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“Three lessons from 1921 run through everything below. A conspiracy theory does not need to be true, only useful. Debunking it does not end it. And Russia’s security services understood both points more than a century ago.”—Matthew Pearce
Please join us on Sunday as NAFO founding member, Matthew Pearce, explains how “the most influential conspiracy theory of the twentieth century was made in Russia and given its biggest push in Britain.”
In addition, he will illustrate how “Moscow did not invent most of these theories, and doesn’t need to. It has a long habit of riding ones that already exist.”
I call that the ‘long screwdriver,’ a term I learned from Keir Giles, how unhealed ancient hatreds and long ago disproven conspiracies are exploited by bad actors seeing an opportunity to reach in with a long screwdriver and turn up the volume.
Here is the post from Matthew we will be discussing:
Some of the most important work being done in this moment comes from activists committed to applying their areas of expertise to the fight for democracy and democratic values.
Among them is Pearce, a UK-based economist, technologist and NAFO veteran, who worked with me on this devastating report:
NAFO — North Atlantic Fella Organization — is a pro-Ukrainian decentralized fund-raising group of volunteers who accidentally reinvented information warfare.
At his The Angry Dogs Substack, Pearce reports on the cost of disinformation, the pipeline from Moscow to the West Wing and Whitehall, and how the world set itself on fire.
As Matthew offers us clarity on the conspiracy economy, we can continue arming ourselves with knowledge to focus the fight ahead.
Please join us on Sunday, and if you are not yet a paid member, please consider upgrading.
More about Matthew Pearce here:
Matthew Pearce is founding member of NAFO, a founder of SE42 Labs Technology and AI Research Company; a writer for Washington Outsider Centre for Information Warfare; a writer for theangrydogs.com; and a stakeholder in the UK government Rycroft Report into foreign interference in British politics.
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