Psyop

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Psyop link (Illusion, Propaganda)
File:Psyop.png
Abbreviation	Psyop
A unit of psychological warfare with a specific goal and set time-frame

A psychological operation (PSYOP) is a unit of psychological warfare, which takes a hostile stance towards people and tries to trick them.

"PSYOP is the deliberate manipulation of information to influence the thoughts, emotions, feelings, and behaviors of a targeted audience. Unlike ordinary fakes, information and psychological operations are carefully planned campaigns with clear objectives, implementation phases, and expected outcomes."
(this official definition also implies that it is always the opposing side doing it, never institutions of the state acting on their own population)

In peacetime as well as war, the military apparatus often starts psychological operations to push public opinion in certain directions. Standard tactics include an intense media blitz by compliant media, often covertly coordinating with the government. The media is fed misleading interpretations or strongly biased selections of facts, for example of opponents' intentions or actions. If necessary the facts can be arranged (see: false flag attacks). This is meant to lead the public to an inevitable conclusion, often creating enemy images.

Cyberwarfare

Psychological operations have become a integral part in Cyberwarfare.

False flag

Full article: False flag

False flag attacks are classic examples of psyops.

Superstitions

A 1950s paper from the Rand corporation dealt with superstitions of common people in Germany and eastern Europe evidenced in World War II and the techniques used to exploit these beliefs for psychological warfare. The same was done in other countries.

Technology

In 1999, the Washington Post reported about the idea to project a holographic image of Allah floating over Baghdad urging the Iraqi people and Army to rise up against Saddam. The feasibility had been established of projecting large, three-dimensional objects that appear to float in the air.

The Gulf War hologram story might be dismissed were it not the case that washingtonpost.com has learned that a super secret program was established in 1994 to pursue the very technology for PSYOPS application. The "Holographic Projector" is described in a classified Air Force document as a system to "project information power from space ... for special operations deception missions."

Covid

The Canadian military used the pandemic as an opportunity to test out propaganda techniques on the public. Started in April 2020 by the Canadian Joint Operations Command, the effort was set-up to head off civil disobedience and bolster government messages.