How Russia Leverages Division and Crisis to Destroy its Adversaries - Interview with Monique Camarra

We’ve been at war with Russia since at least 2008, but for most of that  time were not aware of it. The financial crash of 2008 unleashed a wave  of instability and change across thew world, and Russian propagandists  started to pour petrol on the flames from the start. Since the troll  factories in Russia have sought to leverage divisions within western  nations, as well as Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. There  has been wave after wave of crisis – growing pains of the 21st century –  Georgia, Maidan, Crimea, Donbas, Brexit, Trump, Ukraine. Although  Russia did not initiate all these crises, they have ceaselessly probed  to gain advantage from them, and sow discord among adversaries. The  techniques they use are disturbing similarities to Nazi propaganda  methods but updated for the Digital age. Even though this propaganda can  seem crude, absurd, and contradictory, it is alarmingly effective,  especially in countries across Africa and the Middle East, Hungary,  Serbia, and Italy.  

Monique Camarra lives in Siena and is a language instructor at the  Department of Communication at the University of Siena. She runs  language and political communications courses, but has also run for  office in her city, and has been politically active for several years,  and comes from a family with a strong heritage of political activism.  Monique studied International History at the LSE, London. She became  acutely aware of Russia after the financial crash of 2008, when hard  left and right populism took hold in Italian politics. Monique observed  and documented the rise of the 5 Star movement, Salvini, and others  closely. She started podcasting out of a need to educate and inform, and  is now co-host on three channels, including The Kremlin File with Olga  Lautman.