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Starting an Open Source Insurgency

Started by Cain, March 23, 2008, 12:42:14 PM

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Cain

via John Robb

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Superempowerment -- an increase in the ability of individuals and small groups to accomplish tasks/work through the combination of rapid improvements in technological tools and access to global networks -- has enabled small groups to radically increase their productivity in conflict. For example, if a small group disrupts a system or a network by attacking systempunkts, it can amplify the results of its attacks to achieve as much as a 1,400,000 percent return on investment.

Open source warfare is an organizational method by which a large collection of small, violent, superempowered groups can work together to take on much larger foes (usually hierarchies). It is also a method of organization that can be applied to non-violent struggles. It enables:

    * High rates of innovation.
    * Increased survivability among the participant groups.
    * More frequent attacks and an ability to swarm targets.

Here are some suggestions (this is but one of many methods based on recent history, I'm sure that over time a better method will emerge) for building an open source insurgency:

A)The plausible promise. The idea that holds the open source insurgency together. The plausible promise is composed of:

* An enemy. The enemy serves as the target of attacks. This enemy can either be either received or manufactured (any group or organization that can be depicted as a threat). The enemy can be any group that currently holds and exerts power: invader, the government, a company, an ethnic group, or a private organization.
   
* A goal. This objective animates the group. Because of the diversity of the groups and individuals that join together in an open source insurgency, the only goal that works is simple and extremely high level. More complex goal setting is impossible, since it will fracture/fork the insurgency.
   
* A demonstration. Viability. An attack that demonstrates that its possible to win against the enemy. It deflates any aura of invincibility that the enemy may currently enjoy. The demonstration serves as a rallying cry for the insurgency.


B)The foco. Every open source insurgency is ignited by a small founding group, a foco in guerrilla parlance. The foco sets the original goal and conducts the operation that provides the insurgency with its demonstration of viability. It's important to understand that in order to grow an open source insurgency, the founding group or individuals must follow a simple path:

* Relinquish. Give up any control over the insurgency gained during its early phases. In practice, this means giving up control of how the goal is achieved, who may participate, how to communicate, etc. The only control that remains is the power of example and respect gained through being effective.
   
* Resist (temptation). Stay small. Don't grow to a size that makes the original group easy for the enemy to target (very few new members). Further, don't establish a formal collection of groups, a hierarchy of control, or set forth a complex agenda. This will only serve to alienate and fragment/fork the insurgency. In some cases, it will make the foco a target of the insurgency itself. It will also slow any advancement on the objective since it limits potential pathways/innovation.
   
* Share. Provide resources, ideas, information, knowledge, recruits, etc. with other groups and individuals that join the insurgency. Share everything possible that doesn't directly compromise the foco's integrity (operational security and viability). Expect sharing in return.

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An explanation of the terms:

Superempowerment:

"A prevailing theme of global guerrilla theory is that personal superempowerment will change the face of warfare. Most of the superempowerment we see today is from rampant globalization (infrastructure/connectivity in travel to economics to communications) which has radically improved the ability of small groups to conduct guerrilla warfare. We see the results of this in Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria and other garden spots around the world."

In other words, technology acts as huge force multiplier.  With encryption, world wide communications, targeting systems, more powerful explosives, "off the shelf" hacking software, you can do more damage with less people.


Systempunkt:

In global guerrilla warfare (a combination of open source innovation, bazaar transactions, and low tech weapons), the point of greatest emphasis is called a systempunkt.  It is the point point in a system (either an infrastructure or a market), always identified by autonomous groups within the bazaar, where a swarm of small insults will cause a cascade of collapse in the targeted system.  Within infrastructure, this collapse takes the form of disrupted flows that result in immediate financial loss or ongoing supply shortages.  Within a market, an attack on the systempunkt destabilizes the psychology of the market to induce severe inefficiencies and uncertainties.  The ultimate objective of this activity, in aggregate, is the collapse of the target state and globalization.


Return on Investment:  whatever it costs to carry out the attack, the results cost much, much more.


Foco:  Its central principle is that vanguardism by cadres of small, fast-moving paramilitary groups can provide a focus (in Spanish, foco) for popular discontent against a sitting regime, and thereby lead a general insurrection.



Also note an interesting exchange between John Robb and Anonymous on strategy and tactics against the CoS:  http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/2008/03/journal-anonymo.html

Golden Applesauce

Hmm...

So all we need is an enemy, a goal, and a public demonstration of us doing something effective.
Q: How regularly do you hire 8th graders?
A: We have hired a number of FORMER 8th graders.

Cain

Yeah, and enemies are ten a penny in this day and age.

Golden Applesauce

The problem isn't having an enemy, it's having a specific enemy.  "The Machine" is far too nebulous.
Q: How regularly do you hire 8th graders?
A: We have hired a number of FORMER 8th graders.

Cain

Even specific enemies are ten a penny.  Mol, Firesong, EvT and Prince Tao, Eric, Wiolwa, Megaman Hentai....all off the top of my head.

Messier Undertree


A.N. Other

Why not just make the whole world our foe? That way, we never run out of things to complain about and we'll always have something to do.
"Wow, for an asshole, everyone loves you, honey." -My wife

Cain

Because we'd get our asses kicked.

And the idea of Open Source warfare is to get others involved too.  Highlight the weakness, let the jackals and vultures see it, and forment the chaos that way.

A.N. Other

But, see, that's the greatness of it. We're the guys that makes every one see what's wrong with each other. It would sort of like the war going on in 1984. Sides continually changed.

Open Source Anonymity. Small groups of one giant group can handle multiple targets, with each small group never giving any idea that they belong to another, more larger, group. With this smaller groups within the bigger, we can have more then one "enemy" while still having the support of many.
"Wow, for an asshole, everyone loves you, honey." -My wife

Triple Zero

Ex-Soviet Bloc Sexual Attack Swede of Tomorrow™
e-prime disclaimer: let it seem fairly unclear I understand the apparent subjectivity of the above statements. maybe.

INFORMATION SO POWERFUL, YOU ACTUALLY NEED LESS.

A.N. Other

And then you follow the rest of the essay.
"Wow, for an asshole, everyone loves you, honey." -My wife

Dr. Paes

Bump for my reference and just because it's a cool thread.

Diseris

The lack of definition of a common enemy, an enemy that everyone can share and hate equally, seems to be a major hold up here.  Perhaps the enemy could be defined in general terms and in terms of actions against individual freedom and the planet.  In this way, many organizations could be villified for their transgressions against the greater populace instead of picking just one target. 

Perhaps creating a website to represent for the man (a.k.a, Legion of Doom, Guild of Calamitious Evil, Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, or whatever you'd want to name it). The man has it easy, many individual disorganized targets to hit.  None of the groups ever getting too powerful and getting shot down if they stand up alone.  A central target for the diverse interests to concentrate on may help to bring outside force to bear on the problems without any cooperation nor communication between diverse groups.  It would be more like aiming a mirror to bring in some sunlight to what is going on.  Done under the guise of parody or satire a lot could be written that is as partially true as the advertising we see from the them.

Avenues of acton could be described/linked as well to give people an idea of what they can do to act against the perceived evil.
You didn't enjoy it you never believed it there won't be a refund you'll never go back - TMBG