With the lab leak theory gaining mainstream exposure, it's time to review Unrestricted Warfare (1999), written by two Chinese PLA colonels, which is effectively a manual on how to defeat the United States.
A thread. /1
When published, the authors concluded that unparalleled US conventional military might would force enemies to pursue other forms of warfare, i.e. non-conventional. This was also a point made by Kilcullen: enemies would resort to terrorism instead of a conventional war /2
After Desert Storm, war was redefined from "the use of armed force to compel the enemy to submit to one's will" to "using all means, including armed force or non-armed force, military + non-military, and lethal + non-lethal means to compel the enemy to accept one's interests." /3
"To compel the enemy to accept one's interests" -- this is the Chinese understanding of war: by any means necessary.
"Unrestricted warfare," therefore, is defined as "non-war actions... constituting future warfare... which transcends all boundaries and limits." /4
The authors point out the US military reliance on new technology, which almost always causes more problems that it solves.
They also describe the myopic view of war held by Americans, largely as tanks and bombs, instead of "non-war actions" that can be used for war. /5
The authors argue that China should develop new weapons: earthquakes, tsunamis, weather disasters, or "new biological and chemical weapons" that can be characterized as "non-war" but still used to prosecute a real war. /6
The authors point out that literally anything can be weaponized, including "a man-made stock market crash, a single computer virus invasion, or a single rumor of scandal," even "media weapons" that can disrupt an adversary. /7
This revolution in military affairs will produce weapons that will control, not kill, in order "to force the enemy to serve one's own interests." /8
In other words, the Chinese method of war would include subduing the enemy by forcing him to pursue his own self-interests (i.e., survival) instead of his geopolitical or strategic goals (i.e., protecting Taiwan). /9
"use all means whatsoever -- means that involve the force of arms and means that do not involve the force of arms, means that involve military power and means that do not involve military power, means that entail casualties and means that do no entail casualties" /10
War will increasingly be fought by hackers resulting in "practically no bloodshed."
"[W]arfare no longer is an exclusive imperial garden where professional soldiers alone can mingle." /11
The authors spend considerable time on "a new concept of weapons," again: anything can be used as a weapon of war, and most weaponized things won't be considered war by the Americans.
And here we are. /12
They point out that the USSR spent so much money on the military tech race that it collapsed. The US is following in the same footsteps, write the authors, because there is no end to the tech race. At least in 1999, they saw this in America's future. Prepare accordingly. /fin
I ask earnestly because we know the early warning indicators.
State breakdown is when a government loses the capacity, authority, and/or legitimacy to govern, typically due to an internal crisis (or many crises).
👇🧵
There's one major early warning indicator and, of all places, Politico inadvertently identified it this morning in an article about Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH). /2
But first, some background...
The strongest early warning indicator of state breakdown is factionalism among elites.
You tend to get armed conflicts like revolution (state breakdown) when the elite class fractures into elites and counter-elites.
During the Algerian insurgency and war for independence, the communist FLN set up social groups across the country -- everything from soccer clubs and youth groups to women's committees, farmers organizations, workers' councils, etc. /1
FLN cadres recruited leaders for the groups who were responsible for instilling pro-socialist and pro-independence ideology (and most importantly, anti-french sentiments).
in addition to creating social power, the FLN used these groups as intelligence collectors who would pass on information about french military movements and civil activities, as well as french sympathizers. /2
further, the FLN intended for these groups to replace the family.
in 1954, french ground commander marchand wrote:
"These [communist] organizations constitute the new basic cells instead of the family, and family devotion has been replaced by duty towards the Party." /3
i guess if the first time you heard about patriot front was 2022, then i can see why you say they're all feds.
but it's wrong, and i'll explain why.
👇
i had run-ins with patriot front and associated groups in the dallas area and austin, circa 2017-2019.
i'm sure there are some federal informants and undercovers in that org (will get to this in a minute)
but i also know there are angry white kids drawn to that movement, which is the point.
there are fascist groups in the united states.
it's okay to admit that.
fascism as a threat to the system only exists in unhealthy societies.
where is all the support for authoritarian law and order when law and order is already functioning? there is none.
so fascism exists primarily where socialist and communist class conflict and revolutionary movements do -- fascism is reactionary, after all -- which makes sense why fascism is becoming an important topic in the united states.