Russia, Russia, Russia: What a Nasty Meme!

When I organize my thoughts, I frequently assert that Russia is an enemy of the United States and a threat to the world. (Obvious to any observer.)


To my dismay I note that a second thought always pursues the first, “Russia, Russia, Russia.”


I first experienced this meme, this thought virus, shortly after the esteemed Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian GRU officers engaged in election meddling (on behalf of Donald Trump, of course) in July of 2018.


Shortly thereafter, a catchy little meme popped up! It was great! It sounded like an old piece of audio from a famous American television show, ‘The Brady Bunch.’ In the show, Jan is jealous of the attention given to her sister, Marsha. She has a line of dialog in an episode where she says, “Marsha, Marsha, Marsha.” The young actress delivered the line, full of indignation and complaint! It stuck in people’s minds, and they repeated it.


This collective American memory became the reference for our catchy little meme! I heard it everywhere! Any criticism of Russia, on television, on radio, in the attention economy, was immediately followed by this cliché. They used the line, and it spread. And, like all injected memes, it wasn’t only great at self replication, it served a nefarious purpose! It whispered into the mind: ‘Why do Russia’s critics always complain? They have no credibility!’ Then it advised: ‘Don’t be like Jan, dude.’


Well I shall be like Jan! And frankly, Jan had a point! Marsha did get all the attention!


When I say Russia is our enemy, I usually back it up with some good solid facts. They are everywhere, Russia seems to love leaving them about, like so much trash on the side of the highway, oh there’s a recent one!


https://2021-2025.state.gov/u-s-department-of-state-takes-actions-to-counter-russian-influence-and-interference-in-u-s-elections/


That reference is pretty solid. Here is how it begins:


Today, the U.S. Department of State is taking three actions to hinder malicious actors from using Kremlin-supported media as a cover to conduct covert influence activities that target the U.S. elections in 2024 and undermine our democratic institutions.


If you succumbed to the thought stopping cliché of Russia, Russia, Russia, you would never get that information. You would allow, through negligence, our enemy to use your own mind against your best interests. (How foul an intent, to preprogram the soft mind against revolt. Better to teach it to lay intellectual siege to our institutions, to assure that they are fortified for the people.)

 

 

 

 

Please find this essay below, read by me.  I usually use a digital voice, but I couldn't get her to do the right timing for the gags.

 

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