That was never true or there would never have been any effective spies on either side and the whole rigmarole of dead drops, etc., would never have developed (most of which is obsolete today.
The actual "Moscow Rules" (the short version) are:
Assume nothing. (This one is obvious.)
Never go against your gut. (Also obvious.)
Everyone is potentially under opposition control. (I learned this version early on as a kid the first time I read the phrase: "Trust no one." The trick is to be able to use those who are under opposition control.)
Do not look back; you are never completely alone. (This is simply not true. The true mastery is to know when you are and when you are not - and how to operate under either condition.)
Go with the flow, blend in. (Standard "Gray Man" theory. Originated with the ninjas - who never worse those black Kabuki theater stage hand uniforms.)
Vary your pattern and stay within your cover. (Better to not have a cover except for specific operations.)
Lull them into a sense of complacency. (Straight out of Sun Tsu.)
Do not harass the opposition. (If by "harassment" they mean pointless action, correct. And evading the opposition is more important. But operations must still be conducted against the opposition when necessary.)
Pick the time and place for action. (Also obvious.)
Keep your options open. (Also obvious.)
Most of these rules still have some place, but they're far too general to be useful. There are longer lists of "rules", as well, some more detailed.
I prefer Dick Marcinko's "rules":
The first rule of SpecWar is never assume. Never assume your enemy isn’t waiting to blow your ass away. I never assumed anything. I always planned my tactics as if everything would go wrong. Why? Because things always go wrong. Mr. Murphy is always going to come along for the ride. Rule One: Never assume. You will see this material again.
The second rule of SpecWar is: Never give a sucker an even break. That translates to keeping your opponents off guard, never allowing them to get ahead of you, either physically, mentally, or tactically. As the CO of SEAL Team Two, and later as CO of SEAL Team Six, I used whatever it took to get my way: threats, intimidation, booze, blackmail, whatever. I took Rule Two to heart. I used it against my enemies in the field, and against the Navy system, when it got in my way. I have often been accused of not playing fair. I plead guilty. What’s your point? I always thought the saying went, “All’s fair in love and war.”
Which leads me to the most important rule of Spec War: Win. Do whatever it takes, but win. When Roy Boehm, the true godfather of all SEALs, conceived, designed, and selected the original unit back in the sixties, the crusty, froggish ex-boatswain’s mate begged, borrowed, and stole whatever he had to, to make sure his men were properly equipped and ready for war. The system worked against Roy—so he went around it. On occasion, he went directly through it—leaving shattered bodies when he thought it necessary.
There is, incidentally, one final rule of unconventional warfare. It is that there are no rules.
I admire and applaud your courage to speak plainly (and eloquently) about the things that raise your hackles. You are one the greatest (IMNSHO) barflies at MoA (right up there with debsisdead and Karlof1) and won’t be a bit surprised if b hoists one of your posts ( if he hasn’t already) for deeper analysis/ discussion. I’ve been lurking there (also at the Saker and NakedCap) for a decade or more and will often wade through all of the comments- not every post but often too many 🫤. Which gives me the excuse to refrain from commenting. Your decision to launch this Substack feed is inspirational and a fair challenge for me to speak my mind - in print. Writing has always been a tooth pulling process for me. Well I ain’t getting any younger- 67 and still counting (praise Jah) so it seems like it’s time to shit or get off the pot. Thanks for your efforts and caring and go well sir.
That was never true or there would never have been any effective spies on either side and the whole rigmarole of dead drops, etc., would never have developed (most of which is obsolete today.
The actual "Moscow Rules" (the short version) are:
Assume nothing. (This one is obvious.)
Never go against your gut. (Also obvious.)
Everyone is potentially under opposition control. (I learned this version early on as a kid the first time I read the phrase: "Trust no one." The trick is to be able to use those who are under opposition control.)
Do not look back; you are never completely alone. (This is simply not true. The true mastery is to know when you are and when you are not - and how to operate under either condition.)
Go with the flow, blend in. (Standard "Gray Man" theory. Originated with the ninjas - who never worse those black Kabuki theater stage hand uniforms.)
Vary your pattern and stay within your cover. (Better to not have a cover except for specific operations.)
Lull them into a sense of complacency. (Straight out of Sun Tsu.)
Do not harass the opposition. (If by "harassment" they mean pointless action, correct. And evading the opposition is more important. But operations must still be conducted against the opposition when necessary.)
Pick the time and place for action. (Also obvious.)
Keep your options open. (Also obvious.)
Most of these rules still have some place, but they're far too general to be useful. There are longer lists of "rules", as well, some more detailed.
I prefer Dick Marcinko's "rules":
The first rule of SpecWar is never assume. Never assume your enemy isn’t waiting to blow your ass away. I never assumed anything. I always planned my tactics as if everything would go wrong. Why? Because things always go wrong. Mr. Murphy is always going to come along for the ride. Rule One: Never assume. You will see this material again.
The second rule of SpecWar is: Never give a sucker an even break. That translates to keeping your opponents off guard, never allowing them to get ahead of you, either physically, mentally, or tactically. As the CO of SEAL Team Two, and later as CO of SEAL Team Six, I used whatever it took to get my way: threats, intimidation, booze, blackmail, whatever. I took Rule Two to heart. I used it against my enemies in the field, and against the Navy system, when it got in my way. I have often been accused of not playing fair. I plead guilty. What’s your point? I always thought the saying went, “All’s fair in love and war.”
Which leads me to the most important rule of Spec War: Win. Do whatever it takes, but win. When Roy Boehm, the true godfather of all SEALs, conceived, designed, and selected the original unit back in the sixties, the crusty, froggish ex-boatswain’s mate begged, borrowed, and stole whatever he had to, to make sure his men were properly equipped and ready for war. The system worked against Roy—so he went around it. On occasion, he went directly through it—leaving shattered bodies when he thought it necessary.
There is, incidentally, one final rule of unconventional warfare. It is that there are no rules.
I admire and applaud your courage to speak plainly (and eloquently) about the things that raise your hackles. You are one the greatest (IMNSHO) barflies at MoA (right up there with debsisdead and Karlof1) and won’t be a bit surprised if b hoists one of your posts ( if he hasn’t already) for deeper analysis/ discussion. I’ve been lurking there (also at the Saker and NakedCap) for a decade or more and will often wade through all of the comments- not every post but often too many 🫤. Which gives me the excuse to refrain from commenting. Your decision to launch this Substack feed is inspirational and a fair challenge for me to speak my mind - in print. Writing has always been a tooth pulling process for me. Well I ain’t getting any younger- 67 and still counting (praise Jah) so it seems like it’s time to shit or get off the pot. Thanks for your efforts and caring and go well sir.
Thanks for your encouraging words - The more I write the easier it gets 😬