With
Emerson T. Brooking
Presenting:
I. A Definition of Terms
II. TMI
III. War in the Open
IV. The War You Cannot See
V. The New Battlefield
I. A Definition of Terms
What is LikeWar?
1) A contest of psychological and
algorithmic manipulation, fought through
competing viral events
What is LikeWar?
2) A new mode of political and military
conflict, premised on the command of
attention
Disintermediation
II. TMI
Secrecy c. 1944
Secrecy c. 2011
Secrecy c. 2019
Secrecy c. 2019
Michael Sheldon, Digital Forensic Research Lab
Secrecy c. 2019
Michael Sheldon, Digital Forensic Research Lab
III. War in the Open
Theater Is Everything
Everything Is Theater
Performative Violence
All the World’s a Stage
“The street is no longer limited
to the perceptual horizon
of the person walking down it.”
- Gordon and Silva, Net Locality (2011)
Diplomacy as Theater
War as Theater
IV. The War You Cannot See
The “Russia Thing”
The Russian Revolution
“Extremist organizations actively employ modern technologies, including…the Internet, to spread extremist material, to attract new members into their ranks, and to coordinate illegal activity.” - 2013 Concept For Security of the Society
“[The principle threat is the] combined use of military force and political, economic, information, and other non-military means that are realized by extensive use of the protest potential of the population and special forces.” - 2014 Military Doctrine
Russia 2011
Ukraine 2014
The Russian Revolution The main directions of information security national defense area are: a) strategic deterrence and prevention of military Conflicts that may arise as a result of
information technologies; b) improving the provision of information system security of the Russian Federation
Armed Forces, other troops, military formations and bodies, including the strength and resources information warfare;
c) forecasting, detection and evaluation of information threats, including threats to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation the information sphere;
d) promote the protection of the interests of the Allies The Russian Federation in the information sphere;
e) neutralization of information and psychological impact, including those aimed at undermining the foundations and historical patriotic traditions associated with the defense of the fatherland.
- 2016 Information Security Doctrine
The Russian RevolutionThe main directions of information security national defense area are: a) strategic deterrence and prevention of military Conflicts that may arise as a result of
information technologies; b) improving the provision of information system security of the Russian Federation
Armed Forces, other troops, military formations and bodies, including the strength and resources information warfare;
c) forecasting, detection and evaluation of information threats, including threats to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation the information sphere;
d) promote the protection of the interests of the Allies The Russian Federation in the information sphere;
e) neutralization of information and psychological impact, including those aimed at undermining the foundations and historical patriotic traditions associated with the defense of the fatherland.
- 2016 Information Security Doctrine
“Troll Factories”
“We wrote about 200 comments and 20 news posts each day…
…I bought myself a Mazda Six.”
- Anonymous Russian Troll
War By Other Memes
On the Outside
Twitter Retweet Network Graph, #BlackLivesMatter + 2016 Shooting Events
Kate Starbird, “The Trolls Within,” October 20, 2018
On the Inside
Kate Starbird, “The Trolls Within,” October 20, 2018
Twitter Retweet Network Graph, #BlackLivesMatter + 2016 Shooting Events
(plus Russian IRA Troll Accounts)
The Goal
V. The New Battlefield
Digital Empires
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
Christianity
China
India
United States
Population (in Millions)
The Vision
The Reality
President 2.0
Through the Looking Glass
“The goal wasn’t to create an online community,
but a mirror
of what existed in real life.”
- Mark Zuckerberg, 2004
With
Emerson T. Brooking
Thank You!