
by Volodymyr Yermolenko, head of Ukrainian PEN Club, philosopher, and publicist.
Source: Yermolenko on Facebook
As I read the news, I (and probably you too) get the feeling that the world is slowly falling apart. Crumbling. Shaking. Collapsing.
But when I step into the real world, especially when traveling across Ukraine, I feel something different. Everything is standing strong. It’s rooted. It has a solid foundation. It’s built from millions of small acts of care.
No one is going anywhere.
And that’s when it becomes clear to me: Russia cannot defeat us by force, and it can’t destroy us with rockets. But it might win through deception. A microscopic virus. A thought. A perception. An emotion.
If they succeed in getting us to think a certain way, feel a certain way, or perceive things in a particular way — then they may have a chance to win.
So, what is this viral thought process?
It’s the idea that everything is falling apart. That everything is crumbling. That everything is made of sand. That your neighbor is the enemy. That those “above” are traitors. And those “below” as well. Across the street. In other words, that we are nothing more than a house of cards.
Information and propaganda aren’t just weapons. They’re more powerful than regular weapons. The goal of information warfare isn’t to deceive or lie. Its goal is to make the enemy think and act the way you want them to.
In other words, it’s about stripping them of their free will.
Willpower is the key word in Ukrainian culture. It’s about freedom, the ability to shape our own desires, and to control our actions and those of others.
Russia can’t defeat us. But it can unleash a virus that leads us to defeat ourselves. One that turns our own will against us.
This has happened to us many times in history. It’s time we finally learn from our mistakes.
Cover: open sources