Risky Bulletin Between Two Nerds: Why the West sucks at Information Warfare
4 snips
Jan 19, 2026 Tom Uren and The Grugq dive into the complex world of information warfare, exploring a landmark paper by Martin Libicki that reveals the fragmented nature of this field. They discuss a leaked recruitment tape showing how subtle propaganda is crafted in China and contrast that with Western hesitance to fund influence operations. The hosts emphasize the challenges democracies face in centralizing these efforts and highlight how societal reactions to hacks have evolved since 2016. Insights into using public intel offensively add depth to their analysis of modern information battles.
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Information Warfare Is Not One Thing
- Martin Libicki argues there is no single unified 'information warfare' because it spans disparate domains and institutions.
- Different actors treat it as separate problems, so it resists a single military-style organization.
Cyber Works Only When We Let It
- Libicki observed cybersecurity is effective only because targets choose to be vulnerable and could fix it.
- He concluded cyber effects are limited and not a substitute for kinetic power.
Blogger Exposes Paid CCP Outreach
- A Chinese commentator recorded an approach by someone claiming to recruit him for CCP external propaganda at €40,000/month.
- The blogger refused and published the conversation on YouTube, exposing the tactic.
