Originally Posted March 21st, 2018.

This is part 2 of our discussion, Unconventional Warfare in Current Events.  In this episode, we discuss some current events where we clearly see the hallmarks of Unconventional Warfare influence operations.  But just how much do outside actors are impacted our nation?  How does identity politics play into the hands of our adversaries, both foreign and domestic?  For all the benefits of social media, is the current tech culture driving the divisiveness of our society, and what responsibility do the pundits and 24-hour entertainment news play in these shenanigans.  Who is it that really wants to disrupt and divide our nation?  These are the things we want you to question, look hard at, and evaluate. We are all susceptible to influence and manipulation. So if you weren’t trained to live in these small wars, shadow world like green berets, how do you recognize it?  And what do you do when you realize are the target audience, and have been played?  If you have an idea or an answer, then you are thinking like a G – and that's what we want!

Most of us in SF have always known that these forces were at work in the US and within our political machine.  But the presence of external actors really came to light during this last election.  The Russians really did “meddle” in the election, they bought up social media advertising to influence the campaign. Nobody should be surprised by this, but what you might find surprising is that their measure of success had nothing to do with who won at all.  Their only goal was to sew the seeds of suspicion, dissent, and disruption – one of the objectives of Unconventional Warfare.  They succeeded.  Listen to the rhetoric, the continuing accusations, investigations, denials, and the elimination of a middle ground for even the most moderate opinion. What a stroke of luck, the stars aligned just so for the Russians – look at our candidates, their rhetoric, the civil issues in the cities with the police, multiple failed foreign policy initiatives abroad, and continued more in the middle east, one might say the Russians were supremely opportunistic.  Or were they?

There are foreign fingerprints are on the social media posts, memes, and tweets that fuel and incense the vitriol on the inter-webs. Lobbyists, lawyers, and advocacy groups take money shrouded in foreign bank accounts and convoluted sponsorship to persuade lawmakers to support or refute initiatives that are rife with emotionalism and framed in moralistic rhetoric.  But when the onion is peeled their sole aim is to encourage a challenge to the status quo and foundational documents of our nation.  They don’t have to overturn them to be successful, they just need us to open the door. What a successful UW campaign that would be!

Even in our own community, an ambitious former green beret and malcontent is profiteering off of his associations and access to our community by publishing footage of green berets being killed in Africa while doing their mission.  In the name of “journalism”, these criminally naive crusaders purposefully spread propaganda and material that bolsters the morale and support for enemies engaged in killing US soldiers and citizens.  They become useful idiots in the information war that rallies Islamic Terrorists against America.

All of these influences and actors are at play on the global stage, they always have been. It's only now that our modern society has such immediate and abundant access to these influential mediums that the impact feels so amplified.  But when you see them and recognize them, you have to call them out.  In our discussion, D raises the key point.  Our biggest threat in America isn’t a foreign invader taking over our nation.  The biggest threat is that the US will tear itself apart from the inside out.  Each side will believe they are on the ‘correct’ side, that their cause is just and righteous even.  Meanwhile, the belief of being right, and just, is being coordinated, encouraged, and scripted by outside influences.  If you still don’t believe it, follow the money. Ask who gains from this divisiveness in our culture?  Hopefully, you can start to see through the veil of current events, and recognize how even without battles and armies and unconventional war is being waged right here in our homeland.

If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe, write a review, and share it with your friends.  If you disagree tweet us and let's talk about it. If you have a different perspective we would love to hear it, post it on our Facebook.  This is about abandoning the spoon-fed narrative and evaluating the facts for yourself, think critically, and deeply on these issues because they matter.  Let's hear what you have to contribute to the G-Base.