it doesn’t matter as long as they are taking control of all national security and foreign policy and running it on what they view as proper lines.
In other words, essentially a soft coup resulting in a shadow military government. Oh, happy days.
And who would ever dream it would be universally viewed as a vast improvement.
”Of course, the challenge is that the past did happen.”
IMNSHO, the bigger challenge is that the past continues to happen.
Putin’s interference in the American election (and in the Brexit vote) was wildly successful. If anything, Russian cyber-warfare has only redoubled since then, and poses an increasing menace to Western democracy. The French, German, and other European elections are being hammered even as we type.
And there’s no reason to believe the Unites States now is off the Russian table. Has anyone scrutinized possible interference in the Kansas or Georgia special elections? Without any doubt, the 2018 midterms – and perhaps even gubernatorial elections in key states – will come under attack.
This is serious business (war by other means, to turn Clausewitz on his head). And wholesale denial by the GOP base, its Congressional majorities, and the current White House does not bode well for our future.
(PS: Thanks for opening a discussion page with this article. It’s always nice to read member responses to Mr. Marshall’s writing.)
These are strange times, when generals – including one named “Mad Dog” who apparently lobbied to loosen guidelines governing civilian collateral damage-- are seen as the moderate pragmatists of an administration.
Something that bothers me with respect to Russia’s influence over the administration and Republicans in general is the stuff that wasn’t leaked from the hacking of Republican servers. We know via Comey that Republican servers were hacked. Even if there’s no legally compromising smoking gun, it seems likely there would be at least some embarrassing and politically damaging material embedded in private party communications.