This book contains some fascinating points.
Chapter 2 is entitled "deception and self-deception," and discusses at some length the WWII Allied disinformation campaign code-named "Operation Fortitude." General George Patton, highly respected by the Germans but in the doghouse over having slapped two shellshocked GIs at a field hospital in Italy, was put "in charge" of a huge--but entirely ficticious--First United States Army Group "poised" to assault Pas de Calais.It is a familiar story to many, but one from which Professor Mylroie has a little-noticed moral. She points out that Operation Fortitude was not discontinued on D-Day but was kept going at full tilt long afterwards. The Germans, having been convinced of the existence of that force and having made decisions of the basis of that "knowledge," actually acquired a vested interest in that "certainty."
For another five weeks, until mid-July, Hitler still expected the main Allied force to arrive at Pas de Calais, and therefore held back crucial forces . . .. . . CIA training includes training in practicing as well as defending against deception. In addition to learning the history of military deception, intelligence analysts learn to be aware of their own prior assumptions by matching wits with a professional magician--who invariably proves to students that they too can indeed be fooled.The author's point in this was that the CIA and the State Dept. were by 2001 committed to the "white man in a white van" template for terrorism as opposed to having an open mind about state sponsorship of terrorism. But I mention it in this thread because of its explanatory power in conjunction with my dictum that "Belief in your own objectivity is the essence of subjectivity." That is, journalists who are superficial enough to believe in their own objectivity and are constantly committing their "objective" opinions to print are prime candidates for putting themselves in a bind where the facts don't fit their prejudgements--and then deciding that the facts and not their opinions are what must give way.In real life, of course, deception plays out diffferently than it does in a magic show. Instead of a momment of "aha!" there is a gradual recognition of a disturbing possibilty. And instead of the rueful appreciation of the well-executed trick, there is the unpleasant sensation of having been made a dupe.
People's egos and career concerns almaost inevitably come into play, and those who have been duped resist admittingh it as long as possible--and sometimes longer . . .
So the deceiver quickly finds an unlikely ally in the deceived. At a certain point--once sef-deception has kicked in--the effort of concealment becomes almost superfluous.
See also http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/954564/posts.
I get your point.