Disinformation Tactics: The Methods Used To Keep You In The Dark

Published on 02-09-2010 Email To Friend Print Version

Source: Dprogram.net

There was a time, not too long ago (relatively speaking), that governments and the groups of
elites that controlled them did not find it necessary to conscript themselves into wars of
disinformation. Propaganda was relatively straightforward. The lies were much simpler. The
control of information flow was easily directed. In fact, during the early Middle-Ages in most
European countries commoners were not even allowed to own a Bible, nor was the Bible
allowed to be interpreted from Latin to another language, let alone any other tome that might
breed “dangerous ideas”. This was due in large part to the established feudal system and its
hierarchy of royals and clergy. Rules were enforced with the threat of property confiscation and
execution for anyone who strayed from the rigid socio-political structure. Those who had
theological, metaphysical, or scientific information outside of the conventional and scripted
collective world view were tortured and slaughtered. The elites kept the information to
themselves, and removed its remnants from mainstream recognition, sometimes for centuries
before it was rediscovered.

With the advent of anti-feudalism, and most importantly the success of the American
Revolution, elites were no longer able to dominate information with the edge of a blade or the
barrel of a gun. The establishment of Democracies (and Democratic Republics), with their
philosophy of open government and rule by the people, compelled Aristocratic minorities to
plot more subtle ways of obstructing the truth and thus maintaining their hold over the world
without exposing themselves to retribution from the masses. Thus, the complex art of
disinformation was born. The technique, the “magic” of the lie, was refined and perfected. The
mechanics of the human mind and the human soul became an endless obsession for the elites.

The goal was malicious, but socially radical; instead of expending the impossible energy
needed to dictate the very form and existence of the truth, they would allow it to drift, obscured
in a fog of contrived data. They would wrap the truth in a “Gordian Knot” of misdirections and
fabrications so elaborate that they felt certain the majority of people would surrender, giving up
long before they ever finished unraveling the deceit. The goal was not to destroy the truth, but
to hide it in plain sight.

In modern times, and with carefully engineered methods, this goal has for the most part been
accomplished. However, these methods also have inherent weaknesses. Lies are fragile. They
require constant attentiveness to keep them alive. The exposure of a single truth can rip through
an ocean of lies, evaporating it instantly. In this article, we will examine the methods used to
fertilize and promote the growth of disinformation, as well as how to identify the roots of
disinformation and effectively cut them, starving out the entire system of fallacies once and for
all.

Media Disinformation Methods

The elitist co-opting of news has been going on in one form or another since the invention of
the printing press, however, the first methods of media disinformation truly came to fruition
under the supervision of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who believed the truth
was “subjective” and open to his personal interpretation. Hearst‟s legacy of lies and
sensationalism lives on in the Hearst published magazine „Popular Mechanics‟, who accuse the
growing 9/11 Truth Movement of outrageous “conspiracy theory” while at the same time
consistently publishing articles about UFO sightings and secret government flying saucer
programs.

As we will show, this strange juxtaposition of mixed signals and hypocritical accusations is
characteristic of all purveyors of disinformation.

Some of the main tactics used by the mainstream media to mislead the masses are as follows:

Lie Big, Retract Quietly

Mainstream media sources (especially newspapers) are notorious for reporting flagrantly
dishonest and unsupported news stories on the front page, then quietly retracting those stories
on the very back page when they are caught. In this case, the point is to railroad the lie into the
collective consciousness. Once the lie is finally exposed, it is already too late, and a large
portion of the population will not notice or care when the truth comes out. A good example of
this would be the collusion of the MSM with the Bush administration to convince the American
public after 9/11 that Iraq had WMDs, even though no concrete evidence existed to prove it.
George W. Bush‟s eventual admission that there had never been any WMDs in Iraq (except
chemical weapons which the U.S. actually sold to Saddam under the Reagan / Bush
administration) was lightly reported or glazed over by most mainstream news sources. The core
reason behind a war that has now killed over a million people was proven to be completely
fraudulent, yet I still run into people today who believe that Iraq had nukes…
Unconfirmed Or Controlled Sources As Fact

Cable news venues often cite information from “unnamed” sources, government sources that
have an obvious bias or agenda, or “expert” sources without providing an alternative “expert”
view. The information provided by these sources is usually backed by nothing more than blind
faith. A recent example of this would be the Osama Bin Laden audio tapes which supposedly
reveal that the Christmas “Underwear Bomber” was indeed Al-Qaeda:

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/osama-bin-laden-addresses-president-obama-audio-
tape/story?id=9650267

The media treats the audio tape as undeniable fact in numerous stories, then at the same time
prints a side story which shows that the White House cannot confirm that the tape is even real:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60N16I20100124

If the White House cannot confirm the authenticity of the tape, then why did the media report
on its contents as if it had been confirmed?

Calculated Omission

Otherwise known as “cherry picking” data. One simple piece of information or root item of
truth can derail an entire disinfo news story, so instead of trying to gloss over it, they simply
pretend as if it doesn‟t exist. When the fact is omitted, the lie can appear entirely rational. This
tactic is also used extensively when disinformation agents and crooked journalists engage in
open debate.

Distraction, and the Manufacture of Relevance

Sometimes the truth wells up into the public awareness regardless of what the media does to
bury it. When this occurs their only recourse is to attempt to change the public‟s focus and
thereby distract them from the truth they were so close to grasping. The media accomplishes
this by “over-reporting” on a subject that has nothing to do with the more important issues at
hand. Ironically, the media can take an unimportant story, and by reporting on it ad nauseum,
cause many Americans to assume that because the media won‟t shut-up about it, it must be
important! An example of this would be the recent push for an audit of the Federal Reserve
which was gaining major public support, as well as political support. Instead of reporting on
this incredible and unprecedented movement for transparency in the Fed, the MSM spent two
months or more reporting non-stop on the death of Michael Jackson, a pop idol who had not
released a decent record since “Thriller,” practically deifying the man who only months earlier
was being lambasted by the same MSM for having “wandering hands” when children were
about.

Dishonest Debate Tactics

Sometimes, men who actually are concerned with the average American‟s pursuit of honesty
and legitimate fact-driven information break through and appear on T.V. However, rarely are
they allowed to share their views or insights without having to fight through a wall of carefully
crafted deceit and propaganda. Because the media knows they will lose credibility if they do
not allow guests with opposing viewpoints every once in a while, they set up and choreograph
specialized T.V. debates in highly restrictive environments which put the guest on the
defensive, and make it difficult for them to clearly convey their ideas or facts.

TV pundits are often trained in what are commonly called “Alinsky Tactics.” Saul Alinsky was
a moral relativist, and champion of the lie as a tool for the “greater good;” essentially, a
modern day Machiavelli. His “Rules for Radicals” were supposedly meant for grassroots
activists who opposed the establishment, and emphasized the use of any means necessary to
defeat one‟s political opposition. But is it truly possible to defeat an establishment built on lies,
by use of even more elaborate lies, and by sacrificing one‟s ethics?

Today, Alinsky‟s rules are used more often by the establishment than by its opposition. These
tactics have been adopted by governments and disinformation specialists across the world, but
they are most visible in TV debate. While Alinsky sermonized about the need for confrontation
in society, his debate tactics are actually designed to circumvent real and honest confrontation
of opposing ideas with slippery tricks and diversions. Alinsky‟s tactics, and their modern
usage, can be summarized as follows:

1) Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have.

We see this tactic in many forms. For example, projecting your own movement as mainstream,
and your opponent‟s as fringe. Convincing your opponent that his fight is a futile one. Your
opposition may act differently, or even hesitate to act at all, based on their perception of your
power.

2) Never go outside the experience of your people, and whenever possible, go outside of the
experience of the enemy.

Don‟t get drawn into a debate about a subject you do not know as well as or better than your
opposition. If possible, draw them into such a situation instead. Look for ways to increase
insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty in your opposition. This is commonly used against
unwitting interviewees on cable news shows whose positions are set up to be skewered. The
target is blind-sided by seemingly irrelevant arguments that they are then forced to address. In
television and radio, this also serves to waste broadcast time to prevent the target from
expressing his own positions.

3) Make the enemy live up to their own book of rules.

The objective is to target the opponent‟s credibility and reputation by accusations of hypocrisy.
If the tactician can catch his opponent in even the smallest misstep, it creates an opening for
further attacks.
4) Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.

“Ron Paul is a crackpot.” “Dennis Kucinich is short and weird.” “9-11 twoofers wear tinfoil
hats.” Ridicule is almost impossible to counter. It‟s irrational. It infuriates the opposition,
which then reacts to your advantage. It also works as a pressure point to force the enemy into
concessions.

5) A good tactic is one that your people enjoy.

The popularization of the term “Teabaggers” is a classic example, it caught on by itself because
people seem to think it‟s clever, and enjoy saying it. Keeping your talking points simple and
fun keeps your side motivated, and helps your tactics spread autonomously, without instruction
or encouragement.

6) A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.

See rule number 6. Don‟t become old news. If you keep your tactics fresh, its easier to keep
your people active. Not all disinformation agents are paid. The “useful idiots” have to be
motivated by other means. Mainstream disinformation often changes gear from one method to
the next and then back again.

7) Keep the pressure on with different tactics and actions, and utilize all events of the period
for your purpose.

Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one
approach, hit them from the flank with something new. Never give the target a chance to rest,
regroup, recover or re-strategize. Take advantage of current events and twist their implications
to support your position. Never let a good crisis go to waste.

The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.

This goes hand in hand with Rule #1. Perception is reality. Allow your opposition to expend all
of its energy in expectation of an insurmountable scenario. The dire possibilities can easily
poison the mind and result in demoralization.

9) The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant
pressure upon the opposition.

The objective of this pressure is to force the opposition to react and make the mistakes that are
necessary for the ultimate success of the campaign.

10) If you push a negative hard and deep enough, it will break through into its counterside.

As grassroots activism tools, Alinsky tactics have historically been used (for example, by labor
movements) to force the opposition to react with violence against activists, which leads to
popular sympathy for the activists‟ cause. Today, false (or co-opted) grassroots movements use
this technique in debate as well as in planned street actions. The idea is to provoke (or stage)
ruthless attacks against ones‟ self, so as to be perceived as the underdog, or the victim. Today,
this technique is commonly used to create the illusion that a certain movement is
“counterculture” or “anti-establishment.”

11) The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.

Never let the enemy score points because you‟re caught without a solution to the problem.
Today, this is often used offensively against legitimate activists, such as the opponents of the
Federal Reserve. Complain that your opponent is merely “pointing out the problems.” Demand
that they offer a solution.

12) Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.

Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. The targets supporters will
expose themselves. Go after individual people, not organizations or institutions. People hurt
faster than institutions.

The next time you view an MSM debate, watch the pundits carefully, you will likely see many
if not all of the strategies above used on some unsuspecting individual attempting to tell the
truth.

Internet Disinformation Methods

Because the MSM‟s bag of tricks has been so exhausted over such a long period of time, many
bitter and enraged consumers of information are now turning to alternative news sources, most
of which exist on the collective commons we call the internet. At first, it appears, the
government and elitists ignored the web as a kind of novelty, or just another mechanism they
could exploit in spreading disinformation. As we all now well know, they dropped the ball, and
the internet has become the most powerful tool for truth history has ever seen.

That being said, they are now expending incredible resources in order to catch up to their
mistake, utilizing every trick in their arsenal to beat web users back into submission. While the
anonymity of the internet allows for a certain immunity against many of Saul Alinsky‟s
manipulative tactics, it also allows governments to attack those trying to spread the truth
covertly. In the world of web news, we call these people “disinfo trolls.” Trolls are now being
openly employed by governments in countries like the U.S. and Israel specifically to scour the
internet for alternative news sites and disrupt their ability to share information.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Raw_obtains_CENTCOM_email_to_bloggers_1016.html

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090104/FOREIGN/882042198/1002

http://www.atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/10793-twitterers-paid-to-spread-israeli-propaganda-
internet-warfare-team-unveiled.html
Internet trolls, also known as “paid posters” or “paid bloggers,” are increasingly being
employed by private corporations as well, often for marketing purposes. In fact, it is a rapidly
growing industry.

Trolls use a wide variety of strategies, some of which are unique to the internet, here are just a
few:

1) Make outrageous comments designed to distract or frustrate: An Alinsky tactic used to make
people emotional, although less effective because of the impersonal nature of the web.

2) Pose as a supporter of the truth, then make comments that discredit the movement: We have
seen this even on our own forums — trolls pose as supporters of the Liberty Movement, then
post long, incoherent diatribes so as to appear either racist or insane. Here is a live example of
this tactic in use on Yahoo! Answers.

The key to this tactic is to make references to common Liberty Movement arguments while at
the same time babbling nonsense, so as to make those otherwise valid arguments seem
ludicrous by association.

In extreme cases, these “Trojan Horse Trolls” have been known to make posts which incite
violence — a technique obviously intended to solidify the false assertions of the notorious
MIAC report and other ADL/SPLC publications which purport that constitutionalists should be
feared as potential domestic terrorists.

3) Dominate Discussions: Trolls often interject themselves into productive web discussions in
order to throw them off course and frustrate the people involved.

4) Prewritten Responses: Many trolls are supplied with a list or database with pre-planned
talking points designed as generalized and deceptive responses to honest arguments. 9/11
“debunker” trolls are notorious for this.

5) False Association: This works hand in hand with item #2, by invoking the stereotypes
established by the “Trojan Horse Troll.”

For example: calling those against the Federal Reserve “conspiracy theorists” or “lunatics”.
Deliberately associating anti-globalist movements with big foot or alien enthusiasts, because of
the inherent negative connotations. Using false associations to provoke biases and dissuade
people from examining the evidence objectively.

6) False Moderation: Pretending to be the “voice of reason” in an argument with obvious and
defined sides in an attempt to move people away from what is clearly true into a “grey area”
where the truth becomes “relative.”

7) Straw Man Arguments: A very common technique. The troll will accuse his opposition of
subscribing to a certain point of view, even if he does not, and then attacks that point of view.
Or, the troll will put words in the mouth of his opposition, and then rebut those specific words.
For example: “9/11 truthers say that no planes hit the WTC towers, and that it was all just
computer animation. What are they, crazy?”

Sometimes, these strategies are used by average people with serious personality issues.
However, if you see someone using these tactics often, or using many of them at the same time,
you may be dealing with a paid internet troll.

Government Disinformation Methods

Governments, and the globalists who back them, have immense assets — an almost endless fiat
money printing press — and control over most legal and academic institutions. With these
advantages, disinformation can be executed on a massive scale. Here are just a handful of the
most prominent tactics used by government agencies and private think tanks to guide public
opinion, and establish the appearance of consensus:

1) Control The Experts: Most Americans are taught from kindergarten to ignore their instincts
for the truth and defer to the “professional class” for all their answers. The problem is that
much of the professional class is indoctrinated throughout their college years, many of them
molded to support the status quo. Any experts that go against the grain are ostracized by their
peers.

2) Control The Data: By controlling the source data of any investigation, be it legal or
scientific, the government has the ability to engineer any truth they wish, that is, as long as the
people do not care enough to ask for the source data. Two major examples of controlled and
hidden source data include; the NIST investigation of the suspicious 9/11 WTC collapses, in
which NIST engineers, hired by the government, have kept all source data from their computer
models secret, while claiming that the computer models prove the collapses were “natural”.
Also, the recent exposure of the CRU Climate Labs and their manipulation of source data in
order to fool the public into believing that Global Warming is real, and accepting a world-wide
carbon tax. The CRU has refused to release the source data from its experiments for years, and
now we know why.

3) Skew The Statistics: This tactic is extremely evident in the Labor Department‟s evaluations
on unemployment, using such tricks as incorporating ambiguous birth / death ratios into their
calculation in order to make it appear as though there are less unemployed people than there
really are, or leaving out certain subsections of the population, like those who are unemployed
and no longer seeking benefits.

3) Guilt By False Association: Governments faced with an effective opponent will always
attempt to demonize that person or group in the eyes of the public. This is often done by
associating them with a group or idea that the public already hates. Example: During the last
election, they tried to associate Ron Paul supporters with racist groups (and more recently,
certain Fox News anchors) in order to deter moderate Democrats from taking an honest look at
Congressman Paul‟s policies.

4) Manufacture Good News: This falls in with the skewing of statistics, and it also relies
heavily on Media cooperation. The economic “Green Shoots” concept is a good example of the
combination of government and corporate media interests in order to create an atmosphere of
false optimism based on dubious foundations.

5) Controlled Opposition: Men in positions of power have known for centuries the importance
of controlled opposition. If a movement rises in opposition to one‟s authority, one must usurp
that movement‟s leadership. If no such movement exists to infiltrate, the establishment will
often create a toothless one, in order to fill that social need, and neutralize individuals who
might have otherwise taken action themselves.

During the 1960‟s and 70‟s, the FBI began a secretive program called COINTELPRO. Along
with illegal spying on American citizens who were against the Vietnam conflict or in support
of the civil rights movement, they also used agents and media sources to pose as supporters of
the movement, then purposely created conflict and division, or took control of the direction of
the movement altogether. This same tactic has been attempted with the modern Liberty
Movement on several levels, but has so far been ineffective in stopping our growth.

The NRA is another good example of controlled opposition, as many gun owners are satisfied
that paying their annual NRA dues is tantamount to actively resisting anti-gun legislation;
when in fact, the NRA is directly responsible for many of the compromises which result in lost
ground on 2nd amendment issues. In this way, gun owners are not only rendered inactive, but
actually manipulated into funding the demise of their own cause.

6) False Paradigms: Human beings have a tendency to categorize and label other people and
ideas. It is, for better or worse, a fundamental part of how we understand the complexities of
the world. This component of human nature, like most any other, can be abused as a powerful
tool for social manipulation. By framing a polarized debate according to artificial boundaries,
and establishing the two poles of that debate, social engineers can eliminate the perceived
possibility of a third alternative. The mainstream media apparatus is the key weapon to this
end. The endless creation of dichotomies, and the neat arrangement of ideologies along
left/right lines, offers average people a very simple (though hopelessly inaccurate) way of
thinking about politics. It forces them to choose a side, usually based solely on emotional or
cultural reasons, and often lures them into supporting positions they would otherwise disagree
with. It fosters an environment in which beating the other team is more important than ensuring
the integrity of your own. Perhaps most importantly, it allows the social engineer to determine
what is “fair game” for debate, and what is not.

Alinsky himself wrote: “One acts decisively only in the conviction that all the angels are on
one side and all the devils on the other.”

One merely needs to observe a heated debate between a Democrat and a Republican to see how
deeply this belief has been ingrained on both sides, and how destructive it is to true intellectual
discourse.

Stopping Disinformation
The best way to disarm disinformation agents is to know their methods inside and out. This
gives us the ability to point out exactly what they are doing in detail the moment they try to do
it. Immediately exposing a disinformation tactic as it is being used is highly destructive to the
person utilizing it. It makes them look foolish, dishonest, and weak for even making the
attempt. Internet trolls most especially do not know how to handle their methods being
deconstructed right in front of their eyes, and usually fold and run from debate when it occurs.

The truth, is precious. It is sad that there are so many in our society that have lost respect for it;
people who have traded in their conscience and their soul for temporary financial comfort
while sacrificing the stability and balance of the rest of the country in the process. The human
psyche breathes on the air of truth, without it, humanity cannot survive. Without it, the species
will collapse in on itself, starving from lack of intellectual and emotional sustenance.
Disinformation does not only threaten our insight into the workings of our world; it makes us
vulnerable to fear, misunderstanding, and doubt, all things that lead to destruction. It can lead
good people to commit terrible atrocities against others, or even against themselves. Without a
concerted and organized effort to diffuse mass-produced lies, the future will look bleak indeed.