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Simple Sabotage Field Manual (1944) [pdf]

160 points by praptak

by HotGarbage

2 subcomments

A version for modern times: https://specificsuggestions.com/

by yowayb

2 subcomments

I worked at a now-defunct defense contractor with the typical inefficiencies of hyper-secrecy and government waste.
A friend once asked, "aren't you conflicted that you're helping kill people?"
At the time, that question put serious doubt in my head. But years after, I realized all the inefficiency slows the machine down. Combine this with negative public opinion, and you've got the perfect machine for creating work that results in busy-ness and reduces actual battlefield harm.
The stories from this place are fun.

by roadbuster

5 subcomments

> Forget to provide paper in toilets
The world's greatest spy agency at work.

by 0xTJ

1 subcomments

Be careful when you get down to "(11) General Interference with Organizations and Production", you might start thinking that your coworkers are CIA saboteurs.

by danielvaughn

1 subcomments

There's a bunch of really interesting declassified documents if you want to go down a historical rabbit hole. A long time ago I remember reading top secret messages that were sent back and forth between Kennedy and his military strategists in the days leading up to the Bay of Pigs. Feels like reading history from the source.

by Papazsazsa

0 subcomment

My buddy is republishing this manual here if you want a nice copy: https://www.alephic.com/sabotage

by ntcho

1 subcomments

I think this should be on HN hall of fame: https://hn.algolia.com/?q=sabotage+manual

by trolleski

0 subcomment

https://archive.org/details/simple-sabotage-field-menu

by diyseguy

0 subcomment

I feel like so many people I've worked with have read this and use it like a guide. I now sort of wonder if they were plants put there by competitors...

by eerikkivistik

0 subcomment

I once sent this as a reference to a government agency I was consulting, to illustrate to them, how they operated.

by bluedino

0 subcomment

The "Managers and Supervisors" section is like a reverse Joel test for many jobs.

by rolph

0 subcomment

i believe the ACB devoted a chapter to similar topics.
the cat has been out of the bag for some time, regarding what amounts to guerilla or grayman tactics.

by drkravitz

0 subcomment

Obligatory music video that should be playing during this topic:
https://youtu.be/z5rRZdiu1UE
R.I.P. MCA

by dang

0 subcomment

Related. Others?
Bureaucrat Mode - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41745750 - Oct 2024 (49 comments)
Simple sabotage for software (2023) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40695839 - June 2024 (75 comments)
Simple Sabotage Field Manual – How to Destroy Your Organizations - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36831946 - July 2023 (95 comments)
Simple Sabotage Field Manual (1944) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35448090 - April 2023 (129 comments)
Simple Sabotage Field Manual (1945) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32356038 - Aug 2022 (3 comments)
Simple Sabotage Field Manual by United States Office of Strategic Services - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31676964 - June 2022 (55 comments)
Simple Sabotage Field Manual - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31070624 - April 2022 (8 comments)
Excerpt from CIA's Simple Sabotage Field Manual (1944) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29597454 - Dec 2021 (209 comments)
1944 OSS Manual on How to Sabotage Productivity - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28507930 - Sept 2021 (5 comments)
Simple Sabotage Field Manual - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26293804 - Feb 2021 (1 comment)
CIA's Declassified 1941 Simple Sabotage Field Manual - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23316292 - May 2020 (1 comment)
Simple Sabotage Field Manual (1944) [pdf] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22322041 - Feb 2020 (89 comments)
Spotting Field Sabotage in Meetings (2011) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16045073 - Jan 2018 (36 comments)
Simple Sabotage Field Manual (1944) [pdf] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15109771 - Aug 2017 (32 comments)
The CIA’s 1944 Simple Sabotage Field Manual (2015) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12253276 - Aug 2016 (64 comments)
Updating classic workplace sabotage techniques - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11702267 - May 2016 (280 comments)
Simple Sabotage Field Manual (1944) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10493881 - Nov 2015 (68 comments)
Declassified CIA documents detail how to sabotage employers, annoy bosses - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10490804 - Nov 2015 (21 comments)
How to make sure nothing gets done at work - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10393485 - Oct 2015 (3 comments)
Simple Sabotage Field Manual (1944) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4831363 - Nov 2012 (67 comments)
From CIA: Timeless Tips for 'Simple Sabotage' - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4243649 - July 2012 (3 comments)
How We Beat the Nazis with Bureaucracy - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1398103 - June 2010 (22 comments)
WW2 "Simple Sabotage Field Manual" declassified [pdf] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=905750 - Oct 2009 (6 comments)
OSS (pre-CIA) Simple Sabotage Field Manual - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=833443 - Sept 2009 (29 comments)
(Reposts are fine after a year or so; links to past threads are just to satisfy extra-curious readers)

by FergusArgyll

0 subcomment

> Use the information as you see fit.

by mmaunder

1 subcomments

It’s as if our country has trained millions of our citizens in the art of harming others and destroying their communities and societies. And then gamified it for our kids and created entertainment that glorifies and celebrates it. We’re so fucked.

by sneak

0 subcomment

A reminder: ICE is on a hiring spree with little/no background checking.

by junglistguy

0 subcomment

[dead]

by johnea

12 subcomments

Sure, just go fetch the sabotage manual from cia.gov!
That absolutely will never ever get your IP on a watch list or anything 8-/