The strategic logic of Islamic State information operations

Drawing on English and Arabic Islamic State (IS) communiqués produced by its central media units, wilayat information offices and broader supporter base, this study examines the strategic logic of IS information operations (IO). It argues that the overarching purpose of IS's IO campaign is to shape the perceptions and polarise the support of audiences via messages that interweave appeals to pragmatic and perceptual factors. Pragmatic factors—such as security, stability and livelihood—are leveraged in IS messaging by promoting the efficacy of its politico-military campaign and denigrating its enemies’ efforts via rational-choice (logic of consequence) appeals. Perceptual factors—which are tied to the interplay of in-group, Other, crisis and solution constructs—are leveraged via identity-choice (logic of appropriateness) appeals that frame IS as the champion of Sunni Muslims (the in-group identity), its enemies as Others complicit in Sunni perceptions of crisis, and IS as the only hope for solving this malaise. With this approach, IS seeks to resonate its message across a diverse ‘glocal’ constituency and supercharge supporters towards action. IS simultaneously targets its enemies with messaging that manipulates the inherent dualities underlying perceptual and pragmatic factors, vigorously counters criticisms and ‘baits’ opponents into ill-conceived IO responses.     

土耳其入欧盟：战略价值与认同差异的角力

在现代国际关系史上,土耳其申请入盟是最耐人寻味的特殊案例。近年来,土耳其入盟进程历经坎坷与周折,尚未完成夙愿。土耳其地缘政治优势、战略安全价值是其入盟谈判的重要筹码,美国的支持可能影响欧盟对土入盟的态度。未达＂哥本哈根标准＂是土入盟遭拒的＂虚构的理由＂,伊斯兰文明属性及其与欧洲文化差异引发的＂文明冲突＂才是土耳其融入欧洲的真正障碍。在未来,土耳其入盟前景存在许多不确定性,不管结果如何,其象征意义大于实际意义。     

和战之间--战后中共建国方针之演变(1945年8月-1946年11月)

抗日战争胜利后中共的建国方针实际上经历了以战建国,到和平建国,再到打谈图和,终到弃和就战的过程.从以战建国到和平建国的转变中,美国、苏联的作用不可低估.和平建国方针确立后,中共为之实现付出了真诚而艰辛的努力.     

党要不断完善执政方略的评估体系

完善党的执政方略的评估体系具有极端的紧迫性和重要性。为了使评估科学、公正,必须增加评估主体,促进评估主体多元化,重视发挥媒体的作用,还应积极引进专家学者和专门机构参与评估实践。构建执政方略的评估体系,关键是要确定科学的评估标准。     

Low-Level Food Production

Societies with low-level food production economies occupy the vast and diverse middle ground between hunting–fishing–foraging and agriculture. Efforts by Ford, Harris, Rindos, Zvelebil, and others to characterize this in-between territory are discussed, and a new conceptual framework is proposed. Domestication, the central landmark of this middle ground, is situated well away from the boundaries with hunting–gathering and agriculture, and separates low-level food production economies into two broad categories. Key issues and questions concerning societies with low-level food production, both with and without domesticates, are discussed. Hunter–gatherer and agriculture boundary zones on either side of the middle ground are considered, as are the developmental pathways that traverse them.     

张自忠与临沂战役

抗日战争初期,张自忠率第59军两次驰援临沂战场,击溃日军板垣师团,为台儿庄会战的胜利创造了先决条件。张自忠不同寻常的用兵之道,充分显示出他过人的胆略和卓越的指挥才能。     

我国城市系统的形成和演进机制

我国城市系统的演进可归纳为萌芽与形成、低级均衡和合理不均衡三个阶段。形成和演进动力在于人类活动与产业及其空间实体的相互作用,其核心要素是行政等级城市网络、经济发展和市场联系与交通设施。文章指出城市系统合理演进应采取"组织与自组织"的战略,提出我国未来城市发展阶段(扩散均衡阶段和有序网络化阶段)及城市系统特征:中心城市网络体系的形成;城市职能的综合性与分异性;城市集聚区的形成和相对均匀分布。     

论我国西部开发中的国家安全战略问题

对于一个国家而言,国家安全是生存和发展的核心。在不同的国际秩序中,安全环境的内容和结构具有不同含义。在当代国际政治经济格局下,国家安全的内涵与外延都发生了巨大变化,为国家安全的研究提出了新的课题。本文主要从国家安全的角度,通过分析西部开发在当代我国安全环境中的作用,指出西部大开发不仅要有经济开发战略,而且要树立综合性开发战略意识,加强政治、军事、科技、生态等现代安全因素的开发建设,这对我国国家安全战略更具有现实意义。     

Trade and culture: the United States

ABSTRACT

The US government has long held that cultural goods and services represent an economic sector like any other and should be liberalized. The American cultural and digital industries enjoy a strong competitive advantage and constitute a leading export sector. This US stance has antagonized many countries pursuing cultural policies. This has led the US government to soften its trade strategy and accept financial measures, as well as a broader array of ‘traditional’ cultural regulatory instruments. At the same time, the United States insists on the absence of restrictions in digital networks, through which cultural contents are to be increasingly distributed and accessed. Under the negative-list negotiating approach, whereby everything is liberalized save for specific exceptions, states parties to US trade agreements have secured a varying array of measures. However, only a handful, essentially industrial countries, have secured digital exceptions, the latter coupled with conditions raising questions concerning their applicability.     

试析印度自由贸易区战略及前景

近年来,印度对外开放的步伐日益加快,最明显的就是印度参与自由贸易区的力度越来越大。尤其新世纪以来,印度已经同多个国家和地区缔结了自贸协定。综合来看,印度自由贸易区战略包括了政治和经济利益诉求。就发展前景来看,虽然有若干有利因素,但挑战也不容忽视。