:: While the market was coiling...
While the market was putting in a post-whoosh-down-sit-around-and-coil-for-the-next-fleecing kind of move, I turned on the TV to the History Channel, which was running a segment on The D-Day Deception. Part of the WWII D-Day plan involved creating a massive army in the North of Scotland, that is, the
illusion of a massive military buildup, complete with radio chatter, infantry deployments, and phoney practice maneuvers, with the design to lure Hitler into believing a Nordic attack was imminent.
Among the many thoughts that occurred to me was that support for such covert activity is built upon trust in the intentions and judgement of leaders. No doubt there were then contemporaries who might have "deplored" the "deception" of the American Public by such chicanery and rued the expense, even of the facade. After all, many believed that the war was "their" war, Europe's problem, and not ours. 20-20 hindsight has corrected much, but total blindness is rarely cured.
To bring this into today, the idea of trusting the judgement of leaders has become quaint, almost alien. Where did a once trusting people learn such cynicism? Where did once wise judges and leaders turn from deception of the enemy into duping of the friendlies? The press, once complicit with government in the need for certain types of "disinformation", is now more often than not anxious to expose
everything in the name of "open disclosure". The necessary truth certainly encompasses them, but as ever, lies between the extremes.
As the FBI and CIA, President and past-Presidents, are grilled over what they knew and didn't know, what they did and didn't do, I wonder what notes the enemy is taking, how "they" will once again use the openness of our society to our disadvantage. I am also wondering how "we" will better use deception to our even greater advantage, one that 20-20 hindsight will look favorably upon 50 years hence.
The National Archives - Wonderful historical collections of America through the years, particularly this retrospective of
A People at War. Not on that menu,
The Powers of Persuasion, poster art from WWII is worth a visit and is the source for the image below.
