by Daniel Carter
Possibly. We would have to unspin the US government’s lies to gain any substantive insights on the matter. They have lied to and manipulated US citizens far more than Russia could ever dream. However, that does not mean Russia is innocent. They and others see US supremacy waning, which makes it easier for them to grab more power for themselves.
Let’s begin to unspin. First, when US authorities say that Russia is trying to undermine our democracy, what do they mean? A study done by Princeton shows that the US is much more of an oligarchy than a democracy. This means the super-wealthy dominate most of the political sphere. We are a democracy only when it benefits the elites. For example, the elites want to persuade the millions of anti-gun people to use their democracy to vote for stricter gun control. But a vote that would harm the elites would have a much more difficult time gaining support.
The US government’s claims about the Trump-Russia collusion seem absurd as well. Has Trump done business with less than moral Russian oligarchs? I wouldn’t be surprised. Rich and powerful people do business together all the time. The collusion story is likely a plot to turn US citizens against Russia over their proxy war in Syria. This war is significant because the winner will control the flow of natural gas into Europe. Governments are acting cruel towards and manipulating each other’s populations all the time. If the US government is telling you to look at Russia, it’s for a strategic reason.
However, given the chance, Russia’s government would likely be just as conniving as the US’s government. I believe that it is a near certainty that Russia is trying to subvert the US system for its own benefit. Consider the countless stories that have come out on the expansive network of online Russian bots. It has been well documented that these bots take every opportunity to stir controversy around every hot-button issue in the US. It would benefit them to cause overwhelming chaos in the US so that US society will become preoccupied with internal issues rather than foreign policy (e.g. Syria).
There have also been reports that Russia funds environmental groups to protest the oil industry. Allegedly, Russia specifically targets US oil fracking. If they were to cause a moral panic that reduces fracking, the US oil industry would become much less competitive. Fracking, although controversial, revitalized the US oil industry in a way that made the country more stable and free from reliance on foreign suppliers. As you can see from the chart below, US oil production hit a peak in the early 70’s but was saved when fracking was widely adopted in the mid 2000’s. If Russia is indeed going after US fracking, it would be a smart move on their part.
Russia has also made it abundantly clear that it intends to dethrone the dollar as world reserve currency. This would be a massive blow to the US system. Currently, the US can rack up huge debt and fund expansive military conquests because the world demands the dollar. If the dollar were to become a 2nd tier currency, the US empire would be over.
We should not trust the hysteria being whipped up by the US government regarding Russia. However, we should not trust the Russian government either. If fact, we should not trust any government. For all human civilization, governments have viewed citizens as either labor or tax revenue. To them, we are pawns that they will sacrifice at any given moment. Think for yourself and always be skeptical of government narratives.