the Russian state sought to exploit this vulnerability—to hack American democracy. It would work, they decided, because American democracy is an inherently flawed system. The Russians created their self-fulfilling prophecy of social chaos by targeting and domesticating their propaganda to American citizens of similar worldviews, who would then click, like, and share. These narratives spread through a system of constitutionally protected free speech, and the U.S. government did nothing to stop them. Neither did Facebook.
