I’M SO OLD, I CAN REMEMBER WHEN AMERICANS WERE THE MARKETING GENIUSES: The Great Success of the Russian Propaganda Machine.

Propaganda has always been an important tool of war—and its importance grew during the 20th century as Stalin and Goebbels took the dark art to new heights of sophistication and power. As Putin seeks to rebuild Russian power on the rubble of the Soviet Union, he is reaching out for the USSR’s most effective propaganda and espionage weapons. . . .

The West needs to up its game. Cracking down on Russian espionage, both commercial and strategic, tracing and publicizing the flow of money and influence in the Kremlin’s propaganda enterprise, and countering Russian disinformation and attempts to shape world opinion must now become part of Western policy.

It would be easier if we were led by people who believed in America.