I'd buy this, but also point out that all nations do this to their rivals. We did it to Russia with the break-up of the Soviet Union (quite overtly; I remember news stories about how we were helping the Ukraine and Belarus achieve independence, and admitting the Baltic Republics to NATO), and it would very much surprise me if we aren't still doing this to all major geopolitical rivals (including, but certainly not limited to, Russia).

I'll go out on a limb and say that the endgame here is the destruction of nationhood as a concept. After the dust settles, all major global powers are going to break up: it's not going to be a matter of eliminating your rivals so you can be the only major nation left standing, it'll be a matter of mutually assured destruction where all nations are disbanded. Instead, the future will look more like a Neal Stephenson novel, with geographically-dispersed micronations contracting out for physical protection to automated kill-bots.

> We aren’t treating immigrants like we used to. We used to welcome them, give them opportunities, and celebrate their success.

These are rose-tinted glasses. Denver: a tech hub, a liberal, welcoming bastion, a sanctuary city. Site of a seminal anti-Chinese race riot in 1880. Or racism against Italian and Eastern European immigrants: once so pervasive that the slurs remain common knowledge.

Citizens United decision did more damage than Putin could dream of. Obama's trickle down economics didn't work for most people. Many people supported Trump out of sheer desperation. It was obvious the Democrats had little interest in their well being. Failing to secure single payer healthcare lead to a situation where perhaps no one will have access to healthcare in the us. Trump is an utter disaster but the Democrats played a big part in helping him win by throwing working and post working people under a bus.

> They were purposely creating hate within the country

So more us vs them clickbait. Got it.

Democracy comes at a cost, and this is exactly the cost one has to pay for. I am not surprised by the attempts of Russia, because I am sure that they are involved at many level besides social media.

I know the case of Former KGB Agent Yuri Bezmenov, who went on the mission to take control of the government of India. At that time their was no internet or even television set at every home, Indians depended on Newspaper or Radio to get the latest news. KGB had implanted more than thousand news during 1970s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Bezmenov

Yuri Bezmenov, who later become a mole, talks about his mission and how he brainwashes the whole nation by controlling the academia and media.

https://www.pgurus.com/cia-says-soviets-planted-fake-reports...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5It1zarINv0

CIA has also been equally involved in manipulating the stories to get the desired result.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/jul/28/india.randeepr...

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/pranab-mukherjee-says-top...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_India

http://www.thehindu.com/2005/09/18/stories/2005091803540900....

http://www.businesstoday.in/technology/wikileaks-suggests-ci...

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At this stage, I have learned that no one is your friend or your enemy. It is all business to get ahead in the competitive world. CIA is no saint, author sounds concerned because he thinks he is on losing side. But anyway, this is a battle of newer generation which can be slow but is equally damaging like a direct war.