ÜLEILMNE TEADMISTESÕDA, STRATEEGILINE ETTEKUJUTUS, EBAKINDLUS JA HIRM

GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE WARFARE, STRATEGIC IMAGINATION, UNCERTAINTY, AND FEAR

Abstract

The modern security environment has been constantly changing in the recent years. The wars of tomorrow will no longer necessarily be a conventional confrontation between two armies on restricted battlefields to which we are historically accustomed, but rather a battle between competing narratives, supported by a limited number of special military operations. Instead of human lives, the target of modern information warfare will be knowledge, and strategic imagination will be the method for creatively and critically assessing possible scenarios of new security threats. This new situation could be called Global War of Knowledge; its strategic goal would be to affect the emotions of an opponent, create cultures of fear and insecurity around them, and make them behave irrationally. We are increasingly confronted with psychological warfare, but also with ideological warfare that has been successfully applied by revisionist powers whose strategic goals are related with the changing status quo (Russia, China, Iran, etc.). Information warfare conducted by revisionist powers is aimed at weakening the foundations of the Western liberal democratic society. The Internet and social media networks are turning into a promising battleground in the Global War of Knowledge. Digitalised communication tools are skilfully used, especially for manipulating national and international public opinions. Using examples of apparent troll activities on the web, the authors discuss prospective methods in the Global Knowledge Warfare, among others, targeting democratic elections, targeting public opinion, attacking the reputation of public figures, creating chaos, building historical myths, promoting own leaders’ images, insulting Western liberal values, scorning key government policies, and exaggerating difficulties.