The Most Powerful Weapon In The World

poncho · Mar 8, 2006

Strategic Communication Laboratories

Strategic Communication Laboratories has pioneered a new methodology to enable governments and countries to manage their relationships with their key audience groups through more powerful communication.

The methodology is based on 16 years of academic research and development conducted at 42 universities around the globe. It uses scientific techniques from a variety of social sciences to make ‘communications with groups’ far more effective (and measurable).

SCL offers various solutions based on this methodology to help countries in specific governmental areas such as defence, foreign affairs, internal security, health, finance and tourism.

In a world where the perception is the reality, all countries need to have the capability to manage their own perceptual alignment – otherwise someone else will.
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Perceptual alignment?

The company is the exclusive licence holder of the BDi strategic communication methodology, which is the most advanced and effective persuasion methodology for social and group communication.
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Persuasion methodology?

The company was formed in 1993 and produced a number of projects for the Behavioural Dynamics Institute, which was undergoing development trials for its methodology. The successful outcome of the trials led to the permanent association of SCL and BDi.
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Behavioral Dynamics?

Strategic communication differs from orthodox commercial communication (such as advertising, public relations, etc.) in that it concentrates on the behavioural outcome of the communication not just concepts such as brand awareness.

For example, commercial advertising might encourage an audience to hold very favourable attitudes about a Ferrari, but that does not necessarily lead to all those with a favourable attitude buying a Ferrari. Conversely, cigarette smokers may be fully aware of the dangers associated with smoking, but will carry on anyway.

Broadly speaking, commercial communication is measured by attitudinal results (considering one brand better than another) and strategic communication is measured by results (changes in actions).
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Concentrates on behavioural outcome?

The last 5 years have seen a flurry of Homeland Security scenarios enacted and re-enacted on the streets of our cities. What if there is a biological attack, or the detonation of multiple explosive devices? Many of these simulated scenarios are excellent planning exercises for the emergency services and security forces.

However, a major flaw has emerged in many of the scenarios - the unmanageability of civilians. They do not behave as they are supposed to . When a virus hits a city, civilians do not line up for vaccination: they run for the hills. When terrorists are looking for a target, it is the predictability of civilian behaviour that makes the terrorists' job easier. What if there was a way to control civilian behaviour when it counts? Imagine the benefits of having civilians as cooperating partners.
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You don't sell the steak you sell the sizzle.

As the world moves further away from the 20th century concept of the Cold War, it becomes increasingly clear that the very nature of warfare itself has changed. The old style conflicts were about overpowering the enemy and winning ground. The new wars are about ideas, belief systems and ideologies. The battle is no longer about winning territory; it is about winning minds.

Many military organisations are now realising that their ability to manage the perceptions and behaviour of their friends and foe is critical to the successful outcome of a conflict.
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"The battle is no longer about winning territory; it is about winning minds."

Sounds more like the battle is no longer about winning minds it's now about controlling them.

Almost every country suffers from some problematic faction within its citizens. These disaffected groups may be driven by religious fervour, self-importance or just greed. In all cases, their ability to operate and recruit new members depends on the perceptual environment and the levels of tolerance of the state and its citizens.

SCL specialises in producing solutions for governments so that they can significantly increase their control and management of disaffected groups as part of a wider counter-terrorism programme.
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Can't have people disagreeing with government.

Health Ministries around the world commit significant resources to protecting the health of their citizens. However, at the end of the day it is the public that must be convinced to adopt ‘the prescribed solutions.” How have the public responded to anti-smoking campaigns?

With the anticipated outbreak of a new strain of influenza – avian or otherwise – will your citizens behave in the most appropriate way or will they scatter, thereby virtually guaranteeing a national epidemic.
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Prescribed solutions? Like experimental untested vaccines?

We live in a world of communication, where perception is very often the reality. Those individuals that control the perceptions are the ones that control virtually everything. Most modern conflicts are based on misaligned perceptions, ideologies, opinions about religion, etc. If a government does not have the tools to manage the perceptions which effect security, defence, finance, tourism, health and foreign relations, then it may well find itself at the mercy of those that do.

Although SCL offers specific solutions for different government departments, it really makes most sense for our installations to be attached to the office of the Head of State. This is because communication is not department specific. What a defence minister says one day can effect the financial markets the next. An over-zealous health minister can impinge tourism growth.

The relationships that a government must manage between the groups of people that really matter are the arteries that keep the government in power. Any major disruption in the relationship with any one of the groups could be catastrophic for a country.

Furthermore, each audience group needs to be constantly monitored so that potential problems can be resolved before they become too great. Group behaviour needs to be analysed so that scenario planning teams can recommend to a Head of State exactly what to do in case of a crisis.
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Potential problems, like people that do not agree with the head of state?

SCL provides permanent installations to governments so that these vitally important relationships can be managed and controlled. These installations are equipped with the most advanced technology and trained personnel (consultants initially and then locals) so that a Head of State can have significantly more control over the various groups and audiences than was possible before.
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"Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment nothing can fail. Without it nothing can succeed. He who molds public opinion is greater than he who enacts laws." President Abraham Lincoln
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The means of mass mind control in the hands of the state. How comforting. Good thing heads of state are always looking out for their citizens best interests. Or I might actually be concerned about this the new metodology of persuasion.

Bottom line, if SCL can control perceptions they can control reality, or create it. Whatever.

Above quotes taken from SCL website (bold is mine). See link at top of this post.

Being a minority, even a minority of one, did not make you mad. There was truth and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad. The obvious, the silly, and the true had to be defended. Truisms are true, hold on to that! The solid world exists, its laws do not change. Stones are hard, water is wet, objects unsupported fall towards the earth's centre. With the feeling that he was speaking directly to O'Brien, and also that he was setting forth an important axiom, Winston wrote:

Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.
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George Orwell. 1984

Welcome to the New World Order!

[ March 08, 2006, 08:53 PM: Message edited by: poncho ]

LadyEagle · Mar 8, 2006

There's one thing these great strategists left out: Women are unpredictable.

The Galatian · Mar 10, 2006

When they choose to step in, that can be decisive.

In the Lysistrata of Aristophanes, the women of all Greece, deprived of ****** pleasure because their husbands are fighting each other in the Peloponnesian War, determine to end the war. To secure their own sensuous good, they agree on a ***-strike against their husbands and the seizing of the Athenian acropolis.
http://www.swgc.mun.ca/animus/2002vol7/epstein7.htm

And that is the most powerful weapon in the world.

The Most Powerful Weapon In The World

poncho Well-Known Member

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The Most Powerful Weapon In The World

poncho Well-Known Member

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