This is a reminder that author Tim Weiner will be speaking to the Substack class on Wednesday, February 15, at 3:00 EST. Paid subscribers will receive a link at noon that day. It’s not too late to enroll in the course, Democracy in the (Dis)Information Age, if you haven’t done so already! Students enrolled in the course get access to all past classes, Zoom office hours, and guest speakers. Wine & Fries subscribers get additional access to fun happy hours and occasional swag!
I am looking forward to the Tim Weimer session. By the way was reminded of your recent writing about American music /jazz in the USSR this morning on NPR they had a segment about a musician born in Moscow but now lives in USA. She referred to her Grandparents talking of Stalin outlawing listening to American Jazz and secretly distributing jazz music on old X-RAY films. Can’t make it up! Here is a link if Interested.
I love this!! My favorite quote: "Initially I found out about this history by hearing different slogans that existed in the Soviet Union. Like there's one: 'First, he's listening to jazz, and next thing he's going to sell the motherland.'"
For those who haven’t upgraded to Asha’s Wine and Fries membership, I highly recommend it! Very reasonable cost, lots of fun, with extra perks and great guests!
I don’t know what else Asha has in mind for the Wine and Fries members, but so far we have received a tote bag that has her hand-drawn diagrams, and we enjoyed a happy hour with a special ex-CIA agent guest with fun conversation on many topics. Ex-FBI agent Peter Strzok ought to be an interesting guest as he was prominently in the news. But as I said, Asha can answer your question best!
A very good and enlightening book, which I've almost completed. I had no idea of the extent of our Polish campaign, and agree that it's very suggestive for the present day.
I'm glad the author makes the connection with post WWII Italy and the enrolling of Italian Americans to help communicate with relatives back home.
WHAT'S NEEDED?
The book points out something I've seen repeatedly, esp in Richard Stengel's _Information Wars: How we Lost the Global Battle Against Disinformation_, namely the amount of self-interested careerism and turf wars between Dept of State, the Military, CIA, FBI, etc. Other books point out many initiatives that failed because the left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing. I think it calls for a structural change - some very strong and frequent (more than weekly, I think) meetings of direct reports of the department heads overseen by one cabinet level (or quasi cabinet level as in NSC) person responsible to discuss general strategies of the different branch. To the extent possible, bring siloing, petty competition, and disagreements out into the open, in a debate that affects the funding of these departments.
Modern network technology calls for disinformation to be responded to almost instantly because it can gain traction in as little as 24 hours. The "prebunking" of Russian disinformation tactics and exposing what exposing what intelligence knew about the buildup of Russian military on on the Ukrainian border was, as Asha pointed out very effective. Before a lie can get wide exposure, we need to put people who would give it subtle promotion on the spot. The ultimate use might be targeting the Russian people, to tell them "Here is RT's latest disinformation campaign" before they hear it, and "This is what it's aimed at achieving."
One specific strategy I'd like to see is to have the NTV program Ryazan Sugar - easy to find on YouTube, or the documentaries that relied heavily on it: Assassinating Russia, and Disbelief, pop up. The NTV program, was a heated discussion among residents of an apartment block in which explosives were planted in the midst of a supposed wave of Chechen apartment block bombings and Russian officials. Very ordinary seeming Russians hotly contesting the official explanations of what happened, which kept changing. Many sources say little the apartment bombings, and either accept that they were Chechen (father than FSB/KGB) terrorism, or suggest there's some doubt about what happened, but all the accounts I've read that examine it in detail point to the likelihood that the FSB did the bombing to create a situation where Russians felt endangered and the little-known Putin could look like a savior, and thank his sponsors Yeltsin and "family" by making them immune to prosecution for their corruption.
If everything that was supposed to have made Putin a hero is shown to be the opposite of what it looks like, combined with everything else people are suffering due to the war, it might bring about a tipping point in public opinion.
Asha, Today’s Tim Weimer discussion was fantastic !! I got a lot out of it and enjoyed Tim’s recounting of some Cold War history I remember well. Thanks for putting this all together. You are a true gem!!
I am looking forward to the Tim Weimer session. By the way was reminded of your recent writing about American music /jazz in the USSR this morning on NPR they had a segment about a musician born in Moscow but now lives in USA. She referred to her Grandparents talking of Stalin outlawing listening to American Jazz and secretly distributing jazz music on old X-RAY films. Can’t make it up! Here is a link if Interested.
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/13/1156477701/violinists-album-honors-the-underground-effort-to-keep-jazz-alive-after-stalins
I love this!! My favorite quote: "Initially I found out about this history by hearing different slogans that existed in the Soviet Union. Like there's one: 'First, he's listening to jazz, and next thing he's going to sell the motherland.'"
Terrific speakers, Asha!
Asha, excellent speakers!
Pete Strzok for Wine and Fries members!!!
For those who haven’t upgraded to Asha’s Wine and Fries membership, I highly recommend it! Very reasonable cost, lots of fun, with extra perks and great guests!
I'm tempted, but conflicted due to current poverty. What perks other than the speakers and "swag"?
I don’t know what else Asha has in mind for the Wine and Fries members, but so far we have received a tote bag that has her hand-drawn diagrams, and we enjoyed a happy hour with a special ex-CIA agent guest with fun conversation on many topics. Ex-FBI agent Peter Strzok ought to be an interesting guest as he was prominently in the news. But as I said, Asha can answer your question best!
A very good and enlightening book, which I've almost completed. I had no idea of the extent of our Polish campaign, and agree that it's very suggestive for the present day.
I'm glad the author makes the connection with post WWII Italy and the enrolling of Italian Americans to help communicate with relatives back home.
WHAT'S NEEDED?
The book points out something I've seen repeatedly, esp in Richard Stengel's _Information Wars: How we Lost the Global Battle Against Disinformation_, namely the amount of self-interested careerism and turf wars between Dept of State, the Military, CIA, FBI, etc. Other books point out many initiatives that failed because the left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing. I think it calls for a structural change - some very strong and frequent (more than weekly, I think) meetings of direct reports of the department heads overseen by one cabinet level (or quasi cabinet level as in NSC) person responsible to discuss general strategies of the different branch. To the extent possible, bring siloing, petty competition, and disagreements out into the open, in a debate that affects the funding of these departments.
Modern network technology calls for disinformation to be responded to almost instantly because it can gain traction in as little as 24 hours. The "prebunking" of Russian disinformation tactics and exposing what exposing what intelligence knew about the buildup of Russian military on on the Ukrainian border was, as Asha pointed out very effective. Before a lie can get wide exposure, we need to put people who would give it subtle promotion on the spot. The ultimate use might be targeting the Russian people, to tell them "Here is RT's latest disinformation campaign" before they hear it, and "This is what it's aimed at achieving."
One specific strategy I'd like to see is to have the NTV program Ryazan Sugar - easy to find on YouTube, or the documentaries that relied heavily on it: Assassinating Russia, and Disbelief, pop up. The NTV program, was a heated discussion among residents of an apartment block in which explosives were planted in the midst of a supposed wave of Chechen apartment block bombings and Russian officials. Very ordinary seeming Russians hotly contesting the official explanations of what happened, which kept changing. Many sources say little the apartment bombings, and either accept that they were Chechen (father than FSB/KGB) terrorism, or suggest there's some doubt about what happened, but all the accounts I've read that examine it in detail point to the likelihood that the FSB did the bombing to create a situation where Russians felt endangered and the little-known Putin could look like a savior, and thank his sponsors Yeltsin and "family" by making them immune to prosecution for their corruption.
If everything that was supposed to have made Putin a hero is shown to be the opposite of what it looks like, combined with everything else people are suffering due to the war, it might bring about a tipping point in public opinion.
Asha, Today’s Tim Weimer discussion was fantastic !! I got a lot out of it and enjoyed Tim’s recounting of some Cold War history I remember well. Thanks for putting this all together. You are a true gem!!
I'll bring this up in the convo! We will also have time for Q&A