Summary

The website content discusses Russia's strategic efforts to undermine American democracy through various asymmetric tactics, including cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and exploiting political divisions, as detailed in a U.S. Senate report and other sources.

Abstract

The provided website content outlines a series of calculated actions by the Russian government, under President Vladimir Putin, aimed at destabilizing American democratic institutions. It references a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee report that details nearly two decades of Russia's assault on democracy, not only in the U.S. but also in Europe. The content suggests that Putin, a former organized crime boss, has been using his knowledge of asymmetric warfare to exploit weaknesses in democratic societies, including promoting divisive issues and supporting extremist groups. The article emphasizes that the threat posed by Russia has been largely ignored by the Trump administration, which instead increased support for Putin, contrary to the urgent recommendations of the Senate report. It also highlights the role of Fox News in spreading propaganda and disinformation, contributing to the erosion of democratic values and public trust in American institutions. The author, Kimberlee Jakobe, calls for a united front to protect democracy, suggesting that only through collective action can the threats to democracy be countered.

Opinions

The author believes that the focus on domestic issues such as pronouns and culture wars is a deliberate distraction orchestrated by politicians and billionaires to divert attention from more pressing threats to democracy.
There is a clear assertion that Putin has been successful in his efforts to destabilize the U.S., as evidenced by the lack of significant action following the 2016 election interference and the subsequent increase in support for Russia by the Trump administration.
The content criticizes the Trump administration for failing to address the threat posed by Russia, suggesting that this inaction has emboldened Putin and left democratic institutions vulnerable.
The author expresses that Fox News has played a significant role in disseminating the "Big lie" and other forms of propaganda, acting as a bullhorn for foreign adversaries and serving the interests of Rupert Murdoch's brand and profit over truth and democracy.
The article conveys a sense of urgency for protecting democracy, implying that the survival of democratic systems is at stake and requires immediate and concerted effort from the American public and its leaders.
There is an opinion that Putin's actions are driven by a position of weakness, using tools like organized crime, energy resources, and disinformation to compensate for Russia's faltering economy and substandard military.
The author suggests that Putin's popularity in Russia is partly due to his ability to exploit the pride and shame felt by Russians, and similarly, he has targeted certain segments of the American population who share a similar sentiment.
The content implies that Putin's regime is using a distorted version of Christianity as a means to control and manipulate the population, both in Russia and through Republican politics in the U.S.
The author posits that the goal of Russian propaganda is not to make Americans love Russia but to sow discord and turn Americans against their own government and democratic principles.
Finally, the author offers a call to action, encouraging readers to join efforts to secure democracy and protect the future for coming generations, emphasizing the power of collective action.

WE’RE NOT BEING OUTSMARTED ; WE’RE BEING OUTPLAYED — THE SERIES

How Russia is “Destroying America Without Firing a Single Shot”

All the Fuss About “Russia, Russia, Russia,” Made Us Numb to the Facts

Created in CanvaPro by the author, Kimberlee Jakobe

When politicians and billionaires want us to focus on pronouns, culture wars, and dodging bullets (they are the only ones who can regulate) — there has to be a reason!

Defeating Democracy: Billionaires Disarm the Warning System

In Part One, we examined the Russian classified record “No 32–04 / vd,” which states Putin had compromising info on Trump, along with the Russians’ psychiatric evaluation of Donald, which identified him as an ideal instrument to dismantle American Democracy in January 2016.

By January 21, 2017, in Putin’s Secret Speech, he congratulated his committee for installing Trump into the White House, declared war on Democracy, and laid out his plan to destroy America from within.

Why Aren’t We Acting?

Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.

— Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“As the extent of Russia’s obvious meddling in the 2016 U.S. election continues to be investigated, it is imperative that the American people better understand the true scope and scale of Putin’s pattern of undermining democracy in Russia and across Europe. That is why I commissioned this report shortly after the 2016 election,” Senator Cardin said. “This threat existed long before President Trump took office, and unless he takes action now, it will continue long after his administration. While President Trump stands practically idle, Mr. Putin continues to refine his asymmetric arsenal and look for future opportunities to disrupt governance and erode support for the democratic and international institutions that the United States and Europe have built over the last 70 years. (source)

PUTIN’S ASYMMETRIC ASSAULT ON DEMOCRACY IN RUSSIA AND EUROPE: IMPLICATIONS FOR US NATIONAL SECURITY

A Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democratic staff report from January 10, 2018, commissioned by US Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), details Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nearly two-decade assault on democratic institutions, universal values, and the rule of law across Europe and America and offers clear countermeasures to Putin’s assault on Democracy.

The full report is in PDF form below, or you can read, download, and print it from this link.

Russia’s Threat to Democracy Was Peddled to America as a Partisan Issue

For years, Vladimir Putin’s government has engaged in a relentless assault to undermine democracy and the rule of law in Europe and the United States. Mr. Putin’s Kremlin employs an asymmetric arsenal that includes military invasions, cyberattacks, disinformation, support for fringe political groups, and the weaponization of energy resources, organized crime, and corruption. The Kremlin has refined the use of these tools over time and these attacks have intensified in scale and complexity across Europe.

If the United States fails to work with urgency to address this complex and growing threat, the regime in Moscow will become further emboldened. It will continue to develop and refine its arsenal to use on democracies around the world, including against U.S. elections in 2018 and 2020.

The Staff Report warned of the urgent need to protect America from Russian attack and urged protection for Ukraine and Global Democracy. Instead of ignoring the threat outright, the Trump administration increased support for Russia and Putin.

Never before in American history has so clear a threat to national security been so clearly ignored by a U.S. president [Trump], and without a strong U.S. response, institutions and elections here and throughout Europe will remain vulnerable to the Kremlin’s aggressive and sophisticated malign influence operations.

The Minority Staff Report details the threat of Russian interference during the 2016 election, but its 200+ pages of history, warnings, and instructions were completely ignored for an apparent reason.

Fast forward to 2023, and the revelations from the Dominion Voting vs. Fox News case were that Fox News knowingly spread the “Big lie,” in Rupert Murdoch’s words — “not for red or blue but for green.” Suggesting that his lies were for profit and to protect his brand.

Fox News is the bullhorn for foreign adversaries and cult leaders to spread targeted propaganda to destroy democracy.

We’re heading backward, and the Kremlin’s plot to destroy Democracy is why. The confusion and lack of a collective enemy have left us blaming each other instead of the ones responsible.

Putin’s Playbook for Deconstructing Democracy

Seeing a single piece of the puzzle does not give us a clear picture of the big picture. To fully understand the danger posed to our Democracy, we must understand the pieces and how they fit together.

Our strategy is to destroy the enemy from within, to conquer him though himself. — Adolph Hitler

The Enemy of Democracy: Vladimir Putin

Putin’s history is as a Russian organized crime boss, not a diplomat or low-level bureaucrat. He is one of history’s most murderous and well-connected Crime Lords but still a thuggish criminal at his core. (60)

Mr. Putin resorts to using these asymmetric tools to achieve his goals because he is operating from a position of weakness — hobbled by a faltering economy, a substandard military, and few followers on the world stage. (8)

Like his heroes before him, Putin learned early that controlling a few main aspects of life in Russia gave him the levers to manage all aspects of life in Russia.

Putin’s hostile takeover included merging Russia’s version of “free media” with the Russian Orthodox Church, allowing them to control public opinion and create a phony democracy.

That’s like putting Tammy Faye Baker in charge of Fox News and the National Treasury; distracting people with tears and drama while stealing from taxpayers and claiming it was all for Jesus!

The Kremlin has utilized this technique to establish an authoritarian regime that suppresses human rights and free speech — the same methods they’re employing in the US through the Republicans with their “anti-woke” (aka pro-Jim Crow 2.0) politics.

Vladimir Putin utilizes his power to control, manipulate, and further his agenda, seeking to establish a new world order under his own rule. His followers view him as a strong leader who will restore power and strength to “Christianity, no matter the human cost.”

That’s not Jesus. This Russian cult destroys people’s hope and faith by using broken and twisted pieces of hijacked Christianity.

Putin is a criminal who knows the only way to keep himself alive and in power is to conquer, and Americans are the people he most wants to destroy. Vladimir knows his target audience well.

The Russian President has a knack for knowing what works for Russians and Republicans.

One of the secrets to Putin’s popularity has been his ability to exploit the strange mixture of pride and shame that many Russians carry inside them: pride for belonging to a unique civilization and shame for its lingering backwardness.

White people in the South shared that same mixture of pride for belonging to a “unique civilization” and “shame for its lingering backwardness” inside them and were an easy target for Putin — because that’s where he came from, too.

Evil doesn’t have to be smart to be powerful.

Alexander Navalny, among others, spoke about the Kremlin tyrant’s belief in witchcraft and the occult in an interview with the “New York Times”. “Putin is obsessed with the occult and walks around with a red thread on his wrist. One day it will turn out that the Russian president makes decisions on the advice of an old man from the forest or some pokemon”, the politician recounted.

Russia’s biggest problem is organized crime, and the Russian mafia influences its leaders. But it is not right to call it a Russian mafia, it’s a Jewish mafia. — David Duke

Putin is Anti-Democracy — not Republican or Democrat

To destroy American Democracy, Vladimir Putin uses a variety of tactics, including promoting radical voices on divisive issues, supporting extremist groups, and dividing the ruling class.

‘‘A powerful adversary can only be defeated through . . . . sophisticated, methodical, careful, and shrewd effort to exploit even the smallest ‘cracks’ between our enemies . . . and within their elites.’’ (42)

The problem is simple. The GOP exists to serve the interests of the wealthy and big business that comprise the richest 1%. No party, however, can ever win an election with only 1% of the vote. So to win elections, the GOP must necessarily reach beyond its own wealthy core and attempt to convince a large segment of working people in the 99% to vote for Republicans. Source

With its massive viewership, Fox News provides a platform for the Republicans to spread pro-Russian lies to the public. This enables them to manipulate public perception and sway outcomes in their favor. Rupert Murdoch isn’t helping Putin — they’re in it together.

It’s not the goal of Russian propaganda to make Americans love Russia.

Instead, the goal is to make Americans turn against each other and against our government, which is run by the people, for the people, and of the people. Russian propaganda and Fox News are designed to make Americans give up on Democracy.

‘‘the nuances of American social polemics on tax issues, LGBT rights, the gun debate, and more . . . their job was to incite [Americans] further and try to ‘rock the boat.’ The employee noted that ‘‘our goal wasn’t to turn the Americans toward Russia. Our task was to set Americans against their own government: to provoke unrest and discontent.’ (51)

The division is the point.

If we are divided, we cannot save ourselves.

Don’t give up hope! Together, we can make a monumental difference in this world. Let’s join forces and become the superheroes the world desperately needs. So, join me at We Are the Guardrails, and let’s work together to secure Democracy, protect our planet, and honor the future that our children deserve.

Kimberlee Jakobe publishes We Are The Guardrails on Medium; follow her here and get each post in your email–and if you’re not a Medium member, you can join here.

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