Handbook of disinformation

In these days of information war I found in my library a book by Vladimir Volkoff who treats the subject of disinformation.
According to him the difference between publicity and disinformation is that in publicity you praise an object while in disinformation you praise an subject while you are demonizing another.
For example saying that Germany is an welcoming country because Merkel accepted refugees is publicity.
Saying that Germany is an welcoming country because accepted refugees and Hungary is an unwelcoming country because it is trying to stop emigrants to reaching Germany is disinformation.
Vladimir Volkoff gives details how the disinformation works:

A Client goes to an Agent (a PR firm, a news channel a secret service etc.) who makes a Market Study.
Then the Support object are created to convince people. They can be use original facts as 3 years old boy Aylan drowning, or fact that really happen but long time ago like these images from a Bonn rally in 2012 who were used to show emigrants attacking police. They can falsify the information, but it is easier to tell half truths.
The these fabricated facts are sent via Transmitters news channels,news papers, blogs ,social media,politicians.
The Theme of the campaign can be Muslim terrorist threat in one case, the lack of  compassion of "democratic" European who let 3 years old drown and the fascist Hungarian government who beats refugees at border.
Another theme that I noticed is guilt of the Western Europe for what is happening. Like Sweden has to pay for the fact that Germany supported kurds, or US involved in Syria. And the whole Europe has to pay because shia and sunni don't get along for more than 1500 years. None of the today states existed in 7 century when the fight broke.

The Handling of the theme can be diverse as ignoring information ( like filtering the search on internet or improving searches for a certain result) , sending a false information, an half true, saturating the news channels with useless information, trolling the comments on sites (if you see similar comments from different people on a post it is sure a disinformation campaign).
The Resonance boxes are the people who repeat the message. For example the people who share a viral video, the journalist who analyse a subject, or publish "leaked" documents.
If journalists would analyse the subject and not copying it one from another, the effect of resonance box will decrease.
If we would analyse what we are sharing we would also diminish this effect.
The Target is the public opinion, and less the public opinion knows about a subject the more is sensitive to disinformation. What Europeans know about Arabs and Muslims? They know about the terror attack and they know about the Muslim criminal gangs that control city neighbourhoods in France and UK. So it easy for European to embrace the ideas that all Arabs are Muslim terrorist.
So an Arab Christian will be treated as Muslim. And a Muslim as a terrorist. Despite the fact that they run away from sectarian violence and persecution.
This hostility from the hosts will drive these refugees in the welcoming arms of Islamist from West who will provide them support, and the second generation who will be born as citizens will be soldiers of Islam.
On the other hand blaming the actions of Hungarian government as fascist, and labelling all those who are against these emigration as Nazi, will weaken the support of population for necessary hard-line measures against Islamic terrorists, and will increase the support for xenophobic fascist.
The condemnation of Hungarian fence for keeping out the unwanted emigration is a hypocrisy,nobody condemned Spain because they built a bigger fence in Mellila. The Serbian prime minister criticize the fence, but he doesn't do anything to arrest the emigrants who throw rocks at hungarian police. Maybe they want to settle some scores with Hungary, regarding their involvement in Yugoslavian war?

The Demonization is the part when the other party is dehumanized, it is transformed in pure evil.
The refugees become terrorists,  the government who protects the border became fascist, the rich nations of the west became warmongers who exploited the Muslims.
Then the next natural step is Manichaeism in which we are the good guys and they are the bad guys.
We are true believers who help one each other while they are heartless infidels who drink alcohol and pork, and exploit fellow Muslim brothers. We are the defenders of the Europe and  they are some filthy terrorists, who want to exploit the generosity of west European states.
The final step of disinformation is Psychosis a state in which all we see what we want to see and we propagate willingly the disinformation.
I don't know if Europe will reach this point, because of cultural differences who create a barrier in spreading of beliefs.
I can give as a example of psychosis: the case of Ahmed Mohammed the 14 year boy who was arrested because he made a home made digital clock for a science project.
This psychosis it is lingering since 11 September 2001 attacks, and shows the effects of  propaganda on child who was an infant at the time.


My advice?
1. Stay sane, don't become fearful and psychotic. Judge the people in front of you, don't let the propaganda fool you.
A friend of mine decided not to help refugees from Munich train station after I have sent her a video showing the radical Islamic from London. I told her if she sees people in need, help them regardless of religion, or nationality.After all first we were born humans, later we became citizens or believers in a religion.
2. Inform yourself from books. Books analyse more in depth an issue than an article on internet.
3. Search for written information, it has less emotional impact.
4. Don't spread unchecked information. Don't become a resonance box.
5. Try to identify agents and channels of disinformation.See who is transmitting what.
6.Identify the theme of disinformation. It is easy, it is repeated and repeated.
7.Identify the clients. Who has to gain more if a certain theme is popular? It can be the client, the agent, the transmitter.
Don't believe those who have vested interests in transmitting that information.

Fighting Russia from your armchair 2: More useful idiots

I read in satirical newspaper Catavencii a an article by Doru Bucsu, in which condemns the aggressive attitude of president Basescu toward Russia, and says that it is our fault that we don't have better diplomatic relations with Russia and deeper economic ties.
Seen what is happening with Russia ban on European agricultural products, I am glad that we don't have big exports in Russia. In fact we shouldn't have deeper economic ties with countries were the will of the rulers is stronger than the law and your products can be banned at wish.
Regarding diplomatic relationships, how can he have good relations with a neighbour that threatens us with nuclear bombing in case we want to protect our country and allies from ballistic missiles?
How shall we deal with a character as Dimitri Rogozin who threaten that he will come back in Romania at a board of Tupolev bombardier?
This opinion that the we, the weaker country we are guilty for the actual situation, (or how I read on a comment: "... the small countries are guilty for starting war")  is the syndrome of blame the victim, in which the victims are responsible for crimes. So the Egyptians are guilty that they rose against a corrupt regime and they troubled the Middle East, and Ukranians that they have done the same and troubled Europe.
A good article regarding the blame victim fallacy is here.

Regarding victims if you are cornered by a bully, the worst thing it to be submissive, because you encourage him to come close to attack you, and by retreating you lose you opportunities to attack. If the bully sees that you are ready for fight, he will stay out of range of your kick for example,
In a fight first it is mental fight then a physical fight. If you lose the mental fight, you will lose it for sure the physical one.
So if we want to win the next war with Russia we must prepare mentally for the battle.

Another article in category useful idiots working for Russia, made me think about different views of the conflict from US and from rest of the world.
America thinks that it is so powerful that it can do whatever it wants, but the down side is that the critics of US are blaming it for everything wrong on the world, and Russians take advantage of that.

First of all US cannot do whatever it wants, see Ukraine case, so it cannot be blamed for everything that is happening. It can be blamed that is not pursuing strategic long terms goals, but concedes at the interests of corporations (see Latin America), or simply withdrawing from a situation without solving it (see Afghan withdrawal, abandonment hmong tribes in Laos, abandonment of democracy movement in Egypt)
The US cannot be blamed that in the Iraq chaos Shia and Sunni wanted to settle some scores.
The current situation is caused by the fact that Iraq society as most of the arab societies is composed of tribes that compete for resources. Once the oil resources were freed from Sadam grip the fought has started.
The US didn't need bombs in market squares. Those who put bombs are responsible.
The Sadam Hussein state was falling, sooner or late and the violence would burst, but US wanted to control things in Middle East, to grab the Iraq oil and to control the oil bought by China (the same is doing Russia with the gas and Crimea).
So they precipitate the things but the tensions were there ready to sprung.
They over estimated the support of Iraqis for Americans, and they underestimated the influence of tribal organisations.
The Iraqis were disappointed because they expected to be freed by americans in first Gulf War, but Bush senior kept his promise to Gorbatschev the president of Soviet Union that he will not occupy Iraq.
(You can blame now US that they keep their promise.)
This disinterest in Iraqis fate and this lack for forward thinking led to the second war and the current situation in which US is shy to respect its written commitment to the Ukrainian integrity.

One thing we must learn from these events (Ukraine and Middle East):

Bears are more powerful than bees, they like honey, this means that the bees should have been gone.
But the small creatures can chase a bigger predator with their small sting if they are work as a swarm.

US went to Iraq and it was stung, now it is Russia's turn to be stung in Ukraine.

Lasati mortii in pace

Cred ca PSD-ul este bantuit de necrofilie, deoarece dupa inhumarea lui Carol al-II-lea cu onoruri militare, si trimiterea la vot a mortilor din Teleorman, a aparut pe afisele lor un mormant.
Este vorba de Mausoleul de la Marasesti unde odihnesc osemintele eroilor ce au aparat tara.
Totusi ce vor sa ne promita cu acest afis?
Vom avea garantat o noua batalie de la Marasesti in viitorul razboi mondial?
Este de presupus ca da, deoarece batalia de la Marasesti a avut loc dupa ce a fost pierduta aproape toata tara, datorita incompetentilor numiti pe pile (vezi cazul generalului Socec) si a politicii externe cretine de cucerire a unor teritorii fara valoare (ma refer la Cadrilater), iar PSD-ul are potentialul de a infaptui conditiile aparitiei unui Marasesti in urmatorul razboi. Din pacate taranii sunt plecati prin Spania, si nu vor putea sa apere tara.

Pentru PSD-isti cu afisele lor demagogice am o dedicatie din partea altui mort:

"Peste toate o lopată de ţărână se depune.
Mâna care-au dorit sceptrul universului şi gânduri
Ce-au cuprins tot universul încap bine-n patru scânduri...
Or să vie pe-a ta urmă în convoi de-nmormântare,
Splendid ca o ironie cu priviri nepăsătoare...
Iar deasupra tuturora va vorbi vrun mititel,
Nu slăvindu-te pe tine... lustruindu-se pe el
Sub a numelui tău umbră. Iată tot ce te aşteaptă.
Ba să vezi... posteritatea este încă şi mai dreaptă.

Neputând să te ajungă, crezi c-or vrea să te admire?
Ei vor aplauda desigur biografia subţire
Care s-o-ncerca s-arate că n-ai fost vrun lucru mare,
C-ai fost om cum sunt şi dânşii... Măgulit e fiecare
Că n-ai fost mai mult ca dânsul. Şi prostatecele nări
Şi le umflă orişicine în savante adunări
Când de tine se vorbeşte. S-a-nţeles de mai nainte
C-o ironică grimasă să te laude-n cuvinte. "

Mihai Eminescu "Scrisoarea I"

Offensive propaganda

The Ukrainean crisis showed that Russia uses the same rethoric as Soviet Union.
During communist times, it complained that it was attacked by fascists, payed by the west.
When Soviet Union, was accused about sending people in Gulag and in prison, Kremlin pinpointed to the oppressed Afro-Americans from ghetto's and their lack of rights.
Soviets were accused of having a police state, they pinpointed that the streets in West are filled with drug addicts.
(I wonder what is their excuse fot invasion of Latvia,Lithuania and Estonia, the 3 small Baltic countries who were never a threat to Soviet Union/Russia, and they were eager to cooperate with them, but they were invaded, and as bonus half of population sent to Siberia, in 1939.)

Now if Kremlin is accused of supporting with military separatism movements in Ukraine, it shouts that the West supports the Maidan fascists protestors.

When you speak with them about Crimean separatism, they tell you that Kosovo separation was supported by USA.

When Liz Wahl the RT anchor resigned live because she cannot whitewash the acts of Putin, she was accused that she works for US government, and/or she acted in her self interest.
Are you accusing RT as TV station funded by Russian government to spread lies? The corporate America also spread lies using it's TV stations.


Russia propaganda tries to minimize  it's actions comparing it with the one of US, saying something like: "If big powers like US are allowed to invade countries, why Russia is not allowed?"


USA used force to impose their puppet government, and defend their interests, but they don't try to add new territories to USA, or to change the ethnic fabric of the nations how the Russians are still doing it.
USA wants economical exploitation, Russia wants economical exploitation, land annexation,language change and possible deportation.
Because of that you cannot compare Irak with Ukraine. US invaded Irak because they had some interest there. But they didn't tried to annex it, to change the language from arabc to english or to convert to Christianity the Muslims.
Meanwhile in Transnistria, Russian enclave within Moldavia republic, Russian language and cyirillic alfabet is used despite the fact that most people from Moldova speak Romanian and use Latin language.The romanian teachers are harassed.
Also Kremlin used the Russian Orthodox priests as foot soldier in gaining influence. If West pays NGO in Russia, Russia pays Russian orthodox priests to promote their ideas.

Putting aside the justification of big powers for their actions, the small countries will be always poker chips for big powers. Their only chance is to be united against big powers.Romania,Slovakia and Hungary should put aside ethnic conflicts, and cooperate with other nations to defend against Russian influence.


The salvation from Russia doesn't come from distant America, but from an united Europe.
Europe has the interest to keep Putin away, what is need it is the strength, and resolution to do it.

Seductie

Cand suntem bebelusi si nu putem controla mediul extern, afisam zambetul acela dulce pentru a seduce adultii din anturajul nostru.
Astfel ii seducem si obtinem atentia si grija lor.De fapt bebelusii controleaza mediul prin intermediul parintilor.

Nu este nici o coincidenta ca oamenii care nu sunt pregatiti bine profesional dar care sunt simpatici si comunicativi, ajung sa aiba pozitii sociale inalte si bani multi.
Ei asemenea unor bebelusi surazatori, reusesc sa seduca anturajul si sa controleze mediul prin intermediul altor oameni.

Cum poti sa castigi de pe urma clasei politice romanesti

Azi cand am vrut sa cumpar o anumita marca de lapte de la supermarket, am auzit o voce interioara care recita sloganul publicitar al marcii.

Minunatul mecanism de invatare al creierului uman fusese deturnat de compania producatoare de lapte pentru a-si vinde produsul.

Inspaimantat de acest lucru, am cumparat alta marca.

Totusi paranoia ultimelor zile, cu manipulari, cu comploturi si filmari cu presedinti care lovesc copiii, isi pune amprenta si asupre vietii de zi cu zi.

Daca nu erau alegerile acestea cu scandaluri as fi fost convins de campania de marketing, si azi, as fi platit cu 2lei mai mult litrul de lapte.

Multumesc clasei politice pentru ca m-a facut mai vigilent.

Supunere sau dresare ?

Stanley Milgram prin experimentele sale in privinta obedientei, ne-a aratat cat de usor ne supunem.Cel mai faimos este experimentul in care anumiti subiectie erau pusi de un experimentator sa aplice socuri electrice unui 'elev' care 'gresea' la un test de memorie.

Experimentul sau ridica urmatoarele intrebari:
De ce ne supunem automat unei cereri? De ce nu refuzam implicit orice cerere?

Parerea mea ca supunerea automata este un atavism de pe vremea cand eram animale si ne supuneam automat masculului sau femelei alfa.

Este interesanta similitudinea intre supunere si dresaj. Un leu de 500kg se supune unui dresor inarmat cu un bici, deoarece acesta se foloseste de instinctul teritorialitate al animalului.

Conform lui Konrad Lorenz orice animal are un teritoriu impartit in zone concentrice:

1. zona de fuga: daca cineva intra in aceasta zona, animalul prefera sa fuga, decat sa se expuna unei confruntari potential periculoase.

2.zona de lupta: odata intrat aici intrusul este atacat

3.zona critica: zona cea mai interioara unde animalul se simte incoltit. Daca intrusul patrunde aici va fi atacat cu toate fortele.

Si la om aceste zone sunt prezente, si asemenea unui dresor, superiorul se foloseste de spatiul psihologic pentru a obtine ceea ce doreste.

Facand o cerere el intra in spatiul de fuga al subordonatului, acesta are de ales intre a se opune (a lupta) sau a se supune (a fugi), si precum leul nostru el evita o lupta care i-ar aduce prejudicii si se supune.
(In experimentul lui Milgram aceasta este faza in care accepta cererile initiale ale experimentatorului de a creste voltajul socurilor)

Desigur daca cererea este impotriva interesului sau principiilor subordonatului va intra in spatiul de aparare al acestuia si va avea parte de vociferari.
(Aici apar primele intrebari din partea subiectului daca socurile nu sunt prea mari si nu afecteaza sanatatea 'elevului')

Daca omul este impins prin cerintele superiorului in zona critica se va revolta si va actiona conform principiului 'Libertate sau moarte'.
(Subiectul refuza sa mai participe la experiment, morala sa nu-i permite sa fie partas la o tortura.)