The Effects of the Russians' Counter-Intell Pro Campaign on Democracy

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"The easiest or at least this tactic that is working pretty well right now to destabilize democracy is just convince everybody that you can't change each other's minds," he says. "That was the point of the entire Counter-Intell Pro campaign that the Russians put forth." The Republican Party has essentially perceived that opportunity and decided to go all in on being the force that stops that kind of progress, that trajectory of progress, and that caters to people who would rather break the country than share it".

This is the third episode in a three-part series about how to have difficult conversations with people who see the world differently, how to have better debates about contentious issues, and how to ethically and scientifically persuade one another about things that matter – in short, this is a three-part series about How Minds Change (which is also the title of my new book).

There seems to be a movement afoot, a new wave of nonfiction about how to reduce all this argumentative madness and epistemic chaos. I want to boost everyone’s signal on this issue, so I thought it would be nice to collaborate instead of compete, since that’s part of what we are all proselytizing with these books.

So this episode’s guest is Anand Giridharadas, the author of The Persuaders – a book about activists, politicians, educators, and everyday citizens who are on the ground working to change minds, bridge divisions, and fight for democracy.

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