It’s difficult not to think about the United States during these times. One term I’ve increasingly heard mentioned in the same breath as the USA is the rather complex word “kakistocracy.” This concept, derived from Greek, where “κάκιστος” (kakistos) means “worst” and “κράτος” (kratos) means “rule,” refers to a system of government where the least qualified and most unscrupulous individuals hold power. The term has been used to describe situations where incompetence, corruption, and self-serving motives permeate political leadership, directly undermining good governance. Understanding this concept is crucial when analyzing America’s political evolution, particularly against the backdrop of changes in recent decades, and even more so in light of recent developments. Kakistocracy appears to be an increasingly relevant concept in the American context due to the growing erosion of democratic norms and institutions, combined with intense polarization and a political culture where special interests and loyalties outweigh competence and responsibility.…
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What if we could enhance teaching, training and exercises in the practice of mitigating foreign influence and malign information, through novel training materials? That was the starting question that has brought me on a journey over the past year, form our innovation labs at RISE – Research Institutes of Sweden, in Göteborg, to training sessions with the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency, and thereafter to training sessions with the Center for Countering Desinformation in Ukraine. This is a story about what started out as a fairly straightforward concept, but over the year evolved into a powerful resource for understanding, analyzing, and countering influence campaigns—both in Sweden and beyond. The journey of the deck of cards is also a story of international collaborations, of the importance of pedagogy and design, and the way a simple idea can grow to have profound impact. Initially developed at RISE, the Research Institutes of Sweden, the…
Leave a CommentI look at the two mugs standing on my oak kitchen table, this beginning of december. One dark with Natos compass star from Riga, one white with Ukrainian folk patterns from Lviv. Through the window, the Swedish winter light grows brighter. This autumn my travels have led to cities where history is being written. Kyiv in September, Riga in October, Lviv in November. In each place, I have spoken about how artificial intelligence changes the battlefield of information. In each place, I have met people who understand what is at stake, and want to share their knowledge and work together. In Riga, at the Nato StratCom Centre of Excellence, we discussed how AI can spread lies and how it can fight them. People gathered from all over Nato to share experiences and learn together. In Lviv, the Ukrainian officials I worked with knows this isnt just theory. There, our phones…
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