Russia Funds Army of Useful Idiots
Scheme paid $10M to push pro-Kremlin message
If you’ve studied relations between the United States and Russia over the last 15 years, it should come as no surprise Russia spent about $10 million on a propaganda campaign to coerce local right-wing influencers into pushing their message.
According to Clint Watts’ fascinating book “Messing With the Enemy,” the old Soviet Union knew it could never defeat America on the battlefield, so it invested heavily in active measures; political warfare, disinformation, propaganda, and other non-kinetic means of destabilizing their principal enemy.
Never-Ending War
The Cold War ended decades ago, but Russia never ended its “soft” warfare campaign. A Russian influence campaign helped install former President Donald Trump in the White House in 2016. (This was confirmed by a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Report and the Mueller report.) And they never stopped. So, it’s not surprising Russia got busted trying to do the same thing again.
