from the Kremlin.
Employees of the Internet Research Agency use social media to systematically target controversial social issues and support radical ideologies to further perceived division on the internet.
They created fake accounts from stolen identities, spread anti-Hillary Clinton memes, organized real rallies through pages that attract radicals and spread fake news articles that discredit democratic institutions while favoring Russian priorities.
This quiet campaign was a creative and effective attack on our democracy. Russia took advantage of our polarized climate and free communications network to make it seem like we are tearing ourselves apart. America got played.
The sad part is that the Russians view this operation as a success. While they certainly can’t take credit for all the social unrest in the past year, they have played a contributing role in dividing the country and the 2016 election went exactly the way they wanted.
The indictment shows that the main priority of the Russian propagandists was the election of Donald Trump.
On Twitter a vast number of fake accounts spread hashtags such as #Trump2016, #TrumpTrain, #MAGA and #Hillary4Prison, among others that are often used by ardent supporters and the president himself.
The agency supported the campaign of Bernie Sanders and vilified Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, hoping to slant public opinion into the favor of Trump.
One tweet from October 2016 presented as evidence by the indictment stated, “Hillary is a Satan, and her crimes and lies had proved just how evil she is”, which sounds more menacing and grammatically correct if read with a Russian accent.
It is vital to remember that the indictment is not politically biased and is an accurate portrayal of Russia’s intentions. The Russians wanted Trump to be president because they saw him as a more divisive leader that would potentially destabilize our democracy. That. Is. A. Fact.
Looking back on his first year as president, one can see where the Russians were coming from. Since the start of his campaign Trump has made a habit of fomenting division out of thin air.
After clashes between neo-Nazis and anti-fascist movements on the streets of Charlottesville, Trump said there were good people "on both sides." He called for a travel ban on predominantly Muslim countries, called Haiti and African countries "shitholes," called NFL players kneeling in support of equal opportunities for African-Americans ‘sons of bitches’, discredits legitimate news agencies, blames every congressional roadblock on the "dems," and feuds with anyone who says something slightly critical of his rule, from Rep. John Lewis to Jay-Z.
For the Russians, Trump is the divisive gift that keeps on giving. He divides and conquers better than any oligarch and is a walking contradiction of logic. He calls for unity in his State of the Union address then calls Democrats ‘treasonous’ for not applauding a few days later.
Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion between his campaign and the Russians, but direct contact isn’t even necessary. The Russians helped Trump win by spreading propaganda through social media and Trump helps the Russians every day by being a divisive asshole.
The indictment did not make any connection between the Russians and the campaign, yet. But it did say that some campaign staff may have met with Russian operatives without knowing.
Still, Trump knows something that he wants to keep hidden. In May, he fired James Comey, then the head of the FBI, for leading an investigation into his campaign’s ties to Russia and in January he ordered the firing of Robert Mueller but backed down after the White House counsel threatened to resign rather than carry out the order.
The President’s attempt to stop and discredit the special counsel are as big a threat to our democracy as the Russia trolls’ propaganda. Robert Mueller has exposed a new type of warfare that has an immense power to influence public opinion and election results.
And the Russians are far from finished. Last week, the directors of national intelligence agencies testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee that the Russians intend to influence the 2018 elections in a similar way as in 2016.
They will continue to use fake accounts on social media to promote political and social radicalism, and there is little that intelligence agencies can do to stop them.
While the indictment last week showed clearly how Russia has attempted to fracture our democracy, it is unlikely that any of the defendants will see the inside of an American goal.
It is largely the responsibility of Facebook, Twitter and other social media companies to regulate fake accounts and news, but those regulations will take a long time to perfect and 2018 election campaigns begin soon.
It is the duty of everyone that cares about the strength of our democracy and the sanctity of our election process to report users that look fake or particularly divisive. But it’s also important to be an attentive user of social media. Think critically about information that conveys a strong bias and verify with multiple sources before believing something is true.
A strong democracy relies on a properly informed public sphere that is free from foreign influence. Stay woke, America.
Peter is a junior majoring in journalism and English. What are your thoughts on the recent indictments? How do you feel about President Trump's response to Russian interference? Send any comments or questions to opinion@dailycardinal.com
