Psychological Warfare (PsyOps)

What it is. Shaping beliefs, norms, and expectations so targets police themselves. Tools include symbolic acts, fear/hope cycles, exemplary punishment, status rewards, and ambient surveillance. The aim is to make resistance feel futile and compliance feel natural.

Morale Breakers

Domain: Psychological Warfare (Three Warfares) · Stratagems: 4, 9, 27

Problem / betrayal. Fear and hope cycle until the target stops resisting.

How it happened. DoD’s CMPR describes the “Three Warfares”—psychological, public-opinion, and legal—executed by dedicated PLA elements to shape decisions before shots. U.S. Department of War.

The men behind it. Political work systems, information ops units.

Consequences. Exhaustion; “new baselines” accepted.

Warning. If morale breaks, plans don’t matter.

Counter-Orders

  • Audit: measure sentiment shifts vs. events; log psy-ops artifacts.
  • Inoculate: leader comms drills; pre-bunk themes.
  • Isolate: expose operators; sanction units named in CMPR. U.S. Department of War.

Operating model

  • Actors: propaganda bureaus, security services, party committees, cultural figures.
  • Levers: reputational ladders, shame campaigns, model citizens, rumor discipline.
  • Mechanisms: reveal → intimidate → isolate → normalize.
  • Escalation ladder: soft warnings → public shaming → targeted arrests → mass deterrence.
  • Success metrics: self-censorship rates, protest half-life, trust erosion among dissenters.

Tactic clusters (curated, non-repetitive)

1) Velvet Cage

Wrap control in comfort.

Stratagems: 1 Fool the Emperor…, 16 First Let It Go

Application: Offer perks for compliance; allow limited venting, then close the window.
Countermeasures: Independent associations, sunset clauses, parallel venues.

2) Red Lines by Rumor

Keep boundaries vague to elevate fear.

Stratagems: 13 Beat the Grass…, 27 Feign Madness…

Application: Ambiguous rules enforced sporadically; people over-comply.
Countermeasures: Clarity campaigns, mutual aid legal hotlines, public documentation.

3) Smile, Then Strike

Promise dialogue; punish leaders.

Stratagems: 10 Hide Your Dagger…, 18 Capture Their Leader

Application: Engage publicly; privately neutralize organizers to demoralize movements.
Countermeasures: Distributed leadership, redundancy, secure comms.

4) Mirror Enemies

Revive old foes to rally supporters.

Stratagems: 14 Borrow a Corpse…, 33 Sowing Discord

Application: Invoke historic grievances to frame critics as traitors.
Countermeasures: History literacy, bridge-building narratives, de-escalation norms.

5) Open Gate, Closed Hand

Invite, then entrap.

Stratagems: 32 Open City Gates, 22 Shut the Door…

Application: Allow an event; afterward prosecute organizers using surveillance evidence.
Countermeasures: Permit accountability, legal observers, data minimization.

6) Ritualized Normal

Turn extraordinary controls into routine.

Stratagems: 11 Sacrifice the Plum…, 29 Tie Silk Blossoms…

Application: Token reforms mask permanent expansion of oversight.
Countermeasures: Sunset audits, civil society metrics, independent oversight bodies.

Failure modes & risks

  • Learned helplessness backlash: sudden cascades when fear breaks.
  • Signal saturation: overuse dulls effect; cynicism rises.
  • Streisand effect: attempts to hide create amplification.

Related: Information Warfare, Cultural & Ideological Warfare.