1. Most of the discussion I have seen of the ramifications of the unfolding Russian-assault-on-democracy story has tended to focus almost entirely on the relatively limited and ultimately secondary considerations it raises.
2. These prominently include the extent of its effects on the outcome of the election, or whether the evidence establishes collusion on the part of the Trump campaign, or how deeply Russian influence extends into the administration.
3. Ross's reportage explores the much larger and more frightening scope of the problem. We need to talk about it.
4. Democracy is being attacked by Russian regime and its ideological allies not merely in the United States but around the globe. The pollution of the information stream is only one of the most powerful and prominent tactics it is deploying in its larger anti-democratic assault.
5. Indeed, it's become clear that Putin's regime is intent on destabilizing democracies all over the world with the intent of replacing them with authoritarian kleptocracies of its own image and making.
6. Equally important is that these tactics are also intended to fuel its strategy of supporting the ascendancy of radical far-right "identitarian" movements such as the alt-right. In places like Hungary and Austria, it has already succeeded as well as it has in the USA.
7. In much of the rest of Europe, such as in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden, it is steadily working away. We have also seen far-right movements rising in Australia and New Zealand.
8. Even given the usual global myopia of most Americans on this subject, it's been remarkable to see how little even our slice of this pie is understood or being confronted.
9. After all, the American alt-right assiduously courts Putin's favor and promotes authoritarianism, ethno-nationalism, and the death of democracy. And it is profoundly disturbing to see how well they are succeeding.
10. The alt-right represents the potential radicalization of a generation of young white males, and all you have to do is take a look at their massive Internet traffic numbers to grasp that this is becoming a huge problem that will not go away even if Trump is removed from power.
11. Think about the events of this past week. Of course, the mass shooting in Florida does indeed represent a watershed moment in our discussion of gun control in America, as it should.
12. Yet at the same time there has been almost zero discussion of the reality that this mass shooting, like a number of them before it, was fueled in large part by the hatred generated by this young man's involvement in alt-right ideology.
13. That has to end, or we are going to be swamped by these forces even as we stare uncomprehendingly at them in the face. #30# #AltAmerica
