That's "hearts and minds" to you, sunshine.

October 10, 2002 1:29 AM

That's "hearts and minds" to you, sunshine. As a former PSYOPer my ownself, I found this Village Voice primer on the field reasonably accurate on the facts, if rather skewed as to their interpretation. But what's a nonviolently-inclined soldier to do? What other methods of "winning without fighting" might be acceptable to a leadership seemingly hell-bent on bloodshed?
posted by adamgreenfield (11 comments total)

that was fascinating. great link.
posted by donkeyschlong at 2:32 AM on October 10, 2002

Is "PSYOPS" not just another more sinister word for "public relations"?

Or is it all a matter of degree? I can understand the (supposed) planting of giant-sized condoms by the English during the Second World War, but a feast of bananas is like: "have a Coke and a smile".
posted by hama7 at 5:21 AM on October 10, 2002

Great article!
Um, would this be considered "psy-ops"?:

Reuters Feb 14, 2002
HAMAN, Pakistan: US aircraft over southern Afghanistan have scattered $100 bills tucked into envelopes bearing a picture of President George W. Bush, witnesses said on Thursday.
Some of the envelopes were carried by the wind and fluttered to earth over the Pakistan border town of Chaman, sending people scrambling for the cash.
posted by Shane at 6:27 AM on October 10, 2002

Awesome link. What do you do now?
posted by jeb at 7:50 AM on October 10, 2002

He could tell you. But then he'd have to kill you.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 8:02 AM on October 10, 2002

PSYOPer? I barely even knew 'er!
posted by Foosnark at 8:32 AM on October 10, 2002

"One such plan initially investigated by the air force before Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait entailed the projection of a holographic image of Allah floating over Baghdad and instructing Iraqi civilians to overthrow Saddam. The idea was promptly dropped after scientists informed the Pentagon that it would require a mirror that was a square mile in area, not to mention the added problem that no one knows what Allah looks like."

Terrific link. Thanks, adamgreenfield.
posted by keithl at 11:09 AM on October 10, 2002

PSYOPS people can be just plain weird. I should know. I'd tell you why but then I'd have to kill you. 8)
posted by Cerebus at 12:01 PM on October 10, 2002

"A T-shirt used in Cambodia to try to deter kids from entering certain unsafe zones featured a boy squatting over a mine that he was poking with a stick. The silk-screened shirt was yanked from production, according to one account, when angered villagers kept asking why American personnel were distributing images of kids defecating over land mines."

This is about the funniest damn thing I've read all week.
posted by landock at 12:05 PM on October 10, 2002

Heh. Now I'm lead information architect for the Razorfish office in Tokyo, and I also (self-link) do a little thing called v-2.

My PSYOP skills have occasionally proved useful in this context.
posted by adamgreenfield at 5:23 PM on October 10, 2002

Enlightening and amusing. Thanks, Adam; any more like this would be groovy.

I want to ask details about how your PSYOP skills are useful in your current position, but - yeah, I know; then you'd have to...
posted by taz at 4:35 AM on October 11, 2002