SHADOW WAR: Information Warfare is the Ultimate Warfare.
SHADOW WAR. Washington needs to invest in people rather than machines, since cunning triumphs over brute force, and since technology is no longer decisive on the battlefield. This new breed of strategist is a “war artist.”
In the 20th century, information warfare was viewed by many as auxilliary to military strategy; that is, to gaining supremacy over one’s foes on land, at sea, or in the air. Today information warfare has not only become an essential component of warfare; in many respects, it has become the essence of warfare. Shadow wars, like so many things in our time, are paradoxical in nature. Shadow warriors are subversive. They require continuous media exposure—for perception management purposes—to survive and thrive in a conflict against a conventional foe, such as the United States. In shadow war subversion is the strategy and plausible deniability is the tactic.
Shadow war is powerful because it weaponizes information in an information age. Conventional warriors shrink from the media spotlight, whereas shadow warriors embrace it. Having the 24/7 news cycle catch your troops committing war crimes spells defeat for the conventional warrior, but not for the shadow warrior. Not only does he deny they are his troops — he claims they belong to his enemy! Shadow warriors regard the media not as a liability, but an opportunity.
In order for deceptive warfare to work information supremacy is key. Through information supremacy, one can properly deceive an opponent. Since deception is the basis of warfare the side that can sow the most confusion in an enemy without physically engaging him in conflict, and the side that can get an enemy to effectively break himself before ever coming into physical contact with him, has won the war.
Washington needs to invest in people rather than machines, since cunning triumphs over brute force, and since technology is no longer decisive on the battlefield. This new breed of strategist is a “war artist.”
SHADOW WAR. Washington needs to invest in people rather than machines, since cunning triumphs over brute force, and since technology is no longer decisive on the battlefield. This new breed of strategist is a “war artist.”
In the 20th century, information warfare was viewed by many as auxilliary to military strategy; that is, to gaining supremacy over one’s foes on land, at sea, or in the air. Today information warfare has not only become an essential component of warfare; in many respects, it has become the essence of warfare. Shadow wars, like so many things in our time, are paradoxical in nature. Shadow warriors are subversive. They require continuous media exposure—for perception management purposes—to survive and thrive in a conflict against a conventional foe, such as the United States. In shadow war subversion is the strategy and plausible deniability is the tactic.
Shadow war is powerful because it weaponizes information in an information age. Conventional warriors shrink from the media spotlight, whereas shadow warriors embrace it. Having the 24/7 news cycle catch your troops committing war crimes spells defeat for the conventional warrior, but not for the shadow warrior. Not only does he deny they are his troops — he claims they belong to his enemy! Shadow warriors regard the media not as a liability, but an opportunity.
In order for deceptive warfare to work information supremacy is key. Through information supremacy, one can properly deceive an opponent. Since deception is the basis of warfare the side that can sow the most confusion in an enemy without physically engaging him in conflict, and the side that can get an enemy to effectively break himself before ever coming into physical contact with him, has won the war.
Washington needs to invest in people rather than machines, since cunning triumphs over brute force, and since technology is no longer decisive on the battlefield. This new breed of strategist is a “war artist.”
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