chloe kaczenski humbert

“The counter offensive is against civic movements, democracy movements, internet organized protest movements, of the kind that we have seen breaking out in different parts of the world at different times. They understood that this was a new kind of problem. I think they understand the power of democracy rhetoric, and of liberal rhetoric. It’s not always about democracy, sometimes it’s about transparency, anti-corruption, accountability. And I think they understand the power of those things and how those things can move people and persuade them to work together. And I think their goal is to break up those, to undermine those ideas, but also to break up civic activism, to make sure it doesn’t happen. […] I think some of their propaganda is aimed at exactly doing that, their propaganda, some of the legal changes they’ve made, some of the tactics they use, is really designed to isolate people, and to make them apathetic. So they understand that civic activism and engagement are a threat to them.” – Anne Applebaum, The Bulwark Oct 6, 2024