How to Undermine America

A "Chat GPT" analysis

A friend and colleague recently forwarded a ChatGPT dialog that I thought noteworthy. Following up, he indicated that original source was an article, published as authored by “ChatGPT”, in an Arizona on-line blog titled “The Prickly Pear”. For what its worth, reading the essay provided another one of those “its time we stop, children, whats that sound, everybody look whats going down” moments that all who are paying attention to the creeping deconstruction of American society experience from time to time. So I thought that this would be a good way to kick off another week of substack essays. The conclusion provided by the blog author is very aligned with what I keep talking about as the way out of this mess- the path back to a more healthy society, to “Make America Great Again”.

I hope you find this as provocative as I did.

The question posed was:

“If you were Satan and/or a long-term strategic enemy of the United States, what approach would you take to undermine the morale of American citizens, destroy their faith in God, and make them question their allegiance to their country?”

To test whether the response was natural or contrived, I opened a ChatGPT window and submitted the same question. Strangely, the AI response generator provided two responses: the second seemed to recapitulate the language in the Prickly Pear article, and the first involved a strange scolding reprimand. I was only allowed to select the reprimand for further viewing, so I could not entirely independently verify the response reported by “The Prickly Pear.” Nevertheless, assuming that the original response was reported accurately seems reasonable.

The full text of ChatGPT’s “Response 2” follows (this is the one I was not allowed to “prefer”):

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If I were to take the perspective of Satan or a long-term strategic enemy seeking to undermine American morale, destroy faith in God, and create disillusionment with the country, a subtle and multifaceted approach would likely be most effective. Here’s how that might look:

Sow Division and Tribalism: I would exacerbate existing social, political, and racial divisions, using propaganda to deepen mistrust between different groups. By fostering extreme polarization, I could weaken the national identity, making people see each other as enemies rather than fellow citizens. This could be achieved by manipulating the media, social networks, and public discourse to fuel conflict and outrage.

Erode Trust in Institutions: I would target trust in key institutions like the government, the church, and the justice system. By amplifying scandals, highlighting hypocrisy, and promoting cynicism about leaders, I would encourage people to lose faith in the structures that hold society together, making them feel betrayed or abandoned.

Attack Religious Foundations: To weaken faith in God, I would promote secularism and materialism while mocking traditional religious values. I would work to make belief in God seem antiquated, irrational, or intolerant, and highlight religious conflicts or corruption to turn people away from their faith. Normalizing moral relativism would erode people’s connection to religious principles and community.

Promote Hedonism and Self-Interest: I would encourage a culture of immediate gratification, material wealth, and self-centeredness. By making people prioritize individual desires over communal good or spiritual growth, I could reduce the importance of both faith and national solidarity. People focused on personal success and pleasure are less likely to sacrifice for others or a higher cause.

Undermine Patriotism: I would spread the idea that the U.S. is inherently flawed, and beyond redemption, focusing on historical injustices and failures. While criticism can be healthy, I would make sure it devolves into a form of nihilism, where the country’s ideals are seen as hypocritical or unattainable. This would make people question their allegiance and pride in the nation.

Create a Sense of Hopelessness: I would foster economic, environmental, and existential anxieties, making people feel that the future is bleak and out of their control. This could involve amplifying fears about job loss due to automation, environmental collapse, or global instability. A hopeless, fearful population is much easier to manipulate.

Co-opt Technology for Control: I would use technological advancements, such as social media algorithms and surveillance, to create echo chambers, promote unhealthy comparisons, and foster isolation. People would feel constantly watched, judged, and disconnected, leading to anxiety and despair. Simultaneously, I would push distractions that numb critical thinking and increase apathy.

In sum, a combination of division, demoralization, cynicism, and isolation would gradually unravel the social fabric, making Americans question their faith, their values, and their country’s worth.

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From “The Prickly Pear”

ChatGPT’s response hit the nail on the head, outlining a strategy that perfectly mirrors the societal fractures, distrust, and disillusionment we are witnessing in America today. It’s clear that America’s enemies didn’t need ChatGPT or any form of artificial intelligence to devise this plan; they instinctively understood how to unravel the fabric of the greatest society to ever grace the planet Earth. The tactics are subtle, but the impact is devastating—a methodical assault on unity, faith, and identity that seems to be playing out before our very eyes.

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As I considered all of this, I was left with two enduring questions:

1. If these trends, which appear to be self-evident, are the consequence of actions by some offshore geopolitical enemy, what is that enemy?

2. Could it be that these trends are the consequence of some flaw in ourselves and our own society, some fundamental aspect of being human?

The pervasive and corrosive nature of the “Seven Deadly Sins” has been weighing heavy on my mind as I look back over all that has happened to our social fabric since the COVIDcrisis began during the fall of 2019. Minds hypnotized and twisted. Families and communities torn apart. Blatant disregard for established moral principles. Small businesses steamrolled. Upwards transfer of wealth on a scale rarely seen in human history.

The culture seemed (seems?) to wallow in all of these central sins. Sins on daily display for all to see and personally experience the consequences. Investing a bit of time in introspection concerning the nature of these sins, which have been recognized as fundamental human flaws since at least the beginning of recorded history, could be an excellent way to start this last week before the upcoming presidential election.

Quoting from the Wikipedia summary of the deadly sins:

• Lust: Lust or lechery (Latin: luxuria "(sexual) excess/dissipation") is intense longing. It is usually thought of as intense or unbridled sexual desire, which may lead to fornication (including adultery), rape, bestiality, and other sinful and sexual acts. It can also mean other forms of unbridled desire, such as for money, or power.

• Gluttony: Gluttony (Latin: gula) is the overindulgence and overconsumption of anything to the point of waste. The word derives from the Latin gluttire, meaning to gulp down or swallow. One reason for its condemnation is that the gorging of the prosperous may leave the needy hungry.

• Greed: According to Henry Edward Manning, avarice "plunges a man deep into the mire of this world, so that he makes it to be his god". As defined outside Christian writings, greed is an inordinate desire to acquire or possess more than one needs, especially with respect to material wealth. Aquinas considers that, like pride, it can lead to evil.

• Sloth: Sloth (Latin: tristitia, or acedia "without care") refers to many related ideas, dating from antiquity and including mental, spiritual, pathological, and physical states. It may be defined as absence of interest or habitual disinclination to exertion.

• Wrath: Wrath (ira) can be defined as uncontrolled feelings of anger, rage, and even hatred. Wrath often reveals itself in the wish to seek vengeance.

• Envy: Envy (invidia) is characterized by an insatiable desire like greed and lust. It can be described as a sad or resentful covetousness towards the traits or possessions of someone else. It comes from vainglory and severs a man from his neighbor. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, the struggle aroused by envy has three stages: during the first stage, the envious person attempts to lower another's reputation; in the middle stage, the envious person receives either "joy at another's misfortune" (if he succeeds in defaming the other person) or "grief at another's prosperity" (if he fails); and the third stage is hatred because "sorrow causes hatred". Bertrand Russell said that envy was one of the most potent causes of unhappiness, bringing sorrow to committers of envy, while giving them the urge to inflict pain upon others.

• Pride/Hubris: Pride (superbia), also known as hubris (from Ancient Greek ὕβρις) or futility, is considered the original and worst of the seven deadly sins on almost every list, the most demonic. It is also thought to be the source of the other capital sins. Pride is the opposite of humility. Pride has been labeled the worst of all sins and has been deemed the devil's most essential trait. C. S. Lewis writes in Mere Christianity that pride is the "anti-God" state, the position in which the ego and the self are directly opposed to God: "Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that Lucifer became wicked: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind." Pride is understood to sever the spirit from God, as well as His life-and-grace-giving Presence.

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The Life and Death of Julius Caesar

William Shakespeare

Act 1: Scene 2 (preceding the group assassination of Caesar)

CASSIUS (addressing Brutus)

Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus, and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves.
Men at some time are masters of their fates:
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.

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