World War III “on the precipice”: What you must know about Russia and China now

“The official explanation is a lie…”

So begins a report on the “covert war” underway between the U.S., China, and Russia. Natural News published the piece after a U.S. submarine launched a ballistic missile off the coast of California.

The author speculates its purpose was to give China a visceral reminder of America’s nuclear strength:

Nonsense.

China’s a nuclear power. Its ballistic missiles can hit the continental United States. Chinese officials understand the power of the U.S. nuclear arsenal… as well as their ability to retaliate in kind.

But that didn’t stop the author from concocting an elaborate doomsday scenario around the launch…

He writes a compelling, terrifying narrative: Recent naval brinkmanship in the South China Sea… Pentagon white papers on Chinese missile technology… sabotage… Taiwanese presidential conspiracy… space-based weapons platforms… electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapons capable of taking down the U.S. power grid… and more.

It even prompted a colleague to ask me if World War III was imminent…

  It’s not. But there is a war going on here—for your mind… and your dollars.

This war is waged on the pages of websites like Natural News, CNN, and yes, even Palm Beach Research Group. It’s fought not with bullets, but with “idea bombs”: persuasive, compelling stories that grab your attention, rile your emotions, and elicit a desired response. (In this case, the WWIII story is “going viral.” Stories like these now garner Natural News over 7 million visits each month.)

Now, we can’t blame Natural News for using marketing tactics proven to work…

We utilize similar copywriting techniques to attract new customers and sell our premium products. But we can critique the quality of the information provided. And here, Natural News’ fantasy war piece brings the value of their other content into question.

Bottom line: Wars, financial collapse, and doomsday scenarios all sell newspapers (and newsletter subscriptions). Don’t succumb to a cobbled list of questionable facts and unfounded conclusions when considering whom to trust with your time, ideas, and money.

If you want to understand the tactics the media—including many investment newsletters—use to prey on the unsuspecting, you may appreciate Mark’s seminal book on the topic: Persuasion: The Subtle Art of Getting What You Want. You’ll never fall victim to a disingenuous sales pitch again… and you’ll learn the best ways to convince others to see your point of view.