On “Fifth Generation” Warfare? #1

On “Fifth Generation” Warfare? By Bryce Lane has a few points that I will discuss.

The Short Piece Opens:

Through our history till relatively recently, it took power in the form of troops and industry, money or political influence for any group under a man, ideology, religion etc. to create a large social impact by any means other than accident. While one man or a small group could create some disorder, it would generally be both local and controllable. However now this is becoming less and less the case. Whatever happens now, thanks to various media, doesn't just happen in one place but literally happens all over the world if covered. The personal, political and psychological is not longer mediated by the geographic. The world is composed of a psychological terrain that has less and less to do
with topography or national boundaries.

The Verbal World is world wide and may be exploited to Maximum Advantage in all Things. Of course, Maximum Advantage is not absolute advantage. A prolonged severe communications systems failure would largely negate this type of Verbal World. The atavistic or retrograde types would be less affected. Their beliefs will transcend and even be vindicated by permanent disruption.

Elements Include:

1. Technology, (not always high-tech either) gives to ever smaller groups down even to individuals, ever larger potential for creating physical, political and masspsychological disturbances far out of proportion to their numbers. Contemporary terrorism is just a crude prototype of this. At least the latest batch have a material goal.

This can be accomplished by not intentionally killing anyone. If an affinity like the ELF purposely (or even accidentally killed), they would all be occupying the cell next to the Unibomber. If one does not kill, one is less subject to the conscience of others.

Infrastructure can be targeted with less repercussion.

2. While populations are increasing, cultures are failing in the socializing functions they have served for thousands of years. The drive for narcissistic individuals, isolated ideologies and pathological groups to see themselves and their identities writ large across the fabric of humanity and history itself is taking up where many cultures have left off.

As discussed above, the mass exposure is a type of power, but subject to the constraints of Maximum Advantage. Ignorance is strength! Ironic? No.

3. The targeted population or organization is used as the weapon itself, not simply a target. Changes in ideology, religion, social or government structure are not the goal. The goal is to create mass reactions gratifying to the inside psychology of the initiating group, to “play a script”. The primary weapon is the initiating attack, the larger secondary weapon-the reaction. This reaction is where the potential for greater trouble lies. The event is simply a “blasting cap”; the real explosion is the reaction and what spins from it.

The herd is its own worst enemy. Unlike cows, human beings may leave (or shove others). And how may this be done? See above.

4. Whoever joins in after the initiating act (even seemingly on your side) may be much more of a danger than the original initiator. In fact it may be the case where if not contained or directed, many actors may “feed off” of each other and lead to an out of control situation where a state or any other “island of order” may simply be another antagonistic faction in a much bigger mess. There are parties that will seek to benefit financially, ideologically or organizationally by trouble even if they did not initiate it. They must be either channeled into something useful, or sidelined.

One can always define useful.