№ 3 - 2000
Grachyov G.V.
Information Technologies of Political Struggle under Russia’s Conditions

The article searches for theoretical approach to the topical question of the influence that the information technologies exert on political process in modern Russia. In the opinion of the author, who is a specialist in the matters, psychological war hitherto mainly discussed by defence and international relations experts, has nowadays become a noticeable and even indispensable component of party struggle inside the country. In other words, at present, politicians, in their relations with their opponents in the country, resort to technologies which earlier, it was appropriate to apply only in the struggle against the external enemy. To distinguish «external political» and «internal political influencing», the author suggests that the latter be styled «information-psychological», and not just «psychological war». The author thoroughly analyzes this variety of war, and describes some of the ways and methods most often used, of waging it. The second part of the article presents circumstantial chronicle of an information provocation of such kind, which, fortunately, failed.