Fire hosing: why obvious lies make great propaganda

A tactic of dishonesty, Lies without logic or remorse, Four defining traits, Disconnection from truth, The Crimean invasion, Subverting conventional rules, A loss of credibility, Style and substance, Owning the narrative, Repetition asserts dominance, Weaponizing facts, Simple truths become battlegrounds, The destruction of factual authority, Debating reality becomes normalized

Since the invention of the Internet in the late 20th century, misinformation has been allowed to propagate across the globe at an exponential rate. It is now more difficult than ever before to see and understand the truth, especially when we are bombarded with information from every available piece of technology around us.

In recent years, the public (especially in the United States) has found itself grappling with a new type of propaganda that has come from the highest echelons of the political world. It isn't just spin or exaggeration—it's something far more unsettling: a method of communication designed to dominate through chaos and confusion.

This technique is known simply as “fire hosing,” and it is a weapon that has been used by many politicians around the world. In the US, however, President Donald Trump has used it avidly.

So, what does this propaganda technique entail? Click through this gallery to find out.

A tactic of dishonesty

A tactic of dishonesty, Lies without logic or remorse, Four defining traits, Disconnection from truth, The Crimean invasion, Subverting conventional rules, A loss of credibility, Style and substance, Owning the narrative, Repetition asserts dominance, Weaponizing facts, Simple truths become battlegrounds, The destruction of factual authority, Debating reality becomes normalized

At the height of the 2016 presidential election in the United States, researchers released a report identifying a disturbing propaganda technique called the “fire hose of falsehood,” in which politicians bombard their constituents with so many lies that they can’t possibly keep up, let alone fact-check them all.

Lies without logic or remorse

A tactic of dishonesty, Lies without logic or remorse, Four defining traits, Disconnection from truth, The Crimean invasion, Subverting conventional rules, A loss of credibility, Style and substance, Owning the narrative, Repetition asserts dominance, Weaponizing facts, Simple truths become battlegrounds, The destruction of factual authority, Debating reality becomes normalized

The core of fire hosing isn’t simply lying; it’s lying without regard for reality or consistency. The propagandist is unconcerned with coherence, which allows them to shift narratives as needed while maintaining dominance over how people perceive events.

Four defining traits

A tactic of dishonesty, Lies without logic or remorse, Four defining traits, Disconnection from truth, The Crimean invasion, Subverting conventional rules, A loss of credibility, Style and substance, Owning the narrative, Repetition asserts dominance, Weaponizing facts, Simple truths become battlegrounds, The destruction of factual authority, Debating reality becomes normalized

According to RAND researcher Christopher Paul, fire hosing relies on four characteristics: it uses high volume and many channels, it’s rapid and repetitive, it disregards objective truth, and it does not make any commitment to being consistent.

Disconnection from truth

A tactic of dishonesty, Lies without logic or remorse, Four defining traits, Disconnection from truth, The Crimean invasion, Subverting conventional rules, A loss of credibility, Style and substance, Owning the narrative, Repetition asserts dominance, Weaponizing facts, Simple truths become battlegrounds, The destruction of factual authority, Debating reality becomes normalized

What is especially insidious about fire hosing is that it functions without needing to respect reality. It’s not just about lying, but rather behaving as if truth is optional and facts can be swapped out for convenience or political need.

The Crimean invasion

A tactic of dishonesty, Lies without logic or remorse, Four defining traits, Disconnection from truth, The Crimean invasion, Subverting conventional rules, A loss of credibility, Style and substance, Owning the narrative, Repetition asserts dominance, Weaponizing facts, Simple truths become battlegrounds, The destruction of factual authority, Debating reality becomes normalized

In 2014, Russian troops entered Ukraine, and videos surfaced featuring soldiers wearing green uniforms without insignia. Despite being broadcast globally, Vladimir Putin claimed they weren’t Russian soldiers. This denial, though obviously false, was a strategic play in controlling the narrative.

Subverting conventional rules

A tactic of dishonesty, Lies without logic or remorse, Four defining traits, Disconnection from truth, The Crimean invasion, Subverting conventional rules, A loss of credibility, Style and substance, Owning the narrative, Repetition asserts dominance, Weaponizing facts, Simple truths become battlegrounds, The destruction of factual authority, Debating reality becomes normalized

Traditional political strategy believes that credibility matters, and a good lie should seem plausible. Fire hosing rejects this, and proves that bold, transparent lies can be effective tools when used to dominate rather than to persuade.

A loss of credibility

A tactic of dishonesty, Lies without logic or remorse, Four defining traits, Disconnection from truth, The Crimean invasion, Subverting conventional rules, A loss of credibility, Style and substance, Owning the narrative, Repetition asserts dominance, Weaponizing facts, Simple truths become battlegrounds, The destruction of factual authority, Debating reality becomes normalized

Experts have made it clear that Russian strategists don’t mind being disbelieved. In their view, being known as dishonest doesn't actually matter; the point is to destabilize shared reality and to force constant engagement with their chosen narrative.

Style and substance

A tactic of dishonesty, Lies without logic or remorse, Four defining traits, Disconnection from truth, The Crimean invasion, Subverting conventional rules, A loss of credibility, Style and substance, Owning the narrative, Repetition asserts dominance, Weaponizing facts, Simple truths become battlegrounds, The destruction of factual authority, Debating reality becomes normalized

Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen notes that while Trump and Putin differ stylistically, their methods of creating informational chaos are strikingly similar: both of them flood the space with falsehoods that defy rebuttal by design.

Owning the narrative

A tactic of dishonesty, Lies without logic or remorse, Four defining traits, Disconnection from truth, The Crimean invasion, Subverting conventional rules, A loss of credibility, Style and substance, Owning the narrative, Repetition asserts dominance, Weaponizing facts, Simple truths become battlegrounds, The destruction of factual authority, Debating reality becomes normalized

When a leader lies about something that is plainly visible (like Trump denying he mocked a disabled reporter), they are asserting dominance. The lie becomes a show of force, daring others to dispute what everyone saw with their own eyes.

Repetition asserts dominance

A tactic of dishonesty, Lies without logic or remorse, Four defining traits, Disconnection from truth, The Crimean invasion, Subverting conventional rules, A loss of credibility, Style and substance, Owning the narrative, Repetition asserts dominance, Weaponizing facts, Simple truths become battlegrounds, The destruction of factual authority, Debating reality becomes normalized

Fire hosing exploits shamelessness and contradiction as strengths. Saying something absurd repeatedly (and refusing to back down) challenges others to either accept the lie or expend energy endlessly trying to correct it.

Weaponizing facts

A tactic of dishonesty, Lies without logic or remorse, Four defining traits, Disconnection from truth, The Crimean invasion, Subverting conventional rules, A loss of credibility, Style and substance, Owning the narrative, Repetition asserts dominance, Weaponizing facts, Simple truths become battlegrounds, The destruction of factual authority, Debating reality becomes normalized

Repeated lies turn concrete facts into political battlegrounds. What was once clear and simple becomes murky, contentious, and emotionally draining, and creates a sense that all information is just another side of an exhausting argument.

Simple truths become battlegrounds

A tactic of dishonesty, Lies without logic or remorse, Four defining traits, Disconnection from truth, The Crimean invasion, Subverting conventional rules, A loss of credibility, Style and substance, Owning the narrative, Repetition asserts dominance, Weaponizing facts, Simple truths become battlegrounds, The destruction of factual authority, Debating reality becomes normalized

When every statement is up for debate, even obviously true things become controversial. In a seemingly endless cycle, the public grows tired, confused, and ultimately indifferent, no longer sure if anything can be definitively known or trusted.

The destruction of factual authority

A tactic of dishonesty, Lies without logic or remorse, Four defining traits, Disconnection from truth, The Crimean invasion, Subverting conventional rules, A loss of credibility, Style and substance, Owning the narrative, Repetition asserts dominance, Weaponizing facts, Simple truths become battlegrounds, The destruction of factual authority, Debating reality becomes normalized

Fire hosing is an incredibly dangerous tactic, because it doesn’t try to replace truth with lies; it tries to destroy truth’s power altogether. It reduces facts to opinions and opinions to tools of influence.

Debating reality becomes normalized

A tactic of dishonesty, Lies without logic or remorse, Four defining traits, Disconnection from truth, The Crimean invasion, Subverting conventional rules, A loss of credibility, Style and substance, Owning the narrative, Repetition asserts dominance, Weaponizing facts, Simple truths become battlegrounds, The destruction of factual authority, Debating reality becomes normalized

Even media professionals fall into this trap. Debates about facts become debates about feelings or interpretations. But this enables lies to persist by reframing them as valid alternative viewpoints that deserve equal time and respect.

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