Sliding Mode in Virtual Communications

Introduction

The study seems vital as politics has become an integral part of everyday reality having entered every household by means of modern media. Development of media, gadgets and the Internet has facilitated the way for political message from the addresser to the addressee and has enabled it to instantly reach the audience either target or non-target. Politics determines and forms attitudes, values and ideas. Millions of people all over the world follow the development of political conflicts, minor or major, domestic or international. Political conflict is a characteristic feature of the post-globalization era, an integral feature of modern reality (Weber, 1948; Dahrendorf, 1968; Aleshina, 2016) directly or indirectly affecting masses of people worldwide. In international relations conflicts are simultaneously a special form of political interaction and a way of resolving contradictions. Generally speaking, political conflict may be regarded as a complex phenomenon and as a feature common to any political system. Political conflict may be defined as counteracting of parties (political subjects) that is expressed in certain actions directed against each other. The actions may be different in nature. Speech actions in a political conflict situation present interest for the researcher in terms of investigation of political communication in general, and political conflict communication in particular.

The study of political communication, particularly in a situation of political conflict, seems of high priority under the present circumstances of overall widespread of information and opposition in the course of information opposition. Of primary interest for a researcher is the functional and communication sphere of politics as a whole and of a political conflict in particular. According to van Dijk, reproduction of political information corresponds to reproduction of political discourse as stipulated by the ties between political actions and political processes on one side, and communication and discourse, on the other. Critical discourse analysis postulates the power being connected with control, and control over discourse means the way to its production, therefore, to its contents, style and finally, to mass consciousness (van Dijk, 2013). Another link not to be omitted is the interrelation between language and culture. Language may be regarded both as part of culture affecting its products and the instrument for creating these products (Blokh, 2013a).

Western researchers considered the issues of language and ideology prior to Soviet (Russian) ones due to substantial restrictions on Soviet scholarship. The first works on political communication describe the propaganda techniques (Lippman, 1921 ; Lasswell, 1927; Lazarsfeld, 1940; Klemperer, 1968; as cited in Aleshina, 2016). The issues of language in a state are tackled in the works by Chomsky (1988), Besancon (1984), Hahn (1997), Grenoble (2003), Duhn (1995)(as cited in Aleshina, 2016). Political discourse analysis is considered in the works by Fairclough (2003), and Chilton (2004) (as cited in Aleshina, 2016). The above researchers investigated the problems of language and language influence on mass consciousness, the phenomenon of speech manipulation in political rhetoric.