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The Method to Putin’s Lies — Why So Many in Russia Believe Him
False and misleading claims have always been a part of politics. They function as a useful political tool in a world where media attention can only entertain a limited amount of topics at any given moment.
While some politicians have resorted to purposefully false arguments in order to bolster support for their campaigns, others are an unfortunate product of their time and reality; in a society in which empirical evidence, complex studies and nuance are giving way to the latest headlines, politicians follow suit.
The war in Ukraine is by no means the first in which information warfare features prominently, but it is arguably the first in which the tools of the digital age are fully brought to bear amongst major geopolitical players, and with corresponding major geopolitical implications.
So, here I will examine Vladimir Putin’s modus operandi with regard to disinformation and the implications of his attempts to sow discord in Ukraine and the West.
In order to sow divisions in society, Putin has utilized what has been dubbed a “firehose of falsehoods.” This does not necessarily portray fake claims as true, but instead spreads enough false discourse into the media space to make it difficult to distinguish between true and false statements.
