The Shadow War

Crisis, Control, and the Illusion of Conflict in a Fractured World

Introduction: A World Divided by CrisisIn the shadow of escalating global tensions, a disturbing question looms: Are wars and crises becoming tools of governance rather than accidents of history? The recent posturing between Russia and Europe, Britain’s military buildup. Ukraine and the silence on “peace negotiations” raise unsettling possibilities. When a Russian leader explicitly states, “We do not want a war with Europe,” yet European nations ramp up sanctions and military aid, it’s hard not to wonder: who truly benefits from chaos? As Naomi Klein wrote in The Shock Doctrine, “Disaster is the ultimate expression of the free market—shock to the system, a sudden, dramatic and unpredictable event.” Could a similar logic be at play in geopolitics today? Let’s explore how manufactured crises, psychological manipulation, and systemic decay might be shaping our world—and what we can do to reclaim it.

I. The Manufactured Crisis: Engineering Distrust

Modern governments operate in a world where crisis is not just a state but a strategy. The term “manufactured crisis” refers to the deliberate exaggeration or fabrication of problems to justify authoritarian measures. Consider the 2003 Iraq War, which hinged on fabricated “weapons of mass destruction,” or Britain’s 2016 EU referendum, fueled by fearmongering about immigration and economic collapse. These examples reveal a pattern: crises are often designed to erode civil liberties, centralize power, and distract the public from deeper issues.

Emergency Powers and the Erosion of DemocracyWhen governments declare a crisis, they gain emergency authority to override elections, restrict dissent, and bypass judicial oversight. For instance, the UK’s Emergency Laws Act 2022 empowered ministers to suspend parliamentary sittings for up to two months, a tool now wielded in response to “national security threats.” In Europe, the European Union’s Sudden Card (Article 127 of the Lisbon Treaty) allows banks to freeze citizens’ savings during emergencies. These powers, initially meant to protect, now threaten the very freedoms they claim to defend.

“When the State creates enemies to protect itself, it becomes the greatest enemy.” — Michel Foucault

II. The Psychology of Power: Narcissism, Fear, and the “Nasty System”

Behind every manufactured crisis is a leader. But what kind of person thrives in chaos? Organizational psychologists have identified two archetypes: narcissistic leaders and Seductive Operational Bullies (SOBs).

1. Narcissistic Leaders: These individuals feed on grandiosity and a need for control. They thrive in instability, seeing crises as opportunities to consolidate power. A 2018 study in The Journal of Politics found that narcissistic leaders are more likely to initiate escalatory policies to distract from personal scandals or governance failures. When a leader declares, “I alone can fix this crisis,” they’re not just offering a solution—they’re weaponizing vulnerability.

2. Seductive Operational Bullies (SOBs): These leaders charm the public with a façade of competence while fostering a culture of fear. They build empires of surveillance and punishment to crush dissent. As historian Timothy Snyder warns, “Totalitarianism is not imposed—it is invited.” SOBs exploit manufactured crises to create a “nasty system” where loyalty is purchased with stability and silence.

   
   

The Madman Strategy: Chaos as a WeaponThe “Madman Theory” — where leaders feign unpredictability to intimidate rivals — blurs the line between strategy and self-destruction. Consider Trump’s 2018 threat to “totally destroy” North Korea or Netanyahu’s inflammatory rhetoric toward Iran. While such tactics might secure short-term leverage, they erode trust and risk accidental conflict. As political scientist Thomas Schelling noted, “A madman is less predictable, and less trustworthy, and people don’t trust him even if he does what’s right.”

III. The Human Cost: Who Pays the Price?

In every war, it’s not the politicians who die, but the mothers and children. The Shock Doctrine reveals how regimes exploit war-torn societies to implement austerity, privatization, and surveillance. After the 2008 financial crisis, European governments used the “debacle” as an excuse to slash social programs and impose digital tracking. Similarly, the Ukraine conflict has been used to justify aggressive energy policies—pipelines, militarized borders, and resource grabs—that enrich a few while ordinary families face higher taxes and inflation.

“War is a chaos-producing machine… it’s how societies are reset.” — Naomi Klein

Why is peace not part of the conversation? Because peace would require accountability. It would demand an end to the endless cycle of crisis. It would mean asking questions like:

• Who profits from war bonds and arms deals?

• Why do European governments fund anti-Russia media campaigns rather than peace negotiations?

• Why are political elections postponed during crises, not held sooner?

  
  

IV. Disaster Politics: The Business of Fear

The term “disaster politics” describes a governing style where permanent crisis becomes the norm. Think of how the U.S. has normalized “tactical war zones” in the Middle East or how countries like Germany now hold war games in Ukraine and the Baltic states. These exercises frame neighbors as existential threats, making public fear both a symptom and a strategy.

The result is a population in a constant state of “omnishambles”—a term that captures the chaotic fusion of competence and incompetence. A frightened public, as philosopher Slavoj Žižek argues, is more likely to surrender critical thinking: “In a world of fake crises, the real crisis is our inability to imagine alternatives.”

V. Resistance and the Road to Peace

But what if people refused to play along? History shows that manufactured crises can be undone by grassroots resistance. The 1980s anti-nuclear movement ended the Cold War, and the 2011 Arab Spring toppled dictatorships built on crisis narratives.

1. Demand Transparency Ask your leaders: Why no peace talks? What is the endgame? If they can’t answer, that’s their first warning.

2. Protect Democratic Institutions Emergency powers must be time-limited and voted on annually. No leader should unilaterally declare a “permanent state of war.”

3. Reject Propaganda Support independent media. Question why certain voices are amplified (e.g., hawkish officials) and others silenced (e.g., peace advocates).

4. Build Alternatives Invest in community solidarity, not fear. The Belarusian anti-war protests of 2022 and the Ukrainian draft-resistance movements are reminders that people can challenge state narratives.

The Cost of Inaction

The stakes are clear. If we accept war, emergency governance, and psychological manipulation as normal, we become complicit in a system that thrives on our fear. But as citizens, we hold the power to demand peace, democracy, and accountability.

Let’s close with the words of activist David Graeber: “We live in a world where power is always trying to become more violent, more extractive, more dehumanizing. The only hope is for people to remember they are not alone.” The next time a leader warns of an impending crisis, ask: Is this real, or is it a performance? And if it’s the latter, remember: The audience holds the curtain open.