About this Event
Labels such as "psychological warfare," and "information warfare," or "hybrid warfare," and "political warfare" have appeared in recent years to reflect attempts to understand and frame how an adversary attempts to shape the minds and will of people toward a political end. Matt Armstrong argues the U.S. has long struggled conceptually, organizationally, and practically on how to approach these and related issues as he argued the U.S. continually fails to properly arm itself for the cold reality of the political warfare waged against its interests. An absence of historical perspective and understanding suggests we will continue our missteps, if we take any steps at all. The U.S. Information Agency, created in 1953, is often held out as a symbol of success that should be recreated in some form, but it actually represented a failure in that it replaced an agency that had a far broader portfolio, enjoyed greater authorities, and was already integrated into formulation and conduct of foreign policy, and it was not tasked with defending against foreign political warfare. What now?
Photo: ©Markus Spiske / unsplash.com
About the Speaker
Matt Armstrong is currently pursuing a PhD at King’s College London on U.S. responses to Russian political warfare in the early cold war. He served as a Governor on the Broadcasting Board of Governors (2013-2017) and as the Executive Director of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. For nearly two decades, he has worked with the Defense Department, the State Department, Congress, NATO organizations, and ministries of NATO member countries on issues related to the US government’s international information activities. He has testified several times before congressional committees on “information warfare” and “gray zone” activities. He is an Honorary Member of the Psychological Operations Regiment at the U.S. Army’s JFK Special Warfare Center and School. Matt Armstrong currently lives in Zurich, Switzerland.
Registration
This event is planned to take place in a hybrid format.
Information about registration for the in-person event will follow soon. Or watch the YouTube livestream below.
Organizers
A part of the Munich Dialogues on Democracy Series, a cooperation between The Yale Club of Germany e.V. (Munich Chapter) and the Amerikahaus - Bavarian Center for Transatlantic Relations.
Location
Amerikahaus München
Karolinenplatz 3, 80333, München
Watch the Livestream on YouTube
Contact
Head of Programs – Culture and Politics
Email
raabe@amerikahaus.de
programm@amerikahaus.de
Telephone
+49 89 552537-14
Notice of Filming and Photography
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