A single tweet can stimulate a thumb-jerk response from Donald Trump. Once Trump’s ultra-sensitive offense detector spots a word of less-than-fabulous-praise, the die is cast. Naturally, Trump’s ire falls on everyone associated with his political opponents, but it extends to journalists, Gold Star families, to anyone, really, who failed to bend the knee. He hates them. Hates them forever.
And if you feel left out for not being on Trump’s enemy list, don’t worry, your time is coming.
Trump says he'll 'never, ever forgive' voters if he loses the election.
But Trump is not alone in his quest for endless vengeance and personal satisfaction at any cost. There’s an entire nation that operates this way.
Determined to punish domestic opponents who flee abroad, as well as non-Russians whose lives and finances it wants to disrupt, Moscow has developed an elaborate and well-funded strategy in recent years of using — critics say abusing — foreign courts and law enforcement systems to go after its enemies.
Russian officials will create some minor offense, then lodge that offense with Interpol, so that even those who try to leave the country find themselves hunted, hectored, and hauled back to Russia. How minor? Try a charge of theft—for $1.55.
Nikita Kulachenkov was an accountant who worked to uncover corruption in Russia. So some of those behind the corruption he uncovered created a ridiculous charge, accusing Kulachenkov of stealing a drawing from a street artist. A drawing with a value of $1.55. Trivial as that charge may sound, it was enough to put the accountant on the run, and enough for Russia to come after him around the world.
Russia also doesn’t hesitate in going after journalists.
[Editor Petr Silaev] was given political asylum in Finland and felt safe, until he took a trip to Spain to visit friends. Two days after his arrival, Spanish antiterrorism police officers stormed a hostel where he was staying and arrested him on the basis of a red notice issued against him by Interpol at Moscow’s request.
Russia routinely uses Interpol and courts in other countries to go after people who try to flee from the repressive criminal regime. But if you think not being a Russian protects you, think again.
Determined to punish domestic opponents who flee abroad, as well as non-Russians whose lives and finances it wants to disrupt, Moscow has developed an elaborate and well-funded strategy in recent years of using — critics say abusing — foreign courts and law enforcement systems to go after its enemies.
Russia’s willingness to abuse international agencies is part of a philosophy that’s not just Russia first, but Russia only. It’s part of what makes Russia’s efforts to angle the US election toward Trump so disturbing. What started with fairly clumsy efforts a few years ago, has turned into a serious weapon.
One that may generate a win for Russia, even if it doesn’t make a win for Trump.
Russia is helping Trump’s campaign, yes, but it is not doing so solely or even necessarily with the goal of placing him in the Oval Office. Rather, these efforts seek to produce a divided electorate and a president with no clear mandate to govern. The ultimate objective is to diminish and tarnish American democracy. Unfortunately, that effort is going very well indeed.
Donald Trump has acted to protect Russia’s actions in Ukraine and Syria, he’s downplayed the role of NATO, spoken fearfully of Russia’s strength, and denied Russia’s role in trying to subvert the US election.
Trump imagines that in Putin, he has a partner. Putin knows that in Trump, he has a patsy. A patsy who is helping with Russia’s not-so-secret agenda. On every one of these points, Trump hasn’t been a bystander. He’s been a participant. A sponsor.
- Undermine citizen confidence in democratic governance;
- Foment and exacerbate divisive political fractures;
- Erode trust between citizens and elected officials and democratic institutions;
- Popularize Russian policy agendas within foreign populations;
- Create general distrust or confusion over information sources by blurring the lines between fact and fiction
Donald Trump may imagine that if he can get his hands on America, he can operate it like Putin’s Russia—as an instrument of vengeance, capable of chasing down anyone, anywhere who ever displeased him. But it seems clear that the Russians promote Trump for a much simpler reason: because it weakens the United States.