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[THREAD] I’d like to show you a declassified 1944 CIA manual titled “Simple Sabotage Techniques.” The methods described could be used by covert CIA operatives, cooperating foreign assets, or unwitting foreign assets who could be influenced. They're disturbingly relevant today 
This manual shows how simple it is to be an effective foreign asset, and why someone can easily be a foreign asset without there being enough evidence to prove criminal conspiracy. (See: @realDonaldTrump) The full declassified document can be found at gutenberg.org/files/26184/pa…
People think of sabotage like a James Bond movie, involving high tech & explosions. While that does certainly exist, it involves high cost & risk. Intelligence agencies also encourage less sophisticated sabotage methods which can be widespread, inexpensive, & just as effective
The manual makes an important distinction between the highly technical “coup de main” acts of sabotage that require detailed planning and the use of specially trained operatives, versus innumerable “simple sabotage” acts which the ordinary citizen-saboteur can perform
Our intelligence operatives used these strategies, as trivial as they seem, against Axis countries during WWII to subtly lower the countries’ efficiency & growth, impede their economies, sow internal dissension, & make them less effective at fighting off foreign (our) attacks
If you think our intelligence agencies found these approaches for developing & using foreign assets worthwhile 75 years ago, do you really think foreign adversaries would hesitate to use them against us today? Especially when we have superior technical & military capabilities?
The described methods are simple, cheap, and effective. "Simple sabotage does not require specially prepared tools or equipment." “It is executed by an ordinary citizen who may or may not act individually and without the necessity for active connection with an organized group”
In other words, the person carrying out the sabotage does not need to actively conspire with the intelligence agency for their sabotage to be effective and ongoing. They simply need to be guided into the desired behaviors, whether wittingly or unwittingly
“A second type of simple sabotage requires no destructive tools whatsoever and produces physical damage, if any, by highly indirect means. It is based on universal opportunities to make faulty decisions, to adopt a non-cooperative attitude, & to induce others to follow suit..."
"... Making a faulty decision may be simply a matter of placing tools in one spot instead of another. A non-cooperative attitude may involve nothing more than creating an unpleasant situation among one's fellow workers, engaging in bickerings, or displaying surliness & stupidity”
"Acts of simple sabotage, multiplied by thousands of citizen-saboteurs, can be an effective weapon against the enemy.” Here are some more quotes from the manual, showing how subtle and simple some of these actions are, and how difficult it would be to prove "conspiracy"
"Bring up irrelevant issues as frequently as possible" "Haggle over precise wordings of communications, minutes, resolutions" "Refer back to matters decided upon at the last meeting and attempt to re-open the question of the advisability of that decision"
They provide advice to managers/leaders in how to damage the organizations under their responsibility: "In making work assignments, always [assign] out the unimportant jobs first. See that the important jobs are assigned to inefficient workers."
"To lower morale and with it, production, be pleasant to inefficient workers; give them undeserved promotions. Discriminate against efficient workers; complain unjustly about their work." See: EPA Scott Pruitt, HUD Ben Carson, Education: Betsy DeVos, DNI nominee John Ratcliffe
"Spread disturbing rumors." Trump makes unfounded accusations on a nearly daily basis. "Give lengthy & incomprehensible explanations when questioned." Again, daily for Trump. "Report imaginary spies or danger to the… police." How many times has Trump referred someone to AG Barr?
"Act stupid." Whether or not it comes naturally, Trump has NAILED this one. (While #MAGA cheers.) "Be as irritable & quarrelsome as possible without getting yourself into trouble." To be fair, Trump is as irritable & quarrelsome as possible even when it DOES get him into trouble
“Widespread practice of simple sabotage will harass and demoralize enemy administrators and police. Further, success may embolden the citizen-saboteur eventually to find colleagues who can assist him in sabotage of greater dimensions.” Radicalized mass shootings are one result
They describe strategies for recruiting common citizens to become saboteurs. “It should be pointed out to the saboteur where the circumstances are suitable, that he is acting in self-defense against the enemy, or retaliating against the enemy for other acts of destruction”
“The ordinary citizen very probably has no immediate personal motive for committing simple sabotage. Instead, he must be made to anticipate indirect personal gain, such as might come with enemy evacuation or destruction of the ruling government group.”
Prime examples today include QAnon's claims about Hillary Clinton's imminent arrest, claims about Robert Mueller's imminent arrest, and claims that the corrupt "deep state" in U.S. government is about to be revealed and overthrown. (Oddly, they keep missing their deadlines...)
The United States government encouraged use of these tactics 75 years ago, because they were effective at weakening an enemy and leaving them more vulnerable to both the larger “coup de main” sabotage attacks and to direct military attack
They were also used as economic attacks to drag down the adversary's economy, lower worker productivity and morale, and lower corporate profits, potentially putting some organizations out of business. It was used to lower tax, and increase financial pressures on the governments
They were used as political attacks to increase internal conflict within organizations and within countries, to sow turmoil and discord, lower confidence in government or media, and to sow distrust of political enemies and parties
It's possible Trump is just a malignant narcissist with the onset of dementia, and that explains all of his actions. It’s also possible that Trump is being manipulated by foreign intelligence agencies without his knowledge, and is an unwitting asset.
That same possibility may be raised about a number of prominent politicians & appointees who show unquestioning support for Trump, no matter what he says or does, or about those who implement policies which are detrimental to their own organizations
It's also possible that Trump is knowingly a foreign asset, as a result of blackmail over what seems increasingly likely to be a criminal financial past filled with money laundering, tax fraud, etc. (And that's not counting whatever he was into with Epstein.)
Regardless of whether Trump is a cooperating foreign asset or an unwitting foreign asset, make no mistake about it, Trump IS a foreign asset. He is being guided. Whether he is aware of it, or is so used to following others while pretending he’s strong and in charge, who knows?
While I know there is more to modern intel campaigns, the points raised in this manual are still largely relevant today. And it’s enlightening to see how similar Trump’s behaviors are to ways our own intel agencies tried to get foreigners to act to damage their own countries
It also isn’t a coincidence that we are seeing more and more conspiracy theories, increasing discord and turmoil in America, lower confidence in government and media, more intense distrust of political opponents and parties. It’s working
The more we know about the tactics hostile governments try to use, the more educated and aware we are, the less susceptible to them we will be. Education and awareness are everything. We are stronger than this as a country, and we can resist the disinformation
We can resist the attempts to break down our culture and society. We have to tell Trump and those who blindly enable him that they will not be able to turn us against the free press. They will not be able to make us see our *everyday* political rivals as evil, or as our enemy
They will not be able to make us see different American groups, such as different races, religions, or ethnicities as evil or as the enemy. We are stronger than that, and whatever is behind their actions, whether they are witting or unwitting, we will resist their divisions
We will survive, and we will still be here after they have been voted out of office, and after they have been indicted if they have indeed committed crimes. We will come together to heal as a country. Don’t ever give up hope! [END]
