Memetic Warfare

Memetic Warfare is the process of using Memes and Memetic Engineering for advancing a nation or group’s strategic or tactical objectives.

Theory

Based off of Meme Theory and Memetic Engineering memetic warfare makes use of underlying cultural values and norms to advance a specific agenda. This can include the creation of specific memes called Memetic Engineering ^[1] These tools are combined with propaganda to ensure that the “memes can replicate… and travel from one host to another.” ^[2] Eventually these concepts become ingrained and accepted to the point where they influence definition. An example would be American political parties. Each side cultivates the view that it stands for an aspect of American society. Democrats believe in compassionate and caring policy, Republicans believe in policies that promote freedom and personal growth or wealth. Similarly they attempt to show that the other side is not in keeping with cultural values. As a generic example: Democrats argue Republicans lack compassion for the poor and downtrodden. Republicans argue Democrats want to grow government at the expense of freedom.

Uses

Memetics can be used to fundamentally alter or influence a specific culture’s attitudes. This an be a natural shift over time, such as the Age of Enlightenment. Or it can be an artificial concept for example projecting a specific cultural attitude that can be exploited by a group. Branding is an example of this.^[3] Similarly this concept has been promoted as useful for explaining voting patterns.^[4] Arguably, one of the best known examples of memetic warfare can be when it is used to combat a meme such as Godwin’s Law which was created to combat the consistent use of Nazism in internet debates.^[5]

Historical Examples

United States

see also Propaganda in the United States The United States uses calls for political and economic freedom as a form of propaganda (Note: Officially the United States does not engage in "Propaganda." Instead it engages in Military Information Support Operations which links to Psychological Warfare) During the Reagan Administration Voice of America used memetics in broadcasts to provide ideological support for the Solidarity movement. These included the use of religion and political broadcasts to help morale and organization.^[6] In the modern era the U.S. is attempting to use memetic engineering to combat terrorism.^[7][8] This strategy involves the use of competing ideas to disrupt and discredit the natural psychological processes that lead to terrorism. This will serve tactically to cut down on the number of terrorist operatives while at the same time shifting the fundamental environment diminishing the viability of terrorist activities.

USSR

see also Propaganda in the Soviet Union The Soviet Union based their memetics on Marxist-Leninist ideology. In particular they focused on the benefits of the soviet system.^[9] In terms of nuclear policy they focused on the desires for peace and the fear of war.^[10] The overarching goal was to instill a sense that any challenge to the soviet party line was “bad [or] bigoted” ^[11] This strategy was designed to provide an ideological safe haven for soviet organizers and operatives as well as diminish resistance through shifting the values of a society. It’s effects can be debated as there were many internal dissent issues, most notably the formation of Solidarity in Gdansk Poland.

People's Republic of China

see also Propaganda in the People's Republic of China Chinese Memetics focuses on a creating a monolithic image of the People's Republic including “saturation coverage” and “utilized all tools of mass communication…”^[12] These systems are used to totally combat all non-pro PRC viewpoints.^[13] The PRC Government also uses widespread funding for educational purposes to further their international goals. This is memetic in the sense of creating a Pro-PRC body of intellectual work that will be disseminated to the public. “The final result of these gradually expanding promotional efforts is a natural change of policy, or… an attempt to remold the national popular consciousness…” ^[14] The strategy of this is to provide political coverage for Chinese government actions, ensure academic support of the Chinese government, and maintain control over the population.^[15]

Nazi Germany

see also Nazi Propaganda Nazi Germany based its memetic strategies on German culture to fan the flames of internal anger and dissatisfaction.^[16] Hitler's description of the Treaty of Versailles as a dictated peace, while not inaccurate was designed to play to German nationalistic anger. In his diplomatic strategy Hitler sought to demonstrate his desire for peace and reason. He pushed knowing there was little international support for war. This was demonstrated by The League of Nations failure to stop invasions of Abyssinia by Italian forces and China by Japanese forces. One example of this during the war was Hitler's attempt to use a series of different methods to try to demoralize and disrupt the British populace.^[17]

References

1. ^ Jon Udell, “Memetic Engineering,” InfoWorld 28, no. 32 (August 7, 2006): 34.
2. ^ Michael Schrage, “Are Ideas Viruses of the Mind?,” The Washington Post, October 30, 1988, Sunday edition, sec. Outlook.
3. ^ “Ways and Memes,” Adweek 13, no. 34 (August 24, 1992): 24.
4. ^ Memetics-and-voting”, n.d., http://www.vanderbilt.edu/econ/jpconley/documents/PE21-Memetics-and-voting-IJGT.pdf.
5. ^ “Wired 2.10: Meme, Counter-meme”, n.d., http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/2.10/godwin.if.html.
6. ^ Peter Schweizer, Reagan’s war : the epic story of his forty year struggle and final triumph over communism, 1st ed. (New York: Doubleday, 2002).
7. ^ Richard J. Pech, “Inhibiting Imitative Terrorism Through Memetic Engineering,” SSRN eLibrary (n.d.), http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=416165.
8. ^ “Imitative terrorism: a diagnostic framework for identifying catalysts and designing interventions,” Foresight : the Journal of Futures Studies, Strategic Thinking and Policy 7, no. 1 (2005): 47-60.
9. ^ “Analysis of Soviet Foriegn Propaganda Broadcasts”, n.d., http://www.foia.cia.gov/docs/DOC_0000256976/DOC_0000256976.pdf.
10. ^ Ibid.
11. ^ Stephen Koch, “Lying For the Truth,” in Double Lives: Spies and Writers in the Secret Soviet War of Ideas Against the West (The Free Press, 1994), 3 - 33.
12. ^ “The Beijing Olympics as a Campaign of Mass Distraction,” The China Quarterly 197 (2009): 1-24.
13. ^ “China’s psychological warfare,” Military Review 79, no. 5 (1999): 13-22.
14. ^ “CULTURAL PROPAGANDA IN THE AGE OF ECONOMIC REFORM: POPULAR MEDIA AND THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF SHANXI MERCHANTS IN CONTEMPORARY CHINA,” The China Journal, no. 63 (2010): 79-0_7.
15. ^ “THE CENSOR IN THE MIRROR,” Current, no. 507 (2008).
16. ^ “‘Honor your German masters’: The use and abuse of ‘classical’ composers in Nazi propaganda,” Journal of Political and Military Sociology 30, no. 2 (2002): 273-295.
17. ^ “Nazi Wireless Propaganda: Lord Haw-Haw and British Public Opinion in the Second World War,” History 29, no. 3 (2001): 112.