The U.S. military has a variety of special operations forces (SOF). Everyone knows of SEALs, Green Berets and Rangers. We also have SOF-capable Civil Affairs, Aviation, Marine Raiders and the Navy’s Special Boat Teams.
Lesser known in the SOF community is one combat force multiplier that can help shape a commander’s battlespace by making a big impact from a small footprint. Contemporary leaders refer to it as Military Information Support Operations, or MISO, but most of the world refers to it as Psychological Operations, or PSYOP.
The official mission of PSYOP is to “affect the opinions and actions of foreign individuals, groups, and governments.” They work in small teams using everything from social media to radio broadcasts and the printed word. PSYOP is designed to influence people, including what is known as a “deception operation,” to “intentionally deceive” and to “deliberately mislead enemy forces during a combat situation.”
Enter a PSYOP headquarters, study their history or the crests they wear on their uniform, and you will see the symbol of Army PSYOP is taken from the most famous military deception in history: the Trojan Horse.
The story of the Trojan Horse was related in Virgil’s Aeneid and later in Homer’s Odyssey. Many scholars believe it to be a myth, but it makes for a great story. Greece was embroiled in a lengthy war with Troy in 1184 B.C. The Greeks lost countless warriors trying to breach the walls of the great city-state of Troy, finally pulling back in what appeared to be a surrender. The citizens of Troy were then surprised to find a huge wooden horse parked outside their gates.
Since horses were sacred to Trojans, this was viewed as an offering of peace. But the deception was laid as Greek warrior Odysseus and a group of his men hid inside the giant horse while the rest of the Greek army pretended to leave. The Trojans dragged the giant horse inside the walls of the city and began celebrating their supposed victory. In the dark of night, Odysseus led his men out of the Trojan Horse to kill the unsuspecting guards and open the gates of the city.
Myth or not, the story of the Trojan Horse has survived for over 3,000 years as an example of what a deception operation can do. Trick your enemy. Make him think you are doing one thing while doing another. Shape the battlespace by shaping the minds, the sentiments and the actual will of your enemy. Then strike.
The original Trojan Horse may be a legend. But the concept is still actively used. Here in 2024, Joe Biden is a Trojan Horse.
Radical leftists in the Democratic Party knew they couldn’t win in 2020 by being radical. What to do? The Democrats weren’t going to win with Bernie Sanders, who wears his radicalism on his sleeve. Hillary Clinton was damaged goods. Michelle Obama? Oprah Winfrey? Tulsi Gabbard? No, they had all had minds of their own.
The Democrats needed someone who looked benign. Someone who wouldn’t send out mean tweets, but who they could also control. They needed a candidate who didn’t look scary, through whom they could advance a radical agenda while pretending he was the one making the decisions.
The answer was the Biden Trojan Horse. The radical leftists got in the gate using a classic deception operation.
Good ol’ Joe was the guy who would “restore decorum” and put the “adults back in charge.” Uncle Joe would be the “man of unity.” But they had to launch a classic Psyop influence operation.
The leftist base was already all in for anyone not named Trump, but those pesky centrists and so-called independents needed influencing. So, Biden became the friendly uncle. The guy who would wink and tell stories, making you feel like no harm could be done because he was just “good old Joe.” He’d “aw shucks” and tell stories about his dad calling him “Joey.” He grew up in literally everyone’s backyard, church, temple, synagogue or social group. They made him out to be the “every man,” and independents thought he was the end of their concerns. So, they let him in the gate.
We should also keep in mind that the historical Trojan Horse meant nothing to the ones who built it. The Trojan Horse of legend was merely a tool needed for a short time to deceive the soon-to-be-conquered masses. They’ve known for years that Biden was diminishing in his capacity, but that just made him easier to control.
The Joe Biden Trojan Horse is no longer needed. It served its purpose and will soon be discarded.
But the Biden Trojan Horse was an effective Psyop trick, an influence operation, a deception. Hidden inside was radicalism that its benign exterior shielded from view. They were just waiting to get their Trojan Horse through the front gate and attack, which they did with a vengeance.
Social discord, massive spending, climate change alarmism, transgender ideology, Title IX rewrites, weakening of the military, revising the auto market, sacrificing energy independence, throwing open the southern border, soft on crime, economic disaster, vaccine mandates … the list goes on. The last three years have been the political version of the sacking and burning of Troy, all stemming from the Psyop perpetrated on the American people.
America has an opportunity that the legendary citizens of Troy did not. Troy was fully destroyed when the Trojan Horse revealed its purpose. But American can vote its way clear of the Joe Biden Trojan Horse and the policies that accompanied it. The key to overcoming any Psyop deception is to counter it with truth.
America can reject this Biden Trojan Horse. If we don’t, we may end our days smoldering like Troy.
To contact Phil or request him for a speaking engagement, go to www.rightsideradio.org. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
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