More evidence that American democracy has been hijacked
Dan Coats, chief of US National Intelligence, told Congress on Tuesday that Russia’s attempt to disrupt the 2016 US presidential campaign had been “a success”.
Coats also claimed Russia has taken steps to influence this year’s US midterm elections, in November.
These and other revelations have convinced many people around the world that the 2016 US presidential election was influenced by a sinister foreign power.
The sacrosanct status of American democracy over the past two centuries appears to now be eroding. It has also fallen victim to the country’s technological advancement – especially in terms of the Internet. Just recently, Facebook officials disclosed that they had shut down several hundred accounts believed to have been created by a Russian company linked to the Kremlin and used to buy $100,000 in ads pushing “divisive issues” during and after the 2016 presidential election campaign.
To add salt to the wound, Donald Trump also said boldly during his campaign: “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 [Clinton] emails, that are missing, I think you will be rewarded by our press.”
These words from Trump, along with other alleged dirty tactics, seem to have changed the course of the presidential race.
Chavalit Wannawijitr
Chiang Mai
