Unwitting Assets Classroom: What is Blowback?

Blowback is a concept where certain actions, particularly secretive ones, often lead to unintended and often negative outcomes.

In military and intelligence, it often means the repercussions of covert operations, like supporting groups that later turn hostile, such as the U.S. backing the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan, which contributed to al-Qaeda's rise.

In daily life, it could be a business's unethical practice backfiring with a public backlash, or how even petty gossip can damage an innocent person’s reputation.

Our actions can have ripple effects, sometimes far removed from their intent.

Blowback started as a CIA term in the 1950s, first noted in a report on the 1953 Iranian coup.

It seems more often cover-ups make things worse, as seen in Watergate, where Nixon's cover-up led to his resignation, not the initial break-in.

Unwitting Assets is produced as educational content for the public, to give US citizens a foundational course in the field of Intelligence, National Security, and Cognitive Warfare.

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