In this episode of CogWAR, the hosts from Norway and England compare their countries' approaches to social cohesion and disinformation, focusing on the UK's 2024 Khan Review and Norway's disinformation strategies. The discussion explores how attention drives cognitive warfare, affecting both the public and politicians. Key points include:

Attention and Cognitive Vulnerabilities: Politicians, like the public, are susceptible to attention-grabbing mechanisms and addictive behaviors on platforms like social media, impacting their decision-making.

UK’s Khan Review: Analyzes social cohesion through "freedom restricting harassment," where mob attacks erode trust across societal levels, from local communities to national institutions. It critiques the report for focusing narrowly on harassment without addressing how debates are resolved or tied to societal values.

Norway’s Approach: Emphasizes media literacy and institutional trust but lacks focus on cultural reinforcement. Free speech debates in Norway center on pro- and anti-censorship views, contrasting with the UK’s complex cancel culture dynamics.

Internal vs. External Threats: The episode highlights how internal trust breakdowns, like politicians ignoring certain groups, amplify disinformation risks, with the UK lacking "firebreaks" (community mediators) compared to Norway’s distributed model.

Feedback Loops: The globalized internet enables ignored groups to gain attention from adversaries, creating new epistemologies that challenge societal cohesion.

The episode underscores the need for mediators to counter disinformation and rebuild trust, contrasting Norway’s community-focused strategies with the UK’s centralized, less effective approach.

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