http://cache.io9.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/io9.com.png http://io9.com/tag/psyops http://io9.com/tag/psyops

For decades, militaries have weaponized Christmas songs, symbols, and sentimentality for psychological warfare and propaganda purposes. Here are some bizarre tales about ersatz Christmas cards during World War II, controversial Christmas trees, and decking the halls in the Colombian jungle. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5717113&view=rss&microfeed=true

Military psy ops aren't limited to leaflets, propaganda broadcasts, and Korean pop music. In the past, the US military has played on their opponent superstitions of vampires, ghosts, and astrology. Here are some strange examples. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5648472&view=rss&microfeed=true

Apparently troops in Iraq have invented an off-label use for sonic pain guns that can project a focused beam of sound at someone's head. Because the Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), pictured here, can deliver any sound at a distance, soldiers are using it to beam words directly into the ears of enemies. The idea is to make scared soldiers believe they are hearing the voice of a god — or that they're just going crazy. More about how to use this spooky-ass weapon after the jump. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=335058&view=rss&microfeed=true