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The Wires of War: Technology and the Global Struggle for Power
From the former news policy lead at Google, an “informative and often harrowing wake-up call” ( Publishers Weekly ) that explains the high-stakes global cyberwar brewing between Western democracies and the authoritarian regimes of China and Russia that could potentially crush democracy.
From 2016 to 2020, Jacob Helberg led Google’s global internal product policy efforts to combat disinformation and foreign interference. During this time, he found himself in the midst of what can only be described as a quickly escalating two-front technology cold war between democracy and autocracy.
On the front-end, we’re fighting to control the software—applications, news information, social media platforms, and more—of what we see on the screens of our computers, tablets, and phones, a clash which started out primarily with Russia but now increasingly includes China and Iran. Even more ominously, we’re also engaged in a hidden back-end battle—largely with China—to control the internet’s hardware, which includes devices like cellular phones, satellites, fiber-optic cables, and 5G networks.
This tech-fueled war will shape the world’s balance of power for the coming century as autocracies exploit 21st-century methods to redivide the world into 20th-century-style spheres of influence. Without a firm partnership with the government, Silicon Valley is unable to protect democracy from the autocrats looking to sabotage it from Beijing to Moscow and Tehran. Helberg offers “unnervingly convincing evidence that time is running out in the ‘gray war’ with the enemies of freedom” ( Kirkus Reviews ) which could affect every meaningful aspect of our lives, including our economy, our infrastructure, our national security, and ultimately, our national sovereignty.
From 2016 to 2020, Jacob Helberg led Google’s global internal product policy efforts to combat disinformation and foreign interference. During this time, he found himself in the midst of what can only be described as a quickly escalating two-front technology cold war between democracy and autocracy.
On the front-end, we’re fighting to control the software—applications, news information, social media platforms, and more—of what we see on the screens of our computers, tablets, and phones, a clash which started out primarily with Russia but now increasingly includes China and Iran. Even more ominously, we’re also engaged in a hidden back-end battle—largely with China—to control the internet’s hardware, which includes devices like cellular phones, satellites, fiber-optic cables, and 5G networks.
This tech-fueled war will shape the world’s balance of power for the coming century as autocracies exploit 21st-century methods to redivide the world into 20th-century-style spheres of influence. Without a firm partnership with the government, Silicon Valley is unable to protect democracy from the autocrats looking to sabotage it from Beijing to Moscow and Tehran. Helberg offers “unnervingly convincing evidence that time is running out in the ‘gray war’ with the enemies of freedom” ( Kirkus Reviews ) which could affect every meaningful aspect of our lives, including our economy, our infrastructure, our national security, and ultimately, our national sovereignty.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published October 12, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
October 17, 2021
This book is really a 3.5, but I rounded up because it's a timely issue and the good part is the important part (proposals for action) and the bad part is the context and history and tone. However, it really could be a 10 page proposal rather than stretched into a book. It just gets obnoxious reading (or listening, in my case) to the same thing said 10 times in slightly different ways for no other reason than pagecount.
Essentially, cites some research and arguments by other people that China is taking over the world's infrastructure ("gray war") -- both manufacturing and operation -- and is becoming increasingly adversarial and even hostile. Lack of any US or Western coordination makes this worse, but is a fundamental weakness of open economies vs. something centrally planned or controlled. Lots of ~20 years of history and especially recent events are used as examples. Writer is obviously connected to Democratic party establishment, and supports some of their politicians, despite this specific policy being primarily something advanced by Republicans (and ironically, especially Trump), although the US vs. China challenge is much larger than partisan politics.
There's an earlier section of the book which rehashes "Russiagate" and a bunch of other mostly-partisan and now-irrelevant stuff which could have been completely excised, making the book more concise and focused, and less overtly partisan.
There's also a bunch of "A, B, C. A is bad (and shown to be so), we must stop A, B and C.". Conflating social media "disinformation" risk to the US, specially domestic free speech, with Chinese censorship and potential warfare, is just absurd.
The audiobook is tolerable but gratingly mispronounces domain-specific words (and names, like Peter Thiel's surname).
Overall I mostly agree with the argument for eliminating dependence on China, but didn't find this book a particularly great presentation for anyone familiar with the issues, and probably not clear enough for someone with no background in technology or international politics. Unfortunately I can't think of a better book for either group.
Essentially, cites some research and arguments by other people that China is taking over the world's infrastructure ("gray war") -- both manufacturing and operation -- and is becoming increasingly adversarial and even hostile. Lack of any US or Western coordination makes this worse, but is a fundamental weakness of open economies vs. something centrally planned or controlled. Lots of ~20 years of history and especially recent events are used as examples. Writer is obviously connected to Democratic party establishment, and supports some of their politicians, despite this specific policy being primarily something advanced by Republicans (and ironically, especially Trump), although the US vs. China challenge is much larger than partisan politics.
There's an earlier section of the book which rehashes "Russiagate" and a bunch of other mostly-partisan and now-irrelevant stuff which could have been completely excised, making the book more concise and focused, and less overtly partisan.
There's also a bunch of "A, B, C. A is bad (and shown to be so), we must stop A, B and C.". Conflating social media "disinformation" risk to the US, specially domestic free speech, with Chinese censorship and potential warfare, is just absurd.
The audiobook is tolerable but gratingly mispronounces domain-specific words (and names, like Peter Thiel's surname).
Overall I mostly agree with the argument for eliminating dependence on China, but didn't find this book a particularly great presentation for anyone familiar with the issues, and probably not clear enough for someone with no background in technology or international politics. Unfortunately I can't think of a better book for either group.
March 15, 2022
Very frustrating book. Mostly regurgitated fear mongering with very little originality. It’s clear the author doesn’t have a deep technological understanding of what he talks about, yet he waxes polemical about a whole manner of topics, cruising over the top of any sort of deeper message one might hope for in a full length book.
While reading this book I come up with a new word called “policy-splaining” that is very much like mansplaning but used when political wanks patronizingly explain basic tech concepts. Did we really need a history of ARPANET, “the first computer virus,” and basic supply chain information(“iPhones are made in China” didnt ya know). It’s frustrating and off putting.
That said, do I think every US politician over the age of 55 should be forcibly required to read this book? Probably. It’s a good generic high-level brief. And perhaps “baby’s first internet primer” can prevent moronic comments about technology like Joe Manchin recently saying he doesn’t support electric vehicles because “I don't want to have to be standing in line waiting for a battery.” Like he did “in 1974 trying to buy gas.” It would be nice to have people in charge who aren’t stupid dinosaurs.
Now, having read this book from the perspective of someone who works in tech and is interested in Chinese policy and tech, this book was junk.
Do I think the author sourced most of his ideas from Twitter? Yes.
Does this book feel outdated less than a year after its publication? Yes.
Could all of this have been edited down to a blog post? Yes.
Is Helberg’s description of China akin to a strawman mixed with a Sauron-esque-all-seeing-eye boogeyman? A strogeyman if you will? (I apologize to the English language) Again, yes.
Does the author oversell the capabilities of Cambridge Analytica and other “malicious” organizations supposedly “manipulating your every thought and action” while simultaneously minimizing his own ex-employers role in your life? Yes.
Do I feel better informed about anything the author talked about? No.
This reads like a dude on Twitter mansplaining the Internet and Chinese policy to you. The core problem with this book is that despite having worked at Google, the author doesn’t really possess any sort of deep relevant knowledge about the significance of various technologies. It’s all reactive. As as a result the author is just regurgitating mainstream talking points smeared with a thin veneer of opinion. As a reader your time is probably better spent scrolling through a couple NYT articles and reading whatever drivel McKinsey & Co has to say lately, you will get exactly the same ideas in a fraction of the time.
If you’re reading this review because you’re interested in learning more, I recommend The Third Revolution for a more in depth look at Chinese policy from a U.S. centric perspective, Kai-Fu Lee’s Ai Superpowers for a pro-China view of Chinese tech, and The Perfect Police State by Jeffery Cain for actual examples of the long term implications of Chinese surveillance tech. Where Wizards Stay Up Late also covers the background internet stuff better than this book.
While reading this book I come up with a new word called “policy-splaining” that is very much like mansplaning but used when political wanks patronizingly explain basic tech concepts. Did we really need a history of ARPANET, “the first computer virus,” and basic supply chain information(“iPhones are made in China” didnt ya know). It’s frustrating and off putting.
That said, do I think every US politician over the age of 55 should be forcibly required to read this book? Probably. It’s a good generic high-level brief. And perhaps “baby’s first internet primer” can prevent moronic comments about technology like Joe Manchin recently saying he doesn’t support electric vehicles because “I don't want to have to be standing in line waiting for a battery.” Like he did “in 1974 trying to buy gas.” It would be nice to have people in charge who aren’t stupid dinosaurs.
Now, having read this book from the perspective of someone who works in tech and is interested in Chinese policy and tech, this book was junk.
Do I think the author sourced most of his ideas from Twitter? Yes.
Does this book feel outdated less than a year after its publication? Yes.
Could all of this have been edited down to a blog post? Yes.
Is Helberg’s description of China akin to a strawman mixed with a Sauron-esque-all-seeing-eye boogeyman? A strogeyman if you will? (I apologize to the English language) Again, yes.
Does the author oversell the capabilities of Cambridge Analytica and other “malicious” organizations supposedly “manipulating your every thought and action” while simultaneously minimizing his own ex-employers role in your life? Yes.
Do I feel better informed about anything the author talked about? No.
This reads like a dude on Twitter mansplaining the Internet and Chinese policy to you. The core problem with this book is that despite having worked at Google, the author doesn’t really possess any sort of deep relevant knowledge about the significance of various technologies. It’s all reactive. As as a result the author is just regurgitating mainstream talking points smeared with a thin veneer of opinion. As a reader your time is probably better spent scrolling through a couple NYT articles and reading whatever drivel McKinsey & Co has to say lately, you will get exactly the same ideas in a fraction of the time.
If you’re reading this review because you’re interested in learning more, I recommend The Third Revolution for a more in depth look at Chinese policy from a U.S. centric perspective, Kai-Fu Lee’s Ai Superpowers for a pro-China view of Chinese tech, and The Perfect Police State by Jeffery Cain for actual examples of the long term implications of Chinese surveillance tech. Where Wizards Stay Up Late also covers the background internet stuff better than this book.
October 30, 2021
Hmm, I have so many conflicting thoughts about this book.
What did I like about it?
1. The topic is important and it will become even more important pretty soon (IMHO).
2. This book is not just about misinformation, fake news, and social media influence (the author calls it "front-end" activity), but also the fight for control over global network infrastructure ("back-end") - IMHO the latter part is much more interesting and there are far fewer books on it available.
3. It describes a SUPER-important issue of difficult relationships between countries and companies. Is Google a US company or a global company? Is it supposed to be putting US interest above all the others? I find this topic extremely interesting as I was always (well, for at least 15 years) convinced that in time the role of countries will be marginalized. However, what is happening these days in China, clearly proves me wrong. This book tries to compare the Chinese model with the US ("Western") one and clarify why the "Western" one is insufficient. This part alone is a good enough reason to read this book.
4. I knew many of the examples (of "digital war" incidents) brought up by the author, but some I didn't and a few of them have really blown my mind (e.g. the Elemental case or the one with the network of casinos).
And what was meh?
1. The overall narration - the wording, the way the author makes his arguments, etc. - it just sounds bad. Very "corporatty", or "weaselish". Maybe it was just my impression, maybe I'm somehow biased against American authors using typical American rhetoric (you know - shitloads of repetitions, stating the obvious, treating the reader like an idiot, etc.), but it was really wrecking my nerves.
2. The personal interludes - I can hardly tell the reason for them. They made no sense.
3. The few attempts of "whitening" either the US govt (surveillance attempts, etc.) and Google (monopolistic practices) were so unconvincing and naive that I find them offending readers' intelligence.
4. Facts in this book are far too mixed with opinions or gossip ("factoids" w/o actual data/source to back them up). No, I don't doubt that China does what the author describes they do. I'm quite convinced they do it. It's just that it's described (sometimes) like it was taken straight from a tabloid.
To summarize: it's a VERY important topic. I'm inclined to agree that we have a "grey" war happening as I write these words. A war many do not even notice or just prefers to be ignorant. The importance of this war is tremendous and to increase our chances we need both:
* to increase our awareness (of the reality)
* rethink some foundations of economic systems we belong to
* re-consider the rules of operations for multi-national, highly impactful, global businesses
A recommended read.
What did I like about it?
1. The topic is important and it will become even more important pretty soon (IMHO).
2. This book is not just about misinformation, fake news, and social media influence (the author calls it "front-end" activity), but also the fight for control over global network infrastructure ("back-end") - IMHO the latter part is much more interesting and there are far fewer books on it available.
3. It describes a SUPER-important issue of difficult relationships between countries and companies. Is Google a US company or a global company? Is it supposed to be putting US interest above all the others? I find this topic extremely interesting as I was always (well, for at least 15 years) convinced that in time the role of countries will be marginalized. However, what is happening these days in China, clearly proves me wrong. This book tries to compare the Chinese model with the US ("Western") one and clarify why the "Western" one is insufficient. This part alone is a good enough reason to read this book.
4. I knew many of the examples (of "digital war" incidents) brought up by the author, but some I didn't and a few of them have really blown my mind (e.g. the Elemental case or the one with the network of casinos).
And what was meh?
1. The overall narration - the wording, the way the author makes his arguments, etc. - it just sounds bad. Very "corporatty", or "weaselish". Maybe it was just my impression, maybe I'm somehow biased against American authors using typical American rhetoric (you know - shitloads of repetitions, stating the obvious, treating the reader like an idiot, etc.), but it was really wrecking my nerves.
2. The personal interludes - I can hardly tell the reason for them. They made no sense.
3. The few attempts of "whitening" either the US govt (surveillance attempts, etc.) and Google (monopolistic practices) were so unconvincing and naive that I find them offending readers' intelligence.
4. Facts in this book are far too mixed with opinions or gossip ("factoids" w/o actual data/source to back them up). No, I don't doubt that China does what the author describes they do. I'm quite convinced they do it. It's just that it's described (sometimes) like it was taken straight from a tabloid.
To summarize: it's a VERY important topic. I'm inclined to agree that we have a "grey" war happening as I write these words. A war many do not even notice or just prefers to be ignorant. The importance of this war is tremendous and to increase our chances we need both:
* to increase our awareness (of the reality)
* rethink some foundations of economic systems we belong to
* re-consider the rules of operations for multi-national, highly impactful, global businesses
A recommended read.
February 25, 2022
A telling account on how technology can be weaponised in today's world, which makes it a relevant read. The author's knowledge on both geopolitics and technology helps the reader build perspectives on what's going on in the tech world, and how it impacts international relations. The book, however, deals mostly with the US-China conflict, making it limited to democracy versus authoritarianism. With most of the focus being US foreign policy, and what must the US fix in its responses, foreign policy choices for other relevant powers were missed while reading, leaving the reader interested and uninterested periodically.
April 13, 2022
So China is Sauron, and poor Americans the hobbits of Middle Earth. Ok, not now, but next time if the hobbits don’t drop the One Ring into Mount Doom. Oh Sorry. Wrong book.
So China is building internet cables and Huawei is building 5G. And the Chinese government controls all Chinese companies. So The Chinese Government controls more and more of the internet and can steal everyone’s information. Indeed Chinese hackers have stolen much American commercial and military information and copied the F35 fighter. Tik Tok knows what you do. Even Zoom, because the founder is an immigrant from China, is dangerous. So ban Tik Tok, Huawei and any Chinese companies.
Oh, but the CIA also has access to the whole internet. But America is a democracy and Americans can be outraged about it.
It is difficult to stop fake news from being propagated because of the importance of Free Speech. Cambridge Analytica has affected the outcome of American election.
What to do? Ban all Chinese companies. Let more immigrants in. Except if they’re Chinese, then check their background. Ban Chinese researchers with links to the CCP or People’s Army. Make IPhones in America. Make all chips in America.
I find this book very anti-China and offers lousy advice. If China is more advanced in some technological aspects, shouldn’t American companies learn from/cooperate with/copy/steal Chinese technology? Send some American students to China to see what China is doing about AI, quantum computing and 5G. Doing what this book says will just let China lay cables and fill the 5G airwaves of more and more countries that is not The Free World.
Anyway, the power of the internet may have been hugely exaggerated: read Tech Panic for a detox.
So China is building internet cables and Huawei is building 5G. And the Chinese government controls all Chinese companies. So The Chinese Government controls more and more of the internet and can steal everyone’s information. Indeed Chinese hackers have stolen much American commercial and military information and copied the F35 fighter. Tik Tok knows what you do. Even Zoom, because the founder is an immigrant from China, is dangerous. So ban Tik Tok, Huawei and any Chinese companies.
Oh, but the CIA also has access to the whole internet. But America is a democracy and Americans can be outraged about it.
It is difficult to stop fake news from being propagated because of the importance of Free Speech. Cambridge Analytica has affected the outcome of American election.
What to do? Ban all Chinese companies. Let more immigrants in. Except if they’re Chinese, then check their background. Ban Chinese researchers with links to the CCP or People’s Army. Make IPhones in America. Make all chips in America.
I find this book very anti-China and offers lousy advice. If China is more advanced in some technological aspects, shouldn’t American companies learn from/cooperate with/copy/steal Chinese technology? Send some American students to China to see what China is doing about AI, quantum computing and 5G. Doing what this book says will just let China lay cables and fill the 5G airwaves of more and more countries that is not The Free World.
Anyway, the power of the internet may have been hugely exaggerated: read Tech Panic for a detox.
January 12, 2022
Would be 5 stars, but the author is a bit of a Obama/Hillary stan. He checks that at the outset, but it’s still very apparent throughout the rest of the book. That and the har-haring about Russian involvement in the 2016 election are two things that I’m afraid will turn away some right-wingers that really should read this book. The main point of the book (Communist China bad) is great and I 100% agree with it, it’s illuminating and eye opening of how big the problem really is and how bleak the future could be if we don’t work to address it. I also agree with about 80-90% of the policy recommendations in the latter part of the book. Last point, there’s a quote from Obama in the book where Obama said in 2020 that his administration would’ve been tougher on China if they hadn’t been dealing with the financial crises. That’s very easy to say in 2020, but I don’t think there’s any evidence that it would’ve been the case. If you want the average mainstream Western politician’s views on China circa 2015 then look no further than the Cameron government in the UK.
May 21, 2022
A good little work that capably describes some very big problems (need that half star option). Helberg is a progressive former Big Tech executive, so he is not the type of person I would expect to write possibly the clearest single description of our epochal contest with the Chinese Communist Party (found, helpfully, in the prologue). In short, the lens of “competition” is woefully inadequate and that to view China, as led by the CCP, as a competitor rather than as an antagonist is to unilaterally disarm ourselves. In past reviews, I’ve written of China stretching the horizontal dimensions of conflict to include emerging field and long-settled venues. To the CCP, these are environments for war, and once a crisis breaks out, we will have ceded control or advantage in these areas without having fired a proverbial shot. Tech is clearly an are not merely for competition, but of conflict.
Helberg looks primarily at two vulnerabilities to which he sees the West, broadly defined, falling prey: the “front end” battle of misinformation, disinformation, propaganda, and loss of faith in institutions (which is obviously bigger than, but includes, technology and media), and the “back-end” contest over the physical and digital systems upon which the modern internet, and the modern economy, culture, and political space, rest (microelectronics, advanced telecommunications infrastructure, data storage and transmission hubs). I fear that his view of the first is exactly what one would expect of a tech executive: we’ve made mistakes, but you should also trust us, and in trusting us give up some of your liberty. On the “back-end” challenges, he is mostly over the target. We must work with partners and allies to reject Chinese telecomm. Infrastructure, protect the security and supply of microelectronics, and demand that countries not provide the CCP our data, with oversight and enforcement to match.
Another great point he raises is the disconnect between Silicon Valley and Washington, especially Capitol Hill and the Pentagon. It is with uneases that I mentally calculate how few technology companies want to work with our defense and intelligence agencies (a problem that Chris Brose covers capably in ‘The Kill Chain.’) Until this divide is bridged—something that will require less equivocation by the *American* tech companies and less antagonism by elected officials, we will be losing ground to China’s explicit policies of Civil-Military Fusion and Made in China 2025.
Finally, a reader who comes across this book in a bookshelf would be well-positioned if they merely read the final two chapters. Helberg has many recommendations, some of which I would reject immediately as a conservative. But others demand more reflection, especially for those disinclined to supporting government spending and programs. We have to invest in American innovation, which will require actions like greater federal spending, offering incentives to already profitable companies, picking winners and losers, and probably some inane research projects being funded along the way. But these are, as some like to say, merely the table stakes required to compete, or fight, and win in the 21st Century. We cannot ignore them.
While not groundbreaking for some readers, many of the facts and insights present here need to be better understood by the layman. Some of the problems identified in this book will be kitchen table issues in the years to come, and education is the first step.
Helberg looks primarily at two vulnerabilities to which he sees the West, broadly defined, falling prey: the “front end” battle of misinformation, disinformation, propaganda, and loss of faith in institutions (which is obviously bigger than, but includes, technology and media), and the “back-end” contest over the physical and digital systems upon which the modern internet, and the modern economy, culture, and political space, rest (microelectronics, advanced telecommunications infrastructure, data storage and transmission hubs). I fear that his view of the first is exactly what one would expect of a tech executive: we’ve made mistakes, but you should also trust us, and in trusting us give up some of your liberty. On the “back-end” challenges, he is mostly over the target. We must work with partners and allies to reject Chinese telecomm. Infrastructure, protect the security and supply of microelectronics, and demand that countries not provide the CCP our data, with oversight and enforcement to match.
Another great point he raises is the disconnect between Silicon Valley and Washington, especially Capitol Hill and the Pentagon. It is with uneases that I mentally calculate how few technology companies want to work with our defense and intelligence agencies (a problem that Chris Brose covers capably in ‘The Kill Chain.’) Until this divide is bridged—something that will require less equivocation by the *American* tech companies and less antagonism by elected officials, we will be losing ground to China’s explicit policies of Civil-Military Fusion and Made in China 2025.
Finally, a reader who comes across this book in a bookshelf would be well-positioned if they merely read the final two chapters. Helberg has many recommendations, some of which I would reject immediately as a conservative. But others demand more reflection, especially for those disinclined to supporting government spending and programs. We have to invest in American innovation, which will require actions like greater federal spending, offering incentives to already profitable companies, picking winners and losers, and probably some inane research projects being funded along the way. But these are, as some like to say, merely the table stakes required to compete, or fight, and win in the 21st Century. We cannot ignore them.
While not groundbreaking for some readers, many of the facts and insights present here need to be better understood by the layman. Some of the problems identified in this book will be kitchen table issues in the years to come, and education is the first step.
October 13, 2022
We can't be nationless, our actions and inactions WILL further someone's objectives. Who's will that be? The book highlighted some of US major vulnerabilities when it comes to tech and soft power. US companies need to start acting like US companies if they want to keep operating with US freedoms. There wasn't much profound in so many pages and ineffective personal anecdotes, but a still important and relevant topic and reminder.
February 17, 2022
Repetitive, weirdly alarmist, but perhaps also quite right on the overall risks. I enjoyed Jim Sciutto's Shadow War much more on this topic. It felt more thoroughly reported, more carefully fact-checked, less speculative, and better overall. Also, the author's sense of the geopolitics seems underdeveloped. He's stronger when writing about the tech side of the equation.
Read
April 1, 2022This book is more relevant now than ever before, sadly. We need to think more deeply about how to uphold our democratic values in a world where autocrats are actively trying to undermine them through technological means of all kinds.
January 16, 2022
This is a great look at the current state of play. My only criticism of it is that it doesn’t explore any of the downsides of some of its proposed solutions.
Still this is a must read for anyone unfamiliar with great power competition is influencing and being influenced by Tech.
Still this is a must read for anyone unfamiliar with great power competition is influencing and being influenced by Tech.
December 18, 2021
I thought it was an okay book. The book draws from the author’s experience as a policy advisor at Google and geopolitics. I agree with the central thesis of the book that the US and the Western Democracies need a concerted effort to counteract the attacks by the likes of Russia and China and more recently even Iran. He makes comparisons to the Cold War and
> To me, the question is not whether we are reliving the Cold War but whether we are living through a cold war. The term has a history—George Orwell helped define it, calling it a prolonged “peace that is no peace.” Some 600 years before Orwell, the Spanish scholar Don Juan Manuel articulated the idea of a “tepid war” simmering below the thin surface of peace.
It definitely feels this way where there are bother overt and covert attacks, hacks that are being orchestrated from both sides. It didn’t help that a lot of NSA Crown Jewels got lost and coopted in the various vulnerabilities. There’s certainly a lack of trust in the US from both tech companies and the existing intelligence organizations. And on the other hand, DC is actively trying to break apart of malign the tech organizations that could help the US regain its foothold. This could be let to sort itself but that’s not what China and Russia are doing, and particularly China has aggressive goals and incentives to have government and private companies work together.
> Aiding China’s effort to become a cyber-superpower is the principle of “civil-military fusion,” a concept written into the Chinese constitution.145 Under civil-military fusion, Chinese companies, like the telecommunications firms Huawei and ZTE, are subordinate to the Chinese government. Article 7 of China’s National Intelligence Law states, “Any organization or citizen shall support, assist, and cooperate with the state intelligence work in accordance with the law, and keep the secrets of the national intelligence work known to the public.”146
The hardware war from China and the software/social media war from Russia make for a good short pithy thing to rally around.
> China has civil-military fusion. The United States has techgovernment confusion. And while our two coasts battle each other, the authoritarians are taking aim at democracy.
I think it’s a short book to get some of these nuggets, if not for new information you’ll at least get some buzzwords
> To me, the question is not whether we are reliving the Cold War but whether we are living through a cold war. The term has a history—George Orwell helped define it, calling it a prolonged “peace that is no peace.” Some 600 years before Orwell, the Spanish scholar Don Juan Manuel articulated the idea of a “tepid war” simmering below the thin surface of peace.
It definitely feels this way where there are bother overt and covert attacks, hacks that are being orchestrated from both sides. It didn’t help that a lot of NSA Crown Jewels got lost and coopted in the various vulnerabilities. There’s certainly a lack of trust in the US from both tech companies and the existing intelligence organizations. And on the other hand, DC is actively trying to break apart of malign the tech organizations that could help the US regain its foothold. This could be let to sort itself but that’s not what China and Russia are doing, and particularly China has aggressive goals and incentives to have government and private companies work together.
> Aiding China’s effort to become a cyber-superpower is the principle of “civil-military fusion,” a concept written into the Chinese constitution.145 Under civil-military fusion, Chinese companies, like the telecommunications firms Huawei and ZTE, are subordinate to the Chinese government. Article 7 of China’s National Intelligence Law states, “Any organization or citizen shall support, assist, and cooperate with the state intelligence work in accordance with the law, and keep the secrets of the national intelligence work known to the public.”146
The hardware war from China and the software/social media war from Russia make for a good short pithy thing to rally around.
> China has civil-military fusion. The United States has techgovernment confusion. And while our two coasts battle each other, the authoritarians are taking aim at democracy.
I think it’s a short book to get some of these nuggets, if not for new information you’ll at least get some buzzwords
October 31, 2021
A very good, timely book.
I'm not sure if it's going to age well but it captures the moment in the Chinese and american rivalry. Author through his private and professional life is uniquely positioned to write this kind of a book. I'm sure that if US adopted some solutions from it they would be better rivals for China. I'm not sure if they still have the fortitude to do it. Whatever happens, in the next 25 years there is nothing more important than china vs. US in international politics - and tech companies and remaining innovative is a critical component of that struggle.
It's funny that people don't get (or pretending not to get) that running a rocket company, a social media app or a search engine is a political act.
I'm not sure if it's going to age well but it captures the moment in the Chinese and american rivalry. Author through his private and professional life is uniquely positioned to write this kind of a book. I'm sure that if US adopted some solutions from it they would be better rivals for China. I'm not sure if they still have the fortitude to do it. Whatever happens, in the next 25 years there is nothing more important than china vs. US in international politics - and tech companies and remaining innovative is a critical component of that struggle.
It's funny that people don't get (or pretending not to get) that running a rocket company, a social media app or a search engine is a political act.
December 17, 2021
Somewhat Informative, but too self indulgent
Somewhat informative, but too self indulgent. There are many new morsels of information, but most of the book is spent on second hand info and opinion. The book reads as an overwrought Substack piece.
Somewhat informative, but too self indulgent. There are many new morsels of information, but most of the book is spent on second hand info and opinion. The book reads as an overwrought Substack piece.
October 21, 2021
Jacob Helberg's book was both timely and engaging. I found myself drawn in by the prose, and his points and themes are on point. With technology accelerating and the world vastly becoming smaller and more interconnected, this 'Gray War' - as he has termed it - is set to change how we look at technology and the interplay between governments, technology, and even society. I would recommend this book to anyone.
June 5, 2022
The sub heading to the title the wires of war is technology and the global struggle for power. That is actually more the primary title then wires of War, which is somewhat but not very catchy. This book deals with current and evolving Technologies, and how they affect power through altering knowledge. Discuss its National and international interests, best interests of countries, people acting in or against their best interests, technologies that are blocking our best interest. My initial impression was that although very interesting and heavy on details, there is a tremendous amount of speculation and conjecture with constructions that are what if situations of the worst possible manipulation by primarily China as an adversary of free flow of information. On reflection, I am a lot more worried about the possibility that some of these conjectures if not true now, certainly could become more True by 2022 to 2024.
October 21, 2021
Truly mind-expanding observations on the threat of the CCP and how they exploit technology. This book is fascinating and presents a globetrotting, history-straddling scope the direction the world is heading in. As President Bill Clinton praised, Helberg gives an analytical tour de force.
November 11, 2021
Jacob Helberg wrote a book about how awesome and cool guy is Jacob Helberg.
May 1, 2022
This book should absolutely be required reading/listening for every school in America. If you want to panic about the state of American technological decline and the rise of China's tech edge, then this would be the perfect book for you. Jacob Helberg does a superb job at laying out how the Xi Jinping and the CCP and Vladimir Putin and his Internet Research Agency have been systematically cracking at not just America's place in the world order, but the very concept of the free and open internet that us Americans have come to expect will essentially live on forever. That does not seem to be the case when looking at the near future through the cold lens of the capabilities and policies being pursued by authoritarians around the world. Only massive public and private investment in cybersecurity, tech education, and a global reorientation to the protection of democracy might stem the tide of an internet dominated by a country that assigns social credit scores to its citizens, cracks down on the freedoms that Hong Kong held so preciously, and is actively conducting genocide against a cultural minority.
I particularly enjoyed, or rather was morbidly fascinated, at how well Helberg detailed every step of China's methods of controlling the future of the internet, from pumping massive state funds into 5G tech, AI, and quantum computing, to trying to change internet protocols, to conducting massive intelligence collection on American companies and data through classic spying or by using the growth of Tik Tok. And of course, there is the massive national security problem of supply chain bottlenecks, particularly for rare earth elements that mostly come from China. China's seemingly "society-wide" focus on growth and dominance are extremely concerning, considering the US seems dysfunctional at the best of times these days. Helberg's expertise as an ex-Google employee comes in handy when parsing each bit of the internet that the CCP is trying to usurp for itself, and it's clear through Helberg's words that they have been unfortunately very successful thus far.
I was also impressed with the remedies that Helberg details in order to protect democracy from authoritarian influence over the internet, and usually I would be a little more pessimistic by his somewhat tired call to unite global democracies against authoritarians when we have a huge authoritarian problem right at home. However, recent events in Ukraine have shifted the global narrative around how democracies will need to help each other out. Finland and Sweden applying for NATO is but one example. The Russian invasion of Ukraine could be the key moment America needs to revamp not just military alliances but establish new ones in the cyber front.
I pray this opportunity does not go missed. According to Helberg, the Gray War, a sort of online Cold War, has already been raging for years. The invasion of Ukraine may set off a physical Cold War in the real world. If this is the case, democracies need to prepare for it, and their citizens must be reminded of how precious their freedoms are. The global "new right", the nationalist populist authoritarian movements that have sprung up across the West, will be the trickiest part of this puzzle to solve, and perhaps that's why Helberg doesn't cover it in his book, nor does it seem anybody besides political scientists. An emphasis by small-d democrats must be made to paint nationalist populism as pro-Jinping, pro-Putin, anti-Enlightenment and anti-West. A new quasi-patriotism for the very concept of democracy, liberty, privacy, and the open internet must reassert itself, preferably by overwhelming popular vote.
An urgently high recommend from me, but this book will probably give you anxiety. But this book may also give you the small push you may need to brush up on your own personal cybersecurity. I know it did for me!
I particularly enjoyed, or rather was morbidly fascinated, at how well Helberg detailed every step of China's methods of controlling the future of the internet, from pumping massive state funds into 5G tech, AI, and quantum computing, to trying to change internet protocols, to conducting massive intelligence collection on American companies and data through classic spying or by using the growth of Tik Tok. And of course, there is the massive national security problem of supply chain bottlenecks, particularly for rare earth elements that mostly come from China. China's seemingly "society-wide" focus on growth and dominance are extremely concerning, considering the US seems dysfunctional at the best of times these days. Helberg's expertise as an ex-Google employee comes in handy when parsing each bit of the internet that the CCP is trying to usurp for itself, and it's clear through Helberg's words that they have been unfortunately very successful thus far.
I was also impressed with the remedies that Helberg details in order to protect democracy from authoritarian influence over the internet, and usually I would be a little more pessimistic by his somewhat tired call to unite global democracies against authoritarians when we have a huge authoritarian problem right at home. However, recent events in Ukraine have shifted the global narrative around how democracies will need to help each other out. Finland and Sweden applying for NATO is but one example. The Russian invasion of Ukraine could be the key moment America needs to revamp not just military alliances but establish new ones in the cyber front.
I pray this opportunity does not go missed. According to Helberg, the Gray War, a sort of online Cold War, has already been raging for years. The invasion of Ukraine may set off a physical Cold War in the real world. If this is the case, democracies need to prepare for it, and their citizens must be reminded of how precious their freedoms are. The global "new right", the nationalist populist authoritarian movements that have sprung up across the West, will be the trickiest part of this puzzle to solve, and perhaps that's why Helberg doesn't cover it in his book, nor does it seem anybody besides political scientists. An emphasis by small-d democrats must be made to paint nationalist populism as pro-Jinping, pro-Putin, anti-Enlightenment and anti-West. A new quasi-patriotism for the very concept of democracy, liberty, privacy, and the open internet must reassert itself, preferably by overwhelming popular vote.
An urgently high recommend from me, but this book will probably give you anxiety. But this book may also give you the small push you may need to brush up on your own personal cybersecurity. I know it did for me!
May 16, 2022
The Wires of War: Technology and the Global Struggle for Power by Jacob Helberg is a pretty good book, although a bit uneven. Chapters 3-6 were particularly, although I have heard variations on each chapter as entire books. Chapter 5, for instance, is something a lot of authors have taken a hand to trying to solve, such as Chris Brose in The Kill Chain. I found a lot of this book unnecessarily personal. Helberg appears to have modelled his book on the part memoir, part policy genre that senior practitioners have embraced lately, but Jacob lacks the gravitas and the career to make these side ventures worth while. Some of it may be protection: "I'm liberal, my friends cried when Trump was elected, and I'm gay too! Trust me, the moderately hawkish positions I embrace in part of these book does not make me a republican!" Its the type of book that wouldn't be out of place in a Hillary Clinton policy team, which makes sense given that Helberg pointedly praises her a couple of times.
It is also a profoundly optimistic book. It highlights a lot of nightmares, but there's a doubling down on the mission and character of an idealized United States to navigate through these current and future challenges. I'm a softie for that, because it matches my own biases quite well.
Though good, there are a few things about this book that hold it back. Some parts of it are a little too trite, and the first couple of chapters are enough to make some readers give up early - which would be a shame, given that the book hits its stride in the middle.
87/100
It is also a profoundly optimistic book. It highlights a lot of nightmares, but there's a doubling down on the mission and character of an idealized United States to navigate through these current and future challenges. I'm a softie for that, because it matches my own biases quite well.
Though good, there are a few things about this book that hold it back. Some parts of it are a little too trite, and the first couple of chapters are enough to make some readers give up early - which would be a shame, given that the book hits its stride in the middle.
87/100
August 15, 2023
If you're already in the tech field or have read something on the topic of cybersecurity, I'd skip this. Helberg explains things like ARPANET and 21st century security to the level of people who don't understand the internet at all (so our politicians basically). If you aren't in the tech field and have an interest in learning, but have pretty much no understanding of the issue and want to know where to start: read this.
Wires of War is informational on how globalized technology has created a 5th domain of war: cyberspace. Not enough of us think about our cybersecurity and how entwined it is with our infrastructures and daily life, and Helberg brings alot of insight into how even seemingly small companies and actions can affect our lives.
He does focus alot on the big picture and big threats like China, and occasionally talk about Russia. Certainly those are threats that we should stay aware of, and he has some solid opinions on how we can minimize attacks. However, I think he could have also focused more on how past attacks have happened. It's not always some genius hacker who conducts a large scale operation or can directly break into a government computer from their hideaway like in movies, alot of it is phishing attacks and basic cyber security like changing our passwords and not giving away information to anyone who asks for it. So rather than focusing on just how major threat actors can access and mess with our systems or needing more cybersecurity experts, we should also have a discussion about how the general population plays a part in that security.
Wires of War is informational on how globalized technology has created a 5th domain of war: cyberspace. Not enough of us think about our cybersecurity and how entwined it is with our infrastructures and daily life, and Helberg brings alot of insight into how even seemingly small companies and actions can affect our lives.
He does focus alot on the big picture and big threats like China, and occasionally talk about Russia. Certainly those are threats that we should stay aware of, and he has some solid opinions on how we can minimize attacks. However, I think he could have also focused more on how past attacks have happened. It's not always some genius hacker who conducts a large scale operation or can directly break into a government computer from their hideaway like in movies, alot of it is phishing attacks and basic cyber security like changing our passwords and not giving away information to anyone who asks for it. So rather than focusing on just how major threat actors can access and mess with our systems or needing more cybersecurity experts, we should also have a discussion about how the general population plays a part in that security.
January 17, 2022
At times, I felt this was a five star book, other times was tempted to put it at two.
The reason why can best be summarized by what I've read before, 'We thought we could make China more like us, but it's likely we will be more like China.'
I absolutely see the threat the author is outlining - we may lose our freedom if we sit idly by and do nothing. But if we aren't careful, in the process of fighting back, we may end up just engaging in the same authoritarian practices. Some of the proposals of centralizing government further in the style of DHS therefore had me worrying. It could be setting up an avenue for abuse by a future Trump style administration. You could target political enemies and deny them the right to conduct business for 'national security' reasons. The author more or less brushes aside critiques that have been outlined in books like, Surveillance Capitalism (Zuboff). Parts feel like corporate propaganda.
However, the general threat of an authoritarian Internet was outlined well, hitting on points that made me wish I could give this a higher rating.
The reason why can best be summarized by what I've read before, 'We thought we could make China more like us, but it's likely we will be more like China.'
I absolutely see the threat the author is outlining - we may lose our freedom if we sit idly by and do nothing. But if we aren't careful, in the process of fighting back, we may end up just engaging in the same authoritarian practices. Some of the proposals of centralizing government further in the style of DHS therefore had me worrying. It could be setting up an avenue for abuse by a future Trump style administration. You could target political enemies and deny them the right to conduct business for 'national security' reasons. The author more or less brushes aside critiques that have been outlined in books like, Surveillance Capitalism (Zuboff). Parts feel like corporate propaganda.
However, the general threat of an authoritarian Internet was outlined well, hitting on points that made me wish I could give this a higher rating.
January 2, 2022
This book I briefly skimmed over; there is much substance here, and many basic issues have not be resolved. Many feel they may be unresolvable, since the human element, in the system breaks it- primarily at the developer level. Where this perspective is correct or not, is a matter of debate.
The notion of a Grey War, on the Internet, or a combination of a cyberwar + disinformation campaigns, is a new one. The dimensions of the current battle, however extend well beyond this notion; there is a trade war, with an economic and financial component-perhaps a geoengineering one on some level, given issues with rain water, and a biological one perhaps, with Cov-SARS-2. There are "hot" elements, the three front strategy --abusing the reduction of the U.S. from two-fronts to one-- adopted by Russia, Iran and China vs. the worlds preeminent superpower, the U.S.A.- a country which has achieved energy independence via shale in late 2019.
Recommended.
The notion of a Grey War, on the Internet, or a combination of a cyberwar + disinformation campaigns, is a new one. The dimensions of the current battle, however extend well beyond this notion; there is a trade war, with an economic and financial component-perhaps a geoengineering one on some level, given issues with rain water, and a biological one perhaps, with Cov-SARS-2. There are "hot" elements, the three front strategy --abusing the reduction of the U.S. from two-fronts to one-- adopted by Russia, Iran and China vs. the worlds preeminent superpower, the U.S.A.- a country which has achieved energy independence via shale in late 2019.
Recommended.
January 17, 2022
The Wires of War is one of many books that outlines and analyzes the dangers the USA faces from foreign adversaries, specifically China and Russia. I found Jacob Helberg's writing style easy to absorb and he does provide some interesting insights from his days working at Google and Silicon Valley; however, Helberg does not really bring any new facts to the table. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - people looking for an entry point into understanding what's been happening in the cyber world these last few years would benefit a lot from this book - but I was hoping for more specialized insight from a Google veteran. Despite that slight disappointment, I really enjoyed Helberg's breakdowns of events, especially how he goes into the dangers of social media apps like Tik Tok and Grinder. I wish those sections had been a bit longer, but it was still very informative. Overall, I highly recommend this book.
April 7, 2023
This was different. A tough and difficult subject, one that will perplex many in the US government as well as in the private sector. Perhaps one of the biggest issues of our time. I read this amidst the release of a trove of Twitter Files that show government and corporate cooperation to censor speech on social media platforms. With Hamilton 68 and the Virality Project, and many more, scheming to censor speech they don’t like. This book was written before these Twitter File articles were published.
The author did a fine job of explaining the “front-end” (software) and “back-end” (hardware) challenges that we face. He discussed why government and the private sector (Big Tech) should work together on this crises. He also presented some recommendations where these two parties could do more.
The author clearly favors using government and the private sector to combat online attacks by foreign actors but does not address the potential for this “apparatus” to be pointed at domestic speech. He mentioned the Russian interference in the 2016 election several times and walked a very fine line about whether or not this swung the election to a victory for Trump.
The recommendations he suggested appear to me to favor more and bigger government where the private sector seconds high level tech experts to assist. I appreciate that we have a challenge with China and Russia cyber attacks and agree we need to stand guard against this threat. I just don’t know how this is accomplished without infringing on domestic citizen rights. Seems to me that our country needs to have a debate on this very complex topic.
It would be helpful to have a media willing to expose both sides of this debate. But I have lost any hope of this in the short term.
The author did a fine job of explaining the “front-end” (software) and “back-end” (hardware) challenges that we face. He discussed why government and the private sector (Big Tech) should work together on this crises. He also presented some recommendations where these two parties could do more.
The author clearly favors using government and the private sector to combat online attacks by foreign actors but does not address the potential for this “apparatus” to be pointed at domestic speech. He mentioned the Russian interference in the 2016 election several times and walked a very fine line about whether or not this swung the election to a victory for Trump.
The recommendations he suggested appear to me to favor more and bigger government where the private sector seconds high level tech experts to assist. I appreciate that we have a challenge with China and Russia cyber attacks and agree we need to stand guard against this threat. I just don’t know how this is accomplished without infringing on domestic citizen rights. Seems to me that our country needs to have a debate on this very complex topic.
It would be helpful to have a media willing to expose both sides of this debate. But I have lost any hope of this in the short term.
June 23, 2022
Is this book alarmist? I don't think so. There are sufficient examples cited to support a growing apprehension of what's to come.
The author is not being binary about the issues, hence, he has called it the Gray War - the systemic rivalry between autocracy and democracy; the tech-fueled battle between the West and China/Russia.
This book raises a lot of legitimate concerns especially with how dual-used technologies are abused for nefarious anti-democratic purposes. Also, China's accelerating ownership and control of hardware (phones, satellites, fiber-optic cables and 5G networks) gifts it with incredible power to fashion the world in its own image.
Physical wars of the past faced daunting logistical challenges. Today, countries can be disrupted through the computer screen without ever leaving your home.
Who's listening in whenever you use your phone/computer?
The author is not being binary about the issues, hence, he has called it the Gray War - the systemic rivalry between autocracy and democracy; the tech-fueled battle between the West and China/Russia.
This book raises a lot of legitimate concerns especially with how dual-used technologies are abused for nefarious anti-democratic purposes. Also, China's accelerating ownership and control of hardware (phones, satellites, fiber-optic cables and 5G networks) gifts it with incredible power to fashion the world in its own image.
Physical wars of the past faced daunting logistical challenges. Today, countries can be disrupted through the computer screen without ever leaving your home.
Who's listening in whenever you use your phone/computer?
December 27, 2021
Helberg led Google’s global internal product policy efforts to combat disinformation and foreign interference from 2016-2020. His experiences have lead him to illuminated the growing two-front technology cold war between democracy and autocracy. He talks about the front-end software and the back-end hardware that both allow China to access way more than is currently believed or acknowledged.
Why I started this book: Browsing through the library's newest audio books and this one looked interesting.
Why I finished it: This needed a good editor. I appreciated that Helberg pointed out the good and bad that both Obama and Trump (and their administrations) did in this gray war against China, but this book could have trimmed some weight and still be coherent and relevant.
Why I started this book: Browsing through the library's newest audio books and this one looked interesting.
Why I finished it: This needed a good editor. I appreciated that Helberg pointed out the good and bad that both Obama and Trump (and their administrations) did in this gray war against China, but this book could have trimmed some weight and still be coherent and relevant.
July 9, 2022
This could have been two, at most three articles - one summary on soft influence (here coupled with already contentious topics like "echo chambers"), one on hardware problems (which was actually fine and is not spoken about at every turn) and one on next policy steps in US politics (where good and sometimes even a bit original ideas are clamped together with...stuff). Even the defense of the giants was somehow rational (although subject to longer discussion, because the "war argument" is easily deterred by all available historical analogies).
What was completely out there were personal reminiscences. Like, cool man, you have an interesting life, all the power to you, we didn´t need to know that and we certainly didn´t need to know how the sushi tasted on that cocktail party.
What was completely out there were personal reminiscences. Like, cool man, you have an interesting life, all the power to you, we didn´t need to know that and we certainly didn´t need to know how the sushi tasted on that cocktail party.
February 14, 2023
This book is still highly relevant and up to date even though it was written before Kremlin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the technology and cyber repercussions of that. The book builds the case for fighting Russia and China technology-wise to defend liberal democracy. Unfortunately, Helberg goes too far in a handful of cases. For instance he fails to acknowledge the bad situation with media gatekeepers before the rise of internet publishing. And he glosses over almost all privacy implications of data collection, to the extent of missing how ad targeting across contexts is now considered a national security threat since it can be used to target specific parts of the population with disinformation or straight up malware.
May 18, 2022
Wires of War дає чудовий тактичний погляд на фізичні системи, які з’єднують наш світ, і на потенційні вразливі місця в цих системах, на які впливає політика багатьох держав.
Продуманий погляд Джейкоба охоплює політичні мотиви обох сторін і дає зрозуміти, що наші технологічні рішення важливіші, ніж будь-коли. І про них слід думати стратегічно: від розмов на рівні керівництва політичної вла��и до технічних спеціалістів.
“When asked how far China lags behind Silicon Valley in artificial intelligence research, some Chinese entrepreneurs jokingly answer “sixteen hours”—the time difference between California and Beijing."
Продуманий погляд Джейкоба охоплює політичні мотиви обох сторін і дає зрозуміти, що наші технологічні рішення важливіші, ніж будь-коли. І про них слід думати стратегічно: від розмов на рівні керівництва політичної вла��и до технічних спеціалістів.
“When asked how far China lags behind Silicon Valley in artificial intelligence research, some Chinese entrepreneurs jokingly answer “sixteen hours”—the time difference between California and Beijing."
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