"How I Will Stop The War"
X98
7/27/04
Peace Brent,
I took your timely advice in response to your post "How I Will Stop
The War": http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WACOuncensored/message/1231
What I came up with (in part) is... the author, Chris Andrews;
ch...@ChrisAndrews.com could have added this to his, self evaluating
and reasoning list of "How I Will Stop The War":
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
"I will wake-up "Right Now" to the fact that we are at WAR!"
So that I can help another brother to THINK for himself.
So that I can discuss WAR’S multiple psychosocial constructs.
So that I can take measures to defeat the enemy... by any means
necessary.
So that I will not be put to sleep again by the false doctrine of,
"love your enemy”.
So that I can teach others what I have learned about actively opposing
the WAR-whores of USrael.
So that I can help to develop small autonomous self-governing
resistance groups.
So that I can do all that's possible to defend our Constitution and
Bill of Rights.
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
*WAR* is the reality... The Peace that has been taken from this world
by USrael will NOT be given back to us ... we will have to fight for
it and defeat the enemy within to preserve it. Millions of men and
women gave their lives that we might enjoy these freedoms... what will
we give in the defense of these Freedoms... besides lip service?
I wish this were not true, but USrael is the aggressor in this WAR on
humanity. This, coupled with the war crimes being committed...
demands that we act in defense of the high ideals for which the
revolutionaries, i.e., the American insurgents who founded this
nation. They gave their lives believing in their hearts that future
generations would be safe from the ravaging beast known as the
Industrial Revolution.
Peacemakers understand that Peace is "balance" NOT quietness. The
balance has been upset; therefore, we must fight the rise of injustice
or accept the coming world of genetically managed and photocopied
humanoids.
The cult of USrael, is becoming more obvious... becasue they want it
that way... so that when this generation of the living stands in
Judgment they will NOT be able to say, "Father forgive me for I knew
not what I did."
Kerry is Skull and Bones... so is Bush!
John Edwards is an active "Bilderberger" cultist!
These groups are Zio-Nazis...!
Our two party puppet system should be renamed...
*Zionism* and *Nazism*
Israel and the Untied States should be renamed...
*USrael*
Our political system should be renamed
*Zio-Nazism*
To embrace my words as truth, for many, would mean the destruction of
your world, which is obviously what I am attempting to do, i.e., kill
you, so that you may be reborn into a truth that will set you free.
What I have written is the truth; therefore, you will accept it sooner
of later. For some it is better to wait, becasue if this truth were
realize in mass at this moment, many people would shoot themselves in
the head. At this station, it is best to try to prove me wrong, this
way you will educate yourself and come to your own conclusions.
Unfortunately this personal pacing method is about to be pushed aside
by the coming USrael terrorist attack which will either force you to
see or blind you even further. *Waking-up Right Now* is best, but if
you wish to sustain the illusion of material pleasure offered by the
whorehouse of sensory overload, the best thing for you is… just go
back to sleep. But when The Bush Crime Family is finish their current
WORK here in Waco, they will give you another wake-up call more deadly
than the one they gave you on 911.
September 18, 2004 will be a day of great USraeli terrorism!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WACOuncensored/message/918
More on "Bilderberger John"
http://www.underreported.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1345
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=39333
The theater of this WAR is our cities and its nature is Guerilla
Warfare. At this stage, it is essential that we have a sound
understanding of the…
*Psychological Operations in Guerilla Warfare*
http://www.webcom.com/pinknoiz/covert/tacayan.html#1.%20Generalities
This is a tactical manual for the revolutionary that was published by
the Central Intelligence Agency and distributed to the Contras in
Central America.
Also they published this:
A Study of Assassination
http://www.kimsoft.com/korea/cia-0.htm
I suggest that you read it, so that you can better defend yourselves
and your families.
Nemo Me Impune Lacess
Ali Andrew X98
..........................................................................................
John Edwards: The Bilderberg Candidate
When you own all the ponies, you don't really care who wins the race.
So it is with the US presidential elections in 2004. After his
triumphant appearance at the Bilderberg Conference in Italy even the
New York Times was gushing at the performance of John Edwards. The
selection of John "Bilderberger" Edwards by John "Skull and Bones"
Kerry was inevitable, as the secret societies own all the candidates
in this "election."
This time around George "Skull and Bones" Bush is not favored by the
elite as his father George H. W. Bush was replaced by Bill Clinton in
1992.
The New York Times wrote -- "Several people pointed to the secretive
and exclusive Bilderberg conference of some 120 people that this year
drew the likes of Henry A. Kissinger, Melinda Gates and Richard A.
Perle to Stresa, Italy, in early June, as helping win Mr. Kerry's
heart. Mr. Edwards spoke so well in a debate on American politics with
the Republican Ralph Reed that participants broke Bilderberg rules to
clap before the end of the session.
Beforehand, Mr. Edwards traveled to Brussels to meet with NATO
officials, brandishing his foreign-policy credentials.
"His performance at Bilderberg was important," said a friend of Mr.
Kerry who was there. "He reported back directly to Kerry. There were
other reports on his performance. Whether they reported directly or
indirectly, I have no doubt the word got back to Mr. Kerry about how
well he did."
(And speaking of Bilderbergers, the following is a republication of an
article from October 1998)
Where do candidates come from? Do they emerge out of nowhere?
Do they just erupt on the national scene?
Or, are they quietly chosen by covert power brokers to move the planet
closer to a New World Order, a One World Government, a global
dictatorship with high-tech feudalism as its goal?
Take for example Jimmy Carter. He was an obscure peanut farmer, the
almost unknown governor of Georgia. Then -- as if by magic -- a media
blitz blew him onto the covers of national magazines and established
him as a front-runner in the 1976 election.
Likewise, Bill Clinton was an unknown governor of the state of
Arkansas -- a defacto Rockefeller fiefdom, notorious for generational
corruption that surpassed even the legendary graft of New York's
Tammany Hall and the Democratic machine of the Daleys' Chicago.
After Clinton was invited to a 1991 meeting of the Bilderberg Group in
Baden-Baden, Germany, he became a front-running candidate for
President in 1992.
Then, despite --- or maybe because of -- his well-known sexual/drug
addictions and compromised background, Clinton was selected as the
Group's choice for U.S. President.
Since its inception in 1954, the supra-national and highly secretive
Bilderberg Group has played an active role in coordinating economic
and political policies on a global level...
[Continued]
http://www.global-elite.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=366
//////////////////////////////////////////////
*Psychological Operations in Guerilla Warfare*
by "Tacayán"
http://www.kimsoft.com/guerilla.htm
In effect, the human being should be considered the priority objective
in a political war. And conceived as the military TARGET of guerrilla
war, the human being has his most critical point in his mind. Once his
mind has been reached, the "political animal" has been defeated,
without necessarily receiving bullets.
Guerrilla warfare is born and grows in the political environment; in
the constant combat to dominate that area of political mentality that
is inherent to all human beings and which collectively constitutes the
"environment" in which guerrilla warfare moves, and which is where
precisely its victory or failure is defined.
This conception of guerrilla warfare as political war turns
Psychological Operations into the decisive factor of the results. The
target, then, is the minds of the population, all the population: our
troops, the enemy troops and the civilian population.
This book is a manual for the training of guerrillas in psychological
operations, and its application to the concrete case of the Christian
and democratic crusade being waged in Nicaragua by the Freedom
Commandos.
Welcome!
Generalities
The purpose of this book is to introduce the guerrilla student to the
psychological operations techniques that will be of immediate and
practical VALUE to him in guerrilla warfare. This section is
introductory and general; subsequent sections will cover each point
set forth here in more detail.
The nature of the environment of guerrilla warfare does not permit
sophisticated psychological operations, and it becomes necessary for
the chiefs of groups, chiefs of detachments and squadron leaders to
have the ability to carry out, with minimal instructions from the
higher levels, psychological ACTION operations with the contacts that
are thoroughly aware of the situation, i.e. the foundations.
Combatant-Propagandist Guerrillas
In order to obtain the maximum results from the psychological
operations in guerrilla warfare, every combatant should be as highly
motivated to carry out propaganda face to face as he is as a
combatant. This means that the individual political awareness of the
guerrilla of the reason for his struggle will be as acute as his
ability to fight.
Such a political awareness and motivation is obtained through the
dynamic of groups and self-criticism, as a standard METHOD of
instruction for the guerrilla training and operations. Group
discussions raise the spirit and improve the unity of thought of the
guerrilla squads and exercise social pressure on the weak members to
carry out a better role in future training or in combative action.
Self-criticism is in terms of one's contribution or defects in his
contribution to the cause, to the movement, the struggle, etc.; and
gives a positive individual commitment to the mission of the group.
The desired result is a guerrilla who can persuasively justify his
actions when he comes into contact with any member of the People of
Nicaragua, and especially with himself and his fellow guerrillas in
dealing with the vicissitudes of guerrilla warfare. This means that
every guerrilla will be persuasive in his face-to-face
communication–propagandist-combatant–in his contact with the people;
he should be able to give 5 or 10 logical reasons why, for example, a
peasant should give him cloth, needle and thread to mend his clothes.
When the guerrilla behaves in this manner, enemy propaganda will never
succeed in making him an enemy in the eyes of the people. It also
means that hunger, cold, fatigue and insecurity will have a meaning,
psychologically, in the cause of the struggle due to his constant
orientation.
Armed Propaganda
Armed propaganda includes every act carried out, and the good
impression that this armed force causes will result in positive
attitudes in the population toward that force; and it does not include
forced indoctrination. Armed propaganda improves the behavior of the
population toward them, and it is not achieved by force.
This means that a guerrilla armed unit in a rural town will not give
the impression that arms are their strength over the peasants, but
rather that they are the strength of the peasants against the
Sandinista government of repression. This is achieved through a close
identification with the people, as follows: hanging up weapons and
working together with them on their crops, in construction, in the
harvesting of grains, in fishing, etc.; explanations to young men
about basic weapons, e.g. giving them an unloaded weapon and letting
them touch it, see it, etc.; describing in a rudimentary manner its
operation; describing with simple slogans how weapons will serve the
people to win their freedom; demanding the requests by the people for
hospitals and education, reducing taxes, etc.
All these acts have as their goal the creation of an identification of
the people with the weapons and the guerrillas who carry them, so that
the population feels that the weapons are, indirectly, their weapon to
protect them and help them in the struggle against a regime of
oppression. Implicit terror always accompanies weapons, since the
people are internally "aware" that they can be used against them, but
as long as explicit coercion is avoided, positive attitudes can be
achieved with respect to the presence of armed guerrillas within the
population.
Armed Propaganda Teams
Armed Propaganda Teams (EPA) are formed through a careful selection of
persuasive and highly motivated guerrillas who move about within the
population, encouraging the people to support the guerrillas and put,
up resistance against the enemy. It combines a high degree of
political awareness and the "armed" propaganda ability of the
guerrillas toward a planned, programmed, and controlled effort.
The careful selection of the staff, based on their persuasiveness in
informal discussions and their ability in combat, is more important
than their degree of education or the training program. The tactics of
the Armed Propaganda Teams are carried out covertly, and should be
parallel to the tactical effort in guerrilla warfare. The knowledge of
the psychology of the population is primary for the Armed Propaganda
Teams, but much more intelligence data will be obtained from an EPA
program in the area of operations.
Development and Control of the "Front" Organizations
The development and control of "front" (or façade) organizations is
carried out through subjective internal control at group meetings of
"inside cadres," and the calculations of the time for the fusion of
these combined efforts to be applied to the masses.
Established citizens–doctors, lawyers, businessmen, teachers,
etc.–will be recruited initially as "Social Crusaders" in typically
"innocuous" movements in the area of operations. When their
"involvement" with the clandestine organization is revealed to them,
this supplies the psychological pressure to use them as "inside
cadres" in groups to which they already belong or of which they can be
members.
Then they will receive instruction in techniques of persuasion over
control of groups to support our democratic revolution, through a
gradual and skillful process A cell control system isolates
individuals from one another, and at the appropriate moment, their
influence is used for the fusion of groups in a united national front.
Control of Meetings and Mass Assemblies
The control of mass meetings in support of guerrilla warfare is
carried out internally through a covert commando element, bodyguards,
messengers, shock forces (initiators of incidents), placard carriers
(also used for making signals), shouters of slogans, everything under
the control of the outside commando element.
When the cadres are placed or recruited in organizations such as labor
unions, youth groups, agrarian organizations or professional
associations, they will begin to manipulate the objectives of the
groups. The psychological apparatus of our movement through inside
cadres prepares a mental attitude which at the crucial moment can be
turned into a fury of justified violence.
Through a small group of guerrillas infiltrated within the masses this
can be carried out; they will have the mission of agitating by giving
the impression that there are many of them and that they have a large
popular backing. Using the tactics of a force of 200 – 300 agitators,
a demonstration can be created in which 10,000 – 20,000 persons take
part.
Support of Contacts with Their Roots in Reality
The support of local contacts who are familiar with the deep reality
is achieved through the ex ploitation of the social and political
weaknesses of the target society, with propagandist-combatant
guerrillas, armed propaganda, armed propaganda teams, cover
organizations and mass meetings.
The combatant-propagandist guerrilla is the result of a continuous
program of indoctrination and motivation. They will have the mission
of showing the people how great and fair our movement is in the eyes
of all Nicaraguans and the world. Identifying themselves with our
people, they will increase the sympathy towards our movement, which
will result in greater support of the population for the freedom
commandos, taking away support for the regime in power.
Armed propaganda will extend this identification process of the people
with the Christian guerrillas, providing converging points against the
Sandinista regime.
The Armed Propaganda Teams provide a several-stage program of
persuasive planning in guerrilla warfare in all areas of the country.
Also, these teams are the "eyes and ears" of our movement.
The development and control of the cover organizations in guerrilla
warfare will give our movement the ability to create a "whiplash"
effect within the population when the order for fusion is given. When
the infiltration and internal subjective control have been developed
in a manner parallel to other guerrilla activities, a comandante of
ours will literally be able to shake up the Sandinista structure, and
replace it.
The mass assemblies and meetings are the culmination of a wide base
support among the population, and it comes about in the later phases
of the operation. This is the moment in which the overthrow can be
achieved and our revolution can become an open one, requiring the
close collaboration of the entire population of the country, and of
contacts with their roots in reality.
The tactical effort in guerrilla warfare is directed at the weaknesses
of the enemy and at destroying their military resistance capacity, and
should be parallel to a psychological effort to weaken and destroy
their sociopolitical capacity at the same time. In guerrilla warfare,
more than in any other type of military effort, the psychological
activities should be simultaneous with the military ones, in order to
achieve the objectives desired.
COMBATANT-PROPAGANDIST GUERRILLA
1. Generalities
The objective of this section is to familiarize the guerrilla with the
techniques of psychological operations, which maximizes the
social-psychological effect of a guerrilla movement, converting the
guerrilla into a propagandist, in addition to being a combatant. The
nature of the environment in guerrilla warfare does not permit
sophisticated facilities for psychological operations, so that use
should be made of the effective face-to-face persuasion of each
guerrilla.
2. Political Awareness
The individual political awareness of the guerrilla, the reason for
his struggle, will be as important as his ability in combat. This
political awareness and motivation will be achieved:
*By improving the combat potential of the guerrilla by improving his
motivation for fighting.
*By the guerrilla recognizing himself as a vital tie between the
democratic guerrillas and the people, whose support is essential for
the subsistence of both.
*By fostering the support of the population for the national
insurgence through the support for the guerrillas of the locale, which
provides a psychological basis in the population for politics after
the victory has been achieved.
*By developing trust in the guerrillas and in the population, for the
reconstruction of a local and national government.
*By promoting the value of participation by the guerrillas and the
people in the civic affairs of the insurrection and in the national
programs.
*By developing in each guerrilla the ability of persuasion
face-to-face, at the local level, to win the support of the
population, which is essential for success in guerrilla warfare.
3. Group Dynamics
This political awareness-building and motivation are attained by the
use of group dynamics at the level of small units. The group
discussion method and self-criticism are a general guerrilla training
and operations technique.
Group discussions raise the spirit and increase the unity of thought
in small guerrilla groups and exercise social pressure on the weakest
members to better carry out their mission in training and future
combat actions. These group discussions will give special emphasis to:
*Creating a favorable opinion of our movement. Through local and
national history, make it clear that the Sandinista regime is
"foreignizing," "repressive" and "imperialistic," and that even though
there are some Nicaraguans within the government, point out that they
are "puppets" of the power of the Soviets and Cubans, i.e., of foreign
power.
*Always a local focus. Matters of an international nature will be
explained only in support of local events in the guerrilla warfare.
*The unification of the nation is our goal. This means that the defeat
of the Sandinista armed forces is our priority. Our insurrectional
movement is a pluralistic political platform from which we are
determined to win freedom, equality, a better economy with work
facilities, a higher standard of living, and a true democracy for all
Nicaraguans without exception.
*Providing to each guerrilla a clear understanding about the struggle
for national sovereignty against Soviet-Cuban imperialism. Discussion
guides will lead the guerrillas so that they will see the injustices
of the Sandinista system.
*Showing each guerrilla the need for good behavior to win the support
of the population. Discussion guides should convince the guerrillas
that the attitude and opinion of the population play a decisive role,
because victory is impossible without popular support.
*Self-criticism will be in constructive terms that will contribute to
the mission of the movement, and which will provide the guerrillas
with the conviction that they have a constant and positive individual
responsibility in the mission of the group. The method of instruction
will be:
a) Division of the guerrilla force into squads for group discussions,
including command and support elements, whenever the tactical
situation permits it. The makeup of the small units should be
maintained when these groups are designated.
b) Assignment of a political cadre in the guerrilla force to each
group to guide the discussion. The squad leader should help the cadre
to foster study and the expression of thoughts. If there are not
enough political cadres for each squad or post, leaders should guide
the discussions, and the available cadres visit alternate groups.
c) It is appropriate for the cadre (or the leader) to guide the
discussion of a group to cover a number of points and to reach a
correct conclusion. The guerrillas should feel that it was their free
and own decision. The cadre should serve as a private teacher. The
cadre or leader will not act as a lecturer, but will help the members
of the group to study and express their own opinions.
d) The political cadre will at the end of every discussion make a
summary of the principal points, leading them to the correct
conclusions. Any serious difference with the objectives of the
movement should be noted by the cadre and reported to the comandante
of the force. If necessary, a combined group meeting will be held and
the team of political cadres will explain and rectify the
misunderstanding.
e) Democratic conduct by the political cadres: living, eating and
working with the guerrillas, and if possible, fighting at their side,
sharing their living conditions. All of this will foster understanding
and the spirit of cooperation that will help in the discussion and
exchange of ideas.
f) Carry out group discussions in towns, and areas of operations
whenever possible with the civilian population, and not limit them to
camps or bases. This is done to emphasize the revolutionary nature of
the struggle and to demonstrate that the guerrillas identified with
the objectives of the people move about within the population. The
guerrilla projects himself toward the people, as the political cadre
does toward the guerrilla, and they should live, eat and work together
to realize a unity of revolutionary thought.
The principles for guerrilla and political-cadre group discussions
are:
*Organize discussion groups at the post or squad level. A cadre cannot
be sure of the comprehension and acceptance of the concepts and
conclusions by guerrillas in large groups. In a group of the size of a
squad of 10 men, the judgment and control of the situation is greater.
In this way, all students will participate in an exchange among them;
the political leader, the group leader, and also the political cadre.
Special attention will be given to the individual ability to discuss
the objectives of the insurrectional struggle. Whenever a guerrilla
expresses his opinion, he will be interested in listening to the
opinions of others, leading as a result to the unity of thought.
*Combine the different points of view and reach an opinion or common
conclusion. This is the most difficult task of a political guerrilla
cadre. After the group discussions of the democratic objectives of the
movement, the chief of the team of political cadres of the guerrilla
force should combine the conclusions of individual groups in a general
summary. At a meeting with all the discussion groups, the cadre shall
provide the principal points, and the guerrillas will have the
opportunity to clarify or modify their points of view. To carry this
out, the conclusions will be summarized in the form of slogans,
wherever possible.
*Face with honesty the national and local problems of our struggle.
The political cadres should always be prepared to discuss solutions to
the problems observed by the guerrillas. During the discussions, the
guerrillas should be guided by the following three principles:
-Freedom of thought
-Freedom of expression.
-Concentration of thoughts on the objectives of the democratic
struggle.
The result desired is a guerrilla who in a persuasive manner can
justify all of his acts whenever he is in contact with any member of
the town/people, and especially with himself and with his guerrilla
companions by facing the vicissitudes of guerrilla warfare.
This means that every guerrilla will come to have effective
face-to-face persuasion as a combatant/propagandist in his contact
with the people, to the point of giving 5-10 logical reasons why,
e.g., a peasant should give him a piece of cloth, or a needle and
thread to mend his clothes. When a guerrilla behaves in this manner,
no type of propaganda of the enemy will be able to make a "terrorist"
of him in the eyes of the people.
In addition, hunger, cold, fatigue and insecurity in the existence of
the guerrilla acquire meaning in the cause of the struggle due to the
constant psychological orientation.
4. Camp Procedures
Encamping the guerrilla units gives greater motivation, in addition to
reducing distractions, and increases the spirit of cooperation of
small units, relating the physical environment to the psychological
one. The squad chief shall establish the regular camping procedure.
Once they have divested themselves of their packs, the chief will
choose the appropriate ground for camping. He should select land that
predominates over the zone with two or three escape routes. He will
choose among his men and give them responsibilities such as:
*Clean the camp area
*Provide adequate drainage in case of rain. Also build some trenches
or holes for marksmen in case of emergency. In addition, he will build
a stove, which will be done by making some small trenches and placing
three rocks in place; in case the stove is built on a pedestal, it
will be filled with clay and rocks.
*Build a windbreaking wall, which will be covered on the sides and on
top with branches and leaves of the same vegetation of the zone. This
will serve for camouflaging and protecting it from aerial visibility
or from enemy patrols around.
*Construct a latrine and a hole where waste and garbage will be
buried, which should be covered over at the time of abandoning the
camp.
*Once the camp has been set up, it is recommended that a watchman be
positioned in the places of access at a prudent distance, where the
shout of alarm can be heard. In the same moment the password will be
established, which should be changed every 24 hours. The commander
should establish ahead of time an alternate meeting point, in case of
having to abandon the camp in a hurried manner, and they will be able
to meet in the other already established point, and they should warn
the patrol that if at a particular time they cannot meet at the
established point, they should have a third meeting point.
These procedures contribute to the motivation of the guerrilla and
improve the spirit of cooperation in the unit. The danger, sense of
insecurity, anxiety and daily concern in the life of a guerrilla
require tangible evidence of belonging in order for him to keep up his
spirit and morale.
In addition to the good physical conditions in which the guerrilla
should find himself, good psychological conditions are necessary, for
which group discussions and becoming a self-critic are recommended,
which will greatly benefit the spirit and morale of the same.
Having broken camp with the effort and cooperation of everyone
strengthens the spirit of the group. The guerrilla will be inclined
then towards the unity of thought in democratic objectives.
5. Interaction with the People
In order to ensure popular support, essential for the good development
of guerrilla warfare, the leaders should induce a positive interaction
between the civilians and the guerrillas, through the principle of
"live, eat, and work with the people," and maintain control of their
activities. In group discussions, the leaders and political cadres
should give emphasis to positively identifying themselves with the
people.
It is not recommendable to speak of military tactical plans in
discussions with civilians. The Communist foe should be pointed out as
the number one enemy of the people, and as a secondary threat against
our guerrilla forces.
Whenever there is a chance, groups of members should be chosen who
have a high political awareness and high disciplinary conduct in the
work to be carried out, in order to be sent to the populous areas in
order to direct the armed propaganda, where they should persuade the
people through dialogue in face-to-face confrontations, where these
principles should be followed:
Respect for human rights and others' property.
Helping the people in community work.
Protecting the people from Communist aggressions.
Teaching the people environmental hygiene, to read, etc., in order to
win their trust, which will lead to a better democratic ideological
preparation.
This attitude will foster the sympathy of the peasants for our
movement, and they will immediately become one of us, through
logistical support, coverage and intelligence information on the enemy
or participation in combat. The guerrillas should be persuasive
through the word and not dictatorial with weapons. If they behave in
this way, the people will feel respected, will be more inclined to
accept our message and will consolidate into popular support.
In any place in which tactical guerrilla operations are carried out in
populous areas, the squad should undertake psychological actions
parallel to these, and should proceed, accompany and consolidate the
common objective and explain to all the people about our struggle,
explaining that our presence is to give peace, liberty and democracy
to all Nicaraguans without exception, and explaining that our struggle
is not against the nationals but rather against Russian imperialism.
This will serve to ensure greater psychological achievements which
will increase the operations of the future.
6. Conclusions
The nature of the environment in guerrilla warfare does not permit
sophisticated facilities for psychological operations, and the
face-to-face persuasion of the guerrilla combatant-propagandists with
the people is an effective and available tool which we should use as
much as possible during the process of the struggle.
ARMED PROPAGANDA
1. Generalities
Frequently a misunderstanding exists on "armed propaganda," that this
tactic is a compulsion of the people with arms. In reality, it does
not include compulsion, but the guerrilla should know well the
principles and methods of this tactic. The objective of this section
is to give the guerrilla student an understanding of the armed
propaganda that should be used, and that will be able to be applied in
guerrilla warfare.
2. Close Identification with the People
Armed propaganda includes all acts carried out by an armed force,
whose results improve the attitude of the people toward this force,
and it does not include forced indoctrination. This is carried out by
a close identification with the people on any occasion. For example:
*Putting aside weapons and working side by side with the peasants in
the countryside: building, fishing, repairing roofs, transporting
water, etc.
*When working with the people, the guerrillas can use slogans such as
"many hands doing small things, but doing them together."
*Participating in the tasks of the people, they can establish a strong
tie between them and the guerrillas, and at the same time a popular
support for our movement is generated.
During the patrols and other operations around or in the midst of
villages, each guerrilla should be respectful and courteous with the
people. In addition he should move with care and always be well
prepared to fight, if necessary. But he should not always see all the
people as enemies, with suspicions or hostility. Even in war, it is
possible to smile, laugh or greet people. Truly, the cause of our
revolutionary base, the reason why we are struggling, is our people.
We must be respectful to them on all occasions that present
themselves.
In places and situations wherever possible, e.g., when they are
resting during the march, the guerrillas can explain the operation of
weapons to the youths and young men. They can show them an unloaded
rifle so that they will learn to load it and unload it; their use, and
aiming at imaginary targets since they are potential recruits for our
forces.
The guerrillas should always be prepared with simple slogans in order
to explain to the people, whether in an intentional form or by chance,
the reason for the weapons.
"The weapons will be for winning freedom; they are for you."
"With weapons we can impose demands such as hospitals, schools, better
roads, and social services for the people, for you."
"Our weapons are, in truth, the weapons of the people, yours."
"With weapons we can change the Sandino-Communist regime and return to
the people a true democracy so that we will ail have economic
opportunities."
All of this should be designed to create an identification of the
people with the weapons and the guerrillas who carry them. Finally, we
should make the people feel that we are thinking of them and that the
weapons are the people's, in order to help them and protect them from
a Communist, totalitarian, imperialist regime, indifferent to the
needs of the population.
3. Implicit and Explicit Terror
A guerrilla armed force always involves implicit terror because the
population, without saying it aloud, feels terror that the weapons may
be used against them. However, if the terror does not become explicit,
positive results can be expected.
In a revolution, the individual lives under a constant threat of
physical damage. If the government police cannot put an end to the
guerrilla activities, the population will lose confidence in the
government, which has the inherent mission of guaranteeing the safety
of citizens. However, the guerrillas should be careful not to become
an explicit terror, because this would result in a loss of popular
support.
In the words of a leader of the Huk guerrilla movement of the
Philippine Islands: "The population is always impressed by weapons,
not by the terror that they cause, but rather by a sensation of
strength/force. We must appear before the people, giving them support
with our weapons; that will give them the message of the struggle."
This is, then, in a few words, the essence of armed propaganda.
An armed guerrilla force can occupy an entire town or small city that
is neutral or relatively passive in the conflict. In order to conduct
the armed propaganda in an effective manner, the following should be
carried out simultaneously:
*Destroy the military or police installations and remove the survivors
to a "public place."
*Cut all the outside lines of communication: cables, radio,
messengers.
*Set up ambushes in order to delay the reinforcements in all the
possible entry routes.
*Kidnap all officials or agents of the Sandinista government and
replace them in "public places" with military or civilian persons of
trust to our movement; in addition, carry out the following:
*Establish a public tribunal that depends on the guerrillas, and cover
the town or city in order to gather the population for this event.
*Shame, ridicule and humiliate the "personal symbols" of the
government of repression in the presence of the people and foster
popular participation through guerrillas within the multitude,
shouting slogans and jeers.
*Reduce the influence of individuals in tune with the regime, pointing
out their weaknesses and taking them out of the town, without damaging
them publicly.
*Mix the guerrillas within the population and show very good conduct
by all members of the column, practicing the following:
Any article taken will be paid for with cash.
The hospitality offered by the people will be accepted and this
opportunity will be exploited in order to carry out face-to-face
persuasion about the struggle.
Courtesy visits should be made to the prominent persons and those with
prestige in the place, such as doctors, priests, teachers, etc.
The guerrillas should instruct the population that with the end of the
operative, and when the Sandinista repressive forces interrogate them,
they may reveal EVERYTHING about the military operation carried out.
For example, the type of weapons they use, how many men arrived, from
what direction they came and in what direction they left, in short,
EVERYTHING.
In addition, indicate to the population that at meetings or in private
discussions they can give the names of the Sandinista informants, who
will be removed together with the other officials of the government of
repression.
When a meeting is held, conclude it with a speech by one of the
leaders of guerrilla political cadres (the most dynamic), which
includes explicit references to:
The fact that the "enemies of the people"–the officials or Sandinista
agents–must not be mistreated in spite of their criminal acts,
although the guerrilla force may have suffered casualties, and that
this is done due to the generosity of the Christian guerrillas.
Give a declaration of gratitude for the "hospitality" of the
population, as well as let them know that the risks that they will run
when the Sandinistas return are greatly appreciated.
The fact that the Sandinista regime, although it exploits the people
with taxes, control of money, grains and all aspects of public life
through associations, which they are forced to become part of, will
not be able to resist the attacks of our guerrilla forces.
Make the promise to the people that you will return to ensure that the
"leeches" of the Sandinista regime of repression will not be able to
hinder our guerrillas from integrating with the population.
A statement repeated to the population to the effect that they can
reveal everything about this visit of our commandos, because we are
not afraid of anything or anyone, neither the Soviets nor the Cubans.
Emphasize that we are Nicaraguans, that we are fighting for the
freedom of Nicaragua and to establish a very Nicaraguan government.
4. Guerrilla Weapons Are the Strength of the People over an Illegal
Government
The armed propaganda in populated areas does not give the impression
that weapons are the power of the guerrillas over the people, but
rather that the weapons are the strength of the people against. a
regime of repression.
Whenever it is necessary to use armed force in an occupation or visit
to a town or village, guerrillas should emphasize making sure that
they:
*Explain to the population that in the first place this is being done
to protect them, the people, and not themselves.
*Admit frankly and publicly that this is an "act of the democratic
guerrilla movement," with appropriate explanations.
*That this action, although it is not desirable, is necessary because
the final objective of the insurrection is a free and democratic
society, where acts of force are not necessary.
*The force of weapons is a necessity caused by the oppressive system,
and will cease to exist when the "forces of justice" of our movement
assume control.
If, for example, it should be necessary for one of the advanced posts
to have to fire on a citizen who was trying to leave the town or city
in which the guerrillas are carrying out armed propaganda or political
proselytism, the following is recommended:
*Explain that if that citizen had managed to escape, he would have
alerted the enemy that is near the town or city, and they would carry
out acts of reprisal such as rapes, pillage, destruction, captures,
etc., in this way terrorizing the inhabitants of the place for having
given attention and hospitalities to the guerrillas of the town.
*If a guerrilla fires at an individual, make the town see that he was
an enemy of the people, and that they shot him because the guerrillas
recognized as their first duty the protection of citizens.
*The commando tried to detain the informant without firing because he,
like all Christian guerrillas, espouses nonviolence. Firing at the
Sandinista informant, although it is against his own will, was
necessary to prevent the repression of the Sandinista government
against innocent people.
*Make the population see that it was the repressive system of the
regime that was the cause of this situation, what really killed the
informer, and that the weapon fired was one recovered in combat
against the Sandinista regime.
*Make the population see that if the Sandinista regime had ended the
repression, the corruption backed by foreign powers, etc., the freedom
commandos would not have had to brandish arms against brother
Nicaraguans, which goes against our Christian sentiments. If the
informant hadn't tried to escape he would be enjoying life together
with the rest of the population, because he would not have tried to
inform the enemy. This death would have been avoided if justice and
freedom existed in Nicaragua, which is exactly the objective of the
democratic guerrilla.
5. Selective Use of Violence for Propagandistic Effects
It is possible to neutralize carefully selected and planned targets,
such as court judges, mesta judges, police and State Security
officials, CDS chiefs, etc. For psychological purposes it is necessary
to take extreme precautions, and it is absolutely necessary to gather
together the population affected, so that they will be present, take
part in the act, and formulate accusation against the oppressor.
The target or person should be chosen on the basis of:
*The spontaneous hostility that the majority of the population feels
toward the target.
*Use rejection of potential hatred by the majority of the population
affected toward the target, stirring up the population and making them
see all the negative and hostile actions of the individual against the
people.
*If the majority of the people give their support or backing to the
target or subject, do not try to change these sentiments through
provocation.
*Relative difficulty of controlling the person who will replace the
target.
The person who will replace the target should be chosen carefully,
based on:
*Degree of violence necessary to carry out the change.
*Degree of violence acceptable to the population affected.
*Degree of violence possible without causing damage or danger to other
individuals in the area of the target.
*Degree of predictable reprisal by the enemy on the population
affected or other individuals in the area of the target.
The mission to replace the individual should be followed by:
*Extensive explanation within the population affected of the reason
why it was necessary for the good of the people.
*Explain that Sandinista retaliation is unjust, indiscriminate, and
above all, a justification for the execution of this mission.
*Carefully test the reaction of the people toward the mission, as well
as control this reaction, making sure that the population's reaction
is beneficial towards the Freedom Commandos.
6. Conclusions
Armed propaganda includes all acts executed and the impact achieved by
an armed force, which as a result produces positive attitudes in the
population toward this force, and it does not include forced
indoctrination. However, armed propaganda is the most effective
available instrument of a guerilla force.
Armed Propaganda Teams (APTs)
1. Generalities
In contact with the very reality of their roots, in a psychological
operation campaign in guerilla warfare, the comandantes will be able
to obtain maximum psychological results from an Armed Propaganda Team
program. This section is to inform the guerilla student as to what
Armed Propaganda Teams are in the environment of guerilla warfare.
2. Combination: Political Awareness and Armed Propaganda
The Armed Propaganda Teams combine political awareness-building with
armed propaganda, which will be carried out by carefully selected
guerrillas (preferably with experience in combat), for personal
persuasion within the population.
The selection of the staff is more important than the training,
because we cannot train guerrilla cadres just to show the sensations
of ardor and fervor, which are essential for person-to-person
persuasion. More important is the training of persons who are
intellectually agile and developed.
An Armed Propaganda Team includes from 6 to 10 members; this number or
a smaller number is ideal, since there is more camaraderie, solidarity
and group spirit. The themes to deal with are assimilated more rapidly
and the members react more rapidly to unforeseen situations.
In addition to the combination as armed propagandist-combatant each
member of the team should be well prepared to carry out permanent
person-to-person communication, face-to-face.
The leader of the group should be the commando who is the most highly
motivated politically and the most effective in face-to-face
persuasion. The position, hierarchy or range will not be decisive for
carrying out that function, but rather who is best qualified for
communication with the people.
The source of basic recruitment for guerrilla cadres will be the same
social groups of Nicaraguans to whom the psychological campaign is
directed, such as peasants, students, professionals, housewives, etc.
The campesinos (peasants) should be made to see that they do not have
lands; the workers that the State is putting an end to factories and
industries; the doctors, that they are being replaced by Cuban
paramedics, and that as doctors they cannot practice their profession
due to a lack of medicines. A requirement for recruiting them will be
their ability to express themselves in public.
The selection of the personnel is more important than the training.
The political awareness-building and the individual capabilities of
persuasion will be shown in the group discussions for motivation of
the guerrilla as a propagandist-combatant chosen as cadres to organize
them in teams, that is, those who have the greatest capacity for this
work.
The training of guerrillas for Armed Propaganda Teams emphasizes the
method and not the content. A two-week training period is sufficient
if the recruitment is done in the form indicated. If a mistaken
process of recruitment has been followed, however good the training
provided, the individual chosen will not yield a very good result.
The training should be intensive for 14 days, through team
discussions, alternating the person who leads the discussion among the
members of the group.
The subjects to be dealt with will be the same, each day a different
theme being presented, for a varied practice.
The themes should refer to the conditions of the place and the meaning
that they have for the inhabitants of the locality, such as talking of
crops, fertilizers, seeds, irrigation of crops, etc. They can also
include the following topics:
-Sawed wood, carpenters' tools for houses or other buildings.
-Boats, roads, horses, oxen for transportation, fishing, agriculture.
-Problems that they may have in the place with residents, offices of
the regime, imposed visitors, etc.
-Forced labor, service in the militias. -Forced membership in
Sandinista groups, such as women's clubs, youth associations, workers'
groups, etc.
-Availability and prices of consumer articles and of basic needs in
the grocery stores and shops of the place.
-Characteristics of education in the public schools.
-Anxiety of the people over the presence of Cuban teachers in the
schools and the intrusion of politics, i.e. using them for political
ends and not educational ones as should be.
-Indignation over the lack of freedom of worship, and persecution, of
which priests are victims; and over the participation of priests such
as Escoto and Cardenal in the Sandinista government, against the
explicit orders of his Holiness, the Pope.
NOTE: Members of the team can develop other themes.
The target groups for the Armed Propaganda Teams are not the persons
with sophisticated political knowledge, but rather those whose
opinions are formed from what they see and hear. The cadres should use
persuasion to carry out their mission. Some of the persuasive methods
that they can use are the following:
Interior Group/Exterior Group. It is a principle of psychology that we
humans have the tendency to form personal associations from "we" and
"the others," or "we" and "they," "friends" and "enemies," "fellow
countrymen" and "foreigners," "mestizos " and "gringos."
The Armed Propaganda Team can use this principle in its activities, so
that it is obvious that the "exterior" groups ("false" groups) are
those of the Sandinista regime, and that the "interior" groups ("true"
groups) that fight for the people are the Freedom Commandos.
We should inculcate this in the people in a subtle manner so that
these feelings seem to be born of themselves, spontaneously.
"Against" is much easier than "for." It is a principle of political
science that it is easier to persuade the people to vote against
something or someone than to persuade them to vote in favor of
something or someone. Although currently the regime has not given the
Nicaraguan people the opportunity to vote, it is known that the people
will vote in opposition, so that the Armed Propaganda Teams can use
this principle in favor of our insurrectional struggle. They should
ensure that this campaign is directed specifically against the
government or its sympathizers, since the people should have specific
targets for their frustrations.
Primary Groups and Secondary Groups. Another principle of sociology is
that we humans forge or change our opinions from two sources:
primarily, through our association with our family, comrades, or
intimate friends; and secondarily, through distant associations such
as acquaintances in churches, clubs or committees, labor unions or
governmental organizations. The Armed Propaganda Team cadres should
join the first groups in order to persuade them to follow the policies
of our movement, because it is from this type of group that the
opinions or changes of opinion come.
Techniques of Persuasion in Talks or Speeches:
Be Simple and Concise. You should avoid the use of difficult words or
expressions and prefer popular words and expressions, i.e. the
language of the people. In dealing with a person you should make use
of concise language, avoiding complicated words. It is important to
remember that we use oratory to make our people understand the reason
for our struggle, and not to show off our knowledge.
Use Lively and Realistic Examples. Avoid abstract concepts, such as
are used in universities in the advanced years, and in place of them,
give concrete examples such as children playing, horses galloping,
birds in flight, etc.
Use Gestures to Communicate. Communication, in addition to being
verbal, can be through gestures, such as using our hands expressively,
back movements, facial expressions, focusing of our look and other
aspects of "body language," projecting the individual personality in
the message.
Use the Appropriate Tone of Voice. If, on addressing the people, you
talk about happiness, a happy tone should be used. If you talk of
something sad, the tone of the voice should be one of sadness; on
talking of a heroic or brave act, the voice should be animated, etc.
Above All, Be Natural. Imitations of others should be avoided, since
the people, especially simple people, easily distinguish a fake. The
individual personality should be projected when addressing the
population.
3. "Eyes and Ears" Within the Population
The amount of information for intelligence that will be generated by
the deployment of the Armed Propaganda Teams will allow us to cover a
large area with our commandos, who will become the eyes and ears of
our movement within the population:
The combined reports of an Armed Propaganda Team will provide us with
exact details on the enemy activities.
The intelligence information obtained by the Armed Propaganda Teams
should be reported to the chiefs. However, it is necessary to
emphasize that the first mission of the Armed Propaganda Teams is to
carry out psychological operations, not to obtain data for
intelligence.
Any intelligence report will be made through the outside contact of
the Armed Propaganda Team, in order not to compromise the population.
The Armed Propaganda cadres are able to do what others in a guerrilla
campaign cannot do: determine personally the development or
deterioration of the popular support and the sympathy or hostility
that the people feel toward our movement.
The Armed Propaganda Team program, in addition to being very effective
psychologically, increases the guerrilla capacity in obtaining and
using information.
In addition, the Armed Propaganda cadre will report to his superior
the reaction of the people to the radio broadcasts, the insurrectional
flyers, or any other means of propaganda of ours.
Expressions or gestures of the eyes, or face, the tone and strength of
the voice, and the use of the appropriate words greatly affect the
face-to-face persuasion of the people.
With the intelligence reports supplied by the Armed Propaganda Teams,
the comandantes will be able to have exact knowledge of the popular
support, which they will make use of in their operations.
4. Psychological Tactics, Maximum Flexibility
Psychological tactics will have the greatest flexibility within a
general plan, permitting a continuous and immediate adjustment of the
message, and ensuring that an impact is caused on the indicated target
group at the moment in which it is the most susceptible.
Tactically, an Armed Propaganda Equipment program should cover the
majority and if possible all of the operational area. The communities
in which this propaganda is carried out should not necessarily form
political units with an official nature. A complete understanding of
their structure or organization is not necessary because the cadres
will work by applying socio-political action and not academic theory.
The target populations of the Armed Propaganda Teams will be chosen
for being part of the operational area, and not for their size or
amount of land.
The objective should be the people and not the territorial area.
In this respect, each work team will be able to cover some six towns
approximately, in order to develop popular support for our movement.
The Team should always move in a covert manner within the towns of
their area.
They should vary their route radically, but not their itinerary. This
is so that the inhabitants who are cooperating will be dependent on
their itinerary, i.e., the hour in which they can frequently contact
them to give them the information.
The danger of betrayal or an ambush can be neutralized by varying the
itinerary a little, using different routes, as well as arriving or
leaving without previous warning.
Whenever the surprise factor is used, vigilance should be kept in
order to detect the possible presence of hostile elements.
No more than three consecutive days should be spent in a town.
The limit of three days has obvious tactical advantages, but it also
has a psychological effect on the people, on seeing the team as a
source of current and up-to-date information. Also, it can overexpose
the target audience and cause a negative reaction.
Basic tactical precautions should be taken. This is necessary for
greater effectiveness, as was indicated in dealing with the subject of
"Armed Propaganda," and when it is carried out discreetly, it
increases the respect of the people for the team and increases their
credibility.
The basic procedures are: covert elements that carry out vigilance
before and after the departure and in intervals. There should be two
at least, and they should meet at a predetermined point upon a signal,
or in view of any hostile action.
The team's goal is to motivate the entire population of a place, but
to constantly remain aware that defined target groups exist within
this general configuration of the public.
Although meetings may be held in the population, the cadres should
recognize and keep in contact with the target groups, mixing with them
before, during and after the meeting. The method for holding this type
of meeting was included in the topic "Armed Propaganda," and will be
covered in greater detail under the title "Control of Mass Meetings
and Demonstrations."
The basic focus of the Armed Propaganda cadres should be on the
residents of the town, where their knowledge as formers of opinion can
be applied.
In the first visits of identification with the inhabitants, the
guerrilla cadres will be courteous and humble. They can work in the
fields or in any other form in which their abilities can contribute to
the improvement of the living style of the inhabitants of the place,
winning their trust and talking with them; helping to repair the
fences of their cattle; the cleaning of the same, collaborating in the
vaccination of their animals; teaching them to read, i.e., closely
together in all the tasks of the peasant or the community.
In his free time, our guerrilla should mix in with the community
groups and participate with them in patronal activities, parties,
birthdays, and even in wakes or burials of the members of said
community; he will try to converse with both adults and adolescents.
He will try to penetrate to the heart of the family, in order to win
the acceptance and trust of all of the residents of that sector.
The Armed Propaganda Team cadres will give ideological training,
mixing these instructions with folkloric songs, and at the same time
he will tell stories that have some attraction, making an effort to
make them refer to heroic acts of our ancestors. He will also try to
tell stories of heroism of our combatants in the present struggle so
that listeners try to imitate them. It is important to let them know
that there are other countries in the world where freedom and
democracy cause those governing to be concerned over the well-being of
their people, so that the children have medical care and free
education; where also they are concerned that everyone have work and
food, and all freedoms such as those of religion, association and
expression; where the greatest objective of the government is to keep
its people happy.
The cadres should not make mention of their political ideology during
the first phase of identification with the people, and they should
orient their talks to things that are pleasing to the peasants or the
listeners, trying to be as simple as possible in order to be
understood.
The tactical objectives for identification with the people are the
following:
*To establish tight relations through identification with the people,
through their very customs.
*To determine the basic needs and desires of the different target
groups.
*To discover the weaknesses of the governmental control.
*Little by little, to sow the seed of democratic revolution, in order
to change the vices of the regime towards a new order of justice and
collective well-being.
In the motivation of the target groups, by the Armed Propaganda Teams,
the cadre should apply themes of "true" groups and themes of"false"
groups. The true group will correspond to the target group and the
false one to the Sandinista regime.
For the economic interest groups, such as small businessmen and
farmers, it should be emphasized that their potential progress is
"limited" by the Sandinista government, that resources are scarcer and
scarcer; the earnings/profits minimal, taxes high, etc. This can be
applied to entrepreneurs of transportation and others.
For the elements ambitious for power and social positions, it will be
emphasized that they will never be able to belong to the governmental
social class, since they are hermetic in their circle of command.
Example, the nine Sandinista leaders do not allow other persons to
participate in the government, and they hinder the development of the
economic and social potential of those like him, who have desires of
overcoming this, which is unjust and arbitrary.
Social and intellectual criticisms. They should be directed at the
professionals, professors, teachers, priests, missionaries, students
and others. Make them see that their writings, commentaries or
conversations are censored, which does not make it possible to correct
these problems.
Once the needs and frustrations of the target groups have been
determined, the hostility of the people to the "false" groups will
become more direct, against the current regime and its system of
repression. The people will be made to see that once this system or
structure has been eliminated, the cause of their frustrations would
be eliminated and they would be able to fulfill their desires. It
should be shown to the population that supporting the insurrection is
really supporting their own desires, since the democratic movement is
aimed at the elimination of these specific problems.
As a general rule, the Armed Propaganda teams should avoid
participating in combat. However, if this is not possible, they should
react as a guerrilla unit with tactics of "hit and run," causing the
enemy the greatest amount of casualties with aggressive assault-fire,
recovering enemy weapons and withdrawing rapidly.
One exception to the rule to avoid combat will be when in the town
they are challenged by hostile actions, whether by an individual or
whether by a number of men of an enemy team.
The hostility of one or two men can be overcome by eliminating the
enemy in a rapid and effective manner. This is the most common danger.
When the enemy is equal in the number of its forces, there should be
an immediate retreat, and then the enemy should be ambushed or
eliminated by means of sharpshooters.
In any of the cases, the Armed Propaganda Team cadres should not turn
the town into a battleground. Generally, our guerrillas will be better
armed, so that they will obtain greater respect from the population if
they carry out appropriate maneuvers instead of endangering their
lives, or even destroying their houses in an encounter with the enemy
within the town.
5. A Comprehensive Team Program – Mobile Infrastructure
The psychological operations through the Armed Propaganda Teams
include the infiltration of key guerilla communicators (i.e., Armed
Propaganda Team cadres) into the population of the country, instead of
sending messages to them through outside sources, thus creating our
"mobile infrastructure."
A "mobile infrastructure" is a cadre of our Armed Propaganda Team
moving about, i.e., keeping in touch with six or more populations,
from which his source of information will come; and at the same time
it will serve so that at the appropriate time they will become
integrated in the complete guerilla movement.
In this way, an Armed Propaganda Team program in the operational area
builds for our comandantes in the countryside constant source of data
gathering (infrastructure) in all the area. It is also a means for
developing or increasing popular support, for recruiting new members
and for obtaining provisions.
In addition, an Armed Propaganda Team program allows the expansion of
the guerrilla movement, since they can penetrate areas that are not
under the control of the combat units. In this way, through an exact
evaluation of the combat units they will be able to plan their
operations more precisely, since they will have certain knowledge of
the existing conditions.
The comandantes will remember that this type of operation is similar
to the Fifth Column, which was used in the first part of the Second
World War, and which through infiltration and subversion tactics
allowed the Germans to penetrate the target countries before the
invasions. They managed to enter Poland, Belgium, Holland and France
in a month, and Norway in a week. The effectiveness of this tactic has
been clearly demonstrated in several wars and can be used effectively
by the Freedom Commandos.
The activities of the Armed Propaganda Teams run some risks, but no
more than any other guerrilla activity. However, the Armed Propaganda
Teams are essential for the success of the struggle.
6. Conclusions
In the same way that the explorers are the "eyes and ears" of a
patrol, or of a column on the march, the Armed Propaganda Teams are
also the source of information, the "antennas" of our movement,
because they find and exploit the sociopolitical weaknesses in the
target society, making possible a successful operation.
DEVELOPMENT AND CONTROL OF FRONT ORGANIZATIONS
1. Generalities
The development and control of front organizations (or "façade"
organizations) is an essential process in the guerrilla effort to
carry out the insurrection. That is, in truth, an aspect of urban
guerrilla warfare, but it should advance parallel to the campaign in
the rural area. This section has as its objective to give the guerilla
student an understanding of the development and control of front
organizations in guerrilla warfare.
2. Initial Recruitment
The initial recruitment to the movement, if it is involuntary, will be
carried out through several "private" consultations with a cadre
(without his knowing that he is talking to a member of ours). Then,
the recruit will be informed that he or she is already inside the
movement, and he will be exposed to the police of the regime if he or
she does not cooperate.
When the guerrillas carry out missions of armed propaganda and a
program of regular visits to the towns by the Armed Propaganda Teams,
these contacts will provide the commandos with the names and places of
persons who can be recruited. The recruitment, which will be
voluntary, is done through visits by guerrilla leaders or political
cadres.
After a chain of voluntary recruitments has been developed, and the
trustworthiness of the recruits has been established by their carrying
out small missions, they will be instructed about increasing/widening
the chain by recruiting in specific target groups, in accordance with
the following procedure:
*From among their acquaintances or through observation of the target
groups–political parties, workers' unions, youth groups, agrarian
associations, etc.–finding out the personal habits, preferences and
biases, as well as the weaknesses of the "recruitable" individuals.
*Make an approach through an acquaintance, and if possible, develop a
friendship, attracting him through his preferences or weaknesses: it
might be inviting him for lunch in the restaurant of his choice or
having a drink in his favorite cantina or an invitation to dinner in
the place he prefers.
Recruitment should follow one of the following guidelines:
*If in an informal conversation the target seems susceptible to
voluntary recruitment based on his beliefs and personal values, etc.,
the political cadre assigned to carry out the recruitments will be
notified of this. The original contact will indicate to the cadre
assigned, in detail, all he knows of the prospective recruit, and the
style of persuasion to be used, introducing the two.
*If the target does not seem to be susceptible to voluntary
recruitment, meetings can be arranged which seem casual with the
guerrilla leaders or with the political cadres (unknown by the target
until that moment). The meetings will be held so that "other persons"
know that the target is attending them, whether they see him arrive at
a particular house, seated at the table in a particular bar or even
seated on a park bench. The target, then, is faced with the fact of
his participation in the insurrectional struggle and it will be
indicated to him also that if he fails to cooperate or to carry out
future orders, he will be subjected to reprisals by the police or
soldiers of the regime.
*The notification of the police, denouncing a target who does not want
to join the guerrillas, can be carried out easily, when it becomes
necessary, through a letter with false statements of citizens who are
not implicated in the movement. Care should be taken that the person
who recruited him covertly is not discovered.
*With the carrying out of clandestine missions for the movement, the
involvement and handing over of every recruit is done gradually on a
wider and wider scale, and confidence increases. This should be a
gradual process, in order to prevent confessions from fearful
individuals who have been assigned very difficult or dangerous
missions too early.
Using this recruitment technique, our guerrillas will be able to
successfully infiltrate any key target group in the regime, in order
to improve the internal control of the enemy structure.
3. Established Citizens, Subjective Internal Control
Established citizens, such as doctors, lawyers, businessmen,
landholders, minor state officials, etc., will be recruited to the
movement and used for subjective internal control of groups and
associations to which they belong or may belong.
*Once the recruitment/involvement has been brought about, and has
progressed to the point that allows that specific instructions be
given to internal cadres to begin to influence their groups,
instructions will be given to them to carry out the following:
*The process is simple and only requires a basic knowledge of the
Socrates dialectic: that is the knowledge that is inherent to another
person or the established position of a group, some theme, some word
or some thought related to the objective of persuasion of the person
in charge of our recruitment.
*The cadre then must emphasize this theme, word or thought in the
discussions or meetings of the target group, through a casual
commentary, which improve the focus of other members of the group in
relation to this. Specific examples are:-
Economic interest groups are motivated by profit and generally feel
that the system hinders the use of their capability in this effort in
some way, taxes, import export tariffs, transportation costs, etc. The
cadre in charge will increase this feeling of frustration in late
conversations.-
Political aspirants, particularly if they are not successful, feel
that the system discriminates against them unfairly, limiting their
capabilities, because the Sandinista regime does not allow elections.
The cadre should focus political discussions towards this
frustration.-
Intellectual social critics (such as professors, teachers, priests,
missionaries, etc.), generally feel that the government ignores their
valid criticism or censors their comments unjustly, especially in a
situation of revolution. This can easily be shown by the guerrilla
cadre, at meetings and discussions, to be an injustice of the system.
For all the target groups, after they have established frustrations,
the hostility towards the obstacles to their aspirations will
gradually become transferred to the current regime and its system of
repression.
The guerrilla cadre moving among the target group should always
maintain a low profile, so that the development of hostile feelings
towards the false Sandinista regime seems to come spontaneously from
the members of the group and not from suggestions of the cadre. This
is internal subjective control.
Anti-governmental hostility should be generalized, and not necessarily
in our favor. If a group develops a feeling in our favor, it can be
utilized. But the main objective is to precondition the target groups
for the fusion in mass organizations later in the operation, when
other activities have been successfully undertaken.
4. Organizations of Cells for Security
Internal cadres of our movement should organize into cells of three
persons, only one of them maintaining outside contact.
The cell of three persons is the basic element of the movement, with
frequent meetings to receive orders and pass information to the cell
leader. These meetings are also very important for mutually
reinforcing the members of the cell, as well as their morale. They
should exercise criticism of themselves on the realization or failures
in carrying out individual subjective control missions.
The coordination of the three-member cell provides a security net for
reciprocal communication, each member having contact with only an
operational cell. The members will not reveal at the cell coordination
meetings the identity of their contact in an operational cell; they
will reveal only the nature of the activity in which the cell is
involved, e.g., political party work, medical association work, etc.
There is no hierarchy in cells outside of an element of coordination,
who is the leader, who will have direct but covert contact with our
guerrilla comandante in the zone or operational area. The previous
diagram does not indicate which new operational cell is the limit, but
it indicates that for every three operational cells, we need a
coordination cell.
5. Fusion in a "Cover" Organization
The fusion of organizations recognized by the Sandinista government,
such as associations and other groups, through internal subjective
control, occurs in the final stages of the operation, in a tight
connection with mass meetings.
When the guerrilla armed action has expanded sufficiently, armed
propaganda missions will be carried out on a large scale: propaganda
teams will have clearly developed open support of the institutions;
the enemy system of target groups will be well infiltrated and
preconditioned. At the point at which mass meetings are held, the
internal cadres should begin discussions for the "fusion" of forces
into an organization–this organization will be a "cover" source of our
movement.
Any other target group will be aware that other groups are developing
greater hostility to the government, the police and the traditional
legal bases of authority. The guerrilla cadres in that group – for
example, teachers – will cultivate this awareness-building, making
comments such as "So-and-so, who is a farmer, said that the members of
his cooperative believe that the new economic policy is absurd, poorly
planned and unfair to farmers."
When the awareness-building is increased, in the sense that other
groups feel hostility towards the regime, the group discussions are
held openly and our movement will be able to receive reports that the
majority of their operatives are united in common, greater hostility
against the regime. This will be developed and the order to fuse/ join
will come about. The fusion into a "cover" front is carried out
thusly:
*Internal cadres of our movement will meet with people such as
presidents, leaders, and others, at organized meetings chaired by the
group chief of our movement. Two or three escorts can assist the
guerrilla cadre if it becomes necessary.
*Publish a joint communique on this meeting, announcing the creation
of the "cover" front, including names and signatures of the
participants, and names of the organizations that they represent.
After releasing this communique, mass meetings should be initiated,
which should have as a goal the destruction of the Sandinista control.
6. Conclusions
The development and control of the "cover" organizations in a
guerrilla war will give our movement the ability to create the
"whiplash" effect within the population, when the order for fusion is
given. When the infiltration and internal subjective control have been
developed parallel with other guerrilla activities, a democratic
guerrilla commander will literally be able to shake up the Sandinista
structure and replace it.
CONTROL OF MASS CONCENTRATIONS AND MEETINGS
1. Generalities
In the last stages of a guerrilla war, mass concentrations and
meetings are a powerful psychological tool for carrying out the
mission. This section has as its objective giving the guerrilla
student training on techniques for controlling mass concentrations and
meetings in guerrilla warfare.
2. Infiltration of Guerrilla Cadres
Infiltration of guerilla cadres (whether a member of our movement or
outside element) in workers' unions, student groups, peasant
organizations, etc., preconditioning these groups for behavior within
the masses, where they will have to carry out proselytism for the
insurrectional struggle in a clandestine manner.
*Our psychological war team should prepare in advance a hostile mental
attitude among the target groups so that at the decisive moment they
can turn their furor into violence, demanding their rights that have
been trampled upon by the regime.
*These preconditioning campaigns must be aimed at the political
parties, professional organizations, students, laborers, the masses of
the unemployed, the ethnic minorities and any other sector of society
that is vulnerable or recruitable; this also includes the popular
masses and sympathizers of our movement.
*The basic objective of a preconditioning campaign is to create a
negative "image" of the common enemy, e.g.:
Describe the managers of collective government entities as trying to
treat the staff the way "slave foremen" do.
The police mistreat the people like the Communist "Gestapo" does.
The government officials of National Reconstruction are puppets of
Russian-Cuban imperialism.
Our psychological war cadres will create compulsive obsessions of a
temporary nature in places of public concentrations, constantly
hammering away at the themes pointed out or desired, the same as in
group gatherings; in informal conversations expressing discontent; in
addition passing out brochures and flyers, and writing editorial
articles both on the radio and in newspapers, focused on the intention
of preparing the mind of the people for the decisive moment, which
will erupt in general violence.
In order to facilitate the preconditioning of the masses, we should
often use phrases to make the people see, such as:
The taxes that they pay the government do not benefit the people at
all, but rather are used as a form of exploitation in order to enrich
those governing.
Make it plain to the people that they have become slaves, that they
are being exploited by privileged military and political groups.
*The foreign advisers and their counseling programs are in reality
"interveners" in our homeland, who direct the exploitation of the
nation in accordance with the objectives of the Russian and Cuban
imperialists, in order to turn our people into slaves of the hammer
and sickle.
3. Selection of Appropriate Slogans
The leaders of the guerrilla warfare classify their slogans in
accordance with the circumstances with the aim of mobilizing the
masses in a wide scale of activities and at the highest emotional
level.
When the mass uprising is being developed, our covert cadres should
make partial demands, initially demanding, e.g., "We want food," "We
want freedom of worship," "We want union freedom"–steps that will lead
us toward the realization of the goals of our movement, which are:
GOD, HOMELAND AND DEMOCRACY.
If a lack of organization and command is noted in the enemy authority
and the people find themselves in a state of exaltation advantage can
be taken of this circumstance so that our agitators will raise the
tone of the rallying slogans, taking them to the most strident point.
If the masses are not emotionally exalted, our agitators will continue
with the "partial" slogans, and the demands will be based on daily
needs, chaining them to the goals of our movement.
An example of the need to give simple slogans is that few people think
in terms of millions of córdobas, but any citizen, however humble he
may be, understands that a pair of shoes is necessary. The goals of
the movement are of an ideological nature, but our agitators must
realize that foodp; "bread and butter," "the tortilla and red beans"
– pull along the people, and it should be understood that this is
their main mission.
4. Creation of Nuclei
This involves the mobilization of a specific number of agitators of
the guerrilla organization of the place. This group will inevitably
attract an equal number of curious persons who seek adventures and
emotions, as well as those unhappy with the system of government. The
guerrillas will attract sympathizers, discontented citizens as a
consequence of the repression of the system. Each guerrilla subunit
will be assigned specific tasks and missions that they should carry
out.
Our cadres will be mobilized in the largest number possible, together
with persons who have been affected by the Communist dictatorship,
whether their possessions have been stolen from them, they have been
incarcerated, or tortured, or suffered from any other type of
aggression against them. They will be mobilized toward the areas where
the hostile and criminal elements of the FSLN, CDS and others live,
with an effort for them to be armed with clubs, iron rods, placards
and if possible, small firearms, which they will carry hidden.
If possible, professional criminals will be hired to carry out
specific selected "jobs."
Our agitators will visit the places where the unemployed meet, as well
as the unemployment offices, in order to hire them for unspecified
"jobs." The recruitment of these wage earners is necessary because a
nucleus is created under absolute orders.
The designated cadres will arrange ahead of time the transportation of
the participants, in order to take them to meeting places in private
or public vehicles, boats or any other type of transportation.
Other cadres will be designated to design placards, flags and banners
with different slogans or key words, whether they be partial,
temporary or of the most radical type.
Other cadres will be designated to prepare flyers, posters, signs and
pamphlets to make the concentration more noticeable. This material
will contain instructions for the participants and will also serve
against the regime.
Specific tasks will be assigned to others, in order to create a
"martyr" for the cause, taking the demonstrators to a confrontation
with the authorities, in order to bring about uprisings or shootings,
which will cause the death of one or more persons, who would become
the martyrs, a situation that should be made use of immediately
against the regime, in order to create greater conflicts.
5. Ways to Lead an Uprising at Mass Meetings
It can be carried out by means of a small group of guerrillas
infiltrated within the masses, who will have the mission of agitating,
giving the impression that there are many of them and that they have
popular backing. Using the tactics of a force of 200-300 agitators, a
demonstration can be created in which 10,000-20,000 persons take part.
The agitation of the masses in a demonstration is carried out by means
of sociopolitical objectives. In this action one or several people of
our covert movement should take part, highly trained as mass
agitators, involving innocent persons, in order to bring about an
apparent spontaneous protest demonstration. They will lead all of the
concentration to the end of it.
Outside Commando. This element stays out of all activity, located so
that they can observe from where they are the development of the
planned events. As a point of observation, they should look for the
tower of a church, a high building, a high tree, the highest level of
the stadium or an auditorium, or any other high place.
Inside Commando. This element will remain within the multitude. Great
importance should be given to the protection of the leaders of these
elements. Some placards or large allusive signs should be used to
designate the Commando Posts and to provide signals to the subunits.
This element will avoid placing itself in places where fights or
incidents come about after the beginning of the demonstration.
These key agitators of ours will remain within the multitude. The one
responsible for this mission will assign ahead of time the agitators
to remain near the placard that he will indicate to them, in order to
give protection to the placard from any contrary element. In that way
the commander will know where our agitators are, and will be able to
send orders to change passwords or slogans, or any other unforeseen
thing, and even eventually to incite violence if he desires it.
At this stage, once the key cadres have been dispersed, they should
place themselves in visible places, such as by signs, lampposts, and
other places which stand out.
Our key agitators should avoid places of disturbances, once they have
taken care of the beginning of the same.
Defense Posts. These elements will act as bodyguards in movement,
forming a ring of protection for the chief, protecting him from the
police and the army, or helping him to escape if it should be
necessary. They should be highly disciplined and will react only upon
a verbal order from the chief.
In case the chief participates in a religious concentration, a funeral
or any other type of activity in which they have to behave in an
organized fashion, the bodyguards will remain in the ranks very close
to the chief or to the placard or banner carriers in order to give
them full protection.
The participants in this mission should be guerrilla combatants in
civilian clothes, or hired recruits who are sympathizers in our
struggle and who are against the oppressive regime.
These members must have a high discipline and will use violence only
on the verbal orders of the one in charge of them.
Messengers. They should remain near the leaders, transmitting orders
between the inside and outside commandos. They will use communication
radios, telephones, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, or move on foot or
horseback, taking paths or trails to shorten distances. Adolescents
(male and female) are ideal for this mission.
Shock Troops. These men should be equipped with weapons (knives,
razors, chains, clubs, bludgeons) and should march slightly behind the
innocent and gullible participants. They should carry their weapons
hidden. They will enter into action only as "reinforcements" if the
guerrilla agitators are attacked by the police. They will enter the
scene quickly, violently and by surprise, in order to distract the
authorities, in this way making possible the withdrawal or rapid
escape of the inside commando.
Carriers of Banners and Placards. The banners and placards used in
demonstrations or concentrations will express the protests of the
population, but when the concentration reaches its highest level of
euphoria or popular discontent, our infiltrated persons will make use
of the placards against the regime, which we manage to infiltrate in a
hidden fashion, and on them slogans or key words will be expressed to
the benefit of our cause. The one responsible for this mission will
assign the agitators ahead of time to keep near the placard of any
contrary element. In that way, the comandante will know where the
agitators are, and will be able to send orders to change slogans and
eventually to incite violence if he wishes.
Agitators of Rallying Cries and Applause. They will be trained with
specific instructions to use tried rallying cries. They will be able
to use phrases such as "WE ARE HUNGRY. WE WANT BREAD," and "WE DON'T
WANT COMMUNISM." Their work and their technique for agitating the
masses is quite similar to those of the leaders of applause and
slogans at the high school football or baseball games. The objective
is to become more adept and not just to shout rallying cries.
6. Conclusions
In a revolutionary movement of guerrilla warfare, the mass
concentrations and protest demonstrations are the principle essential
for the destruction of the enemy structures.
MASSIVE IN-DEPTH SUPPORT THROUGH PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS
1. Generalities
The separate coverage in these sections could leave the student with
some doubts. Therefore, all sections are summarized here, in order to
give a clearer picture of this book.
2. Motivation as Combatant-Propagandist
Every member of the struggle should know that his political mission is
as important as, if not more important than, his tactical mission.
3. Armed Propaganda
Armed propaganda in small towns, rural villages, and city residential
districts should give the impression that our weapons are not for
exercising power over the people, but rather that the weapons are for
protecting the people; that they are the power of the people against
the FSLN government of oppression.
4. Armed Propaganda Teams
Armed Propaganda Teams will combine political awareness building and
the ability to conduct propaganda for ends of personal persuasion,
which will be carried out within the population.
5. Cover ("Façade") Organizations
The fusion of several organizations and associations recognized by the
government, through internal subjective control, occurs in the final
stages of the operation, in close cooperation with mass meetings.
6. Control of Mass Demonstrations
The mixture of elements of the struggle with participants in the
demonstration will give the appearance of a spontaneous demonstration,
lacking direction, which will be used by the agitators of the struggle
to control the behavior of the masses.
7. Conclusion
Too often we see guerrilla warfare only from the point of view of
combat actions. This view is erroneous and extremely dangerous. Combat
actions are not the key to victory in guerrilla warfare but rather
form part of one of the six basic efforts. There is no priority in any
of the efforts, but rather they should progress in a parallel manner.
The emphasis or exclusion of any of these efforts could bring about
serious difficulties, and in the worst of cases, even failure. THE
HISTORY OF REVOLUTIONARY WARS HAS SHOWN THIS REALITY.
APPENDIX
The purpose of this appendix is to complement the guidelines and
recommendations to the propagandist guerrillas expressed under the
topic of "Techniques of Persuasion in Talks and Speeches," to improve
the ability to organize and express thoughts for those who wish to
perfect their oratorical abilities. After all, oratory is one of the
most valuable resources for exercising leadership. Oratory can be
used, then, as an extraordinary political tool.
1. The Audience
Oratory is simultaneous communication par excellence, i.e., the orator
and his audience share the same time and space. Therefore, every
speech should be a different experience at "that" moment or particular
situation which the audience is experiencing and which influences
them. So the audience must be considered as "a state of mind."
Happiness, sadness, anger, fear, etc., are states of mind that we must
consider to exist in our audience, and it is the atmosphere that
affects the target public.
The human being is made up of a mind and soul; he acts in accordance
with his thoughts and sentiments and responds to stimuli of ideas and
emotions. In that way there exist only two possible focuses in any
plan, including speeches: the concrete, based on rational appeals,
i.e., to thinking; and the idealized, with emotional appeals, i.e., to
sentiment.
For his part the orator, although he must be sensitive to the existing
mass sentiment, he must at the same time keep his cold judgment to be
able to lead and control effectively the feelings of an audience. When
in the oratorical momentum the antithesis between heart and brain
comes about, judgment should always prevail, characteristic of a
leader.
2. Political Oratory
Political oratory is one of the various forms of oratory, and it
usually fulfills one of three objectives: to instruct, persuade, or
move; and its method is reduced to urging (asking), ordering,
questioning and responding.
Oratory is a quality so tied to political leadership that it can be
said that the history of political orators is the political history of
humanity, an affirmation upheld by names such as Cicero, Demosthenes,
Danton, Mirabeau, Robespierre, Clemenceau, Lenin, Trotsky, Mussolini,
Hitler, Roosevelt, etc.
3. Qualities in a Speech
In general terms, the most appreciated qualities of a speech, and
specifically a political speech in the context of the psychological
action of the armed struggle, are the following:
*Be brief and concise: A length of five minutes [line missing in
Spanish text] . . . that of the orator who said: "If you want a
two-hour speech, I'll start right now; if you want a two-minute one,
let me think awhile."
*Centered on the theme: The speech should be structured by a set of
organized ideas that converge on the theme. A good speech is expressed
by concepts and not only with words.
*Logic: The ideas presented should be logical and easily acceptable.
Never challenge logic in the mind of the audience, since immediately
the main thing is lost credibility. As far as possible, it is
recommended that all speeches be based on a syllogism, which the
orator should adjust in his exposition. For example: "Those governing
get rich and are thieves; the Sandinistas have enriched themselves
governing; then, "the Sandinistas are thieves." This could be the
point of a speech on the administrative corruption of the regime. When
an idea or a set of guiding ideas do not exist in a speech, confusion
and dispersion easily arise.
4. Structure of a Speech
Absolute improvisation does not exist in oratory. All orators have a
"mental plan" that allows them to organize their ideas and concepts
rapidly; with practice it is possible to come to do this in a few
seconds, almost simultaneously with the expression of the word.
The elements that make up a speech are given below, in a structure
that we recommend always putting into practice, to those who wish to
more and more improve their oratorical abilities:
*Introduction or Preamble: One enters into contact with the public, a
personal introduction can be made or one of the movement to which we
belong, the reason for our presence, etc. In these first seconds it is
important to make an impact, attracting attention and provoking
interest among the audience. For that purpose, there are resources
such as beginning with a famous phrase or a previously prepared
slogan, telling a dramatic or humorous story, etc.
*Purpose or Enunciation: The subject to be dealt with is defined,
explained as a whole or by parts.
*Appraisal or Argumentation: Arguments are presented, EXACTLY IN THIS
ORDER: First, the negative arguments, or against the thesis that is
going to be upheld, and then the positive arguments, or favorable ones
to our thesis, immediately adding proof or facts that sustain such
arguments.
*Recapitulation or Conclusion: A short summary is made and the
conclusions of the speech are spelled out.
*Exhortation: Action by the public is called for, i.e., they are asked
in an almost energetic manner to do or not to do something.
5. Some Literary Resources
Although there exist typically oratorical devices of diction, in
truth, oratory has taken from other literary genres a large number of
devices, several of which often, in an unconscious manner, we use in
our daily expressions and even in our speeches.
Below we enunciate many of the literary devices in frequent use in
oratory, recommending to those interested moderate use of them, since
an orator who overuses the literary device loses authenticity and
sounds untrue.
The devices that are used the most in oratory are those obtained
through the repetition of words in particular periods of the speech,
such as:
*Anaphora, or repetition of a word at the beginning of each sentence,
e.g., "Freedom for the poor, freedom for the rich, freedom for all."
In the reiteration, repetition is of a complete sentence (slogan)
insistently through the speech, e.g., "With God and patriotism we will
overcome Communism because . . ."
*Conversion is the repetition at the end of every phrase, e.g.:
"Sandinismo tries to be about everyone, dominate everyone, command
everyone, and as an absolute tyranny, do away with everyone."
*In the emphasis, repetition is used at the beginning and at the end
of the clause, e.g., "Who brought the Russian-Cuban intervention? The
Sandinistas. And who is engaged in arms trafficking with the
neighboring countries? The Sandinistas. And who is proclaiming to be
in favor of nonintervention? The Sandinistas."
*Reduplication, when the phrase begins with the same word that ends
the previous one. For example: "We struggle for democracy, democracy
and social justice." The concatenation is a chain made up of
duplications. For example: "Communism transmits the deception of the
child to the young man, of the young man to the adult, and of the
adult to the old man."
*In the antithesis or word play, the same words are used with a
different meaning to give an ingenious effect: e.g., "The greatest
wealth of every human being is his own freedom, because slaves will
always be poor but we poor can have the wealth of our freedom."
*Similar cadences, through the use of verbs of the same tense and
person, or nouns of the same number and case. For example: "Those of
us who are struggling we will be marching because he who perseveres
achieves, and he who gives up remains."
*Use of synonyms, repetition of words with a similar meaning. For
example: "We demand a Nicaragua for all, without exceptions, without
omissions."
Among the figures of speech most used in oratory are:
*Comparison or simile, which sets the relationship of similarity
between two or more beings or things. For example: "Because we love
Christ, we love his bishops and pastors," and "Free as a bird."
*Antithesis, or the counterposition of words, ideas, or phrases of an
opposite meaning. For example: "They promised freedom and gave
slavery; that they would distribute the wealth and they have
distributed poverty; that they would bring peace, and they have
brought about war."
Among the logic figures are the following:
*Concession, which is a skillful way to concede something to the
adversary in order to better emphasize the inappropriate aspects,
through the use of expressions such as: but, however, although,
nevertheless, in spite of the fact that, etc. For example: "The mayor
here has been honest, but he is not the one controlling all the money
of the nation." It is an effective form of rebuttal when the opinion
of the audience is not entirely ours.
*Permission, in which one apparently accedes to something, when in
reality it is rejected. For example: "Do not protest, but sabotage
them." "Talk quietly, but tell it to everyone."
*Prolepsis is an anticipated refutation. For example: "Some will think
that they are only promises; they will say, others said the same
thing, but no. We are different, we are Christians, we consider God a
witness to our words."
*Preterition is an artifice, pretending discretion when something is
said with total clarity and indiscretion. For example: "If I were not
obligated to keep military secrets, I would tell all of you of the
large amount of armaments that we have so that you would feel even
more confidence that our victory is assured."
*Communication is a way to ask and give the answer to the same
question. For example: "If they show disrespect for the ministers of
God, will they respect us, simple citizens? Never."
*Rhetorical questions are a way in which one shows perplexity or
inability to say something, only as an oratorical recourse. For
example: "I am only a peasant and can tell you little. I know little
and I will not be able to explain to you the complicated things of
politics. Therefore, I talk to you with my heart, with my simple
peasant's heart, as we all are."
*Litotes is a form of meaning a lot by saying little. For example:
"The nine commanders have stolen little, just the whole country."
*Irony consists of getting across exactly the opposite of what one is
saying. For example: "The divine mobs that threaten and kill, they are
indeed Christians."
*Amplification is presenting an idea from several angles. For example:
"Political votes are the power of the people in a democracy. And
economic votes are their power in the economy. Buying or not buying
something, the majorities decide what should be produced. For
something to be produced or to disappear. That is part of economic
democracy."
The most usual plaintive figures of speech are:
*Deprecation or entreaty to obtain something. For example: "Lord, free
us from the yoke. Give us freedom."
*Imprecation or threat, expressing a sentiment in view of the unjust
or hopeless. For example: "Let there be a Homeland for all or let
there be a Homeland for no one."
*Conmination, similar to the previous one, presents a bad wish for the
rest. For example, "Let them drown in the abyss of their own
corruption."
*The apostrophe consists of addressing oneself towards something
supernatural or inanimate as if it were a living being. For example:
"Mountains of Nicaragua, make the seed of freedom grow."
*Interrogation consists of asking a question of oneself, to give
greater emphasis to what is expressed. It is different from
communication, since it gives the answer and is of a logical and not a
plaintive nature. For example: "If they have already murdered the
members of my family, my friends, my peasant brothers, do I have any
path other than brandishing a weapon?"
*Reticence consists of leaving a thought incomplete, intentionally, so
that mentally the audience completes it. For example, "They promised
political pluralism and gave totalitarianism. They promised social
justice, and they have increased poverty. They offered freedom of
thought, and they have given censorship. Now, what they promise the
world are free elections . . ."
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