Soul Mate:Russia

Note: this is a serious, and seriously not funny, piece looking at one of Russia's most powerful and effective weapons in the info war. It looks at psychopathic seduction. It may not be something you want to read - if not, then please don't. Seriously. It's shared with the hope that those with a use will find the information useful. You know who you are. Bravo.

Tonight an article was published that explores how the conservative Right was befriended by Russian elements. Certain Russians, including President Putin personally, paid attention to disaffected rightwingers - they shared deeply held values like gun rights, religious inclusion in public life and a fear of terrorism. They also shared oil development as a common value. These kindred spirits were new Russia - no longer the communist enemy but people like us with values like us; in fact, we felt like soul mates - all the bad things from the past were part of something different - something Soviet.

Once the connections were first established, the Russians found they loved their new American friends - and they showered their new friends with admiration.

The Russians were attractive, sending the charismatic beauty Maria Butina to share her time and affection and values with the NRA and other American groups. The energy of the powerful free Russia was personified in the personality of President Putin who had the time and the love for Franklin Graham and even shared 45 minutes with him; the Americans were made to feel special. Putin's personality was perfect - Franklin Graham had this to say - Putin “answers questions very directly and doesn’t dodge them like a lot of our politicians do.”

This piece so far feels awkward and forced - that's because it is forced. The above is a total mash up, conjoined plagiarism if you will, of two pieces from two very different sources - one is the article from Washington Post, published today which details how the Republican Right has been seduced by elements from Russia. The second is by Donna Anderson from her site Love Fraud which is dedicated to helping people recognize and recover from sociopaths. (note: for purpose here, sociopath and psychopath are interchangeable yet wholly insufficient to convey they type)

There are well established methods and processes by which a psychopath or other highly manipulative person can enter and occupy the mind of targeted persons. These processes or tools or plays or behaviors - whatever one wishes to call them - are documented and listed and known - they are not mysterious or novel. In fact, the first three paragraphs above force the major aspects into a short, if awkward, narrative. In the Love Fraud article there are three named strategies; they are: 1. ‘Over the Top Attention,’ 2. ‘Mirroring one's image’ and 3. ‘Expressions of love.’ Her piece begins with results from a ‘survey of themes’ that respondents reported as capturing the targeted person to their abuser. These themes are:1. 'made me feel special,' 2. 'energy,' 3. 'physical appearance,' 4. 'charming,' 5. 'personality.' See how things are mashed together above?

This cuts right to one of humanity's deep darknesses. This darkness has been with us forever and it will always be a part of the human experience. In Trump and Russia and the modern Republican experience, the mechanisms of manipulation and abuse have been brought from the hidden shadows into the glaring spotlights of TV and universal exposure. We can see that which is usually hidden. Some things are so horrible we have no good name; some things are so unpleasant as to prevent our admission of their existence – psychopathic seduction is one such process which averts the mind. Overwhelming reality can often be impossible to look at - which is why metaphor and allegory and fable exist; they provide a safe mirror in which we can look at unsafe reality.

Two processes are covered here - or better said, the same tools are used to achieve the same effect but by two different types of predator - one is the psychopath and the other is the manipulator. Both psychopath and manipulator use time tested psychological tools to enter and possess the mind of a target. The psychopath uses these tools because it's simply what they do; the manipulator does it for the purpose of control in executing a plan. (yes, there can be overlap in every combination).

The emphasis by joining these two very different writings is on the love bomb. Check out the WaPo piece and notice the love bomb. How do human predators hook their prey? How did Russia hook the American Right? That is the subject of the Washington Post article. The love Fraud piece outlines common paths manipulators and abusers use to enter and possess the mind of a target. If this kind of understanding has a place for you, please read one and then the other and then spend a little time going back and forth. Manipulators and abusers do not fool all people - some, from whatever life experience or natural aptitude, can see straight through the personality type; if you are still reading, you may be such a person - check this out from the article: "Bridget’s family all liked Victor everyone except her grandfather. When Bridget’s mom told him about Victor, Granddad said, “Sounds like a con man to me.”"

Recognizing the obvious (once it becomes obvious) allows for protection, avoidance and defense. Spending a little time with the Donna Anderson article and then with the Helderman and Hamburger piece in WaPo and then going back and forth a few times will sharpen to a new keenness the logic which dispels the dark magic attempted through the use of the tools of psychopathic seduction.