Memes or missiles? Should we invest more in Information Operations?

Memes or missiles? Should we invest more in Information Operations?

02 Oct 24
Posted by: Esme Clayton
9 minutes, 18 seconds read
Message from the Editor

In this second place Hooper Prize article, the author argues that information warfare versus conventional forces represents a false dichotomy, as both bring associated risks and rewards for long term deterrence. A 10 minute read.

To be able to discuss this accurately, we need to first understand what the word ‘meme’ means – commonly associated with biologist Richard Dawkins who coined the term in The Selfish Gene (1976) as a ‘unit’ of culture. We can look for the meaning of the word further back in time all the way back to the Greeks, where they used the word ‘minema’ meaning ‘imitated’. To think of the word simply, it can be defined as a type of behaviour, picture, text, containing information which is passed from person to person. Missiles are easier to define: ‘an object which is forcibly propelled at a target…

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