Because the 2015 US election and 2016 Brexit referendum upsets, foreign affect on democratic elections has developed into a hot topic. On John Oliver’s Yesterday Tonight, a segment explained the simplicity of tampering with voting machines which inspired me to create this post. Before I recieve into how simple and inexpensive it's to propagate disinformation on the internet, I’d like provide some background on why and the way more nations is going to be entering the digital warfare space in the future. Foundations of Geopolitics, a novel drafted through the International Department in the Russian Ministry of Defence last 1997, led the way like a philosophical instructions manual for dismantling and dethroning enemies and super-powers alike, together with the ultimate aim of “Finlandization” like Europe. In accordance with Wikipedia’s summary around the strategy: “Military operations play relatively little role. The textbook advocates a classy program of subversion, destabilization, and disinformation spearheaded by the Russia special services.” In the 2015 US election sufficient reason for a meagre monthly budget of just $1.25M (estimated $15M a year), Russia’s Internet Research Agency was able to deliver the US election towards the Republican Party. Regarding return-on-investment (ROI), Russia spends $36M per Mi-35 helicopter. It is no surprise then, that as Russia gains more territory and influence, its actual military expenses are decreasing. Military power is clearly a very costly ongoing expense where destabilization is relatively cheap and plentiful. But how exactly is done? Tactic 1: Find The Fractures Then Divide & Conquer While using the instance of america, this fracturing tactic was exquisitely executed by fuelling instability and actively supporting all dissident groups simultaneously to inflame tensions and divide communities. Enemies of america have been fanning the flames of white nationalism, gun rights groups, stoking anti-immigration sentiment and the vilification of refugees and Muslims are already most visible. Yet this only scratches the outer lining. But more subtle and vicious domestic attacks have been around in support of fringe and also other right-wing religious groups attacking women’s reproductive rights, gay marriage equality, homelessness and mental health. There has been generational divisiveness growing between Baby Boomers and Millennials. There exists a growing demonization of environmental stewardship (see baseless attacks and other trolling of Greta Thunberg) and attacks on democratically-held values in general. Long-term, inter-generational damage in the exploitation of the existing divides sometimes appears in the gutting of the US education system, diminishing access to healthcare for all those, ballooning deficits that future generations is going to be saddled down by some of the long-term consequences to be felt by this surprisingly inexpensive destabilization warfare technique. What were once cracks in the overarching national unity are becoming red line fractures in an artificially created, cold civil war. The majority are now asking the thing that was done to exploit these existing social divides? Tactic 2: Leverage digital age intersection between behavioural economics, social networking loopholes and the relative easy google search exploitation
As a digital strategist and internet based marketer I've observed that many of the tactics offered to civilians were modified being weaponized against competing nations. Boosting social networking reach on divisive posts and influencers gave fringe groups an incorrect sense that they held popular yet controversial views. Social networking has a lot of loopholes i often share to my affiliate marketer followings to allow them to get more bang for his or her buck with clients. It’s remember social media platforms’ #1 goal is usually to make you stay for the platform so long as possible so they can make ad revenue. Edge in the game by demonstrating content they are will keep yourself on a little bit longer. They are all literally designed at some level to get addictive to us. I discuss within my marketing content the different exploitation opportunties that trick these social platforms into thinking your site content is viral by fooling the algorithm they count on to distribute to users. By way of example, with less than $100 I'm able to buy 10,000 twitter followers, automatically getting 1,000 retweets and favourites on 10 posts. For $100 of paid ads on twitter, you barely have any results. That’s because Twitter under-reports bot activity as a way to convince its shareholders that website engagement is increasing. It’s not merely Twitter - Facebook, Instagram, Youtube (Google), Snapchat and in many cases Linkedin all have the same fundamental vulnerability. It has become super easy to present false social proof to just about anything. Humans are hardwired with cognitive biases which are easily and regularly exploited by social networking platforms and appearance engines to create us feel that things are more (or less) popular in comparison with really are. Increasingly we are most often getting stuck in your own social echo chambers and believe a lot of people see things similar to us. There are legitimate grievances across the US economy like job losses from globalization and artificial intelligence resulting in increased economic inequality. But Us residents were manipulated and sentiment hijacked by populist narratives to be the victim in the government, elites, experts, Democrats, Mexicans, Muslims, and foreign allies. Tactic 3: Erode Trust & Global Alliances What’s worse, not just was the thing achieved to destabilize america by facilitating the turning of the nation on itself, but also have its internal damage bleed Anti-Americanism into US-global relations. The surprise betrayal of the American-Kurd alliance could have lasting consequences on American credibility, leaving American soldiers and civilians weaker than in the past. France, the foremost and the oldest international ally of the usa, is questioning the amount it could depend on the US following the abrupt pulling individuals forces from Northern Syria without the consultations from NATO partners. As reported by the BBC, “Russia, which sees Nato being a threat towards the security, welcomes in france they president’s comments as “truthful words.”” It’s hard to say just when this second Cold War started, one thing is certain: we’re woefully prepared to defend ourselves from disinformation and still have been taught to avoid difficult political conversations.
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