A rare Sunday newsletter but something that must be said... out loud
TAT readers,
Below are comments I made this afternoon on LinkedIn, where I post frequently, including occasionally, my TAT articles. This topic is our most significant and acute national security vulnerability and one that the national security community refuses to address in any significant way… for at least four decades. The article itself, Fake News is Yellow Journalism 2.0, is something simple to understand and also something that every single American owes their nation to address, simply by selecting quality information instead of patronizing, self-reinforcing highly partisan media. Yes, like FOX or MSNBC and countless digital platforms. The article itself, is in this embedded link.
Introduction
I am replaying this TAT/ Truth about Threats post from September of 2022 because it is now, with so many supporting a GOP that wants to defund Ukraine support and Americans at each other's throats about the war in Gaza, that mis/ disinformation campaigns are our most pressing national security threats. As you can see at the bottom of today’s post, I have tagged multiple national security entities on LinkedIn, in order to call attention to this issue more pointedly. I would be especially grateful for anyone who feels this issue worthy of sharing. We are all, “Minutemen” when it comes to this topic.
Our national identity revolves around a variety of forms of "American exceptionalism" based on our founding principles. In other words, and as POTUS Biden often says, "we can do anything, so long as we do it together." I grew up believing this and still do.
Media of all forms, plays to advertising dollars with the exception of PBS and NPR for the most part. We see this in the conspiracy theories being consumed by the right re: stolen elections and defunding Ukraine's valiant fight against the world's most dangerous foe, Putin's Russia. We see it on the left with well-intentioned but horribly misinformed support for Hamas, via dishonest portrayals of the Israel Defense Forces' actions against them.
If Americans continue to remain brainwashed by partisan, ad-driven advertising, we will succumb to those who are most influential. Even our national security community is impotent to protect us. They are at least two generations behind the learning curve regarding how influence campaigns work and refuse to learn from practitioners, of which there are literally, only a handful.
There is no cavalry. We must fight mis and disinfo, like the "minutemen" of old.
This year plus, old article explains this in more detail.
Please, take a few minutes in the coming few days to consider the thoughts within.
Best for the rest of everyone's Sunday.
Paul
Columbia University - Graduate School of Journalism Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Harvard's Belfer Center Joint Special Operations University Texas A&M University - The Bush School of Government and Public Service
National Security Council, The White House Office of the Director of National Intelligence Office of the Secretary of Defense The Joint Staff Joint Forces Staff College, National Defense University Joint Special Operations University USSOCOM Joint Special Operations Command
NATO NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency)