the information tool

are we wielding it correctly?

The four important categories of instruments a society has are diplomatic (country-to-country conversations, discussions on treaties, demarches, and the like), military, informational, and economic. After all these years, I lean towards informational as the hardest for Americans to use effectively not because we lack resources to get the world out but because a free society has so many outlets for information whether aimed at home or abroad.

The means of information come in many categories. It can be governmental or non-governmental, truthful or disinformation to shape decisions, malicious or even in its ‘temperament’, accurate and inaccurate (differentiated from truthful in that inaccurate information does not have to be government driven, though it can be. Bad information just happens some times. There are actually events called accidents.), and wide-spread or closely held. Information can include official documents issued for a policy, press statements, congressional testimony, government reports, judicial branch decisions, and archival information. On the non-governmental side, the private media stories, reports, not-for-profit and academic studies, and ‘special’ transfer of information to the public on a website or network. These lists merely scratches the surface as in a democracy the freedom of speech is more highly cherished than any other freedom for most people. The other freedoms flow from speech in many ways.

The ways that information spreads can also occur through a multitude of approaches. Traditional outlets, online services, ‘dark web’ information, conferences, and an even longer list of ways we disseminate information makes is ubiquitous in this age. Domestic information can confuse international and visa-versa.

And therein lies the problem that worries me today. We are failing profoundly at addressing the disinformation problem. I didn’t need to hear an exceptionally chilling William and Mary student’s year long investigation a week ago to figure this out but it was a harsh reminder of what has taken root in our society.

Disinformation has become synonymous with ‘fake news’ which is an element of the issue. I won’t rehash all of that we have learned about the dangers of social media over the past several years, such as repeating outright lies or skewing and shading facts. I also am not talking about the willful decision—and there do appear people willingly flagging this point purely for personal advantage rather than because of societal fears— many citizens have taken to reject traditional news outlets altogether although I personally find it inexplicable.

There is a decided and serious divide between news not being legitimate and news not aligning with our individual partisan preferences. Opinion is not fact nor are political views necessarily truth reflections of existing conditions. They simply are not. That distinction between actual events and partisan preferences is real but has eroded dramatically over the past decade. This concern also allows many people to abandon trust in anyone else, regardless of the evidence. We no longer know how to follow a logic trail, preferring to pursue our long-held views over eveidence they might be factually and demonstrable incorrect. Instead, far too many of us—right and left but especially on the right—are in this surreal world where we ignore what we don’t like but act as cheerleaders for that which appeals to our preferences.

This is contributing substantially to driving radical hate groups underground where they are primarily speak with like-minded haters. Our inability to break through to deter violent extremists from expanding their cell memberships based on mutual misinformation and hatreds leaves open the door to violence spilling out into society and the world. How often do we remind ourselves that Timothy McVey, the man who brought down the Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April 1995, was a violent extremist with similarly ideas to many who we will find on line today?

Just over a decade ago, U.S. officials became aware of and acted upon Islamic violent extremists recruiting over the internet. We still know Islamic cause in that violent extremism exists under the west Africa but I suspect our homegrown groups now exceed those in Africa or the Middle East. Fed by paranoia, a sense of disenfranchise, rejection, and isolation within society, these groups are particularly prone to accept unbelievably fantastical disinformation yet we are not doing much to stop this or any of the other disinformation.

Why is this so important? With a vast governmental apparatus, the United States has too many voices in government promoting shades of policy yet without a coherent understanding that how our panoply of voices are reinforcing the problem.. Put otherwise, these groups seek the very types of distinctions we see across government to assure their internal belief is correct that government lies ably, constantly, and compellingly. That government—regardless of party— doesn’t seem able (or willing) to clarify differences between news sources further proves their point as more ‘fake news’ rather than different interpretations of the same information. Those differences illustrate a freedom of speech exercised through the free press we cherish but violent extremists contort those facts to see alternative, malevolent explanations for differences, for the role of the press, for the need to quash those of differing persuasions, and worse.

I am not advocating a single information cabinet post or tsar; that is not the American way nor would it be successful. But I am keen to figure what we can do to address this problem because it affects us at home and abroad. We are not aggressive enough in countering missteps in our presentations or inconsistencies in messaging, whether it’s on Taiwan, on China, on Russia, on Namibia, or Chicago. Perhaps we are too concerned with spokespeople who are deft at putting out the message but not at assuring it’s the most accurate message. We just put out too many differing responses that others delight in picking apart. These things matter.

What do you think about this topic? Where do you see information as a priority within this society? Where does it matter if we don’t assure access to clarity and accuracy? How can we change violent extremists’ minds beyond cartoonish infomercials on the topic, leading them to turn off to anyone criticising them? Do you see this undermining our global role in any ways?

Thank you for considering these concerns in ACC. I thank you for reading this column, especially if you send me feedback. Thank the subscribers who are invaluable.

Have a good weekend outdoors planting or watching the Kentucky Derby or however you savour your time.

Be well and be safe. FIN