That's what you think they ought to be doing as a rational actor, but there is a body of counter-evidence suggesting that their intent is to cause chaos as a dual goal.

I would point you towards the various hybrid warfare attacks on civic society especially across Europe, such as infrastructure sabotage, bomb threats to election centers, and hiring petty criminals to attack religious sites or paint hateful graffiti.

My interpretation of this strategy is that it's an attempt to undermine social cohesion, create sectarian politics, which fragments the society, draws its attention inwards and makes it impossible to pursue any specific coherent direction.

> hiring petty criminals to attack religious sites or paint hateful graffiti.

This turns out to have been alarmingly effective. All it needs is someone willing to hand cash to bored teenagers, and their vandalism can be redirected from bus shelters to critical infrastructure.

In the 1930s there were people arguing Hitler didn't really want war.

Maybe it is time for us to stop sane-plaining Americans and just take them at their word?