Confounding Our Enemies and Astounding Our Friends, Honesty in 21st Century Warfare

Propaganda and disinformation characterized indispensable components of nineteenth and twentieth century warfare. Examples such as Leni Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will" or Frank Capra's "Why We Fight" series made no attempt to honestly display differences between nations, but instead cast all arguments in black and white. In an age where audiences had no readily available resources to question the accuracy of such works, propaganda and disinformation represented effective methods to target the will of large groups of people. The information revolution and the "flattening" of the world as described by columnist Thomas Friedman and other authors has forever altered the use of information or disinformation in warfare. Simplistic characterizations of the enemy and false statements on operations find immediate counter in an age of 24-hour media coverage and access to an uncontrolled internet. The evolution of warfare in concert with the information revolution, as well as current political, demographic, and religious trends also contributes to the downfall of propaganda and disinformation. Twenty-first century warfare, characterized by COL Thomas Hammes as "fourth Generation" warfare, emphasizes not destruction of enemy forces but instead targets the minds and will of political decision makers. Modern warriors use all methods, political, social, economic, or military to achieve their ends. Master strategists in modern conflict, such as Mao or Ho Chi Minh understand tactical or operation considerations pale in comparison to strategic considerations. No longer will victory on the battlefield ensure that national ends are met. When we combine the ascendance of strategic considerations with the information revolution, we find a battleground of thoughts, values, and ideas. This battleground, found on internet websites, news programs, and in the folds of newspapers can enable the strategic victory of tactically inept forces or drag tactically magnificent forces down to stra