False Flag

 

False Flag Operations

The media has recently picked up the term "false flag" with headlines such as "Inside the Republican false-flag effort to turn off Kamala Harris voters" and "U.S 'false flag' operations pollute global cyberspace".  But, what does this term mean? Well, a false flag is best defined as a government or military carrying out an operation with the intent to blame it on the opposing side; ultimately attempting to use it as an excuse to engage in war. The term has also been picked up by conspiracy theorists to accuse the government of certain events. For example, the belief that 9/11 was actually orchestrated by the United States government, so that they could invade Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003. 

The term "false flag" actually comes from the 16th century in which pirates would fly friendly flags to encourage others that their own was safe. When in firing range, they would then change it to their true flag. Eventually, the term grew to be associated with Roman Catholicism in which anti-Catholics painted themselves as religious individuals while they were secretly engaging in activities that were frowned upon. 

Throughout history, Operation Himmler and Operation Northwoods remain the most notable examples of false flags. 

Operation Himmler involved a series of attacks in which German soldiers took on the appearance of
Polish soldiers, this series of events would justify Hitler's planned invasion of Poland. It was no secret that Hitler was running various forms of propaganda that reflected Polish people in a negative light. In fact, Hitler himself said "I will provide a propagandistic casus belli. Its credibility doesn't matter. The victor will not be asked whether or not he told the truth." But on the night of August 31st is when it truly came to light, with the Glewitz Incident. This involved a group of German soldiers dressing up as Polish ones and sending a message out in Polish from the Gliwice Radio Tower, that painted Germans in a negative manner. This in combination with a few lesser known false flags allowed for Hitler to deliver a speech on September 1st that justified the government's attitude and actions towards Poland. 

Operation Northwoods, planned in 1960 was designed by the U.S government to encourage citizens support for a war with Cuba. Potential plans included the bombing of U.S ships and planned terrorist attacks on U.S cities. The concerning part is that military leaders supported this plan and presented it to the Kennedy administration, but it was rejected. However, Operation Northwoods was not public knowledge until 40 years after its planning because it was embarrassing to the Joint Chief of Staff. 

In modern day, Russia is one of the biggest leaders in false flag operations. In 2008, Russia sent in troops to cause disturbances in Georgia and when Georgia decided to respond, the Russian government then carried out their planned invasion of Georgia. In 2014, Russian soldiers entered Ukraine acting as if they were local forces and took over government buildings -this led to their current occupation of Crimea. Just in 2017, Russia disguised themselves as ISIS hackers to avoid taking responsibility for cyberattacks on Ukrainian businesses. 

Any major terrorist attack or major event that you can think of can be considered a false flag. Examples include the earlier stated one of 9/11 to mass shootings actually being organized by the government to push a gun-control agenda. The narrative that the storming of Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, was actually organized by the terrorist group antifa and anti-Trump supporters is also an example. 

False flags impact each and every demographic. Could you imagine what little trust you would have in the U.S government if Operation Northwoods was actually carried out? Or how you would feel if the government was actually behind 9/11. False flags overstep government's powers and are a way to affectively control citizens minds. Imagine, living in a world where you cannot trust what you see with your own eyes -this is the kind of world that false flag operations create.