The Un-Americans
On the spies next door, must-watch television, and the fake fraud portrayed in real videos
What made "The Americans" such compelling television (aside, of course, from strong writing and skilled acting) was the premise that, even during the height of the Cold War, you could have been living next door to a Soviet secret agent without even knowing it. Even the FBI counter-intelligence officer living across the street could be fooled.
■ It's a premise locked in time. The Cold War was a unique era in history, and the technological limitations of the day played a noteworthy supporting role in the show. The Soviet Union couldn't exactly take over one of the big three television networks, so the reach of their propaganda was limited and much of the spy technology was dedicated instead to sneaking intelligence across the border.
■ Today, everyone is potentially "next door" to Russian influence and disinformation operations every time we venture online. In a non-trivial joint statement from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI, and CISA, the American public has been warned that "Russian actors manufactured and amplified a recent video that falsely depicted an individual ripping up ballots in Pennsylvania [...] part of Moscow's broader effort to raise unfounded questions about the integrity of the US election and stoke divisions among Americans".
■ The problem now, when compared with the Cold War of the Reagan era, is that Russia's government today can devote its resources to doubling down on confirmation bias -- it doesn't have to convince anyone to become a Communist anymore. It serves the Kremlin's interests merely to have Americans fighting stupidly among ourselves, assuming the worst about our perceived opponents. And they can do it without even leaving home.
■ It matters quite a lot indeed whether we can disagree without being disagreeable, open ourselves to persuasion in light of new facts without falling for disinformation, and adhere strictly to the sanctity of the political process even if we dislike the ultimate outcomes. If all that matters to our geopolitical foes is that we remain contentious and in disarray, then it's far easier for them to stir trouble now than when they had to dispatch highly-trained spies from Moscow.
■ What matters now is how many real Americans are willing to believe the worst of their fellow Americans when impersonated by people hostile to America. Any number greater than zero is probably too many.
