How Lies Became the World's Most Powerful Political Tool, with Peter Pomerantsev

In Episode Four of the Parlia Podcast, Turi speaks to writer and author Peter Pomerantsev, author of This Is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality, to discuss the role of propaganda in warfare.

S1 E4: How Lies Became the World’s Most Powerful Political Tool

”There are all sorts of leaders who…want to take away other people’s rights, and use freedom of expression in order to crush opposition and crush other people’s rights…The use of cyber militias and trolls…[means that these regimes have ensured that] truth is drowned out, and it’s very hard to stand up to this because…the answer from the regimes is: this is freedom of expression, this is what you fought for…”

Turi speaks to Soviet-born writer and author Peter Pomerantsev about how the perception of truth in politics is borne out of lies and disinformation.

Together, they discuss:

  • How have political regimes subverted calls for free speech?

  • The erosion of trust in governments and society

  • The weaponisation of propaganda

  • How is the internet destabilising the global axes of power?


Read the Full Transcript

Peter Pomerantsev

Peter Pomerantsev is a renowned author specialising in Russia and Eastern Europe. He has authored two books on modern politics in the region including, including This is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality, which looks at how opinions have become an essential part of modern warfare.


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This page was last edited on Friday, 30 Oct 2020 at 15:50 UTC

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