Remember the shocking referendum in Britain concerning membership in the European Union, which resulted in a vote to exit same, nicknamed Brexit? This report from Bloomberg is fascinating, if true:
The founder of one of the most influential pro-Brexit think tanks was suspected of working for the Kremlin, a member of Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party said.
Christopher Chandler, chairman of investment group Legatum Global Holdings Ltd, has been an “object of interest” to French intelligence since 2002, “on suspicion of working for Russian intelligence services,” according to Bob Seely, a Conservative lawmaker who cited 2005 files of the Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire (DST).
There is little doubt that the net effect of free trade is a positive for all sides, although it’s also generally granted that there will be groups who lose within the national boundaries. Prices drop, efficiencies are found due to higher levels of competition, and all that sort of thing. This economic activity is generally considered to be a positive, resulting in material prosperity and strengthening the stability of the nations involved.
So, if you’re Russian, dislike the West’s most popular political system, and your name happens to be Vladimir, what do you do?
Sow chaos.
Britain is certainly a stalwart in the defense of the West, so destabilizing its economy through the Brexit strategy certainly makes sense. Whether this report constitutes hard evidence, though, is not entirely clear to me.
Conspiracy theoriy? Certainly, for the moment. But it’s worth keeping it in mind as, so far, it’s congruent with all known facts and motivations, not to mention indictments. Neither the Brexit vote nor the result of the Presidential run was anticipated. It would be interesting to know if the Russians have had their hands in the American anti-science movement as well, perhaps even way, way back. After all, you don’t beat your enemies with your piety. You beat them with manpower and / or … technology.
