Rumors of War - King of the North

Senator says Russian internet trolls stoked NFL debate - Reuters
Reuters reports: "A U.S. senator on Wednesday said Russian internet trolls, seeking to polarize Americans, helped fuel a debate ignited by President Donald Trump over whether NFL players should have the right to kneel during the national anthem. The assertion, made by Republican James Lankford, comes as congressional investigators probing Moscow’s alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election are focusing on how Russian agents used social media to spread divisive political content."

Russian-linked Twitter accounts stoked NFL anthem debate - CNET
CNET reports: "Attempts by Russia-linked social media accounts to influence events in the US apparently weren't limited to last year's US election. A network of Twitter accounts suspected of links to Russia were used this weekend to stoke the controversy over whether NFL players should stand for pregame performances of the national anthem, The New York Times reported late Wednesday. The accounts pushed both sides of the debate, using hashtags such as #boycottnfl, #standforouranthem and #takeaknee, the newspaper reported."

Black Lives Matter ad on Facebook targeted Baltimore and Ferguson - CNN
CNN reports: "At least one of the Facebook ads bought by Russians during the 2016 presidential campaign referenced Black Lives Matter and was specifically targeted to reach audiences in Ferguson, Missouri and Baltimore, sources with knowledge of the ads told CNN."

Comment: During the Cold War both superpowers used pretty much the same playbook to destabilize areas of the world under their rivals control. Low-level proxy wars involved covert agitation and propaganda campaigns as well as psychological warfare operations. The strategy called for attempts to destabilize populations, stoke civil unrest and promote distrust of social and political institutions. It appears to this observer that credible evidence exists that Russia has directed such efforts towards Europe over the past decade and has recently started such covert operations here in the United States. The people of the U.S. and their elected representatives need to untangle this issue from partisan spin and recognize the real and present threat posed by foreign interference. Russia's actions stop short of being an act of war, but they are most definitely hostile and should not be dismissed as fake news.