Today’s world, scene of hegemonic powers’ soft war (2)

Welcome to the 2nd episode of the series: Today’s world, scene of hegemonic powers’ soft war.

As a reminder, we studied the means and parameters of soft war. It was said that there is a diverse range of tools for soft war; each of which maintain their own especial capacities. Now, the questions that spring to mind are what the most important arena of soft war is; and which groups are the main addressees of soft war? Today, we will discuss these questions.

Throughout the study of the goals of soft war, it was said that the ultimate goal of soft war is the same goal of hard war; which is the containment and collapse of a political system. However, the tools used for this goal are different in soft war. Although in hard war; ouster of a political system takes place with occupation of a land; the instigators of soft war try to influence and impact the beliefs and values of a nation, to challenge the model of administration of a country that shapes the identity of a political system.

If the enemy succeeds in materialization of his goals, it has fulfilled the ouster plot by discrediting the political system. The main tool of this war is soft power, especially the power of persuasion. Meanwhile, upon the usage of communicational tools, media, and psychology, efforts are made to cast doubt on the identity of the community within the framework of soft war. The domain and realm of soft war revolves round the thoughts, beliefs, values, interests, and inclinations of the targeted community, while the instigators of soft war make strenuous efforts to capture the hearts and minds of the people in the targeted country, which eventually could lead to a change in structures. In other words, in soft war, the aim is the destruct the models set by the targeted country. The perpetrators of soft war try to cast doubt on the principles and main values of a political system; to render the political system of the targeted country ineffective within different social domains.

Experts believe that soft war maintains a number of dimensions. However, three arenas are more important to other realms when it comes to soft war; namely the cultural, political, and social realms. According to pundits, in the prelude to soft war, the political system is rendered ineffective, while the cultural invasion takes place with a change in the cultural identity of a community. Hence, the cultural aspect is the most important dimension of soft war. This is because the perpetrators of soft war aim to make use of cultural means and approaches to impact the main values treasured by the community, such as monotheism, demand for justice, self-confidence, and the common outlooks in the targeted community regarding the type of ruling system and social relations. The consequence of soft war is cultural deterioration, and a change of identity.

In the political realm, the instigators of soft war aim to change the stand adopted by the members of a targeted community toward its ruling system and political organization, encouraging the members of that community to hold rallies and strikes. In other words, the perpetrators of soft war are intent on compelling the members of a community to stage civil disobedience. Amid this process, the existing political system of the targeted country is challenged. In fact, soft war revolves round guidance of social and political forces which maintain contradictory ideologies, thereby causing inner-structural rifts, which in turn gradually changes the conduct or even the type of the ruling system.

The developments that took place in Ukraine in the recent years are a prime example of this trend and process. Many political experts believe that the remarks made by the US undersecretary of state show the instigation of soft war in Ukraine by the US. This senior US official, in an interview with CNN TV Network, admitted to multibillion dollar assistance of Washington to some political and social currents in Ukraine. Prior to this confession, reports on similar remarks in this regard were also released. Based on these statements, this financial assistance had been provided concurrent with the fall of the former Soviet Union and was delivered to political and social currents in Ukraine, which were affiliated to the West. In accordance to published reports, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) spent tidy sums in the past decade to train Ukrainian officers.

Meanwhile, the third aspect of soft war is its social dimension. Some of the parameters of the social aspect of soft war are social actions, relations and interactions, traditions, and collective behavioral patterns. The instigators of soft war are intent on dominating the identity of the members of the community in a bid to impact social integrity, national spirit, social assets, behavioral patterns, and national pride. In this manner, when the social system is undermined, naturally a force which would be able to organize scattered identities is non-existent, and maintenance of security which is the most important goal of any government’s foreign policy is challenged.

The perpetrators of soft war aim to change the behavior and conduct of their addressees in the long run; given that those whose hearts and minds are seized, serve the enemy’s goals.

Now the question which is asked is how can the minds and hearts of people be seized in a manner that they would fulfill enemy’s demands? The fact of the matter is that the instigators of soft war work on the cognitive and emotional realms to capture hearts and minds of their targeted community. The perpetrators of soft war try to impact the emotions and outlooks of their addressees. To this end, they make use of psychological warfare to provoke the targeted community.

Meanwhile, in soft war, the people of the targeted country are not the only ones which are taken into account, and the statesmen and elites of the given country also become the targets of instigators of soft war. The main aim is to undermine the power of influence of elites of the targeted country in the domestic and international arenas.

MR/ME