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Because your crystal ball ain’t so crystal clear…. (posted 1 July 2008)
There’s been a fair amount of notice of a recently discussed 1944 OSS manual on techniques of sabotage, intended for training potential saboteurs within the Axis countries on industrial and bureaucratic goldbricking and sabotage. Cory Doctorow suggests that the list of sabotage tactics reminds him of the practices of an average 2008 manager
. No doubt true; for myself, though, I must say that the first thing that comes to mind for me is the experience of trying to talk with, or simply in the same comments thread as, anti-feminist trolls on the Internet — for a recent illustrative example, see my discussion with Jerry
at Brad DeLong’s blog. Those who have enjoyed this special kind of experience ought to take note of points (2) and (6), and especially (4) and (7).
Insist on doing everything through
channels.Never permit short-cuts to be taken in order to expedite decisions.Make
speeches.Talk as frequently as possible and at great length. Illustrate yourpointsby long anecdotes and accounts of personal experiences. Never hesitate to make a few appropriatepatrioticcomments.When possible, refer all matters to committees, for
further study and consideration.Attempt to make the committees as large as possible — never less than five.Bring up irrelevant issues as frequently as possible.
Haggle over precise wordings of communications, minutes, resolutions.
Refer back to matters decided upon at the last meeting and attempt to re-open the question of the advisability of that decision.
Advocate
caution.Bereasonableand urge your fellow-conferees to bereasonableand avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on.Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon.
Jeremy replied:
It can’t surprise you that #5 stands out to me. :-) But I never would have applied these ideas to online conversations if you hadn’t suggested it. Makes a lot of sense - there’s a lot that these techniques can do to degrade both formal and informal groups.
Brad Spangler replied:
Methinks I detect a certain resemblance to the internal goings on of all political parties…
LadyVetinari replied:
Forget political parties—you could apply this to any organization, political or not.