1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

The triumph of ‘political technology’ is a success. A propaganda technique perfected by Putin and the Russian state, spread like crazy as the internet evolved, has taken over American society. And our politics. Modern media used effectively to pervert democracy, by using democracy. We provided the means, and ourselves, to divide the population, create opposition, and create false narratives around elections. And any other events that enabled control of public debate. Keep the population confused so it’s hard to pay attention. This is now the GOP. And Trump is the manifestation of the power of Russian political technology brought to America. And this all seems to lead back to Ukraine. Paul Manafort worked for a Russian oligarch. He worked to get a Putin-backed candidate elected as Ukraine’s president. After this president was ousted by the Ukrainian people, Russia invaded Crimea, resulting in sanctions against Russia. Manafort was left owing about $17 million to a Russian oligarch. No way to pay. Then along came Trump’s first campaign. He signed up to help. Manafort immediately told his Russian creditor about his new gig. Russian operatives then told Manafort that in exchange for a promise to turn U.S. policy toward Russia, they would work to get Trump elected. They wanted Trump to look the other way as Putin took control of eastern Ukraine through a “peace” plan that would end the war in Crimea, weaken NATO, and remove U.S. sanctions from Russian entities. According to a 2020 report from the GOP-dominated Senate Intelligence Committee, “the Russian government engaged in an aggressive, multifaceted effort to influence, or attempt to influence, the outcome of the 2016 presidential election…by harming Hillary Clinton’s chances of success and supporting Donald Trump at the direction of the Kremlin.” It was “a sustained campaign of information warfare against the United States aimed at influencing how this nation’s citizens think about themselves, their government, and their fellow Americans.” Political technology for quid-pro-quo. An election win for a Ukrainian loss. (Better luck the second time around it appears. They’ve honed their skills even more.) As soon Trump hit the stage Tuesday night, we witnessed the continuing success of political technology against America. He lied repeatedly. And the crowd cheered. Jumped up and down. Even as it went against their own best interests. And those of the country they seem to believe they serve. You think Trump is a consummate dealmaker. And you’re right. He made a deal to get to where he is. He made a deal with an enemy who is determined to destroy us. He made a deal to give himself the power to assist in this destruction. And the Kremlin sits backs and agrees with it all. What an unimaginable win for them. They must be ecstatic. Are you? Is this a Trump deal you admire? Judging from the other night’s performance, we know the answer. He lies. You cheer.