The full article titled "Reclaiming Truth: Reflexive control and Russian disinformation" was published in the Spring 2024 (Issue#33) issue of the Line of Defence Magazine (pages 26-29).
LoD Editor: "[...] an extended article exploring the Soviet concept of reflexive control. It’s a concept that provides insights into Russian approaches to psychological warfare, and – importantly – for everyone else it can inform strategies to fight against misinformation."
Extracts from the article:
"Russia leads the way in strategic nihilism, which Yale University professor Timothy Snyder describes as a deliberate strategy of seeding chaos and confusion within societies through a notion that objective truth does not exist and that all political systems are corrupt and mendacious."
[...]
"Reflexive control is a psychological concept that when applied to politics refers to the manipulating of perceptions and opinions of target societies and consequently influencing their governments’ decision-making processes."
[...]
"The security challenge of disinformation, particularly that which has been comprehensively planned and executed by the Russian state as part of their global hybrid warfare, constitutes a significant threat to societies as far away as New Zealand through undermining trust in national and international institutions and manipulating public opinion, which can influence political decision-making.
Understanding the Russian concept of reflexive control can help us to comprehend how disinformation campaigns can be designed and executed, and to develop effective strategies to counter informational invasion and preserve the integrity and cohesion of our societies."
[...]
Image: generated with AI
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