Sam Cooper

In a recent episode of The Shawn Ryan Show, former Navy intelligence specialist Chase Hughes laid out what a psychological operation really is — and how to recognize one. He describes a psyop as a narrative-driven effort to control perception in order to shape behaviour, with the ultimate goal being identity change: getting a population to see themselves as a certain kind of person (“people like us believe X, support Y, reject Z”) and then act accordingly. His FATE model — Focus, Authority, Tribe, Emotion — shows how attention-grabbing stories, trusted voices, tribal identity and fear-driven messaging can be woven together into a sustained campaign.

In this conversation with Jason James, I explain why I’ve come to believe that Canada’s last federal election carries many of the hallmarks of a successful political psyop. Mark Carney’s Liberals didn’t just win on policy; they won by persuading a critical mass of older voters that Donald Trump was determined to turn Canada into the “51st state.” That storyline — Canada as a besieged, decent nation in need of Liberal protection from an unhinged America — operated as an identity script, inviting voters to decide what “people like us” do at the ballot box.

If you want visible evidence of behaviour change, look at the “Elbows Up” slogan — a deliberate nod to old-time Canadian hockey players like Gordie Howe, meant to trigger memories of hard-fought victories in Canada’s national game among an aging voter base. We saw Canadian actor Mike Myers seated rinkside with Mark Carney in hockey jerseys, talking through these themes, then later throwing his elbow in the air during a Saturday Night Live cast gathering. After that bombardment of imagery and messaging through the campaign, rallies ended with crowds literally jutting their elbows into the air in awkward, almost chicken-like poses — physically acting out the identity they were being sold.

As I tell Jason, we also know from government election-threat disclosures that Chinese propaganda was pushing a parallel line, promoting Carney as the preferred champion to stand up to Trump. And I worry that this campaign hasn’t ended. Carney is now trying to convince Conservative MPs to “cross the floor” so he can secure a majority without going back to voters. I argue that would be dangerous, especially as his government promises deeper ties with Beijing as a “strategic partner” — at the very moment the United States and Japan are drawing closer militarily and politically in response to China’s growing threats against Taiwan.

All over the world, mouths were dropping and eyeballs were popping.  Bill Gates has changed his approach to the climate change issue.

This week Gates flipped a switch from funding climate change initiatives, to urging the world’s decision makers to put their attention and their funding towards issues such as fighting poverty and illness.:

Click here to read what Bill Gates said in his own words:

Bill Gates’ is no climate scientist but his about face has brought the issue to the forefront.  This could lead to a breakthrough in the way average people approach climate change.

For decades we’ve been told “the science is settled”.  Serious scientists don’t make such claims, but the statement has halted millions of conversations that might otherwise have informed.  That was the intezntion.

Now that the issue has been opened, it’s a great time to take in this recent interview from the Joe Rogan Experience.

If you have anxiety over climate change or if you know young people who are overwhelmed by concern, this is a must see.  If you’re simply someone who simply appreciates the pursuit of knowledge and you’ve never heard from Dr’s Linzen or Happer before, you will be amazed at this conversation.

From the Joe Rogan Experience

Richard Lindzen, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. William Happer, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Physics at Princeton University. Doctors Lindzen and Happer are recognized for questioning prevailing assumptions about climate change and energy policy.