CogWar

In this episode of COGWAR, hosts Raymond and James explore the political economy of influence and counter-FIMI (Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference) institutions. Continuing from Part 1, they dissect a Swedish report on Russia's Operation Double Ganger, a leaked influence campaign by the Social Design Agency. Critiquing it as a "Western liberal document" with inherent biases and blin...

In this thought-provoking first installment of a two-part series, hosts dive deep into the myths and realities of free speech, influence systems, and the digital battlegrounds shaping our world. Kicking off with a poignant quote from philosopher Ivan Illich on how technology disrupts the "commons" of silence, the episode challenges simplistic notions of democracy and unrestricted expression. Hoste...

In this episode of Cog War, titled "Eating the Elephant: Conceptualising Disorder," hosts James and Raymond reflect on a recent workshop at Lancaster University exploring the new world order, or disorder. Drawing from military theories like cognitive warfare, reflective control, and unrestricted warfare, they critique gaps in the field: the lack of institutional coordination against cross-domain a...

In this episode, hosts Raymond and James continue their deep dive from Part 1, exploring the nuanced political and economic implications of cryptography, client-side scanning (CSS), and its broader societal impacts. They emphasize that the technical arguments from Part 1 (regarding challenges and the tension between privacy and government access) still stand, but warn against a simplistic black-an...

In this episode of Cog War , hosts Raymond and James dive into the complex and contentious topic of the "Crypto Wars," focusing on the EU's proposed Regulation to Prevent and Combat Child Sex Abuse , often referred to as "chat control" or client-side scanning. This regulation, driven by the Danish presidency of the European Parliament, aims to address serious issues like Child Sexual Abuse Materia...

In this episode of CogWar, we delve into "The Infrastructure of Reason," exploring how media, disinformation rubrics, and state-controlled narratives shape our thinking and national identities. Drawing on Orwell vs. Huxley, Neil Postman's insights, and Ernest Renan's views on collective memory, we examine the frictionless spread of propaganda, like Israel's Hasbara strategies, and the double binds...

In this episode of CogWAR, the hosts from Norway and England compare their countries' approaches to social cohesion and disinformation, focusing on the UK's 2024 Khan Review and Norway's disinformation strategies. The discussion explores how attention drives cognitive warfare, affecting both the public and politicians. Key points include: Attention and Cognitive Vulnerabilities: Politicians, like...

In Episode 3 of Cog War, hosts Raymond and James delve into the essence of security amid cognitive warfare and disinformation. Drawing on Graham Smith's paper "Into Cerberus's Lair," they use the Cerberus metaphor to frame security as a guardian of societal values and boundaries. Discussions span Norwegian cultural tools like Dugnad and Janteloven for building shared realities, trust erosion in me...

In this episode, hosts Raymond and James dive into Norway’s new strategy for building resilience against disinformation from 2025 to 2030. They explore its five key areas: enhancing critical media literacy, holding social media accountable, strengthening editorial media, advancing research, and improving government coordination. With a focus on Norway’s unique cultural strengths and the challenges...

What is cognitive warfare, and why should you care? In this opening episode, Raymond Hagen and Dr. James Wright dissect the evolving battlefield of minds, not missiles. From China’s “Unrestricted Warfare” to Russia’s reflexive control, we explore how narratives, trust, and perception are being weaponized. Is this just about elections and disinformation, or is the entire information ecosystem at st...