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Sub-bucket 2.1: Evolution of Psyops ("Push" vs. "Pull" Models)

The psychological operations pillar of the Minimisation Plan has evolved from a traditional propaganda "push" model to a more insidious "pull" model. This represents a significant shift in the cost-benefit analysis of information warfare. A "push" model, such as maintaining a global state broadcaster like RT (formerly Russia Today), incurs massive and continuous operational costs, with annual budgets historically reaching hundreds of millions of dollars, while the content is easily identifiable as state propaganda [1]. In contrast, a "pull" model is far more cost-effective. It leverages automated systems and coordinated human operators, like those in the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency (IRA), to amplify pre-existing organic content. This tactic requires a fraction of the investment while offering the immense strategic advantage of plausible deniability. The IRA, for example, was documented creating thousands of fake social media personas posing as real Americans to infiltrate and manipulate online communities, a tactic whose primary cost is labor, not global infrastructure [2, 3]. The sponsoring state is not the author of the core narrative, merely a hidden amplifier, making direct attribution difficult. A key systemic impact of this model is its exploitation of social media algorithms, which are often designed to promote engagement and emotional reactions, creating an environment where divisive and conspiratorial content can spread organically far faster than centrally pushed state narratives [4].

Sub-bucket 2.2: Weaponized Conspiracy Theories (9/11 Truth, NWO, QAnon, and Analogues)

The alliance has cultivated and weaponized a series of anomalous conspiracy theories, which function as a low-cost, high-impact tool for generating societal disruption and institutional distrust within Western nations. This tactic of 'ideological outsourcing' has progressed through distinct phases.

Phase 1 (2001–2011): Seeding Distrust via the 9/11 Truth Movement. The aftermath of the September 11 attacks saw the emergence of the 9/11 Truth movement, an organic Western phenomenon that normalized mass public skepticism of official US government narratives on an unprecedented scale. The movement's core claim—that the attacks were an "inside job"—directly attacked the credibility of the state. Russian state media, particularly the newly established RT, recognized the strategic value of this movement and began to systematically amplify its arguments. For example, RT repeatedly gave airtime to figures like Richard Gage of "Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth" and featured documentaries like "9/11: A Conspiracy Theory," which promoted claims of a controlled demolition. The strategic intent was not to prove a specific theory, but to achieve the systemic impact of eroding the foundational trust between Western citizens and their governments, creating a permanent state of suspicion that could be exploited in future campaigns [5, 6, 7].

Phase 2 (2008–2016): Co-opting Anti-Globalism via the "New World Order" (NWO) Narrative. Following the 2008 financial crisis, the alliance co-opted the long-standing NWO conspiracy theory, which posits that a secretive cabal of global elites seeks to establish a totalitarian one-world government. This narrative dovetailed perfectly with the Sino-Russian geopolitical objective of promoting a "multipolar world." Editorials in state-controlled outlets like Russia's Sputnik and China's Global Times consistently framed the post-crisis instability as a failure of the "unipolar," US-led "hegemony," while presenting their own push for a multipolar order as a defense of national sovereignty. This effectively reframed the state-level anti-hegemonic agenda as a grassroots struggle for national sovereignty against a corrupt "globalist elite". This narrative has a direct ideological link to the Sovereign Citizen movement, which has a documented presence in Australia [8, 9, 10].

Phase 3 (2017–2021): Perfecting Decentralized Warfare via QAnon. The QAnon phenomenon represented the maturation of the "pull" model. Its narrative of a "deep state" cabal of satanic pedophiles being secretly fought by a patriotic leader was a fantastical but direct reflection of the alliance's overt propaganda against the "Western elite". The "gamified" nature of the narrative, which required followers to "decode" cryptic "drops," fostered extreme engagement and radicalization with minimal need for direct state control. Russian and Chinese state-backed actors were observed actively amplifying QAnon content. A 2021 report by the Soufan Center noted that Russian, Chinese, and Iranian state-backed media campaigns all worked to amplify QAnon narratives, particularly those that alleged widespread corruption and child trafficking among US political figures, recognizing its power to sow chaos, delegitimize democratic processes, and accelerate the erosion of trust in core institutions [11, 12, 13].

Sub-bucket 2.3: Tracing the Pattern - Analogous Minimiser-Pushed Narratives

A curious investigation into other prominent conspiracy theories reveals the same tactical signature employed by Minimiser actors, demonstrating a consistent pattern of exploiting and amplifying any narrative that erodes Western social cohesion and trust in scientific or governmental institutions. The common thread is the use of a deceptive "Bait" and "Cover" to mask the "True Intent" of undermining a 'greater good' policy or institution.

• Anti-Vaccine Narratives: The tactical playbook used with QAnon was mirrored in the amplification of anti-vaccine sentiment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The Bait: Legitimate questions about vaccine side effects and mandates.
  • The Cover: The narrative was framed as a defense of "medical freedom" and "bodily autonomy" against a tyrannical government.
  • The True Intent: Russian and Chinese state media were documented pushing stories that exaggerated the side effects of Western-made vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna) while simultaneously promoting their own (Sputnik V, Sinovac). The strategic goal was to undermine public health institutions, create division over lockdown policies, and portray Western governments as incompetent or malicious—a direct alignment with the Minimisation Plan's goal of creating chaos [14].
• Climate Change Denialism: The "deep state" framework popularized by QAnon is a core component of modern climate change denialism.
  • The Bait: The economic cost of transitioning away from fossil fuels.
  • The Cover: The narrative is framed as a defense of economic prosperity and national sovereignty against a "globalist elite" (a direct echo of the NWO narrative) who want to impose taxes and control populations.
  • The True Intent: This tactic benefits Minimiser actors like Russia, a petrostate whose economy depends on fossil fuels, by delaying a global transition to renewable energy. It serves the Minimisation Plan's objective of creating a "hum"—a disproportionate and illogical political backlash against the 'greater good' policy of climate action [15].
• The "Great Replacement" Theory: This white nationalist conspiracy theory exhibits a nearly identical tactical structure.
  • The Bait: Legitimate societal anxieties about immigration and demographic change.
  • The Cover: The narrative is framed as a defense of national culture, identity, and security against uncontrolled immigration.
  • The True Intent: The theory alleges a deliberate plot by a cabal of "globalist elites" (often with antisemitic undertones) to replace the white populations of Western countries with non-white immigrants. This narrative is heavily promoted by Minimiser-aligned far-right actors and amplified by Russian state media to foment racial and ethnic conflict, weaken social cohesion, and generate violent extremist movements within Western nations, directly serving the Minimisation Plan's objective of internal destabilisation [16].

Sub-bucket 2.4: The Self-Fulfilling Pretext - The "Denazification" Gambit

A more advanced Minimiser tactic involves the creation of a pretext that is designed to become "justifiable in hindsight." The actor makes a false claim to justify an aggressive action, and then the chaos and consequences of that action work to retroactively create "evidence" that seems to support the initial lie. This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy that is highly effective at manipulating both domestic and international opinion.

The Kremlin's "denazification" casus belli for the 2022 invasion of Ukraine is the primary case study for this tactic.

• The Initial Lie (The Pretext): In his February 24, 2022, address, Vladimir Putin cited the need to "demilitarize and denazify Ukraine" as a core justification for the invasion, painting the Ukrainian government as a neo-Nazi junta committing genocide against Russian speakers [19]. This narrative was based on a gross exaggeration of the role of far-right elements in Ukraine, such as the Azov Regiment, which, while having a documented far-right history, constituted a tiny fraction of the Ukrainian military and society [20].
• The Action: Russia launches a full-scale invasion.
• The "Justification in Hindsight" (The Consequence): The brutal nature of the invasion and the existential threat it posed to Ukrainian national identity had the effect of radicalizing elements of the population and elevating the status of the most battle-hardened military units, including Azov. Western support for Ukraine was then framed by Russian state media as the West "arming Nazis." The war itself created the conditions of extreme nationalism and militarization that Russia then pointed to as "proof" of its original claim. The strategic intent is to bog down Western discourse in a debilitating debate about the "true nature" of the Ukrainian state, diverting attention from the primary act of aggression and providing a powerful justification for the war to Russia's domestic audience. This tactic serves the systemic goal of creating a "hum" of confusion and moral ambiguity, paralyzing a unified Western response.

This pattern is visible in other theatres. In Australia, a recurring Minimiser-aligned tactic is to brand the Australian Greens as "extremists." When the Greens then react with passionate opposition to policies they see as existentially threatening (like new coal mines), that passionate response is then used by their opponents as "proof" of their "extremism," creating a self-fulfilling loop that justifies their political marginalization [21].

The sovereign citizen movement, a decentralized anti-government phenomenon, serves as a potent example of the "pull" model of information warfare. Its ideological core is the belief that the modern U.S. federal government is an illegitimate corporation, often based on pseudo-legal arguments like the "strawman theory," which claims that a person's birth certificate creates a separate legal entity that the government uses to control the "flesh-and-blood" individual [17]. This belief system is highly compatible with QAnon's "deep state" narrative, with significant documented overlap between the two movements' adherents and rhetoric [18].

Works Cited

1. "RT (TV network)." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, last modified August 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RT_(TV_network).
2. "Internet Research Agency." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, last modified August 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Research_Agency.
3. Mueller, Robert S. "Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 U.S. Presidential Election." U.S. Department of Justice, 2019, https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf.
4. "The Russian Disinformation Threat: Strategic Goals and Overarching Themes." Kettering Foundation, https://kettering.org/the-russian-disinformation-threat-strategic-goals-and-overarching-themes/.
5. "9/11 conspiracy theories." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, last modified July 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9/11_conspiracy_theories.
6. "9/11 truth movement." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, last modified August 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9/11_truth_movement.
7. "How Russian propaganda is trying to influence the U.S. election." PBS NewsHour, 28 Sept. 2017, https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-russian-propaganda-is-trying-to-influence-the-u-s-election.
8. "New World Order conspiracy theory." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, last modified August 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_Order_conspiracy_theory.
9. "Right-wing antiglobalism." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, last modified June 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-wing_antiglobalism.
10. "Sino-Russian Convergence in Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference." Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), https://cepa.org/comprehensive-reports/sino-russian-convergence-in-foreign-information-manipulation-and-interference/.
11. "QAnon." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, last modified September 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QAnon.
12. "A Year of Disinformation: Russia and China's Influence Campaigns During the War in Ukraine." Alliance For Securing Democracy, https://securingdemocracy.gmfus.org/a-year-of-disinformation-russia-and-chinas-influence-campaigns-during-the-war-in-ukraine/.
13. "The Nexus Between QAnon and Hostile State Actors." The Soufan Center, April 2021, https://thesoufancenter.org/intelbrief-2021-april-20/.
14. "Weaponized Health Communication: A Framework for Analysis of Disinformation Campaigns." Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/publications/weaponized-health-communication-a-framework-for-analysis-of-disinformation-campaigns.
15. "Discourses of Climate Delay." Cambridge University Press, 2020, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/global-sustainability/article/discourses-of-climate-delay/7B11B722E3E3454BB6212378E32985A7.
16. "Great Replacement." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, last modified September 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Replacement.
17. "Sovereign citizen movement." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, last modified August 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_citizen_movement.
18. "Sovereign Citizens and QAnon: The Increasing Overlaps with a Focus on Child Protective Service (CPS) Cases." ResearchGate, May 2023, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371069352_Sovereign_Citizens_and_QAnon_The_Increasing_Overlaps_with_a_Focus_on_Child_Protective_Service_CPS_Cases.
19. "Address by the President of the Russian Federation." The Kremlin, 24 Feb. 2022, http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/67843.
20. "Azov Regiment." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, last modified September 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azov_Regiment.
21. "We "destroyed" Greens: Megamillionaire disinformation group "Advance"." The Klaxon, 28 May 2025, https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.theklaxon.com.au/we-destroyed-greens-mega-millionaire-disinformation-group-advance/.