Deception, Obfuscation & Misdirection

This is a concatenation of posts I originally made in 2016-2017--even more relevant today...

Most are familiar with the concept of #FUD—short for #Fear, #Uncertainty & #Doubt. It summarizes a strategy often used in marketing and political propaganda. Its effects are pernicious, divisive and lead to exploitation. Examples abound. Fear is a strong motivator! To resist FUD one must understand how it is practiced using the principles of #Deception, #Obfuscation and #Misdirection.

https://mdpaths.com/rrr/commentary/deception_obfuscation_misdirection/index.html

Threatening to take over Greenland, Canada or Panama.

The #misdirection strategy looks like this: when you want to flood the news cycle—pick a theoretical, cultural issue, position it as a threat, throw it out to the public, and let them fight it out. The idea is to incite a strong theoretical debate and distract from action—or inaction— on something more meaningful. It’s classic ‘misdirection’, and a tactic used across the political spectrum. ~ Rebecca Mitchell

https://www.elle.com.au/culture/politics/misdirection-political-strategy-explained/