Anti-Michael Moore Analyst Gets Hundred-Grand Special Ops Psyops Contract

The term "psychological operations," or psyops, is well known these days even outside of military and public-policy circles. But what exactly are psyops, aside from aerial leafleting of "enemy" territory or the surreptitious broadcasting of pre-packaged media into "rogue" nations? Thanks to a recent contract that the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOC) awarded to Torrance, California-based Kelton Rhoads, Ph.D. and his Working Psychology organization, TPR was able to pin down a few basic details of how U.S. Special Forces learn to "modify the behavior of various foreign target audiences and in a variety of environments,"as the Sept. 26 award describes the process of scientifically manipulating human emotion. Before we get to that, keep in mind that Rhoads also is the author of an analysis, for lack of a better word, of Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11, a film which he says so outraged "middle America" that it actually helped George W. Bush get reelected. He accuses Moore of using some of the same propaganda tactics – albeit unsuccessfully – that Rhoads not-so-ironically uses in his training of Special Forces and other government and corporate disinformation specialists for whom he is indebted for making a living.

While Rhoads touts his supposed reliance on scientifically based research to back up his assertions, it’s interesting to note that in his introduction to the anti-Moore piece – in the second sentence, no less – he inserts the following quote from NPR pundit Kookie, I mean Cokie Roberts: "I think [Moore] exemplified all of the things that people hate about Democrats."

Need I say more? Back to the psyops contract.

SOC is paying Rhoads $100,832 to train upwards of 60 psyops officers during four separate four-day training sessions known as "advanced influence technique training." Students of the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (USAJFKSWCS) at Fort Bragg, NC, will receive lessons from Rhoads on:

– "The ability to predict human responses, particularly when those responses deviate from logic and rationality; prevalent errors and biases in thinking and behavior that are common to all humans;

– "Emphasis on friendly persuasive approaches including supporting research that discusses how psychological tactics may be arranged in order of increasing psychological pressure in order to cement good, trusting long-lasting relationships;

– "Focus on an individual’s ability to reason, see logical arguments, and evaluate evidence and educational approaches to influence behavior; and approaches the utilize "thinking shortcut" to induce agreement;

– "The concept of credibility and credibility maintenance to include creating and maintaining expertise and trustworthiness;

– "Influence tactics for working with hostile audiences using tactics of similarity, credibility, context, narrative, conformity, reactance, and proximity.

– "Tactics used in obtaining behavioral conformity as a result of increased psychological pressure to obtain behavioral conformity;

– "Appeal tactics used with weak communicator and target relationships using appeals to the morality, politeness, consistency, conformity, and values of the target audience;

– "Emotional manipulations including fear, reactance, compliance, proximity and confrontation."