Asymmetric Warfare on American Institutions
As the American left screams "Conspiracy theory!", the terrorists in Armani suits keep coming
To survive and prosper, America (more to the point, any constitutional republic), needs institutions with credibility that its people can trust.
In a nation as vast and in a time where knowledge and information flies at the speed of streams of electrons, it is impossible for every person to have firsthand knowledge of everything that impacts their daily lives and their futures. Only with trusted and transparent institutions as a first lind of defense can a successful and prosperous free nation withstand the asymmetric attacks which inevitably come – and America is certainly under attack.
Most people assume attacks on our country come from some nation-state (Russia, China) or organized cabal (like SPECTRE from the James Bond movies), or some group cemented together by theologically and/or ideologically based beliefs. The common perception is that these organizations are controlled and directed by some character, a Mr. Big or Dr. Evil, or that the heads of state of enemy nations plan and direct attacks. To some degree, those perceptions are true – but what we face today are more decentralized attacks from groups that are acting independently but share mutual interests and goals. It is less efficient to attack an enemy in this “wink and a nod” way, but evidence of the attacks is more easily hidden, criticism more effectively deflected and counterattacks far more difficult.
Think of it as terrorism dressed in Armani suits.
George Soros, through his Open Society organization, is usually at the top of the list for those who want to see America fail. Joined by other leftist organizations - like the Drummond Pike founded Tides Foundation, the Ford Foundation, Black Lives Matter (that took in over 90 million dollars in 2020), ANTIFA, and others, these organizations create a formidable force opposing a free America and supporting a conversion to autocratic communism (with them at the top, of course).
One of the most devastating attacks on our modern, microchip and Internet powered nation (and one reason I think electric vehicles are a national security issue) could be an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) attack.
Twenty years ago, Congress authorized the creation of the EMP Commission (officially designated as Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack) to 1) assess the nature and magnitude of potential high-altitude EMP threats to the United States the vulnerability of United States military and especially civilian systems to an EMP attack, 2) assess the capability of the United States to repair and recover from damage inflicted on United States military and civilian systems by an EMP attack; 3) assess the feasibility and cost of hardening select military and civilian systems against EMP attack; and 4) identifying any steps it believes should be taken by the United States to better protect its military and civilian systems from EMP attack.
In 2004, this Commission determined “The damage level [from an EMP attack] could be sufficient to be catastrophic to the Nation, and our current vulnerability invites attack.”
Intuitively, the discrete nature of an EMP attack is different from the low intensity, but persistent attacks of the anti-American left, that much is evident. The former form of attack would render immediate, irreversible damage wile the damage vested by the latter is incremental, and if recognized soon enough, is reversable (if we as a nation have the courage to confront it honestly).
Even with the differences, EMP attacks share similarities with the asymmetric attacks of the decentralized leftist organizations in the institutions and systems they attack, and the resulting damage they do. Some commonalities:
Social media companies are just as effective in shutting down communication networks (bans and de-platforming)
Government can shut down energy production (fracking bans)
Rogue cyberthugs can shut down energy transmission (Colonial pipeline)
Government can shut down transportation (pandemic restrictions)
Government can shut down private businesses and entire economies (pandemic restrictions)
Financial activities can be shut down (banks refusing to do business with firearms manufacturers and gun shops)
Food production can be curtailed (control of irrigation water and distribution networks disrupted by pandemic restrictions)
And these are just a few off the top of my head.
When these situations are brought up, the left automatically responds with the “conspiracy theory” defense – mostly because there is not a centralized entity driving all these attacks – but as I said, just because there is not a major domo in charge, that does not mean the attacks are not real. The fact there are tangible effects is proof they are quite real.
If two different threats yield the same results, the threats are equal regardless of their genesis or methods.
We need strong defenses, strong institutions, to counter asymmetrical threats like those posed by anti-American groups, terrorism or random, mass shootings. We need the strength of will and the confidence of a principled nation to withstand the storm.
Just like any good problem-solving process, the first step is to recognize and admit there is a problem. It is the same with threats, recognition of the threat is the firs step in defense, and ultimately to going on offense.