Time to counter China’s ‘soft power’ influence ops
The Chinese Communist Party’s covert campaign of influence in Australia, exposed in a series of articles and “Power and Influence,” (above) set off a domestic debate about just how wary… Read more »
Author Archives: DemDigest
Western Balkans double standard and malign foreign influence spur extremism
There’s a double standard in the Western Balkans, according to analysts Jelena Beslin and Marija Ignjatijevic. Governments in the region generally equate violent extremism with Islamist radicalization and local youths… Read more »
Russia’s test lab for cyberwar: social media ‘democratize propaganda’
In Russia’s shadow, the decades-old nightmare of hackers stopping the gears of modern society has become a reality in Ukraine, Andy Greenberg writes for Wired: And the blackouts weren’t just… Read more »
Foreign aid’s soft power ‘will send ISIS to same grave as communism’?
Foreign assistance is an essential asset in addressing such vital national security interests as countering violent extremism, argues former US Senator Kelly Ayotte. Democracy assistance programs supported by the State… Read more »
‘Reckless Exploit’ – Mexican journalists, activists targeted by spyware
Mexican journalists, lawyers and activists were targeted by spyware that is sold exclusively to governments, according to an internet watchdog group’s investigation published Monday, AP reports: Titled “Reckless Exploit,” the… Read more »
How to combat disinformation without falling into trap of counter-propaganda
The recent decision by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to ban popular Russian social networks VKontakte (VK) and Odnoklassniki, on May 15 (see EDM, June 7), provoked serious debate both inside Ukraine… Read more »
Helmut Kohl’s lessons for the West
Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl will be remembered by many as a giant of epochal times that remade Europe’s political architecture, dismantled the minefields and watchtowers of the Iron Curtain… Read more »
Southeast Europe: strengthen democracy to counter malign foreign influence
US withdrawal from the Balkans, mainly due to the absence of a consistent foreign policy agenda, has created a vacuum of leadership that other political actors are trying to assume…. Read more »
What democratic renewal looks like?
Emmanuel Macron, the new French president, is about to achieve something extraordinary: His brand-new centrist party, Republic on the Move, is on track to win a sweeping, unprecedented majority… Read more »
Vietnam: No Country for Human Rights Activists
Vietnamese bloggers and rights activists are being beaten, threatened, and intimidated with impunity, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today: The Vietnamese government should order an end to… Read more »