There seems to be two sides in this country right now. Either you believe that Russia is actively infiltrating our political process and trying to sow discontent among the masses, or you believe the Russia narrative is bullshit and just a distraction. This question has divided the country like nothing in recent memory, but it doesn’t have to- regardless of how you answer it.

Try to have a debate on the internet about politics, go ahead try. Unless you answered the question with a full yes I believe, or any similar answer void of skepticism, at some point you are likely to be called a bot. This is a reference to reports(BBC February 2018) that there are Russian troll farms that have people posing as Americans all over the internet in various comment sections, their only mission to stir shit up. These Russian bots pose as Bernie bros to keep the democratic party divided. People will be presented with an opposing viewpoint, they will go to the persons profile, and if it doesn’t have enough recent traffic or something seems “off” then it must be a fake profile belonging to a Russian bot- and will be called out as such.

Come at the situation from a different angle, come across someone who doesn’t believe in the Russian narrative and try to answer the question as if you do- turns out you’re a Hillbot. This is a reference to an organization called Correct The Record that pledged one million dollars to “find and confront social media users who post unflattering messages about the democratic frontrunner” (LA Times May 2016), it’s brought up pretty frequently in progressive circles and used as an insult and a way to shut down the conversation. Don’t think Bernie would have won? Hillbot. Think that Cory Booker and Kamala Harris are great candidates for the 2020 elections? Hillbot. Think the Steele dossier is real? Hillbot.

Whether you are being accused of being a Russian bot or a Hillbot or some variation of either, it doesn’t matter. They all serve the same purpose: they shut down any meaningful conversation on the spot. Whichever direction RussiaGate ends up in doesn’t matter. Trump could be indicted for collusion tomorrow, or the information could leak that Tim Kaine was the puppetmaster behind the whole smear campaign; it’s not going to fix the countries issues, it’s not going to help the average person.

Our government is still full of bought and paid for bums, we still have problems with healthcare and unemployment, we are still fighting wars across the world that we have no business being a part of. Whether you want to Make America Great Again, or think we are Stronger Together- we can’t get to any of these issues with this holding back the conversation.

So the next time you come across someone who thinks differently than you, try to go out on a limb and assume the person is real and genuine. Engage in the kind of debates that get people working towards good things in this country, don’t shut down the conversation soon as there is a disagreement. Don’t let this narrative make you assume that anyone who disagrees with you is a shill, and doesn’t have a legit argument to make, bots are keeping you in your bubble and it’s simply not healthy for political discourse.

After all, if you can’t hang in a debate with a “bot”, maybe you aren’t as informed as you think you are.