Category: Culture

“Actions are dictated by decisions, decisions are based on perceptions, and perceptions are subject to manipulation. That is the basis of the Perception Wars.” Alex Hollings’ Perception Wars describes how foreign governments are trying to shape American public opinion by manipulating their perceptions. Hollings singles out Russia and China and their ongoing information operations (IO) on […]

Many people tend to think of Russian influence campaigns as overt forms of messaging that are easily discerned by the well-informed audience. The truth of the matter is, however, Russian influence comes in many forms — and most often, from Americans themselves that share narratives that are in keeping with their own sense of political […]

Rational economics says females largely invest time and money in dating males who are rich, handsome, have big muscles, are sweaty with an average crop of facial hair. (Take these findings with a grain of salt). Identity economics says females chase those males who have qualities their society praises. So, say your society’s into warriors […]

The social sciences are sometimes looked down upon by those who practice so called hard science, such as physics or chemistry, as being something of a pseudo-science.  Granted, I may be biased as I majored in political science myself, but the what makes it an actual science is the adherence to tested statistical methodologies.  These […]

If you’ve found yourself feeling as though there’s no way to escape domestic politics in this era of heightened partisan bickering, you may have Russia to thank. Recent studies into online behavior tied to Kremlin-linked accounts in recent years have repeatedly shown how Russian operatives engage with Americans regarding far more than presidential candidates. Although […]

Original archaeological sites that hold significant historical value to the autonomous Kurdistan region have just been given a significant grant from the United Kingdom’s Cultural Protection Fund. The sites date back nearly 10,000 years, and the funding provided will assist with the documentation and damage accountability that has resulted from the recent conflict with the Islamic State. […]

For years now, Conservative leaders have lamented a left-leaning bias in national level media. While there’s little debate in recent years as to whether some outlets have begun capitalizing on confirmation bias to solidify themselves among specific political demographics, suppositions of a long-standing “liberal agenda” in mainstream media aren’t without warrant. Of course, it seems […]

Fake news. It’s a term that gets thrown around so often in the United States that it’s become as much a punchline as an accusation. The President of the United States has declared the media to be an enemy of “the people.” The Russian government has taken advantage of American’s dwindling faith in news media […]

Earlier this week, YouTube joined Apple and a number of other high profile web-content platforms in banning content produced by conspiracy-crackpot commentator Alex Jones, in a shift touted by large sects of the internet as a victory for progress. I’m just not sure what kind of progress it is that we’re after. The internet outrage […]

Military service and alcohol-fueled tales of grandeur, as well as the tales of pure stupidity and recklessness, seem to go hand in hand. What some would call alcohol abuse, others would call a normal Friday night. The relationship between alcohol usage and the military cannot be overstated. I had just arrived at my new unit, […]

Adults. Why are they so dramatic about everything? They’re ruining all the things that matter to me — my parents won’t let me play with those kids from down the street; my teachers won’t let me have any fun when I want to. I guess I’ll just deal with it, what can you do? — The […]

Many people have noticed a shift in our culture toward what some have dubbed “Political Correctness,” or PC. This means that words, while technically legal, must be policed by others in order to preserve the sensibilities of those who might be offended or hurt. While you don’t see this enforcement too much in everyday life […]