Firehose of Falsehood

I highly recommend this 2016 article published by RAND. It's an excellent primer on how and why the Russian propaganda machine is so effective, and it helps explain why there is a growing contingent on the political right in this country that is cheering for Putin.

Illustration created using ChatGPT

I keep hearing the same talking points: Zelenskyy's a thug, Putin is smart, Putin is strong, Biden (or perhaps Biden's son) is in bed with Ukraine or otherwise beholden to Zelenskyy for Machiavellian reasons, and on and on.

Disinformation, obfuscation and other techniques described here are nothing new, but social media and the internet make it all too easy for nefarious, bad-faith actors to sow discord and confusion and ultimately divide the West. This article is stunning, actually, and sobering.

Perhaps some of you will spend time with friends and loved ones this Easter weekend who have clearly "bought in" and basically been led astray. Make no mistake, Putin is no friend of the United States. I've studied him for a number of years, since long before this most recent attack on Ukraine.

Read this article before your guests arrive. With any luck, your conversations will steer well clear of politics, but you never know. Knowledge is power. ♜

Note: Image added in 2025.