A few weeks ago, at an event focused on democratic decline in the United States, I raised the persistent threat of foreign autocratic actors. The audience reacted ambivalently. “That’s so 2016,” one attendee remarked. The conversation moved on to more inequities in our system, like the erosion of trust in our institutions, voter suppression, and election denialism. I share those concerns — but the apathy toward influence campaigns by foreign adversaries unsettled me.
Our enemies have not walked away. In fact, our domestic dysfunction presents them with new opportunities and potential partnerships. The lights are still blinking red. We cannot ignore them.