A brief, weird history of brainwashing

On an early spring day in 1959, Edward Hunter testified before a US Senate subcommittee investigating “the effect of Red China Communes on the United States.” It was the kind of opportunity he relished. A war correspondent who had spent considerable time in Asia, Hunter had achieved brief media stardom in 1951 after his book Brain-Washing in Red China introduced a new concept to the American public: a supposedly scientific system for changing people’s minds, even making them love things they once hated.

But Hunter wasn’t just a reporter, objectively chronicling conditions in China. As he told the assembled senators, he was also an anticommunist activist who served as a propagandist for the OSS, or Office of Strategic Services — something that was considered normal and patriotic at the time. His reporting blurred the line between fact and political mythology.

A brief, weird history of brainwashing

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The Kims Are Coming!

After a few cat and mouse days of Defense Secretary Lloyd “Raytheon” Austin’s denials, the Pentagon finally yesterday affirmed that there was evidence of a North Korean military presence in Russia. Asked what they were doing in Russia, Austin replied, “What exactly they are doing? Left to be seen. These are things that we need to sort out.”

The Kims Are Coming!

Previously:

Kiev leaves out milk and cookies for Santa

Pro-EU forces in Moldova claim victory in questionable vote + More

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The tiny European state of Moldova is increasingly being drawn into the maelstrom of NATO’s war against Russia. On Monday, the US-allied government of Maia Sandu claimed victory in a referendum held the day before over whether the country should join the European Union. According to the Central Election Commission, 50.39 percent of voters supported and 49.61 percent opposed EU ascension. Slightly more than half of those eligible to cast a ballot did so.

Pro-EU forces in Moldova claim victory in questionable vote

The International Republican Institute is affiliated with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). See my “front organizations” page regarding NED and Amnesty International.

Related:

06-10-2024 Daniel Runde and Thomas Bryja: Moldova’s Fate Is Tied to Ukraine’s: Now Is the Time for the West to “Go Big” on Moldova

Daniel F. Runde’s Support for Ukraine (CSIS):

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Brazil’s Lula: Betraying BRICS Maduro cancels Lula meeting + commentary

Brazil’s Lula: Betraying BRICS Maduro cancels Lula meeting

DID YOU NOTICE THIS?  “I am against too much interference in the Venezuelan process”


Digression: Very obviously he is okay with
some interference just not too much of it! So how much interference is acceptable to Lula? Who defines too much interference? Lula keeps looking worse and worse. Digression ended

I was ranting earlier, this year, about Lula and Petro working with the Biden admin as intermediaries. Maybe the CIA did try to overthrow Lula back in 2023, as speculated? They’ve been busy in Venezuela, lately. FYI, Lula denounced the SMO back in April 2023.

Pentagon-Linked Think Tank Proposes Disinfo Campaign Against Russia, North Korea

Days before a flurry of evidence-free reports emerged that North Korea sent 10,000 soldiers to help Russia in Ukraine, a Pentagon-linked think tank proposed a disinfo campaign aimed at DPRK & Russia.

Pentagon-Linked Think Tank Proposes Disinfo Campaign Against Russia, North Korea

Related:

A Russia–North Korea Alliance in the Works? Don’t Be So Sure

What Should the United States Do?

Given the differences in the objectives of Russia, China, and North Korea, the United States should be mounting major information operations against these three countries to highlight their differences and fuel distrust among them. Doing so would increase the likelihood of decoupling at least some of their partnerships. Some examples of potential information operations seem obvious.

What are Information Operations

Claims about North Korean soldiers ‘a hoax’ – Kremlin

Powell’s hit piece on “Media Unlocked”

Unlocking China’s “Media Unlocked” Propagandists

Recently, Media Unlocked unveiled its latest triumph–an interview with a former U.S. president’s brother, Neil Bush, whose George H.W. Bush Foundation For U.S.-China Relations has allegedly received millions of dollars from a group associated with CCP influence operations. Bush–apparently unconcerned that he was participating in Beijing’s propaganda campaign–helpfully sang the praise of China’s communist system, its electric vehicle industry and, incredibly, even announced that he was observing a “massive freedom movement” in today’s China.

Propagandists? Und das bist du nicht?

Now, let’s get into who’s funding the George H.W. Bush Foundation For U.S.-China Relations. Powell links to a Fox News article about its funding from the China–United States Exchange Foundation, based in Hong Kong. The Fox News article links to an Axios article (which is behind a paywall). Nowhere does Powell mention that the foundation also gets funding from the U.S. Department of State, The Rockefeller Foundation, etc.

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Growing “Cyber threats” prompt Philippine Army’s 1st 16th AF visit [Information Operations]

Growing Cyber threats prompt Philippine Army’s 1st 16th AF visit

Colonel Edward Rivera, 616th Operations Center, director of operations, welcomed Philippine Army Col. Windell Rebong, Command and Control Communications and Cyber Systems, deputy assistant chief, and five associates, here, July 18, for a subject-matter-expert exchange amid rising cyberattacks.

The exchange centered around maturing information warfare by strengthening interdependencies between several domains: electronic warfare, information operations and warfare, and cyber operations. 

“This exchange was a warm, engaging and open discussion from both sides and included military, civilian, officer and enlisted of different ranks, all bringing forward their experiences in the form of vibrant discussions,” said Rebong. “It’s an honor and a privilege for a Philippine Army officer to visit a U.S. Air Force facility. [The 16th Air Force] has an expertise that all Philippine branches of service will benefit from.”

….

Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber), headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, focuses on information warfare in the modern age and ensures that our Air Force and Nation are fast, resilient, and fully integrated in competition, crisis, and conflict by incorporating Information Warfare at operational and tactical levels, capitalizing on the value of information by leading the charge for uniquely-21st century challenges in the highly dynamic, seamless, and global information domain.

Information operations, sometimes referred to as influence operations, entail disseminating false information to persuade people and gathering tactical intelligence on rivals to gain the upper hand. Traditional media and social media platforms are just two examples of the many tools and techniques that can be used to carry out information operations.

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