The Cognitive Domain - Demanding a Paradigm Change
I write and post frequently on the need for an overhaul of major segments of our federal government, primarily, the IC and DoD, but other elements as well - to advance a more proactive approach in the Cognitive Domain. As the real war - is a war of ideas and ideology. It is a war of peace vs tyranny, that mankind tends to quickly forget about.
The continued rise of dictators, despots and terrorists over the years is nothing new! Nor are the follow-on kinetic battles and fall of dictators over the years after the world recognizes the cancer. But one would think and hope we'd have some lessons learned. But our notoriously short attention span in the United States, leaves us wanting for a truly strategic - cross administration - strategy that is bipartisan in nature that promotes facts, features and benefits of our way of life.
Developing capabilities, capacity and a strategic proactive operational implementation plan in the Cognitive Domain requires a paradigm shift on several levels in the Executive and Legislative branches.
There are small signs that we are advancing, but they remain to few and far apart. Unless we take significant and proactive measures to advance capabilities in the Cognitive Domain, we will be at real risk of losing our democracy, freedoms, civil liberties and peace. Most Americans think that our democracy is forever, that freedom will continue, but if you've noticed lately that former SECDEF Mattis tends to refer to the "experiment" called democracy.
The following lDefense News article speaks to a few of the key challenges we face.
https://www.defensenews.com/smr/defense-news-conference/2019/09/04/what-the-intel-community-needs-to-rethink-in-an-age-of-information-warfare/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%209.5&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Daily%20Brief
LTG Gibson is spot on, but our voices and actions to fix the challenges in cognitive warfare, including information operations, are to few, scattered and mostly ignored. Our continued focus on primarily kinetic capabilities is placing our forces, our country and our democracy/freedoms at significant risk. While our adversaries undermine our institutions, steal our intellectual property, and subvert treaties and agreements using asymmetric means and methods, we stand practically still.
Why are we in such a predicament?
Dealing with the "boring" stuff is essential - forget the shiny objects glittering before you
The bottom line is that undertaking efforts in the Cognitive Domain - cognitive warfare or maneuver - require dealing with "the boring stuff." Primarily data, lots of data, lots of pre-planning, lots of thinking, actually developing a strategic posture and strategy, etc. The types of things that GEN's Marshall & Eisenhower used to win WWII - are not the things which we reward, focus on, or advance in today's federal, DoD or IC. The back office efforts, data science, logistics, infrastructure, etc. are considered the "boring" stuff. And while we've advanced in some of those areas, it's far too slow and painful such that our adversaries in the Cognitive Domain continue to mostly out maneuver us.
It's much more gratifying to focus on CYBER, AI, the "borgs" and neat shiny objects that do cool things in the private sector, but which we can't seem to get into the federal government - as we're typically 10-15 years behind in absorbing such technology, as our cultural biases, antiquated and or broken policy, reward, human capital, and acquisition systems keep us tied to industrial age processes. It is also much easier to create a crises, solve the crises and then pat ourselves on our backs rather than think beyond a one month, one year or five year window - and actually develop a worthwhile long term strategy to operations in the Cognitive Domain. The demands for instant gratification by nearly all - undermine our ability to actually build a long-term game plane.
We remain in a near perpetually reactive posture - so the risk of a major kinetic conflict is increasing, not decreasing
If our past history is a predictor, and we remain in a perpetually reactive posture, then we’ll once again be surprised - as we where in 9-11, the Arab Spring, Russia intrusion in Ukraine, rise of ISIS, etc. Not! Not a good track record. If we are surprised, our ability to use our great kinetic capabilities will already be significantly impaired.
This is real possibility. An example is the tremendous resurgence and popularity of socialism (aka communism) in our country today. When we face significant threats from China and Russia, let alone radical terrorists we find that many of the current candidates for president see “climate change” as the existential threat? MAD Magazine couldn’t make up a more crazy story.
While it is very necessary to ensure kinetic dominance, kinetic solutions are only as good as we can 1- effectively employ them and 2-are willing to use them. In other words, we have tremendous nuclear capabilities, but are not willing to use them in any way unless it’s “the” war. So, if it’s true for those very capable weapons, how much does one think we’ll actually use hypersonic, mother of all bombs (aka MOAB), or other very capable systems unless we’re in a full on major conflict? Not very likely. They will mostly be kept in reserve for “the big one.”
Our DoD and IC, from at least my perspective, remain extremely naive or unwilling to directly face the facts regarding our continued losses in the cognitive domain. If we end up in a kinetic war, we have already lost the strategic initiative. If we remain in a perpetually reactive posture, a major kinetic conflict is inevitable. That is unless our adversaries have already subverted our governance, economy and democracy such that we succumb to their will, because our people have lost their trust and their will to support our democracy and freedoms.
So, if the likelihood of using our most capable kinetic capabilities is low, then how else do we achieve peace, maintain peace and not leave our country and allies open to the significant negative impacts of disinformation, asymmetrical disruptions and related cognitive domain/ warfare?
One way is to invest and build significant Cognitive Domain capacity and capabilities - but that means we must move away from our near death spiral fixation on kinetic solutions, and actually start thinking. The other is to revisit the past. As we’ve done some of this before, against the old evil empire. But it requires strategic forethought, planning, developing and executing via a cohesive strategy - in other words, we must actually 🤔 think, not chase shiny objects and not look for instant gratification, but have the patience and will to change our current paradigm.
Dealing with our our internal delusion & disinformation
Are we broken as a society? Broken as a democracy? Absolutely not, but one couldn't tell if they were just reading the headlines from the daily press. We have major challenges facing our nation. They include the massive invasion from illegal immigrants, the unwillingness of Congress to control spending, the constant efforts to shame or demonize others with a different opinion vice engage in professional debate, and continued assault using disinformation and other asymmetric means by our adversaries.
Given those challenges one would think that they'd be at the top of list in concerns by those who offer to serve as our leaders. But no. When our politicians are more focused on ensuring you don’t eat meat, use plastic straws, and are willing to spend $3 to $16/20 trillion not on defense, securing our borders, or even education...but on climate change? In a country (USA) that is leading reductions of our environmental footprint, while not addressing the rest of the world? And when those same "leaders" hype the divisiveness, demonize the intent of those with different views with name calling, then yes, the loss of our democracy, freedoms and liberties is a very real possibility.
To me this is a replay of the 1918's and 1930's where lots of great promises were made to those in Russia and Germany - only to be shattered by the reality that the promises led to loss of liberties, incarceration and murder of millions, and two world wars. Hyperbole? Absolutely not.
The creeping socialism and communism is evident in every aspect of our daily lives when we're offered "free" stuff, people speak about stacking the supreme court, or doing away with the electoral college, or "forcing" people to give up their guns via buy-back programs. The doublespeak is a replica of what we saw several decades ago, and that's because the tactics of far left radicals (i.e., socialists, communists and fascists) have been tried and true for hundreds of years. How does one think Venezuela went from a vibrant capitalist country to a bankrupt tyranny? Democracy remains an experiment that requires continued vigilance. Those tactics and techniques are Cognitive Warfare - and they take place in the Cognitive Domain.
For those who disagree, I'll just ask a simple question. While China steals billions to trillions from our economy, expands their military, subjugates the free people of Hong Kong via police brutality, uses influence operations to disrupt and undermine our political system, and then uses free trade to try to hold our economy hostage/influence why is that immediate and direct threat not viewed as the existential threat vice climate change? Just look at the two below links. So, why are we so focused on free stuff or the climate, while under constant attack in the Cognitive Domain? That's either outright delusion or advancing our own type of domestic disinformation. At least from my perspective.
With threats and propaganda, China tries to silence support for Hong Kong protests
https://wapo.st/2UBqSbA
Spy chief says foreign espionage and interference an 'existential threat' to Australia
https://amp-theguardian-com.
Learning from our past - to inform our future
In closing, I'll look backward to find a few bits of good news that can inform our future. That can inform our paradigm shift from an industrial age nation that is perpetually reactive, to an information age nation that is proactive.
A good connection of mine on LinkedIn often posts great historical documents that are very relevant to today’s challenges - as they provide lessons learned. So in closing this blog post, I’ll tag and thank #GordonRowe for the following link - https://lnkd.in/gsK3C8p (PDF). Gordon continually posts superb information from our historical archives that inform potential solutions, or at minimum lessons learned, for our consideration as we move forward.
The document, which I am still going through this very large and interesting archive, it does offer some insights into the importance of the Cognitive Domain from our past. It’s time to relearn our past to inform our future. We must begin changing our paradigm, before it is changed for us.
NSC 59/1 Washington, March 9, 1950.
THE FOREIGN INFORMATION PROGRAM AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE PLANNING
1. Foreign information programs in periods of peace and psychological warfare programs in periods of national emergency or war are established instruments of national policy and must be continuously directed toward the achievement of national aims. Foreign information activities and related facilities of all departments and agencies of the U. S. Government comprise the essential elements of a national foreign information program in time of peace and the essential nucleus for psychological warfare in periods of national emergency and the initial stages of war.
2. To achieve continuity between peacetime and wartime plans and programs and to provide for the strengthening and coordination of all foreign information activities in time of peace and psychological warfare activities in time of national emergency and the initial stages of war...
Edward L. Haugland,© 2019, all rights reserved.
The continued rise of dictators, despots and terrorists over the years is nothing new! Nor are the follow-on kinetic battles and fall of dictators over the years after the world recognizes the cancer. But one would think and hope we'd have some lessons learned. But our notoriously short attention span in the United States, leaves us wanting for a truly strategic - cross administration - strategy that is bipartisan in nature that promotes facts, features and benefits of our way of life.
Developing capabilities, capacity and a strategic proactive operational implementation plan in the Cognitive Domain requires a paradigm shift on several levels in the Executive and Legislative branches.
There are small signs that we are advancing, but they remain to few and far apart. Unless we take significant and proactive measures to advance capabilities in the Cognitive Domain, we will be at real risk of losing our democracy, freedoms, civil liberties and peace. Most Americans think that our democracy is forever, that freedom will continue, but if you've noticed lately that former SECDEF Mattis tends to refer to the "experiment" called democracy.
Today's America remains grand, and the experiment continues in the vast spaces of this country. But as with Hong Kong or Venezuela, democracy and freedom are not guaranteed. This is where we must begin to become much more serious about our overall national - yes national (government, private sector and academia) efforts in combating efforts underway to undermine or democracy by adversaries - both foreign and domestic. As the thirst for power, absolute power, is a major flaw in some of mankind, we must remain ever vigilant.
The following lDefense News article speaks to a few of the key challenges we face.
https://www.defensenews.com/smr/defense-news-conference/2019/09/04/what-the-intel-community-needs-to-rethink-in-an-age-of-information-warfare/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%209.5&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Daily%20Brief
In the article is states “The U.S. national security community and its allies must be more publicly transparent about its methods and its findings if it hopes to fend off information warfare campaigns, a panel of experts said Sept. 4 at the Defense News Conference... adversarial information operations are a low-cost, low-risk method of war. Army Lt. Gen. Karen Gibson, the deputy director at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for national security partnerships, said one purpose of hybrid warfare is to accomplish strategic objectives without using force...“
LTG Gibson is spot on, but our voices and actions to fix the challenges in cognitive warfare, including information operations, are to few, scattered and mostly ignored. Our continued focus on primarily kinetic capabilities is placing our forces, our country and our democracy/freedoms at significant risk. While our adversaries undermine our institutions, steal our intellectual property, and subvert treaties and agreements using asymmetric means and methods, we stand practically still.
Why are we in such a predicament?
Dealing with the "boring" stuff is essential - forget the shiny objects glittering before you
The bottom line is that undertaking efforts in the Cognitive Domain - cognitive warfare or maneuver - require dealing with "the boring stuff." Primarily data, lots of data, lots of pre-planning, lots of thinking, actually developing a strategic posture and strategy, etc. The types of things that GEN's Marshall & Eisenhower used to win WWII - are not the things which we reward, focus on, or advance in today's federal, DoD or IC. The back office efforts, data science, logistics, infrastructure, etc. are considered the "boring" stuff. And while we've advanced in some of those areas, it's far too slow and painful such that our adversaries in the Cognitive Domain continue to mostly out maneuver us.
It's much more gratifying to focus on CYBER, AI, the "borgs" and neat shiny objects that do cool things in the private sector, but which we can't seem to get into the federal government - as we're typically 10-15 years behind in absorbing such technology, as our cultural biases, antiquated and or broken policy, reward, human capital, and acquisition systems keep us tied to industrial age processes. It is also much easier to create a crises, solve the crises and then pat ourselves on our backs rather than think beyond a one month, one year or five year window - and actually develop a worthwhile long term strategy to operations in the Cognitive Domain. The demands for instant gratification by nearly all - undermine our ability to actually build a long-term game plane.
We remain in a near perpetually reactive posture - so the risk of a major kinetic conflict is increasing, not decreasing
If our past history is a predictor, and we remain in a perpetually reactive posture, then we’ll once again be surprised - as we where in 9-11, the Arab Spring, Russia intrusion in Ukraine, rise of ISIS, etc. Not! Not a good track record. If we are surprised, our ability to use our great kinetic capabilities will already be significantly impaired.
This is real possibility. An example is the tremendous resurgence and popularity of socialism (aka communism) in our country today. When we face significant threats from China and Russia, let alone radical terrorists we find that many of the current candidates for president see “climate change” as the existential threat? MAD Magazine couldn’t make up a more crazy story.
While it is very necessary to ensure kinetic dominance, kinetic solutions are only as good as we can 1- effectively employ them and 2-are willing to use them. In other words, we have tremendous nuclear capabilities, but are not willing to use them in any way unless it’s “the” war. So, if it’s true for those very capable weapons, how much does one think we’ll actually use hypersonic, mother of all bombs (aka MOAB), or other very capable systems unless we’re in a full on major conflict? Not very likely. They will mostly be kept in reserve for “the big one.”
Our DoD and IC, from at least my perspective, remain extremely naive or unwilling to directly face the facts regarding our continued losses in the cognitive domain. If we end up in a kinetic war, we have already lost the strategic initiative. If we remain in a perpetually reactive posture, a major kinetic conflict is inevitable. That is unless our adversaries have already subverted our governance, economy and democracy such that we succumb to their will, because our people have lost their trust and their will to support our democracy and freedoms.
So, if the likelihood of using our most capable kinetic capabilities is low, then how else do we achieve peace, maintain peace and not leave our country and allies open to the significant negative impacts of disinformation, asymmetrical disruptions and related cognitive domain/ warfare?
One way is to invest and build significant Cognitive Domain capacity and capabilities - but that means we must move away from our near death spiral fixation on kinetic solutions, and actually start thinking. The other is to revisit the past. As we’ve done some of this before, against the old evil empire. But it requires strategic forethought, planning, developing and executing via a cohesive strategy - in other words, we must actually 🤔 think, not chase shiny objects and not look for instant gratification, but have the patience and will to change our current paradigm.
Dealing with our our internal delusion & disinformation
Are we broken as a society? Broken as a democracy? Absolutely not, but one couldn't tell if they were just reading the headlines from the daily press. We have major challenges facing our nation. They include the massive invasion from illegal immigrants, the unwillingness of Congress to control spending, the constant efforts to shame or demonize others with a different opinion vice engage in professional debate, and continued assault using disinformation and other asymmetric means by our adversaries.
Given those challenges one would think that they'd be at the top of list in concerns by those who offer to serve as our leaders. But no. When our politicians are more focused on ensuring you don’t eat meat, use plastic straws, and are willing to spend $3 to $16/20 trillion not on defense, securing our borders, or even education...but on climate change? In a country (USA) that is leading reductions of our environmental footprint, while not addressing the rest of the world? And when those same "leaders" hype the divisiveness, demonize the intent of those with different views with name calling, then yes, the loss of our democracy, freedoms and liberties is a very real possibility.
To me this is a replay of the 1918's and 1930's where lots of great promises were made to those in Russia and Germany - only to be shattered by the reality that the promises led to loss of liberties, incarceration and murder of millions, and two world wars. Hyperbole? Absolutely not.
The creeping socialism and communism is evident in every aspect of our daily lives when we're offered "free" stuff, people speak about stacking the supreme court, or doing away with the electoral college, or "forcing" people to give up their guns via buy-back programs. The doublespeak is a replica of what we saw several decades ago, and that's because the tactics of far left radicals (i.e., socialists, communists and fascists) have been tried and true for hundreds of years. How does one think Venezuela went from a vibrant capitalist country to a bankrupt tyranny? Democracy remains an experiment that requires continued vigilance. Those tactics and techniques are Cognitive Warfare - and they take place in the Cognitive Domain.
For those who disagree, I'll just ask a simple question. While China steals billions to trillions from our economy, expands their military, subjugates the free people of Hong Kong via police brutality, uses influence operations to disrupt and undermine our political system, and then uses free trade to try to hold our economy hostage/influence why is that immediate and direct threat not viewed as the existential threat vice climate change? Just look at the two below links. So, why are we so focused on free stuff or the climate, while under constant attack in the Cognitive Domain? That's either outright delusion or advancing our own type of domestic disinformation. At least from my perspective.
With threats and propaganda, China tries to silence support for Hong Kong protests
https://wapo.st/2UBqSbA
Spy chief says foreign espionage and interference an 'existential threat' to Australia
https://amp-theguardian-com.
Learning from our past - to inform our future
In closing, I'll look backward to find a few bits of good news that can inform our future. That can inform our paradigm shift from an industrial age nation that is perpetually reactive, to an information age nation that is proactive.
A good connection of mine on LinkedIn often posts great historical documents that are very relevant to today’s challenges - as they provide lessons learned. So in closing this blog post, I’ll tag and thank #GordonRowe for the following link - https://lnkd.in/gsK3C8p (PDF). Gordon continually posts superb information from our historical archives that inform potential solutions, or at minimum lessons learned, for our consideration as we move forward.
The document, which I am still going through this very large and interesting archive, it does offer some insights into the importance of the Cognitive Domain from our past. It’s time to relearn our past to inform our future. We must begin changing our paradigm, before it is changed for us.
NSC 59/1 Washington, March 9, 1950.
THE FOREIGN INFORMATION PROGRAM AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE PLANNING
1. Foreign information programs in periods of peace and psychological warfare programs in periods of national emergency or war are established instruments of national policy and must be continuously directed toward the achievement of national aims. Foreign information activities and related facilities of all departments and agencies of the U. S. Government comprise the essential elements of a national foreign information program in time of peace and the essential nucleus for psychological warfare in periods of national emergency and the initial stages of war.
2. To achieve continuity between peacetime and wartime plans and programs and to provide for the strengthening and coordination of all foreign information activities in time of peace and psychological warfare activities in time of national emergency and the initial stages of war...
Edward L. Haugland,© 2019, all rights reserved.
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