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AllAfrica
16 hours ago
- Health
- AllAfrica
Cog war's glaring and growing legal blind spot
Imagine waking up to the news that a deadly new strain of flu has emerged in your city. Health officials are downplaying it, but social media is flooded with contradictory claims from 'medical experts' debating its origin and severity. Hospitals are filled with patients showing flu-like symptoms, preventing other patients from accessing care and ultimately leading to deaths. It gradually emerges that a foreign adversary orchestrated this panic by planting false information – such as the strain having a very high death rate. Yet despite the casualties, no rules define this as an act of war. This is cognitive warfare, or cog war for short, where the cognitive domain is used on battlefields or in hostile attacks below the threshold of war. A classical example of cog war is a concept called 'reflexive control' – an art refined by Russia over many decades. It involves shaping an adversary's perceptions to your own benefit without them understanding that they have been manipulated. In the context of the Ukraine conflict, this has included narratives about historical claims to Ukrainian land and portraying the west as morally corrupt. Cog war serves to gain advantage over an adversary by targeting attitudes and behaviour at the individual, group or population level. It is designed to modify perceptions of reality, making 'human cognition shaping' into a critical realm of warfare. It is therefore a weapon in a geopolitical battle that plays out by interactions across human minds rather than across physical realms. Because cog war can be waged without the physical damage regulated by the current laws of war, it exists in a legal vacuum. But that doesn't mean it cannot ultimately incite violence based on false information or cause injury and death by secondary effects. The notion that war is essentially a mental contest, where cognitive manipulation is central, harks back to the strategist Sun Tzu (fifth century BC), author of The Art of War. Today, the online domain is the main arena for such operations. The digital revolution has allowed ever-more tailored content to play into biases mapped through our digital footprint, which is called 'microtargeting.' Machine intelligence can even feed us targeted content without ever taking a picture or recording a video. All it takes is a well-designed AI prompt, supporting bad actors' predefined narrative and goals, while covertly misleading the audience. Such disinformation campaigns increasingly reach into the physical domain of the human body. In the war in Ukraine, we see continued cog war narratives. These include allegations that the Ukrainian authorities were concealing or purposefully inciting cholera outbreaks. Allegations of US-supported bioweapons labs also formed part of false-flag justifications for Russia's full-scale invasion. During Covid, false information led to deaths when people refused protective measures or used harmful remedies to treat it. Some narratives during the pandemic were driven as part of a geopolitical battle. While the US engaged in covert information operations, Russian and Chinese state-linked actors coordinated campaigns that used AI-generated social media personas and microtargeting to shape opinions at the level of communities and individuals. Fake image of Donald Trump being arrested. Image: Wikipedia The capability of microtargeting may evolve rapidly as methods for brain-machine coupling become more proficient at collecting data on cognition patterns. Ways of providing a better interface between machines and the human brain range from advanced electrodes that you can put on your scalp to virtual reality goggles with sensory stimulation for a more immersive experience. DARPA's Next-Generation Nonsurgical Neurotechnology (N3) program illustrates how these devices may become capable of reading from and writing to multiple points in the brain simultaneously . However, these tools might also be hacked or fed poisoned data as a part of future information manipulation or psychological disruption strategies. Directly linking the brain to the digital world in this way will erode the line between the information domain and the human body in a way never done before. Traditional laws of war assume physical force such as bombs and bullets as the primary concern, leaving cognitive warfare in a legal grey zone. Is psychological manipulation an 'armed attack' that justifies self-defence under the UN charter? Currently, no clear answer exists. A state actor could potentially use health disinformation to create mass casualties in another country without formally starting a war. Similar gaps exist in situations where war, as we traditionally see it, is actually ongoing. Here, cog war can blur the line between permitted military deception (ruses of war) and prohibited perfidy. Imagine a humanitarian vaccination program secretly collecting DNA, while covertly used by military forces to map clan-based insurgent networks. This exploitation of medical trust would constitute perfidy under humanitarian law – but only if we start recognizing such manipulative tactics as part of warfare. So, what can be done to protect us in this new reality? First, we need to rethink what 'threats' mean in modern conflict. The UN charter already outlaws 'threats to use force' against other nations, but this makes us stuck in a mindset of physical threats. When a foreign power floods your media with false health alerts designed to create panic, isn't that threatening your country just as effectively as a military blockade? While this issue was recognized as early as 2017 by the groups of experts who drafted the Tallinn Manual on cyberwarfare (Rule 70), our legal frameworks haven't caught up. Second, we must acknowledge that psychological harm is real harm. When we think about war injuries, we picture physical wounds. But post-traumatic stress disorder has long been recognised as a legitimate war injury – so why not the mental health effects of targeted cognitive operations? Finally, traditional laws of war might not be enough – we should look to human rights frameworks for solutions. These already include protections for freedom of thought, freedom of opinion and prohibitions against war propaganda that could shield civilians from cognitive attacks. States have obligations to uphold these rights both within their territory and abroad. The use of increasingly sophisticated tactics and technologies to manipulate cognition and emotion poses one of the most insidious threats to human autonomy in our time. Only by adapting our legal frameworks to this challenge can we foster societal resilience and equip future generations to confront the crises and conflicts of tomorrow. David Gisselsson Nord is professor, Division of Clinical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University and Alberto Rinaldi is postdoctoral researcher in human rights and humanitarian law, Lund University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Observer
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Skilful negotiation is the need of the hour
Every student who has ever attended a mock United Nations knows this – negotiations are never zero-sum games with all or nothing gains and losses. As the word suggests, negotiation itself means to talk and arrive at the best possible outcome for the parties involved. In today's uncertain time of international and regional conflicts, negotiations are the need of the hour. The word 'negotiate' originates from the Latin word 'negotiari', meaning "to do business or trade', although the act of negotiation goes further back than its Latin roots. According to researcher John Graham, humans used 'collective imaginations and their long-term relationships to survive and develop even better ways to live'. An important early text on negotiation is the famous treatise 'The Art of War' by the Chinese Sun Tzu. In it, the skills of understanding the opposition, the art of listening, building rapport, and reaching a compromise are seen to be essential when interacting at a negotiating table. Later works of the Indian strategist Chanakya and the Italian Machiavelli similarly emphasised prioritising one's state above all, and maintaining open information corridors throughout any confrontation. In the 20th century, businesses have focused on conducting negotiations to get a better economic or trade deal. The impactful book 'Never Split the Difference' by Chris Voss outlines the various stages of negotiations and comments on important points of 'identifying the black swan' and 'creating the illusion of control' as central to this powerful conversation. In the geostrategic world, negotiation is key to sustaining relationships between nation-states. There are many historical examples where the right people have signed off on the right deal and saved the suffering of a mass of humanity. These include the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, which re-created the map of Europe, and the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which recognised the United States. The Korean Armistice of 1953 effectively ended the Korean War, and the Taif Agreement of 1989 united competing Lebanese factions. All of these agreements followed intense negotiations between warring parties but eventually introduced a peaceful era, however marred by sporadic violence. According to those in the business of political negotiations, there are crucial factors to consider before finalising a political treaty. Dr Kastner, a professor of international law, suggests that four factors are central to successful negotiation: having clear stakeholders, a trusted mediator, and identifying the right time when all parties concerned are ready. The fourth criterion is the most important. It clarifies that negotiators need to understand the concept of the peace to which they are aiming. Peace could be seen in different ways by all parties. While most of us understand it as the end of conflict, this is rarely the case. Most often, negotiations point to potential peace in the long run, but they set the stage for it. With Oman as a central negotiator in the current regional conflict, the complexities of negotiations need to be understood by even the layperson, so that the aspiration for peace is mutually understood by all stakeholders, which includes everybody who is impacted by regional political strife. Sandhya Rao Mehta The writer is an Associate Professor, Sultan Qaboos University
USA Today
14-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Payton Pritchard on how ancient philosophy helps his offense with the Boston Celtics
Backup Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard might not strike you as a bookworm. But if you guard him on the court, you might find yourself being stricken in the chest with his shoulder to create space for his offense, inflected by what he read in an all-time classic tome. Speaking in a recent interview with the Celtics Chronicle's Adam Taylor, the Celtics guard opened up about his increased use of aggressive contact to create space for his game -- and how a reading suggestion helped him execute it at an elite level. "That's something I've worked a lot on," said Pritchard. "Being a smaller guard, you've got to find ways to create separation." "I studied guys who are great at using their body and not avoiding contact but using it to your advantage," added the Oregon native. "It's become a part of my game that I lean on more and more." As to where he turned for inspiration for the newfound bellicose style of play for Pritchard, the University of Oregon alum offered up a surprising source. "One of my coaches also recommended I read The Art of War, which got me into the mindset," he explained. The book in question, dating from the fifth century B.P. and written in ancient China by renowned military strategist and philosopher Sun Tzu, is not light reading nor vaguely related to the sport of basketball, which it predates by roughly the same amount of time as the start of the Roman Empire in the west. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle But it is held as an example of timeless strategy in any sort of conflict that has been bent to everything from actual battlefields to corporate boardrooms, and Pritchard's deployment of it to his own improvement of a player is nothing short of intriguing. If he is looking for a new read to prime him for a challenging season ahead with Boston while Jayson Tatum nurses his torn Achilles back to health, we recommend "Letters from a Stoic" by Seneca.
IOL News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
MKP, EFF Unity: Is It Time for Another Cup of Tea?
MKP President Jacob Zuma and EFF CIC Julius Malema enjoying a cup of tea at a meeting held in Nkandla on February 5, 2021. Instead of challenging the dominance of the GNU, the EFF and the MK have become entangled in a web of personal and political rivalry, mistrust, and internal strife, says the writer. Image: EFF/Twitter Kim Heller The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) dare not betray their revolutionary mission as the ANC has done. The EFF and MK, together with smaller black progressive parties, could well be the last hope for economic liberation and historical justice in South Africa. The ANC government, once the dream catcher for black South Africans, has failed to end the dark nightmare of structural racism, inequality and economic exclusion. The majority of South Africa's people are desperate. The dream of liberation and justice cannot be deferred yet again, lest it is lost forever. The ever-uncertain gambit of politics saw the ANC lose its majority in the 2024 elections. It was a well-deserved loss, for the ruling party has failed and forsaken the masses. In The Art of War, Sun Tzu writes about the need to seize the moment and teaches that amid chaos lies opportunities. EFF and MK have yet to seize the moment. If they do not do so, the cries of ordinary people seeking salvation from their daily battles against joblessness, landlessness, and poverty will remain unanswered, and the country could tumble furiously towards total collapse. The electoral defeat was no wake-up call for the ANC. In its political slumber, it has been desperate to market the GNU as a win for democracy rather than as an unprecedented loss for the ANC and economic liberation. Progressive black parties need to find a common cause and expose the fatal fault lines of the GNU, its uneasy mesh of irreconcilable ideological contradictions and backward agenda. But instead of challenging the dominance of the GNU, the EFF and the MK have become entangled in a web of personal and political rivalry, mistrust, and internal strife. This damages prospects for tactical and strategic unity. There is nothing revolutionary in personal and political upmanship. Both the EFF and the MK are astute enough to know that liberation is not a competitive sport, the exclusive trademark of political leaders, or the province of any political party. In his book, One Azania, One Nation, Black consciousness scholar Neville Alexander emphasises how joint tactical campaigns and collaboration do not constitute ideological surrender, fusion, or compromise. The EFF demonstrated this in their compact with the DA in Gauteng in 2015. It utilised this tactical relationship to advance pro-black, pro-poor budgets and outcomes, as well as insourcing and service delivery to underserviced areas. It is not too late for tactical engagement and programmes between the EFF, MK and other progressive forces. The PAC may be tempted to reevaluate whether its easy acquiescence with right-wing partners within the GNU is not irrevocably tarnishing the impeccable legacy of Robert Sobukwe or damaging its future revolutionary wingspan. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The willingness of progressive forces to work in unison at this moment, irrespective of longer-term strategic differences, will determine a new matrix of political power in South Africa for years to come. It will also impact on their fates and fortunes. The EFF is still a work in progress. The EFF's electoral blow, which saw the party dip to just 9.5% of the national vote has prompted introspection. The departure of Deputy President, Floyd Shivambu cannot continue to overshadow or cloud the EFF's focus on organisational recalibration. Hackneyed parliamentary objections and walkouts are obscuring the solid and steady work executed by the party in Parliaments and legislatures across the country. This includes EFF's potent challenge of the paralysing VAT increases and the party's legal challenge to the fuel increase which represent material wins for ordinary South Africans. Similarly, the recent insourcing of public service workers in Tshwane is a meaningful victory. It is on the crest of its ability to deliver a better life for ordinary people that the EFF will recover from its electoral and leadership losses. The fortunes of the MK are difficult to predict. The Zuma factor was completely underestimated. Great expectations for the MK party after its strong birth cry and outstanding electoral performance have tempered due to a lack of organisational cohesion and a disruptive gamble of musical chairs. The party needs to stabilise and showcase its leadership pedigree and mettle in Parliament and solidify its vision for the future if it wants to be a party of gravitas rather than grievance. The ambiguity of its dual ANC-MK membership provision creates confusion and uncertainty and may scare off progressive alliances and voters. Time is running out. Political leaders must never forget that the revolution belongs to the people and that political parties and leaders are merely servants. Petty party-political rivalries must never be placed ahead of the grand mission for economic justice and transformation. A new era of politics is upon us. Whether the progressive forces can seize this moment and boldly influence the future trajectory of power relations in South Africa is in their hands. To join hands on critical tactical projects which will strengthen democracy, raise the voice for the voiceless in Parliament and benefit the people of South Africa is the very least we should expect of progressive politicians. Both the EFF and the MK have been game-changers and kingmakers in South African politics. They must now lead the charge in reviving hope and radical focus, disrupting neoliberal hegemony and stopping the master plan of the DA to entrench its structural power over the plains of South Africa. For now, a tactical pact is necessary to help address the unfinished business of Black liberation. When the love of the people trumps personal or political hatred or dispute, everyone wins. * Kim Heller is a political analyst and author of No White Lies: Black Politics and White Power in South Africa. ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.
Tatler Asia
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
Home tour: Inside Bar Leone boss Lorenzo Antinori's new Hong Kong home
The layout is unusual—'basically a massive living room', as he describes it—with plenty of space to host friends. 'For the first time, I can have a communal dining table [at home] and invite friends over; the space definitely has this very liveable sort of vibe,' he says. Everywhere you turn, there are treasures to be spotted. Posters of Wong Kar-wai's seminal 2000 film In the Mood For Love ('my favourite Hong Kong movie') and the 1968 sci-fi classic 2001: A Space Odyssey ('Stanley Kubrick is one of my favourite directors') are part of a collection of framed prints in the living area. A shelf acts as a divider between the space and the bedroom. It houses both books—one volume is an Italian translation of The Art of War by Sun Tzu, the Chinese military text dating back to the 5th century BC that Antinori says offers advice applicable for modern-day business—and paintings by family members; several relatives on his mother's side of the family are artists. By his bed are photos of his parents and a frame depicting a religious icon, a gift from his mother, who's a devout Catholic. 'I'm very close to my family—wherever I have lived, in Hong Kong or South Korea, I always have [these items].' Don't miss: Home tour: Inside an Italian farmhouse-inspired retreat in Happy Valley, Hong Kong Above Antinori with 'The Savoy Cocktail Book'—he worked at the famed London hotel's American Bar—and 'The South American Gentleman's Companion', a cocktail guide originally published in 1951 (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) Above A close-up of knick-knacks in the home (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) Antinori wanted to give the home what he calls a vintage, nostalgic edge. Some of his favourite things—art, film, music—come from the Seventies. His favourite movie, the 1997 indie flick Boogie Nights, is set in the era, and its aesthetics strongly inspired his decorating choices. 'I love the Seventies—they were a cool time because pop culture was extremely loud and visually impactful,' he says. 'There are a lot of elements from that period that I tried to bring into this space.' That influence is evident in the palette: think burnt orange, forest green and acrylic accents. Above Lorenzo Antinori (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) Above A view of the coffee in the dining room (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) A neon sign that reads 'Bar Leone' lights up the space with a bright tangerine hue; the sofas are in the same shade; a Tiffany-style stained glass lamp, an emulation of the prized originals produced by the American artist and designer Louis Comfort Tiffany in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with green, orange and yellow glass, glows softly in the corner. Now read: Step inside 3 Hong Kong chefs' and restaurateurs' kitchens at home Above Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong Above A close-up of books in the home (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong) Antinori has applied the same design philosophy behind his bar to his home. 'We wanted Bar Leone to be a nostalgic space, almost like a trip back to a time in the past. We got a lot of references from the Seventies and Eighties. That's why some people feel like it has been there for a while. When I was thinking about this space, it was the same idea.' He wanted the home to feel 'a little bit chaotic', he adds, 'almost like it's coming out of a movie by [ Boogie Nights ' director] Paul Thomas Anderson or Wes Anderson.' To bring this vision to life, he enlisted Tiffany Kwan, founder of the interior design firm Studio TK, who also worked with him on Bar Leone. Above Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong Above Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong We wanted Bar Leone to be almost like a trip back to a time in the past. When I was thinking about this space, it was the same idea - Lorenzo Antinori - Above Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong After finally settling in, there are still 'a few other pieces that I need to put up'. A home is a place where one never stands still, he says. 'It's almost a dynamic place. I will always think of new elements that I want to introduce.' Much like the bar, the home has become a reflection of Antinori's personality. 'Bar Leone is a very personal project. I managed to fill it with things that I love, the things that remind me of home, the things that are connected to my roots. It's the same here; there are certain pieces that I have had in my apartment in Rome with my family, like the religious icon by my bed, the books, frames and prints. 'I think it's important to preserve this element of heritage that showcases our background and who we are. Otherwise, we just live in an empty box.'
