Influence Warfare

Narrative and Great Power Competition

Narrative and Warfare

Strategic Narrative

Information and Power

These podcasts are required listening. They do not replace a lecture, plenary, or seminar. They are in lieu of additional required reading to save you time. Please stream or download anytime. Any issues, please email Howard Clark at CIC.

This particular podcast introduces SLFC12-13, with an emphasis on SLFC12.

Disinformation and Polarization

Political Warfare in the Age of Great Power Competition

Mobilization and Radicalization

Sub/Transnational Governance

Stabilization Analysis

Population Analysis

The Oppressed - Fifth Columns, Hacking the Mind, and Beyond

Intro (0:00)

Definitions (1:42)

Preparation for SSS10 Exercise (3:00)

Hacking the Mind and Beyond (16:32)

 

Strategic Intelligence Analysis

Consuming Strategic Intelligence

(should have said "March and April" on communications lessons at the beginning of podcast, not February)

Partisans and Saboteurs

Institutional Sabotage

(SSS7) Film

Communications and Persuasion

Conspiracy Theories

This is the longest podcast of the semester by far.

Communications and Strategic Flexibility

(should have said "March and April" and not February--yes, I know what month and year I'm in, but require more coffee for future podcasts)

Subterfuge

(IWS5) Trust

Last part is a refresher for INW students -- consonance and resonance, but for this course applying to missions intending to deceive, persuade, inform.

(IWS4) Societal Capacity Against Disinformation and Subversion

(IWS3) Disinformation and Glasnost

(SSS4) Active-Measures Subversion

(SSS3) Unrestricted Political Warfare

(SSS2) Subversion

(IWS2) Information and Great Power Competition

(IWS1) Information and Strategy

LLOs and other two readings discussed in seminar.

(INW11) Social Media and the Brain

0:00 - limits of analysis of social media opinions

4:00 - limits of blind disinformation to affect the mind

8:54 - five new pillars of disinformation:

1) engage prefrontal cortex as little as possible

2) master platforms

3) exploit conspiracy-theory phenomena

4) target subconscious

5) target limbic system (especially outrage and trust)

 

 

Social and Political Tribalism

Influence Tradecraft

Consonance: Identify stabilizing civil-society/governance networks whose goals are in consonance with those of the United States.

Resonance: Subtly/silently/invisibly/distantly enable/leverage/strengthen/amplify consonant networks.

Influence Tools and Networks

Tools, networks, ways, and means are taught through case study summaries.

1. Soviet dissidents' 'glasnost' campaigns
2. Genghis Khan's 'szalámitaktika' campaigns
3. Harriet Tubman's leveraging of U.S. Army
4. British support of Arab revolt (WWI)
5. Kaiser's support of Lenin (WWI)

Influence Strategy

1. Reflexive control: Influence an adversary to want to make decisions designed by the protagonist--without adversary being aware of manipulation.
2. Zugzwang: German. Zug: to move. Zwang: compulsion. Compel a target's countermove that will weaken the target's position (target subverts itself).  
3. Telemachus: Greek. Warfare from afar--conducting influence from another country or continent.
4. Slow burn: Thousand subtle pricks. Each disparate tactic is indirect, subtle, unthreatening--unlikely raise alarms. In its totality, there are eventually strategic effects.
5. Stealth/deception: Because influence is by definition indirect and insensible, deception and stealth are often vital to successful influence.

Narrative Warfare

1. first and flood
2. 'dietrologia' (Italian for search for forces behind events--also further reflects on 'saudade' from last week)
3. 'glasnost'
4. trust building
5. visa programs (for subtle amplification and growing of followers of fellow-traveler influencers)
6. trust warfare (science and medicine)
7. astroturfing
8. entryism (in reference to a supposed Trotskyism tactic)
9. induce reckless success (stretch the enemy thin through false narratives that they are 'doing' better than they actually are)
10. weaponized translation (to better reach audiences in authoritarian states, sometimes)

Introduction to Information Warfare Strategy

Communications and Persuasion (AY2023)

Ch`i and Metis (AY2023SLFC21)

LLOs, discussion in plenary, seminars.

(SLFC14) Narrative and Warfare

LLOs, discussions in plenary, seminars.

Narrative and Great Power Competition (AY2023SLFC19)

LLOs, discussions in plenary, seminars.

(SLFC13) Strategic Narrative

LLOs, discussions in plenary, seminars.

(SLFC12) Information and Power

LLOs, discussions in plenary, seminars.

(IWS14) Political Warfare in the Age of Great Power Competition

Sub/Transnational Governance

Stabilization Analysis

Population Analysis for Psychological Warfare

Liberation Through Subversion

00:00 – background/context 

06:58 – definitions

08:16 – preparation for case study for THE OPPRESSED – FIFTH COLUMNS

21:52 – HACKING THE MIND

Strategic Intelligence Analysis

20 minutes. Spent the morning editing it down. As always this podcast acts as if it were a reading--general preparation for seminar discussion/exercise.

Partisans and Saboteurs

LLOs, Q&A in seminar

(IWS8) The Study of Strategic Intelligence

LLOs, presentation in plenary.

Institutional Sabotage

Film as Subversion

Communications and Persuasion

LLOs, panel, discussion in plenary/seminar.

CONSPIRACY THEORIES: A HOW TO GUIDE (26 WAYS)

(IWS6) Communications and Strategic Flexibility

LLOs, panel in plenary. First two readings and video introduced at beginning. Attila the Hun reading analyzed, from one perspective, at the end of the podcast.

(IWS5) Trust

LLOs, case studies in class.

Subterfuge

LLOs, case studies in seminar.

(IWS4) Societal Capacity Against Disinformation and Subversion

LLOs, case studies in plenary and seminars.

(SSS4) Active-Measures Subversion

LLOs, case studies in seminar.

Disinformation and Glasnost

(SSS3) Unrestricted Political Warfare

Exercise / case study in seminar.

(IWS2) Information and Great Power Competition

LLOs, discussion in seminar.

(SSS2) Subversion

LLOs, discussion in seminar.

(IWS1) Information and Strategy

LLOs, intro, discussions in plenary and seminars.

Social Media and the Brain

(INW10) Disinformation and Polarization

For INW10. LLO, case studies, discussions in seminar.

Tribalism

Deterrence Through Fear

Information Warfare Ways and Means

INW6: Influence Tradecraft (2021)

40 minutes. Re-cut, re-mastered 'director's cut' for fall 2021.

• Refers to INW3 (networks and narratives) several times.
• And refers briefly once to a supplementary reading by E.B. Boyd (NOT REQUIRED reading and hopefully you can get the gist from the podcast).
• The bell curve described is different than Simon Sinek's bell curve (the youtube video for INW6) on early adopters. These are different phenomena, but we can compare or combine them in seminar if you wish.

Influence Strategy

Political and Narrative Warfare

For INW4. LLOs, discussions in seminar.

Lethal Narratives

First 2.5 minutes are review. Then attempt to look at intersection of narratives and networks. 

Lethal: "very potent or effective" (third definition in Merriam-Webster) and potentially "destructive" (second definition in Merriam-Webster).

Narratives: stories (or meta-stories) that reflect identify, offer meaning, weaponized / used with purpose. May be observable--but not necessarily.

Hacking the Subconscious

For those who have heard my NDU early-Sept. brownbags, lectures, conferences, the middle five minutes will be review and should sound familar.

SLFC21: Ch'i and Metis

LLOs and case studies in plenary.

Faculty Session: Ch'i and Metis

SLFC20: Narrative and Warfare

LLOs, case studies in plenary.

Faculty Session: Narrative and Warfare

Faculty Session: Strategic Narrative (part ii)

SLFC18: Strategic Narrative

LLOs, case studies in plenary.

Faculty Session: Narrative and Great Power Competition

SLFC19: Narrative and Great Power Competition

LLOs, case studies in plenary.

Faculty Session: Strategic Narrative

SLFC17: Information and Power

LLO, case studies in plenary.

IWS Lesson 14: Partisan Warfare in the Age of Global Power Competition

Case study in seminar.

Amanda Nimmer on Online CVE (Experiences From the Frontline)

Ms. Amanda Nimmer joined Quantum in 2009 and is currently the Director of US Business at Quantum Communications, where she directs the development and implementation of all management aspects of projects for US-based clients.

Nimmer has nearly 15 years of experience working on communications projects in the Middle East and is based between Washington, DC and Beirut. She has developed and managed some of Quantum’s largest projects to date and has extensive experience in business planning covering tv, radio, print and digital.

http://www.quantum.com.lb/

amanda.nimmer@quantumcomusa.com

IWS Lesson 12: Sub/Transnational Governance

Case studies, LLOs, discussions in plenary and seminar.

SSS Lesson 11: The Oppressed - Fifth Columns

LLOs, case study in seminar.

Dr. Emilia Lahti Interview - Sisu

Dr. Emilia Lahti is an international presenter on topics related to positive psychology, courage, leadership, and inner strength.

Currently, Emilia is pioneering the research on the ancient Finnish construct of 'sisu', denoting courage and determination in the face of adversity and the ability to unlock latent inner strength. Her work has been featured by The New Yorker, Business Insider, Scientific American, BBC, and Forbes among others. Emilia has given talks at Fortune500 companies, social media companies, universities, and more.

About Dr. Lahti:

https://www.emilialahti.com

https://www.emilialahti.com/emilia-lahti

Paper mentioned in podcast: 

Lahti, E., (2019). Embodied fortitude: An introduction to the Finnish construct of sisu. International Journal of Wellbeing, 9(1), 61-82. doi:10.5502/ijw.v9i1.672

https://12bdb885-0c35-5bc9-de68-60b4eea95939.filesusr.com/ugd/de6a2f_a296ed09f8a8425e848f5cd47ce981e4.pdf 

Emilia's TEDx talk:

https://youtu.be/UTIizGyf5kU 

 

Interview with Living Legend Dr. Arturo Muñoz

Dr. Arturo Muñoz is one of the world’s and one of history’s (a living influential legend and continued strategic thought leader) foremost experts on insurgency and counterinsurgency.

In this rare interview, Dr. Muñoz provides practical, actionable, and intrepid recommendations on information/psychological operations and warfare, strategic communications, and influence in guerrilla warfare and counterinsurgency. Advice for every warfighter and national security professional.

Background on Dr. Arturo Muñoz:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arturo_Muñoz_(intelligence)

https://www.rand.org/pubs/authors/m/munoz_arturo.html

http://www.tribalanalysiscenter.com/board.html

SSS Lesson 10: Hacking the Subconscious

Case studies, application, LLOs in seminar.

IWS Lesson 11: Stabilization Analysis

Case studies, 'war stories', LLOs in plenary.

Strategic Sabotage

Case study, LLOs in seminar.

IWS Lesson 10: Population Analysis

LLOs, discussions in plenary and seminar.

SSS Lesson 8: Partisans and Saboteurs

LLOs, debate, case study in seminar.

Dr. Vivian Walker Interview - Public Diplomacy Insights for ALL Warfighters

Some of the best suggestions and advice on information and influence for all strategic leaders and warfighters.

Bio: https://www.state.gov/biographies/vivan-walker/

Contact: walkervs@state.gov 

IWS Lesson 9: Strategic Intelligence Analysis

Discussions, LLOs, Q&A in plenary.

MAKEUP - SSS Lesson 6: Conspiracy Theories

Lesson findings and thought exercise for Monday students.

Influence and Film

LLOs, case studies, film clips in seminar.

IWS Lesson 8: The Study of Strategic Intelligence

LLOs, lecture, Q&A, case studies in plenary. Discussions in seminar.

Conspiracy Theories

LLOs, discussions, and case studies in seminar.