The murky intelligence world has more echoes and shadows than any other walk of life. Rising in popularity within this world is private intelligence. After the Trump win in the United States, a rapid escalation of disinformation over social media has left heads spinning. This, along with triumphalism, intimidation, and outright thuggery, shores up the first major gain for the Trump organization (aka. org) in years.
Grass roots MAGA Americans are just not fit to act as a sole surrogate network, enabling Trump’s ability to subvert the American constitution for his rich friends under a fascist agenda. So who else is helping his org? I have written previously of the Russian-led transnational group who are looking to replace democracy with authoritarianism. The Trump org, by its behavior, is a strand of this powerful group. Are intelligence agencies involved?
Private Intelligence strikes a win for The Fascist Agenda
Russia’s GRU and SVR are inherent drivers for this transnational organization, and are keepers of the operational side of its global network. Despite their lack of actual intelligence, these agencies compensate with cold war trickery, unwavering obedience to orders, and a brutal streak, which only leaves behind misery and death.
From Terror to Valor: Echoes and Shadows, available at your favorite digital bookstore
As Americans voted for Russia’s sock puppet in the White House, a vast alliance of avarice laced donors queue up to get in on the action. The expansionist fascist agenda cannot scale without them. They also cannot scale without private intelligence organizations integrating with their global organization to manage digital subversion, espionage operations, finance, tactical support, and political interference.
The handiwork of private intelligence organizations is already clear in the hidden billions of Russian Rubles, and the current compromising of the 4th estate (aka. Mass Media) in the West. It begs the question. What is private intelligence, and why is it so powerful?
Private intelligence, in a modern context, came to prominence in the United States after 911. The concept of foreign operations managed by a surrogate for-profit group that is free to interact with business and other parties was an attractive one. While the traditional intelligence agency mission of “observe and report” remained intact for many western intelligence agencies, private intelligence became a vastly more versatile vehicle.
Private intelligence agencies have many roots which precede 911. Switzerland is a long-standing hub with a mature private intelligence industry. Private investigations carried out from this industry are typically high end and integrate with many business and technology components.
Russia Rises From the Shadows
The most prolific venture of private intelligence started after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Putin’s Russia started a long-standing tradition of state criminality as he embraced private intelligence to support the stealing and embezzlement of funds to bank-roll large, non-state surrogate groups.
They provided the financial support for his new international strategy of using capable and loyal private intelligence networks, who can integrate with state intelligence organizations. Using shell companies and financial trickery by his most loyal associates, they saw these ventures prosper through criminality, with private intelligence operations at its heart.
Putin’s next strategic evolution was embracing digital subversion from c.2013. Russia then became a group leader in hybrid warfare operations. Established private intelligence networks merged into a truly international alliance of public and private bodies to become a coherent and functional unit.
Private Intelligence, Friend or Foe?
Much is unknown about this transnational alliance between Putin and his partners, but I can say is this. Russia thought outside-the-box after the collapse of the Soviet Union. They used what they had, and what they stole what was not theirs. They became Russia as we know it today, and bullied their way into pole position as a dominant threat to the free world. If the West was not busy celebrating its victories, could things have been different?
We cannot truly answer that question until we understand this transnational alliance. This includes what they comprise, what motivates them, and what they see in us by nation and by region? We can use such an exercise to understand where we went wrong with democracy, so we can learn from it.
Private intelligence is like technology. It is nothing more than a tool that we can use for good or evil. State intelligence agencies in the main protect the sovereign, who protects the people. Russia’s subversion by Putin and his people shows the power of for-profit intelligence.
Accepting this is a key point, especially when one considers the subversion of the United States via the Trump-Vance ticket. When we know better, we do better. This applies to the United States, and all democracies who stand in the way of authoritarian conquest.
About the Author
John is a versatile author known for his gripping fiction narratives in the thriller, action, and suspense genres. With a background as a journalist since 2016, and expertise in cloud technologies as an engineer; John brings a unique blend of storytelling prowess and technical acumen to his work.
