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Russians. Trolls trying to seed unrest. I once played a turn based massive multiplayer online video game where there were alliances.
I destroyed a couple of mid-sized alliances. I sent forged emails. I pretended people within the alliances spoke to me.
Well they did, just enough so i could mimic their writing style. Then I made the emails seem like they were trash talking their allies.
I exploited rifts that were obvious from conversations on some forums.
Russia is doing this to the USA right now. They're exploiting rifts. They're turning us against ourselves. And it's costing them a pittance.
They aren't just focusing on the extreme-right. They're also making efforts with the extreme left. And they're highly skilled at this.
When you destroy a competitor with words you play the long game. And you don't play just one side. You play all sides.
Sometimes your efforts will bring some parts of the organization closer together. But that will expose other rifts.
You change the rifts you're exploiting to use whatever leverage you can. It only costs time, and veiled/forged communications.
Then, after they're fighting themselves enough. You step back and only gently nudge things from time to time.
Alternate identities work for that. They work REALLY WELL for that when you're viewed as a curious outsider "trying to understand."
But as the curious outsider you stroke their egos, and support their narrowest of views, encouraging intellectual myopathy.
Russia is in the hands on phase. After we've turned on ourselves enough, they'll sit back and let us finish ourselves off.
They'll prod us and nudge us to stay on the path of self destruction.
I'm not saying I was a mastermind or at Russia's level. I just exploited the naiive. Russia is exceptionally skilled and practiced at this.
