We don't do many "open threads" here at WRSA, so here's one for our readers to mull, comment, and pass on to their smart friends:In detail, how do the decentralized pro-freedom, anti-collectivist forces collect, evaluate, and disseminate useful (i.e., timely, accurate, actionable) intelligence information to help like-minded individuals and groups in their struggle to restore political liberty and personal freedom?
A commenter during the Iowa National Guard brouhaha mentioned that an S-2 function needs to be developed.
Agreed.
Your thoughts?
Twitter. If someone's int is useful, you subscribe to it.
ReplyDeleteThe book "Molon Labe" laid out extensive use of PGP and other effective crypto tactics. Must have a network of trusted individuals to use it with.
ReplyDeleteForget the network and be a one-cell freedom fighter (Secret Freedom Fighter: Fighting Tyranny without Terrorizing the Innocent by Jefferson Mack, 1986)
Start gun show picnics and build networks.
Intelligence is good, but I think a national leadership would be a good thing too. I think my blog covers that idea.
ReplyDeletehttp://warthogswrants.blogspot.com/2009/02/civil-war.html
It would be useful in the short run (that is, while we still have the Internet) for someone to set up a Snopes-type website dedicated to debunking the rumors and disinformation so common in places like Alex Jones, Mark Koerneke et al.
ReplyDeleteThe same site could teach critical thinking, basic intel gathering and evaluation practices, etc.
The common embracement by people who should have known better of the worst kind of rumors went a long way to discredit the constitutional militia movement in the 90s (the secret code for UN invasion on the backs of highway signs, the train full of guillotines, Norm Olson's theory of the OKC bombing, anything published in Spotlight and the 5,347 announcements of Red Dawn and Operation Decapitation spring to mind).
Bob Wright's New Mexico boys had the right idea, although it was pre-YouTube. A short video parodying the MOM-Koernke-Olson wing of silliness and disinformation, showing a "militia general" wearing an EastBloc Field Marshal's uniform with ten stars on each shoulder board and a high peaked hat with a little mechanical black helicopter that rotated round and round his head while he hawked a book entitled "1, 238 Reasons Why David Rockefeller Hates You Personally."
Bob and I have talked often of the mistakes we made in the 90s and chief among them was that we suffered fools because "they were on our side." The hell they were. Anyone who spreads disinformation works for the enemy whether he knows it or not.
An appreciation of the S-2 function would go a long way to dispel this debilitating patriot disease. Any volunteers?
Now, I have a book to finish.
Mike
III
I wouldn't leave such an open source as the web as an only option of communications. This needs to have more of a closed loop function. Crypto is going to be a key element too.
ReplyDeleteBeen thinking a lot about this and other than short wave cells not seeing much that can't be easily subverted yet
You need dedicated Intel people. Guys and gals who are not really suited for the field but want to contribute. Seems to be the problem with most "militia" groups. Everybody wants to be a trigger man. Guys need to understand that for every gunslinger on the front there is 4 or 5 people in the rear with the gear. Not that we would ever have that many but we need 2 or 3 to 1. Logistics obviously and Intel being the major areas to be addressed. I think more guys would warm to the idea if they get out of the old box of "I will fight the tyrant from the woods and mtns and live off the land". Not how its going to go down guys. This is not 1985 and we are not facing hordes of Russians and "peacekeepers".
ReplyDeleteThink covert ops in your local metro area. You want to beat back the tyrant you cant hide in the woods and wait for him to come and get you. You need to fight him where he thinks he has control and demonstrate to the masses that you can kick him in the teeth and he cant do anything about it. You hide out in the woods where no one is at and you will be on the business end of 2000lb bombs from 20K feet. So if you are going to be in the suburban areas you need to have a suburban support network.
An S-2 would be at battalion and brigade level. G-2 at division and on up. Being a one-cell freedom fighter certainly sounds romantic and exciting, until faced with a platoon sized element(about 30 people) and then it becomes permanent death or capture. A unit operating against another needs support,intelligence,missions it can actually accomplish, and a purpose for those missions. Without that S-2, and an S-3(Operatins,Plans and Training) a unit is just a club looking for something to hit. Think of an S-2/3 as a squad leader. The SL controls the squads' fire, directs the fire teams on it's mission, ensures each squad member is trained, equipped, supplied,qualified,and present. Without a SL, a squad is just a mob. Without an S2/3, a battalion is just a bigger mob. Focus. It is all about control. When a unit is deftly controlled on it's mission, its chances of success are high. The members of the unit must accept this discipline in order to be successful. When the conflict is over, all can return to being unemcumbered by such disciplines, and live free. Without discipline, intelligence, support, training, a clear mission, and a clear objective, no Restoration. Anyone may disagree if they like, but a year after it begins, the only ones left fighting the good fight will be the ones operating like professionals. I don't mean stand up fighting either. A good guerilla war can be conducted along the lines of what the NVA/VC did, and made to work. But they had every organizational characteristic of their foes(US) while they toiled. For the most part, excepting An Loc in '72, and Tet in '68, they avoided major dust-ups.They just bided their time, and kept on keeping on, and we got feed up with the butchers bill and left. I would not advocate we employ all their methods, the reprisals and such, nor the communism. It is my belief that the Nazis would have not been defeated if we had not been privy to their Enigma codes, nor the Japanese.Intelligence, just like good marksmanship, wins wars, and for the same reason.
ReplyDeleteanti-collectivist forces collecting things -- you made me chuckle, right there.
ReplyDeletethey need to do it in whatever means suits them, each and every one. collecting information into one place, even one mind, creates an official dependency, gives an infiltrator a target, and gives the clueless a focal point to bring in misinformation.
as long as this effect is constrained to anonymous comments on various blogs, it will remain as detrimental as it currently is.
just like the useful idiots MBV points out serve the enemy whether they realize it or not, you do the best you can, and the lord sorts out the details on your behalf, whether you like it or not.
put your faith in this. do not try to organize freedom. just get together and hang out, as anonymous points out. gun shows. range buddies. banking. home building. civil engineering. use your imagination.
When I had to learn the Principles of Intelligence, the mnemonic was COSTARS:
ReplyDeleteCentralised Control.
Objectivity.
Security.
Timeliness.
Accessibility.
Responsiveness.
Source Protection.
Plus
Continuous Review.
Things will be different.
Centralised Control.
For Counter-Sabotage reasons the system has to be redundant and distributed. It would have to be located in multiple countries. So forget about Centralised Control, Internet instead.
Objectivity.
There isn't going to be any. You will assess based on source reliability, and how well the information fits in to the puzzle. Most content will be nonsense, you will subscribe to whatever you consider reliable and sensible.
Security.
There may not be any. Assume your crypto keys are compromised, live with plaintext. Assume half your sources are ATF.
Timliness:
Internet. Twitter. If you wait until the next gun show it will be too late.
Accessibility.
Internet. If the Net is down you are kinda stuck, I agree.
Responsiveness.
You have to have Intelligence requirements and a response. Everyone is their own Commander and Int operator, you ask about what you need to know, and collate/distribute what information you have.
Source Protection.
Anyone can see our stuff, so they may be able trace original documents to the owner. But open source material that is well collated is as useful as hidden knowledge.
Continuous Review.
Intelligence collection, collation, collation, analysis and distribution plans will change as the need arise.
So I suggest a loose intel community, embracing change, enemy deception, sabotage, and self-reliance.
As we approach 'the fight', actual tactics will become more clear or at least less muddled.
ReplyDeleteI submit that if TSHTF, govco will be so busy trying to quell unrest in cities that folks living outside cities will be more concerned about roving golden hordes, small or large.
Do your best to get prepared physically and logistically while building a quiet network amongst neighbors and friends. Informal and somewhat disjointed can work to your advantage. A formal organization is just an easy target for any opposition.
When the time comes, and it appears right now that it has a high likelihood of occuring sooner than later, Adapt, Improvise, Overcome, give no quarter will be the rules of the day.
Bobcat
Hmmm. Some interesting comments. Much to ponder.
ReplyDeleteFor a somewhat academic side bar, with the model of Iraq as the crucible, read Robb here:
http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/2006/02/emergent_intell.html
This may help in framing the thought process a bit.
Everybody has an S-2 capability, and it starts in the blue pages of the phone book aided with the internet and publicly viewed news media available to anyone now. ID those in positions of bueracracy and learn about them through their own press releases. A good news story always provides good intel. As do county property and tax records easily accessible by the public. Go to their bars and restaraunts just like they do you, and photograph them. Just like reading Cosmopolitan. Besides you'd be supprised what you can learn about your friends and enemies in a good job interview. They are not the only ones that can make a list. Besides you can always visit the revenuer for tax advice and never give your name. An ounce of effort now can save pounds later and at less risk.
ReplyDeleteWhile infiltration would be a constant, priority concern, I think that the placement of sources would be critical.
ReplyDeleteThere has been speculation as to how military personnel and police would respond to blatantly unconstitutional orders. Some are quite optimitsic, particularly for the military, that constitutionality would be an important mindset for many personnel. I think the LEO group(s) would require even more care. There are far too many instances of individual officers, and Police Chief/Sheriff policies resulting in cheerful operating outside constitutionality. Still, their intelligence would be crucial. Unfortunately, the economy looks at least a year away from opportunities for hiring.
Unfortunately, I don't believe a single BATFE person involved in firearms could be trusted. Would have to place the DEA near this level of mistrust. The high number of Mormans in the Feebs might make them a trusted source.
FEMA and HS, particularly if there is a declaration of martial law would be vital sources of plans. "Planting of people in those orgs, should begin ASAP. Will have to be people with no profile of gov't criticism.
We know cell phones are not secure. The web is likely to disappear, or be monitored so heavily that only encryption of the highest sophistication would make communications safe. Likely control of transportation could make movement of intel very difficult.
If there is to be any realistic hope for success in the potential scenarios, regardless of the difficulties, intelligence almost certainly will be perhaps the key element to victory.
While I doubt the Feds would take it lying down, getting 2/3s of the states to pass sovereignty legislation -- providing the constitutional authority to dissolve the gov't -- would be extremely helpful. One of the chief benefits of such a situation is the potential that National Guard segments will ally themselves with the states in which they reside. The widespread service in Iraq and Afghanistan almost certainly would have the Guard more capable of warfare than they've been for decades.