Russiagate drove the left to embrace the very intelligence agencies it distrusted
Evidence
As those on the far right fulminated about imminent global takeovers, they were matched on the left by its own paranoia. The leftâs fears of conspiracies and collusion made for some very strange bedfellows. Elements of the anti-Trump resistance saw the Kremlinâs agents everywhere and so found themselves cheering on the intelligence institutions doing battle in Russiagateâthe same institutions historically distrusted by the left, and with good reason. People like James Comey, the FBI director fired by Trump, became a hero to liberals, although they reviled him during the elections for his role in the scandal over Hillary Clintonâs use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state. â Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 946
Categorization
- XREF: Mirrors the pattern that threat perception can override ideological commitments to institutional skepticism â echoes of the Moral Panic literature and its âwho is the enemyâ mechanisms. â connects to: The right weaponized legitimate surveillance fears that liberals abandoned â Naomi Klein, Doppelganger: A Trip into the MirrorâŠ, 384; Progressive causes drop an issue once the conspiratorial right adopts it â Naomi Klein, Doppelganger: A Trip into the MirrorâŠ, 393
Broader Connections
- The right weaponized legitimate surveillance fears that liberals abandoned
#expands(0.78) â Naomi Klein, Doppelganger, 384 - Progressive causes drop an issue once the conspiratorial right adopts it
#exemplifies(0.72) â Naomi Klein, Doppelganger, 393