Fifth generation warfare has been called a system of war wherein the mind is the battlespace. An ominous description for a dangerous reality. Fourth generation warfare saw the rise of the insurgent and decentralized war, with civilians and combatants so closely intertwined that precision surpassed raw destructive power in importance. This made information become a key strategic resource: when not killing bystanders becomes harder than killing the enemy, easy cooperation and communication with the populace becomes crucial. This further elevates building infrastructure in the list of strategic priorities. Though more resource intensive than destroying it, building infrastructure purchases that vital support of the populace. This is where we transition from fourth to fifth generation warfare. In Fifth generation warfare, the battle lines get so convoluted that everyone is part ally and part enemy, the battle line shifts from distinguishing the unfriendly and the civilian to the friendly and unfriendly tendencies of the civilian. The goal shifts from killing the enemy to convincing them to give up, attack their allies, or change sides entirely. Fifth Generation warfare is a battle for the bystander's sanity. While the public's body is safer, its mind and the fidelity of the data it consumes are under constant attack. And without the resource intensiveness of previous conflicts, fifth generation warfare can last a terrifyingly long time.
There are also optimistic ways to frame fifth generation warfare. One is to say that if the support of the population is a strategic necessity, democracy is now the lowest form of social organization civilization can sustain. Although this is a serious positive for those of us who believe in democracy on its own merits, it does highlight one serious flaw in the democratic system: a government may be constrained by the will of the governed, but nothing stops it from altering the will of the governed. Chomsky's point about manufacturing consent is more relevant in an era of 5g war than ever.
In fact, if propaganda is the primary tool of both war and electioneering, peace and democracy may turn out to be irreconcilable. Democracy, like fifth generation warfare, has a great strength in that it allows changes in political leadership without much destruction of the infrastructure being contested. It is conceivable that in an age of universal democracy, many populations will knowingly elect dictators rather than deal with the constant, sanity-sapping warfare of a more dynamic democracy.
While their nonlethality does not make it pleasant to be targeted by the weapons of 5G warfare, there is one very significant positive outcome of this shift: long term, the winners of 5GW will be those who attract willing allies. While altering perception through deception is a hallmark of 5G warfare, maintaining a deceptive image is long-term more expensive than being genuinely the more attractive party. In that sense, the landscape of 5GW is analogous to an ecosystem, with memes battling for supremacy in place of genes. The winners will be those most desirable to compatible organisms.
Most of the confusion around the reality of this form of warfare can be cut through with the simple reminder that the winner is the one most people would want on their side. The most efficient way to achieve this is to combine practical activity with signaling. This is why I believe Aikido, properly adapted, has the potential to be massively important to any fifth generation warfare environment. When I say that I am an 'arms dealer for the culture war' this is what I refer to. I believe Aikido principles and philosophy are a natural fit for the realities of fifth generation warfare because they combine combat readiness with effective signaling.
I distinguish this adapted form from Morihei Ueshiba's school by calling it 'verbal Aiki'. I plan to further explore ideas around proactive nonviolence in the context of 5GW under that name. Stay tuned as we look at the future of warfare through this novel lens.
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