Foreign Interference: The Big Lie

Afilonius Rex, Brussels, 12th March 2025

“What’s the world’s greatest lie?” the boy asked, completely surprised.

“It’s this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie”.

Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

The big lie? Many proclaim it, many people propagate it, and many people exaggerate it.

What am I?

Correct. External interference, disinformation and coercion in domestic politics.

But how did we get to the state in which supporters of democracy rail against the outcomes of democratic processes as if there were two types of democracy; one you like because the outcomes suit you, and a second type, one that produces outcomes you don’t like?

Now, ask this question, who influences Western political processes more, Putin, Xi, or Trump?

I think this question is complete. I would ask, who exercises the most undue influence on Western political processes, Putin, Xi, Trump or the bulk of Western media?

I think the answer is clear. Regardless of your personal opinions, do you really believe that Putin manipulates Western opinions by taking to X, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and TikTok, amongst others?

No, it’s manipulative, politicised bullshit. Putin is focused on the proxy war with NATO, Trump is trying to save the USA’s bacon, and Xi is working on ensuring the long-term future of China. For Xi, the UK’s political relevance is almost along the lines of a rounding error.

And, seriously, are we so self-obsessed and neurotic that we believe that Putin cares about who the occupiers of 10 Downing Street, the Élysée Palace, La Moncola, or Schloss Bellevue are? The fact that some people would claim so clearly illustrates the sheer madness and irrationality of our times. Just ask the average British voter what they think of Keir Starmer now.

So, we have two types of manipulation. Manipulation that achieves nothing and might not even be manipulation. Then, there is manipulation that succeeds to one degree or another, and it’s usually manipulation that irritates more than anything else.

It’s like people who claim that Brexit was just about stupid people voting for stupid. Now it’s about stupid people voting for stupid because of Putin and Trump. People voted for Brexit for many reasons, some of them idiotic reasons, but they all came to the conclusion themselves. All homegrown, even the stupidity.

So, who is manipulating whom?

Ask the media a simple question, such as ‘Is foreign interference in domestic politics a reality?’ and the resounding answer will be yes. But curiously, when you ask them for concrete evidence to back up their claims, such as Russian interference in US elections, no such concrete evidence is provided.

Did Russia interfere in the 2016 US elections? There’s no tangible evidence.

Did Russia interfere in the Brexit referéndum? There is no tangible evidence.

Did Russia interfere in the 2017 French elections? There is no tangible evidence.

I think that given these examples, it might be wise to ask, who is really manipulating us and to what ends?

So, let’s ask why.

Why does the Western media, in the main, behave as a compliant lapdog and foghorn for establishment disinformation, lies and defamation?

Why? I think you know why. And what’s the result? It delegitimises politics to make claims that you can’t back up with evidence. That’s where the real damage to Western democracies is occurring. We are sleepwalking back into situations whereby people claim that democracy has failed and all the mainstream politicians are alike. We are sleepwalking forward into the past, to authoritarianism and totalitarianism, and to the recurrent need to defeat fascists, Nazis and other anti-democratic elements.

What’s more, Western democracies have been drifting to the right and extreme right for decades, back before Putin was even a KGB agent, back in the days when the USA was fucking up Russia economically, big time, and ensuring that useless drunks such as Yeltsin kept his people and army under control.

A final question, historically speaking, who interfered in the domestic politics of whom?

I will leave you with this blast from the past. Even in 1948, the USA generously funded anti-communist parties in Italy’s election. And don’t get me started on Radio Free Europe.

Thanks for reading!