The art of analyzing intelligence really isn’t an “art” at all. It’s a calculated process not based on “gut feelings” or hairs standing on the back of your neck. Professional analysts consume a lot of information from many sources before they can make educated estimates about domestic and global events.
Each bit of information forms another piece of a puzzle that you must piece together in order to produce an accurate analysis of future events or potential events. This isn’t fortune-telling; it’s calculated analysis of available information that allows you form of a picture of what can happen if the available data is extrapolated out to logical conclusions.
To get started:
1) Consume a lot of information on a daily basis;
2) Read more than just what you’re “comfortable” with (for instance, the Washington Post may hate Donald Trump so it’s political coverage is biased, but its national security reporting is actually pretty good and generally accurate);
3) Gather data and information from lots of sources, including foreign sources.
The age of the Internet has made all this easier – and more difficult – to help you analyze current events. I know that sounds contradictory, so let me explain. (RELATED: As The Financial Collapse Approaches, Should You Go All-In On Gold And Silver?)
With the Internet, people now have access to massive streams of information previously unavailable to them simply because they could not physically possess it. For instance, before the advent of the modern commercial Internet, it was virtually impossible to read a newspaper report from media in Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Russia, Europe or South America unless you were a subscriber. Now, with the Internet, you can access information from any news source that publishes online (and nearly all of them do).
But that is part of the problem: Too much information is available. There are literally millions of new news reports being published online daily, and that number only increases every month as new sites go online. That presents a problem in and of itself – information overload.
Because of the overload, it then becomes necessary to hone in on specific topics of interest – proliferation of nuclear weapons; the global economy (banking, currency, trade); current events; political unrest, etc. — while winnowing down the number of news sources you check daily to those that have proven, over time, to frequently provide the most reliable information. (Become an “expert” on a topic, and challenge your fellow preppers who are also concerned about the future to do the same thing, each picking a different subject of course.)
In this way, you can begin to control the flow of data you are consuming, trust that it’s accurate, and thus give you quality information to dissect and analyze it for clues, trends, and key data.
Consider this: Recently, a piece for The National Sentinel, which I edit, concluded by analyzing open-source material that the United States was not only preparing a preemptive strike against North Korea at some point in the future, but that the strike would likely include one of four Ohio-class cruise missile-carrying submarines. That’s a key combat capability; these vessels are super-stealthy and can shower pre-selected targets with 154 satellite-guided Tomahawk cruise missiles of the type used to flatten an airbase in Syria recently.
The report noted a couple of things to reach that conclusion:
A news report in Pravda.ru, specifically mentioned that an Ohio-class missile sub had been dispatched to waters off the Korean peninsula, along with the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier group. The report even mentioned the sub’s complement of 154 Tomahawks.
That in and of itself isn’t proof of anything, because obviously, it’s a Russian media source and the 154 missile figure is not classified; even the U.S. Navy publishes the figure.
But there’s more. The National Interest magazine notes that these subs are among America’s most lethal – because they’re heavily armed, and because they are virtually undetectable. Also – and this is key – during a recent interview with Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo, President Donald J. Trump was asked specifically about what he planned to do about North Korea. Characteristically, Trump refused to specify anything, but he did say this:
“We are sending an armada…very powerful. We have submarines…very powerful…far more powerful than the aircraft carrier, that I can tell you.”
Of all the ships in an aircraft carrier battle group, why did the president single out “submarines,” even stating they are “far more powerful” than the carrier, which has about 100 attack planes?
Interesting indeed.
By combining these bits of information, an analyst may reasonably conclude that an Ohio-class submarine carrying Tomahawk cruise missiles is part of the “armada” Trump ordered to Korean waters. Why is that noteworthy? Because aircraft carrier battle groups are most commonly accompanied by a Los Angeles Class attack submarine, which is designed to defend the fleet against other subs.
In addition, other warships in the battle group – destroyers and cruisers, specifically – carry Tomahawks. Aren’t they “very powerful” too? It was just an odd reference, which made it stand out.
The same technique can be used to piece together a coming financial collapse, to understand how the government would respond to widespread social unrest and rioting, and a variety of other social and political conditions. Being able to properly analyze the information before you will no doubt help you to conclude, before others, that something big is about to take place.
And knowledge is power. Getting a jump on things gives you more time to get to a bugout location, stock up on key prepping gear, and warn other friends and relatives that “something” is coming down the pike. (RELATED: 12 lessons for surviving war after a financial collapse)
In the meantime, pick an area of interest and start surfing the ‘Net to find news sources that you can rely upon to give you good information before others publish it. Practice taking what you learn over the course of, say, a week or two, and see if you can project with accuracy a few potential scenarios before they occur. The more experience you have in analyzing “intelligence,” the better you’ll be at correctly predicting the future.
Learning analytical skills will eventually come in very handy.
J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.
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