The propaganda value of women in conflicts has long-been well understood and cynically exploited by Western intelligence services. A leaked CIA memorandum from March 2010 on covert means of increasing flagging support for NATO’s Afghanistan mission noted women in the country “could serve as ideal messengers” in “humanizing” the military occupation, due to their “ability to speak personally and credibly about their experiences under the Taliban, their aspirations for the future, and their fears of a Taliban victory.”
According to John Stockwell, the CIA regularly invented atrocity stories out of whole cloth, complete with eyewitness testimonials and action footage, and ran these fake news stories in sympathetic media outlets.
People tend to think of propaganda in cartoonish ways, but they don’t realize that many of the darkest propaganda campaigns are actually designed to appeal to a human being’s most noble qualities: their empathy, desire for Justice, Goodness, Truth etc…
The more gripping an image of innocent people suffering at the hands of senseless evil, the more powerful the emotional response and power for a change in beliefs becomes.
From wanting to treat “Mother Earth” well and have green trees, clean air, green grass to protecting innocent women and children from bloodthirsty killers, most people don’t realize that these are the most nefarious types of psyops and social engineering because it is so easy and natural to emote strongly with these images and narratives, even when we don’t want to.
Whenever I have a conversation with everyday folks who are bombarded by MSM propaganda, I find it helps to often switch the frame and avoid talking about x,y,s particular issue, instead just taking a moment to talk about how people’s behaviours and ideas are changed in general, and how this has been done over the centuries and millennia ie it’s not new…
Whether in the ancient rhetoric of classical times or modern Anglo/American psyops, it comes down to the same essentials: manipulating the pictures inside the heads of human beings and inducing the heightened emotional states (whether through trauma, pity, fear) under which people are most likely to become open to changing their beliefs, abandoning former ones, or adopting altogether new ones. The more intense the situation seems, the more likely the latter becomes (for the average well-meaning person).
Working backwards from there, the wizards of rhetoric and illusions simply look to craft the images and narratives that induce the desired emotional states, throw in the basic platitudes and truisms that everyone can agree with (in order to strengthen the trance), and then introduce new suggestions.
It’s the same thing that the priesthoods of Babylon and Persia did, the rhetoricians of Ancient Greece and Rome, or the wizards and shamans of primitive tribes and cults.
Going back to Plato, the issue comes down to whether people can distinguish between “the real thing” and simply clever “imitations” of the real thing.
Also, I am wondering after discussing this piece with readers in my family if there are also similar psychological operations at work exploiting the Iranian protests- while I do think the Iran protests are organic and authentic, I do think they could be ripe for exploitation.
I also am dumbfounded by this article and do not have enough knowledge or insight as to what the big picture truly is. I’ve spent about 15 years on air much of it as an expert guest contributor of muslim female background having lived in Saudi Arabia under austere fundamentalism ( and writing a book on that). While I always shared personal insights and opinions based on my experiences in the Middle East/ South Asia regions reading this makes me wonder how my contributions may have been exploited or manipulated beyond what I perceived at the time. I’m also struck by the abrupt disinterest in alll these issues in mainstream US media even as Afghanistan lies in collapse and Yemen and Iran and so many other nations continue to face ongoing threats targeting women and girls. Deeply disturbing and so grateful for you shedding the light Kit.
Thankyou to the other commenters for sharing their knowledge I don’t know any of this.
According to John Stockwell, the CIA regularly invented atrocity stories out of whole cloth, complete with eyewitness testimonials and action footage, and ran these fake news stories in sympathetic media outlets.
Our evil rulers try to use good human impulses, like compassion, in evil ways, to foment their atrocity-filled wars. For shame.
Very nicely done!
People tend to think of propaganda in cartoonish ways, but they don’t realize that many of the darkest propaganda campaigns are actually designed to appeal to a human being’s most noble qualities: their empathy, desire for Justice, Goodness, Truth etc…
The more gripping an image of innocent people suffering at the hands of senseless evil, the more powerful the emotional response and power for a change in beliefs becomes.
From wanting to treat “Mother Earth” well and have green trees, clean air, green grass to protecting innocent women and children from bloodthirsty killers, most people don’t realize that these are the most nefarious types of psyops and social engineering because it is so easy and natural to emote strongly with these images and narratives, even when we don’t want to.
Whenever I have a conversation with everyday folks who are bombarded by MSM propaganda, I find it helps to often switch the frame and avoid talking about x,y,s particular issue, instead just taking a moment to talk about how people’s behaviours and ideas are changed in general, and how this has been done over the centuries and millennia ie it’s not new…
Whether in the ancient rhetoric of classical times or modern Anglo/American psyops, it comes down to the same essentials: manipulating the pictures inside the heads of human beings and inducing the heightened emotional states (whether through trauma, pity, fear) under which people are most likely to become open to changing their beliefs, abandoning former ones, or adopting altogether new ones. The more intense the situation seems, the more likely the latter becomes (for the average well-meaning person).
Working backwards from there, the wizards of rhetoric and illusions simply look to craft the images and narratives that induce the desired emotional states, throw in the basic platitudes and truisms that everyone can agree with (in order to strengthen the trance), and then introduce new suggestions.
It’s the same thing that the priesthoods of Babylon and Persia did, the rhetoricians of Ancient Greece and Rome, or the wizards and shamans of primitive tribes and cults.
Going back to Plato, the issue comes down to whether people can distinguish between “the real thing” and simply clever “imitations” of the real thing.
THANK you !!
https://rumble.com/v2b8hek-former-us-mercenary-in-ukraine-talks-war-crimes-and-cia-involvement-rt-excl.html
Former US mercenary in Ukraine talks war crimes and CIA involvement | RT exclusive (Mar. 1, 2023)
John McIntyre: Former Mercenary in Ukraine / RT Interview -- OUTSTANDING
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Empire of Lies as intelligent Putin calls it.
All masks (see below) have fallen - we live in a bipartisan criminal corrupt fascist country
-- Russia-gate immense hoax
-- US terrorist attack on a key Germany’s infrastructure – a step to end of NATO and EU
-- Twitter Files censorship revelations – an exponentially larger crime that Watergate
-- Jan. 6 DNC/FBI choreographed hoax
-- US lab designed Covid virus and the resulting economic and human catastrophe
Can’t seem have or protect unfettered capitalism without great exploitations. Thank you for this. A reality check for the #Metoo buyers.
Thank you, Kit. Appreciate your work. Terribly sad (+ corrupt), as usual.
FYI -- https://thedreizinreport.com/2023/03/10/ukraine-redeploys-forces-from-other-sectors-commits-almost-all-reserves-has-19-brigades-16-maneuver-3-artillery-and-parts-of-another-plus-multiple-brigades-of-militia-the-gayest-army-eve/
Also, I am wondering after discussing this piece with readers in my family if there are also similar psychological operations at work exploiting the Iranian protests- while I do think the Iran protests are organic and authentic, I do think they could be ripe for exploitation.
I also am dumbfounded by this article and do not have enough knowledge or insight as to what the big picture truly is. I’ve spent about 15 years on air much of it as an expert guest contributor of muslim female background having lived in Saudi Arabia under austere fundamentalism ( and writing a book on that). While I always shared personal insights and opinions based on my experiences in the Middle East/ South Asia regions reading this makes me wonder how my contributions may have been exploited or manipulated beyond what I perceived at the time. I’m also struck by the abrupt disinterest in alll these issues in mainstream US media even as Afghanistan lies in collapse and Yemen and Iran and so many other nations continue to face ongoing threats targeting women and girls. Deeply disturbing and so grateful for you shedding the light Kit.
Thankyou to the other commenters for sharing their knowledge I don’t know any of this.