The Pen, the Sword and Social Media – OR – The Social Biosphere, the Next Global Battle Field

The Social Biosphere is where the next World War will be fought and won. The only question is what type of organization is most committed and capable of winning within this new and daunting digital operating environment.

Imagine a world where Citibank and Goldman Sachs are victorious in the Social Biosphere wars and think just how absolutely horrible all our lives will become. But fortunately, as imperfect as our US Government may be, I prefer the prospect of a continued future as Citizen of the United States of America verses the Republic of Greed offered by Citibank, Goldman Sachs and other corporations of their ilk.

The Axis of Greed may have tons of money, literally they have tons of money, but it’s our money and we have, the US Military and our Special Forces Community of Operators. I know you’re thinking wait-a-minute, the military, our military to fight Goldman Sachs, Citibank and the rest of the Axis of Greed, it sounds a bit far-fetched. Maybe not.

The old quote made popular in Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm and more recently in Operation Iraqi Freedom, “Capture their minds and their hearts and souls will follow,” is neither so old nor benign as the endless media repetition might lead us believe.

It most likely comes from a man named, Major Ed Rouse (US Army Ret) and one of the founding fathers of modern psychological warfare.  Major Rouse is considered an expert source by nearly every media outlet on the planet on exactly how to get inside our “enemies’’ heads and have our way with them. 

The long tradition of PSYOPS as a combat weapon predates Major Rouse, the USA and modern warfare. From Alexander the Great leaving armor on the battlefield designed for 8 foot men to intimidate enemies and Sun Tsu’s instructions to generals on how to make an enemy surrender to the perception or greater force through the Nazi’s use of Mildred Gillars, better know as Axis Sally, and Japan’s use of the better remembered Tokyo Rose, pictured below. PSYOPS has a long tradition in combat operations that transcends epochs, eras and cultures.  As a tactic it has always worked and will always work as it plays to the most basic instincts we have as human beings.

During the Gulf War and the Iraqi War the idea of capturing the hearts and minds of the civilian populations was generally presented as a positive thing as the media hammered us with repeated images of friendly soldiers handing rations to children.

Nothing could be further from the truth or from the real mission of Psychological Warfare Operations. Make no mistake, PSYOPS in the US fall under the US Army Special Operations Command, better known to most of us as Special Forces including such legendary outfits as, Army Delta and others.  PSYOPS is a Special Operations unit, with a serious offensive, ass-kicking mandate. 

So sheds a different light on “winning the hearts and minds,” more like capturing and reprogramming those enemy hearts and minds.  There are no Geneva Conventions rules governing what we can or cannot say to enemy combatants and civilians.

In fact and let’s be honest there are no boarders to cross, nor transmitters to be commandeered or jammed – there simply are endless opportunities to reach out via social channels to citizens of the world.  It’s no longer necessary or even desirable to identify an enemy because socialized operations cause no damage – they merely capture and control minds and ultimately build our brand AKA culture.

In a recent article I sketched some very broad strokes of the history of this profession of ours and left an open end as we enter the Social Biosphere era. It’s still too early to tell how things will play out within this socialized environment. 

It is however, safe to assume that like the communications and business revolution enabled by the adoption of Web-based technologies, Social Media will give way to the Social Biosphere, an environment affecting everything it touches be it organic life, business process or political and cultural systems.  The socialized Web is and will continue to change everything in its path.

So sets the stage for modern PSYOP Warfare within the Social Biosphere.  I cannot think of an operating environment more conducive to capturing and conquering, particularly the civilian populations of not only our enemies but any country or culture in danger of falling to the Axis of Greed,  whose aims are clearly not friendly or beneficial to the United States.

The beauty of the Social Biosphere as a social warfare operational environment mirrors the myriad advantages communicators have long known exist with social media. But the real significance is the added and incalculable value of being an un-policed, lawless free-for-all environment easily dominated by the organization committing the most resources to the campaign.  It’s also what makes us and the world most vulnerable to the Axis of Greed.

In short the Social Biosphere is the new global battlefield and the organization first in and most committed will capture, conquer and control the minds and hearts of World’s populations.  Here’s hoping it’s a mostly friendly power.