Deception in Military Operations and Politics

Last Saturday I traveled to Myrtle Beach with a fellow retired Air Force friend. We had spent a number of years on the same Special Operations unit. On the way down we passed Navy trucks towing various watercraft and other items to be used in the recovery of the Chinese spy balloon. While there we met up with one of our Army buddies. One of our first discussions was about the decision to wait to shoot down the balloon. My natural inclination was to think along the lines of psychological operations and deceptive military operations.

Deceptive military operations are a complex and intriguing aspect of warfare. At its core, military deception is about creating a false impression in the mind of the enemy, in order to achieve a military objective. This can take many forms, from creating fake targets or maneuvers to conducting false flag operations or spreading false information through psychological operations.

I am the suspicious type. When something attracts the public’s attention I look to see what else is going on. Don’t get me wrong. Sometimes you can take things at face value. However, if you are smart, you will be on the lookout for big news items that distract from other very important issues.

I’m not a conspiracy nut but at the same time, I’m not naive enough to think conspiracies do not exist. If President Trump’s time in office did not prove this then nothing will. I never thought I would live to see the day when 50-plus former senior intelligence officials would conspire to take down a president. I won’t even get into the conspiratorial impeachments and COVID election irregularities. The point is conspiracies do exist and there is ample evidence. It is like deceptive military operations only on the political level.

So, what is going on with the Chinese spy balloon and the latest on a vehicle of undisclosed type and origin over Alaska? Will it distract from or draw attention to the Biden family’s involvement with China and other foreign adversaries? Was the spy balloon allowed to travel across the USA on purpose or was it simply the ineptness of whoever is running our country? Was the second object over Alaska shot down as a way to show America is determined to not let this happen again regardless of not having a leader at this time?

The answers to those questions may never be known. I am pointing out that things are not always as they seem. China is a threat and Russia is still a nuclear-armed gas station but the biggest threat to America is inside our own house. The questions in the back of my mind are about things that are less obvious. My advice is not to get distracted by big news items and to watch for things to evolve psychologically among the American people.