4th Generation Warfare and The Christian Right: A Discussion With James Scaminaci III

When I was researching to write The Cult of Trump for Simon and Schuster, I was advised to read Dr. Scaminaci’s academic writings on Fourth Generation Warfare (4GW). What is it? It is a form of psychological warfare. In the intelligence world, it is known as an advanced form of psy-ops (psychological operations). It was first described in writing by an American military strategist named William S. Lind in the 1980s. Its aim is to delegitimize leaders and institutions and to sow distrust, confusion, disorientation in order to ready people to be mind controlled by an authoritarian leader. It is a strategy that is well known and practiced, by not only American intelligence, but believed to be practiced on their adversaries by countries like Russia, Iran, China, North Korea, among others. It is also part of the psychological warfare practiced by authoritarian cults whose leaders desire power, money and sex.