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The Weaponization of Postmodernism: Russia’s New War with Europe. LEQS Paper No. 146/2019 July 2019

Craik, P. B. (2019) The Weaponization of Postmodernism: Russia’s New War with Europe. LEQS Paper No. 146/2019 July 2019. [Discussion Paper]

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    Abstract

    The term ‘information war’ (IW) first came to public consciousness following the bizarre set of events surrounding Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. Since then, despite significant popular and academic interest in the topic, the nature of its deployment and the set of motivations behind it remain poorly understood. This paper seeks to address this. In it I argue that the Russian IW programme is best understood as an attempt to weaponize postmodernism. By this I intend not the aggressive advocacy of a set of intellectual postulates, but the promotion of a psychological weariness or scepticism that resembles what we might call the postmodern condition. Its aim, I argue, is to aid in the establishment of a multipolar international order, one that insulates the Putin regime against the spread of ideas disruptive to its rule at home.

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    Item Type: Discussion Paper
    Uncontrolled Keywords: Russia, Putin, European Union, information warfare, RT
    Subjects for non-EU documents: EU policies and themes > Policies & related activities > information technology policy
    Countries > Russia
    Subjects for EU documents: UNSPECIFIED
    EU Series and Periodicals: UNSPECIFIED
    EU Annual Reports: UNSPECIFIED
    Series: Series > London School of Economics and Political Science (European Institute) > LEQS Discussion Papers
    Depositing User: Phil Wilkin
    Official EU Document: No
    Language: English
    Date Deposited: 07 Feb 2020 09:50
    Number of Pages: 40
    Last Modified: 20 Mar 2020 12:53
    URI: http://aei.pitt.edu/id/eprint/102413

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