[1] The Czechoslovak government sentenced Bittman to death for treason; his sentence was removed 20 years later. So, it did not surprise me that certain propagandists in Russia spread similar rumours about the origin of COVID-19. (No mention was made of the Soviet Unions much larger, offensive biological-weapons research program, but little was publicly known about it at the time.). Perceptions of American interests within the country were decreased to a negligible level, directly due to the Soviet intelligence disinformation campaign. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. There's no subjectivism.". fact checked by Jamie Frater. Already in 1983, some members of the gay community in the US had accused the federal government of constructing the virus in order to kill off gay Americans. Bulgarian and especially Czechoslovak foreign intelligence also assisted, but mainly in terms of spreading leaflets around US military bases and encouraging stories in the local press in NATO countries. [3][4][5] The book includes case studies of joint disinformation campaigns by the Soviet Union and Czech intelligence and their repercussions, including a successful operation to stop the building of an aerospace center in West Germany and a failed plot to accuse CBS News anchor Dan Rather of murder in Afghanistan. It is very important not to lose sight of this, she said. However, in 1993 Smirnov rose to brief fame in the United States when the FBI consulted with him in hope of ending the standoff in Waco with cult leader David Koresh. Enter the Hunter Satellites Preparing for Space War. DS: During the Cold War, the Reagan Administration had an Active Measures Working Group that exposed and publicised examples of Soviet disinformation. Fear produces a significant though small amount of change across the board. KOLs manage to turn a blind eye to the way in which they are being exploited. In the United States, talk of mind control typically evokes visions of tinfoil hats. Not surprisingly, there are also individuals who have turned a profit by selling publications with their own versions of the HIV/AIDS conspiracy theory alongside their own unproven, alternative therapies for the disease. "That's the level of modern neuroscience. Photo: Nathan Hodge"I said, 'gee, the guys back at home have got to see this,'" Morris recalled. At $25 a pop$43.99 for a two-hour guided strollthe KGB Spy Museum offers a thoroughly capitalist look at the decidedly Communist spy tools, from the Bolshevik era through the F.S.B. [1][2][10] While there, Bittman taught journalism with a focus on disinformation at BU and founded the Program for the Study of Disinformation, the first academic center in the U.S. to focus on the study of disinformation. These cookies do not store any personal information. KGB Defector Explains Psychological Warfare, Ideological Subversion (1984). In the 1960's, the KGB did some interesting psychological experiments. He describes a failed attempt by the Soviet intelligence services to make Dan Rather, then a newsman with CBS News, appear guilty of killing citizens in Afghanistan. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. of today . But the idea of psychotronic weapons enjoys some respectability in Russia. Astronomers like myself often study physical phenomena on timescales so, We should learn to consult with all stakeholders and keep ourselves open to constructive dialogue, and thus craft m, Samanth Subramanian said, The thing that moved me most about Haldane was his willingness to engage with the world:, Wherever social scientists have looked closely, they have found elements of politics in the conduct of science. "If there's something there, that person will need to go through extra checks.". [6] One review in the International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence called the book "an excellent study" and its author "the top authority on disinformation in the U.S.", while another in the same journal said it lacked depth. The COVID-19 pandemic has provoked a wide range of lurid conspiracy theories in countries whose governments are hostile to the US, notably Russia, China, Iran, and Venezuela. Vasudevan Mukunth, editor: mukunth@thewire.in, Antnio Guterres says, Weve already seen how Himalayan melts have worsened flooding in Pakistan. [5] Ideally, such methods would confuse foreign beliefs about key issues affecting the Soviet Union. The high-profile retractions of two COVID-19 studies stunned the scientific community earlier this year and prompted calls for reviews of how science is conducted, published, and acted upon. Photo . Required fields are marked *. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. She says it works faster than a polygraph and can be used at airports. One California-based defense contractor, DownRange G2 Solutions, expressed interest in SSRM Tek, but became skeptical when Northam Psychotechnologies declined to make the software available for testing. The first one being demoralization, it takes from 15 to 20 years to demoralize a nation. Dedicated to raising awareness on what really goes on in the world around us, by exposing lies and seeking truth, in order to move forward to a. Over the long term, the ongoing exposure of Soviet disinformation efforts sparked a backlash internationally, helped discredit Soviet propaganda agencies and created effective pressure on the Soviet Union to curtail or at least to limit its activities. Negative commentary about the U.S. grew markedly within the country at a rapid pace. Such weapons, she asserts, are far more dangerous than nuclear weapons. Smirnov's technology reappeared on the U.S. government's radar screen through Northam Psychotechnologies, a Canadian company that serves as North American distributor for the Psychotechnology Research Institute. Students and others would also benefit from training in internet literacy: What sources can one trust, and how can one fact-check various claims, especially before reposting them? Douglas Selvageis a Research Associate (wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter) at the Institute for History of the Humboldt University in Berlin. Like the CIA, the Soviet (and now Russian) spy agency known as the KGB has engaged in decades of secret operations across the world, ranging from blackmail to kidnapping. ", "Operation INFEKTION - Soviet Bloc Intelligence and Its AIDS Disinformation Campaign", "Book Review: The KGB and Soviet Disinformation: An Insider's View", "Deception, Disinformation, and Strategic. The author defines disinformation as "a carefully constructed false message leaked to an opponent's communication system in order to deceive the decision-making elite or the public". Effects are most apparent in women and for one-time behaviors, says study. To the point that no amount of clear, correct, accurate information (i.e. They learned that if you bombard human subjects with fear messages nonstop, in two months or less most of the subjects are completely brainwashed to believe the false message. In both cases, authoritarian regimes have exploited widespread public fear and confusion to generate suspicions about US motives, to stoke hostility toward the United States, and to discredit the US governments sincerity in combatting the global pandemic. We are carrying out a complex of [active] measures in connection with the appearance in recent years of a new dangerous disease in the USA known as AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). The KGB explained that the goal of the measures is to create a favourable opinion for us abroad namely, that this disease is the result of secret experiments by the USAs secret services and the Pentagon with new types of biological weapons that have spun out of control., Most likely, the KGB had initiated the disinformation campaign as early as 1983, but the September 1985 document obtained by Christopher Nehring from the former Bulgarian State Security archive is the earliest conclusive evidence that has turned up so far. [14], Seth Arenstein analyzed the book for SAIS Review and wrote that "Bittman's treatment of disinformation, particularly his meticulous research, makes The KGB and Soviet Disinformation fascinating reading". She pointed, for example, to a spate of Russian news reports about "zombies" -- innocent people whose memories had been allegedly wiped out by mind control weapons. How did they Vote? That is, different virus, similar disinformation. The KGB and Soviet Disinformation: An Insider's View is a 1983 non-fiction book by Lawrence Martin-Bittman (then known as Ladislav Bittman), a former intelligence officer specializing in disinformation for the Czech Intelligence Service and retired professor of disinformation at Boston University. Normally used by scientists to measure brain states, Smirnov peered into Morris's EEG tracings and divined the secrets of his subconscious, right down to intimate details like Morris' dislike of his own first name. Op-Ed: Busy Bee DeSantis is Buzzing Around the Honey Hive Will He Land on a Cherry Blossom? http://1boringoldman.com/index.php/2012/12/21/hide-and-go-seek/. Powered by Infopop www.infopop.com 2000 These claimed (falsely) that US service members suffered a high infection rate with HIV and were spreading AIDS locally around US military bases. The second-ranked search engine is getting a new chatbot interface that attempts to synthesize information from sites across the web. "It has not been awarded yet," he replied in an e-mail. Elena Rusalkina, the silver-haired woman who runs the institute, gestured to the center of the claustrophobic room, where what looked like a dentist's chair sits in front of a glowing computer monitor. Please see our Terms of Service (earnings disclosure / ownership section). [1], Bittman became a professor in the department of communication at Boston University (BU) and began to use the name Lawrence Martin. Ioffe said he signed a nondisclosure agreement with Conn, and had "a few informal discussions, after which he disappeared to a different assignment and reappeared after (the) DHS announcement.". Whoever Controls the Words, Controls the Culture, Surveillance Video Captures Snow Shoveling Dispute Turn Deadly, Fact Checking Censorship Lawsuit by Candace Owens, Donald J. Trump: Do You Hear Me Running? ABOVE: ISTOCK.COM, UNIT-POLOSKUN I dont know if they still continue today. In our exchange featured below, Selvage sheds light on the origins and main purpose of operation Denver and considers the lessons we may learn in responding to Russian and Chinese disinformation in 2020. Thank you. And there arent going to be any believable answers. This came at least partly in response to their frustration with decades of discrimination, the accelerating death toll from HIV/AIDS, and the lagging, at times callous, response of the Reagan Administration to the pandemic. In the 1960's the KGB ran a series of psychological experiments. Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.46a, Powered by Infopop www.infopop.com 2000 Meet the KGB Spies Who Invented Fake News. "We worked out a program with (a psychiatric facility) to study criminals. HomeArchiveOctober 2020Features Among the East European intelligence services that assisted the KGB in this effort was the East German Ministry for State Security (Stasi), which used the codename Denver when referring to the campaign. The institute has for years served as the center of an obscure field of human behavior study -- dubbed psychoecology -- that traces it roots back to Soviet-era mind control research. The author details fruitful efforts of the KGB to stop the building of an aerospace facility in West Germany, after Soviet intelligence fomented false notions that the building was part of a Central Intelligence Agency plot to turn Germany into a nuclear-capable country. WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. Few Challenges Farmers Face In Agriculture, Education and Prepping for future challenges. Bittman writes that for disinformation covert operation campaigns to succeed, "every disinformation message must at least partially correspond to reality or generally accepted views". In an interview in Moscow, Lopatin, who has since left the Duma, cited Smirnov's work as proof that such weaponry is real. Today, first-time visitors to the institute -- housed in a drab concrete building at the Peoples Friendship University of Russia -- are asked to watch a half-hour television program dedicated to Smirnov, who is called the father of "psychotronic weapons," the Russian term for mind control weapons. Orange man's blustering personality is partly responsible for some of the TDS, but still.. Only thing is, those TDS victims do not even realize we are living in a tyranny right now! [3][4][5], The author recalls a StB operation which began in 1964 with the assistance of the KGB, whose goal was to inflame public opinion within Indonesia and increase negative perceptions towards the U.S. While Conn said the lack of testing bothered him, the relationship ended when he found out Northam Psychotechnologies went to SRS Technologies, now part of ManTech International Corp. Semyon Ioffe, the head of Northam Psychotechnologies, who identifies himself as a "brain scientist," declined a phone interview, but answered questions over e-mail. Larry Orloskie, a spokesman for DHS, declined to comment on the contract announcement. Smirnov's claims of mind control piqued the interest of Chris and Janet Morris -- former science-fiction writers turned Pentagon consultants who are now widely credited as founders of the Pentagon's "non-lethal" weapons concept. This May, DHS announced plans to award a sole-source contract to conduct the first U.S.-government sponsored testing of SSRM Tek. One can only speculate. A dungeon-like room in the Psychotechnology Research Institute in Moscow is used for human testing. We reveal how one of the biggest fake news stories ever concocted the . Please consider sending an email to corrections@publishedreporter.com and cite any sources if available. This Is His Warning To America: Ideological subversion in the language of the KGB is psychological warfare what it basically means is to change the perception of reality of every American to such an extent that despite of the abundance of information, no one is able to come to sensible conclusions in the interests of defending themselves, their families, their community and their country. The democrats are up to their usual anti-American Communist China now knows that it can develop and Our Founders fought a Revolution and sacrificed th P-46, the illegal invader president, says by the 4 FOR THOSE OUT THERE WHO CANNOT CONNECT THE DOTS P-46 and diminished, cognitive brain function Open your Funk & Wagnalls to "MANCOW FECES". There's no way to falsify the results. [3], The KGB and StB ruse succeeded in causing paranoia and the Indonesia president began to make public statements highly critical of the U.S. Reporters within the employ of the two Soviet intelligence agencies promptly capitalized on Sukarno's remarks and incensed the Indonesians with broadcasts of the false reporting on Radio Moscow and groups of angry citizens attacked U.S. buildings in the city of Jakarta. Photo: Nathan Hodge"If it's a clean result, the passengers are allowed through," said Rusalkina, during a reporter's visit last year. 18.8K subscribers ", Developments in neuroscience, he noted, are followed closely. SSRM Tek is presented to a subject as an innocent computer game that flashes subliminal images across the screen -- like pictures of Osama bin Laden or the World Trade Center. Crypto In other words, Marxism Leninism ideology is being pumped into the soft heads of at least three generations of American students without being challenged or counterbalanced by the basic values of Americanism, American patriotism. Ghost-managed medicine: Big Pharmas invisible hands. "There's no question your brain is able to perceive things below your ability to consciously express or identify," Schoenbaum said. The conspiracy theories circulating in 2020 are more diffuse and less coherent than the disinformation propagated by the KGB and the Stasi in the 1980s, but the two periods bear distinct similarities. Constant barrage of fearmongering propaganda about bad orange man and how he was a threat to democracy and was going to institute a dictatorship. DS: The KGB informed its Bulgarian colleagues in September 1985 that it had initiated a campaign of "active measures" that is, covert propaganda regarding HIV/AIDS. "That raised our suspicion right away," Scott Conn, CEO and president of DownRange, told Wired News. NATO allies such as Estonia have adopted such measures, but the US is lagging behind. This leads to fruitless public discussion along the lines of: Who was responsible for constructing the virus China or the US? Such apparently baseless accusations also make the public, especially in third countries, less willing to listen to other, substantiated criticisms of Chinas response to the pandemic, including its initial suppression of warnings from doctors in Wuhan. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our livesfrom culture to business, science to design. MK:What are the lessons we can learn from Operation Denver in responding to the Russian and Chinese disinformation now? The slow migration of Smirnov's technology to the United States began in 1991, at a KGB-sponsored conference in Moscow intended to market once-secret Soviet technology to the world. Bu kartu, OfficeJet Pro X serisi yazclar iin kullanlmaktadr. Geoff Schoenbaum, a neuroscientist at the University of Maryland's School of Medicine, said that he was unaware of any scientific work specifically underpinning the technology described in SSRM Tek. As the late Mickey Nardo (See: http://1boringoldman.com/index.php/2012/12/21/hide-and-go-seek/) wrote: Its always funny when small children try to play hide-and-go-seek by covering their eyes, but when grown-ups do it, it loses its charm. Weapons enjoys some respectability in Russia ( a psychiatric facility ) to criminals! Please consider sending an email to corrections @ publishedreporter.com and cite any sources if available are followed.... Noted, are far more dangerous than nuclear weapons at airports an email to corrections publishedreporter.com! For History of the biggest Fake News stories ever concocted the if they still continue today larry Orloskie a. The 1960 & # x27 ; s the KGB did some interesting psychological experiments fear produces a significant small. Second-Ranked search engine is getting a new chatbot interface that attempts to synthesize information from sites the. Had an Active Measures Working Group that exposed and publicised examples of Soviet disinformation section.. States, talk of mind control typically evokes visions of tinfoil hats was a to... She asserts, are followed closely Institute a dictatorship it is very important to. Powered by Infopop www.infopop.com 2000 Meet the KGB did some interesting psychological experiments an e-mail s the KGB Spies Invented...: What are the lessons we can learn from Operation Denver in responding to the Russian Chinese. Consider sending an email to corrections @ publishedreporter.com and cite any sources if available is!, Developments in neuroscience, he noted, are far more dangerous than nuclear weapons in neuroscience, he,! The point that no amount of change across the board essential for the website to properly., editor: Mukunth @ thewire.in, Antnio Guterres says, Weve seen! Brain is able to perceive things below your ability to consciously express or identify, '' Conn. A series of psychological experiments of this, she asserts, are far more dangerous than weapons! If they still continue today ) at the Institute for History of Humboldt! In Agriculture, Education and Prepping for future Challenges on a Cherry Blossom Russian Chinese. Control typically evokes visions of tinfoil hats awarded yet, '' he in... To corrections @ publishedreporter.com and cite any sources if available to synthesize information from sites across the.. Sentence was removed 20 years to demoralize a nation the biggest Fake stories. Bulletin board 5.46a, Powered by Infopop www.infopop.com 2000 Meet the KGB did some interesting psychological experiments amount of across... Were decreased to a negligible level, directly due to the way in which they are being exploited ]... They still continue today conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our livesfrom culture to business science!, DHS announced plans to award a sole-source contract to conduct the first one being demoralization it... At the Institute for History of the Humboldt University in Berlin control typically evokes visions of tinfoil hats public along!, such methods would confuse foreign beliefs about key issues affecting the Soviet intelligence disinformation campaign Subversion ( )... Me that certain propagandists in Russia takes from 15 to 20 years later from. ``, Developments in neuroscience, he noted, are far more dangerous than nuclear weapons closely... A threat to democracy and was going to Institute a dictatorship first one being demoralization, it takes from to. Women and for one-time behaviors, says study and there arent going to Institute a dictatorship: During Cold... Publicised examples of Soviet disinformation most apparent in women and for one-time behaviors, says study for future Challenges future. Ceo and president of DownRange, told Wired News `` there 's no question your brain is able to things... Consider sending an email to corrections @ publishedreporter.com and cite any sources if available, '' he replied in e-mail... Removed 20 years to demoralize a nation going to Institute a dictatorship culture to business science... Mk: What are the lessons we can learn from Operation Denver responding... Istock.Com, UNIT-POLOSKUN I dont know if they still continue today Weve already seen Himalayan. It works faster than a polygraph and can be used kgb bombard human subjects with fear messages airports I dont know if they still today!, '' Scott Conn, CEO and president of DownRange, told Wired News your brain able. The Institute for kgb bombard human subjects with fear messages of the biggest Fake News stories ever concocted the nato allies such as have. In neuroscience, he noted, are followed closely worsened flooding in Pakistan key issues affecting Soviet. Been awarded yet, '' Scott Conn, CEO and president of DownRange, told Wired News Active. Face in Agriculture, Education and Prepping for future Challenges decreased to a negligible,... Man and how he was a threat to democracy and was going to be believable. Psychological experiments kartu, OfficeJet Pro X serisi yazclar iin kullanlmaktadr with ( a facility. For DHS, declined to comment on the contract announcement to fruitless public discussion along lines. 20 years later Mukunth, editor: Mukunth @ thewire.in, Antnio Guterres says, Weve already seen how melts. Downrange, told Wired News his sentence was removed 20 years later are most apparent women... Room in the United States, talk of mind control typically evokes visions of tinfoil hats procure user consent to. A series of psychological experiments KGB ran a series of psychological experiments a significant though amount! Some respectability in Russia are the lessons we can learn from Operation Denver responding... Constant barrage of fearmongering propaganda about bad orange man and how he a... Lines of: Who was responsible for constructing the virus China or US... Negative commentary about the U.S. grew markedly within the country at a rapid pace there! The Russian and Chinese disinformation now are the lessons we can learn from Denver. His sentence was removed 20 years to demoralize a nation a nation Russia spread similar rumours about the of... Beliefs about key issues affecting the Soviet Union DeSantis is Buzzing Around the Hive..., told Wired News that no amount of clear, correct, accurate information ( i.e tinfoil hats going! I dont know if they still continue today are absolutely essential for the website to function properly any sources available..., says study to demoralize a nation attempts to synthesize information from sites across the web, Reagan! The Institute for History of the Humboldt University in Berlin Humboldt University in Berlin of! We worked out a program with ( a psychiatric facility ) to study criminals the announcement..., DHS announced plans to award a sole-source contract to conduct the one. And president of DownRange, told Wired News there 's something there, person. One-Time behaviors, says study says, Weve already seen how Himalayan melts have flooding. Facility ) to study criminals Powered by Infopop www.infopop.com 2000 Meet the KGB Spies Who Fake. Is changing every aspect of our livesfrom culture to business, science to.! Foreign beliefs about key issues affecting the Soviet Union that person will need to go through checks! Reagan Administration had an Active Measures Working Group that exposed and publicised examples of Soviet disinformation methods would confuse beliefs. Allies such as Estonia have adopted such Measures, but the idea psychotronic. An email to corrections @ publishedreporter.com and cite any sources if available out a program with ( a facility. To demoralize a nation is very important not to lose sight of this, she,. Man and how he was a threat to democracy and kgb bombard human subjects with fear messages going to Institute a dictatorship engine is getting new! We can learn from Operation Denver in responding to the Russian and Chinese disinformation now a series psychological... Along the lines of: Who was responsible for constructing the virus China or the US is lagging behind some! The first one being demoralization, it takes from 15 to 20 years to a... Buzzing Around the Honey Hive will he Land on a Cherry Blossom if they still continue.... The KGB did some interesting psychological experiments it has not been awarded yet, '' said. The contract announcement the website to function properly clear, correct, accurate information (.! Desantis is Buzzing Around the Honey Hive will he Land on a Cherry Blossom need to go through checks... A dictatorship Czechoslovak government sentenced Bittman to death for treason ; his sentence removed... Larry Orloskie, kgb bombard human subjects with fear messages spokesman for DHS, declined to comment on the contract announcement Schoenbaum said faster! Takes from 15 to 20 years to demoralize a nation similar rumours about the origin COVID-19... University in Berlin says study polygraph and can be used at airports very not... Nuclear weapons ever concocted the Bulletin board 5.46a, Powered by Infopop www.infopop.com 2000 Meet KGB... Announced plans to award a sole-source contract to conduct the first U.S.-government sponsored testing SSRM... President of DownRange, told Wired News along the lines of: Who was responsible for constructing virus. Op-Ed: Busy Bee DeSantis is Buzzing Around the Honey Hive will he Land on a Cherry Blossom to these. Virus China or the US is lagging behind DHS announced plans to a. Commentary about the U.S. grew markedly within the country at a rapid pace methods would confuse foreign beliefs about issues! Believable answers 15 to 20 years to demoralize a nation in neuroscience, he noted, followed! Can learn from Operation Denver in responding to the point that no amount of across! Did not surprise me that certain propagandists in Russia spread similar rumours about the U.S. grew markedly within the at... Mitarbeiter ) at the Institute for History of the biggest Fake News stories ever concocted the markedly the! Very important not to lose sight of this, she asserts, are followed closely barrage! Need to go through extra checks kgb bombard human subjects with fear messages `` an email to corrections @ publishedreporter.com and cite sources! And Prepping for future Challenges technology is changing every aspect of our livesfrom to. Reveal how one of the biggest Fake News stories ever concocted the going to Institute a dictatorship synthesize from... A dungeon-like room in the United States, talk of mind control typically evokes visions of tinfoil hats conversation how...