Peace Through Truth

“In war, Truth is the first casualty.”

– Aeschylus

The Information War

In his treatise On War, Carl von Clausewitz famously observed that “war is but an extension of politics by other means.”

All conflict, both civil and international, is inextricably rooted in competing political narratives. They are what separate friend from foe, inspire action or paralysing inaction, and what can turn civilians into soldiers.

The result is a narrative arms race to sway perception across three strategic fronts:

 

• • To convince the home front that their cause is just, that victory is attainable, and their sacrifice is worthwhile.

• • To convince the opposition of the opposite; that their cause is unjust, that they cannot win, and that their sacrifice is meaningless.
    

     

    • • Sun Tzu (The Art of War): “the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
    • • Vegetius (On Military Matters): “an adversary is more hurt by desertion than by slaughter.”

• • To convince neutral parties to actively support their side, or at the very least, not support the opposition.

The stakes in war are often existential: life, liberty, everything one holds dear. If distorting the truth can save lives or secure advantage in that contest, propaganda can become coldly rational; “the ends justify the means.” Sun Tzu goes so far as to state that “All war is based on deception”. It is no wonder that Aeschylus wrote “in war truth becomes the first casualty.”

Lessons From History

The central importance of the battles over perception and political narratives have been shown throughout history.

 

• • The second US President, John Adams, reflected that the American Revolution “was effected before the War commenced… in the minds and hearts of the people.”

• • In the Malayan Emergency, General Gerald Templer stated that “the shooting side of this business is only twenty-five percent… the other seventy-five percent is getting the people… behind us.”

• • Lyndon Johnson, speaking of Vietnam, said the “ultimate victory will depend upon the hearts and minds of the people who actually live out there.”

• • The Soviet KGB, according to defector Yuri Bezmenov devoted roughly 85% of its resources to psychological warfare and ideological subversion. This was affirmed by Major General Oleg Kalugin who described such ‘active measures’ as the “heart and soul of the KGB”.

Open VS Closed Information Environments

All sides engage in narrative shaping and propaganda to some degree. Crucially, however, this is not equivocation. Some distort the truth far more than others. Some causes are more just, some methods are more reasonable, some goals are more achievable, and some sacrifices are more justified.

The stark difference between open and closed information environments played out in the Vietnam War. Ho Chi Minh’s famously claimed: “You can kill ten of our men for every one we kill of yours. But even at those odds, you will lose and we will win”. This served both to demoralise the opposition and reflected the grim reality. Total media control in North Vietnam: no free press, no critical journalists, no protests, enabled him to send more sons to the meatgrinder.

This asymmetry also played out in WW2. Despite the allies engaging in wartime propaganda and censorship themselves, the absolute control over information and propaganda enabled totalitarian states to sustain astounding losses. Germany lost around 10x the number of soldiers as the USA. The USSR lost around 10x the number of soldiers as the USA and British Empire combined. This video on the Fallen of WW2 ought to be required viewing for perspective and to understand the scale of loss.

It can be hard for people living in open systems to even comprehend the level to which reality can be distorted in such closed, totalitarian systems. In North Korea, numerous defector accounts report citizens being taught the absurd belief that their ‘Dear Leader’s’ body was so perfectly calibrated he did not even need to go to the bathroom. It may be humorous until we remember Voltaire’s warning: “Those who can get you to believe absurdities can get you to commit atrocities.”

More open systems in contrast are better at holding power accountable and enabling course-correction. Yet as a trade-off for this openness, societies become vulnerable to self-interested, or even hostile, actors.

To illustrate the contrast, imagine the marketplace for ideas as a real market, selling tangible goods.

 

• • Closed Information Environment:
    

     

    • • The market is dominated by a monopoly.
    • • Customers are not given real choice; they are given what best serves those in power.
    • • There is no strong incentive to improve quality, reduce prices or increase efficiency.

• • Open Information Environment:
    

     

    • • The market is now full of choice, with customers able to buy from many different vendors.
    • • Yet, the best products are often not the ones purchased, as some vendors can buy more prominent locations for the goods.
    • • While the competition does provide incentives to improve quality, reduce prices, or increase efficiency, other ways of succeeding, e.g. flashy wrappings can be just as effective.

In both systems there can be little quality control (what is on the label might not match what is on the box).

Modern Challenges

The importance of information war should be recognised as we are in uncharted territory. In WW2, Germany and the USSR were able to propagandise their respective populations. In the modern era, we now have an unprecedented battle over perception; fought with perpetual, personalised propaganda in people’s pockets.

The digital space transcends geographic boundaries, but with algorithm enforced echo-chambers the propaganda effect could be similar, just that the opposition isn’t across the border, they could be next door.

Others have analysed these problems in far greater depth than I can here. I do not want to add another voice to the commentary, as a tech entrepreneur, I want to build the solution

The Solution

HealthyDebate.org: A Superweapon for Truth

The Roman military writer Vegetius advised: “If you want peace, prepare for war” (Si vis pacem, para bellum). Yet the strongest army is ineffectual if it is doesn’t act, its soldiers desert, or worse, it turns against itself.

HealthyDebate offers something new: peace through truth (pax per veritatem)

It is designed as a better marketplace of ideas, one that preserves the benefits of open exchange, while minimising the costs and vulnerabilities.

In an age when nearly every source can potentially be dismissed outright as propaganda, it will stand apart with an earned reputation for objectivity and impartiality.

It functions as a truth-seeking machine that effectively holds those who would shape narratives accountable.

Imagine if the truth was known by all on all three strategic fronts.

 

• • Those who would otherwise use propaganda would be guaranteed to be exposed, so the benefits of deception would no longer outweigh the costs.

• • Many potential conflicts may be averted altogether without the propaganda that radicalises or mobilises people to risk their lives, or those of others.

• • Whenever conflict does break out, this knowledge of the truth would hold all sides to a higher standard of conduct.

This universal knowledge of the truth would become the most valuable tool of the side with the best case and conduct.

 

• • It would be easier to convince the home front that their cause is just and the sacrifice is worthwhile.

 

• • It would be easier to convince any opposition that their cause is unjust and that any sacrifice of theirs is meaningless.

• • It would be easier to convince neutral parties to actively support their side.

When it is known that the overwhelming majority are opposed to them, the side with the weaker case are more likely to surrender or come to terms.

This mission is far bigger than any one person or any one conflict. If you believe in it, help bring HealthyDebate to life: join the conversation, contribute your insight, donate, or spread the word.

Together we can build a system that advances truth, and through it, peace.