Informationskriget: Nya skiljelinjer och nya medel i världspolitiken

Sammanfattning: The last few years has seen the world slipping back into the classic dividing lines of the Cold War - marked perhaps most clearly by Russias invasion of Crimea in 2014. At the same time, a new phenomenen has entered modern politics. We discuss fake news, information warfare and election meddling - again with Russia as a proposed assailant. What is the driving force behind this? And is it something inherently new? Through a qualitative motivational analysis, I argue that there are two main reasons for Russias war of information towards the European Union. A weakened EU leads to an internationally stronger Russia, with less competition for it's own foreign policy and reduced resistance to the annexation of Crimea. But undermining the EU is also of domestic value. Creating a common enemy of the west deflects internal criticism against the Russian state - uniting the people in a time of both economic, political and cultural uncertainty. I ultimately argue that this is something new. Although both motivations and methods have historical equivelents, I believe it's contemporary importance is unparalleled. Traditional warfare is becoming less and less viable. At the same time, the growth of social media has completely shifted the political arena. Together they constitute a new challenge for the democratic society.