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The U.S. Institute of Peace Taught a Playbook for Creating Riots // Mike Benz
Mike Benz | Trusted Newsmaker
Rent-A-Riot: Inside the U.S. Institute of Peace’s Playbook
The transcript titled Rent-A-Riot Training Guide from the U.S. Institute of Peace explores the strategies, theories, and controversies surrounding U.S.-backed nonviolent movements. At first glance, these methods seem designed to encourage peaceful protests, but the deeper analysis reveals connections to government funding, covert operations, and geopolitical manipulation.
The Power of Nonviolent Movements
Maria Stephan, a figure associated with the U.S. Institute of Peace, emphasizes that nonviolent movements succeed because of the wide variety of tactics available. These methods allow people of different skill levels, abilities, and risk tolerances to participate. On paper, it’s a way of democratizing protest—making it accessible to everyone, from candlelight vigil attendees to frontline demonstrators willing to take significant risks.
The Gene Sharp Legacy
A central theme of the discussion is the influence of Dr. Gene Sharp, whose book The Politics of Nonviolent Action cataloged nearly 200 tactics for undermining governments without direct military coups. His work, partly funded by U.S. defense agencies, framed “nonviolent action” as an alternative to violent coups. While marketed as peaceful, these actions often involved riots, property destruction, and calculated disruption to destabilize governments.
Sharp’s tactics fall into three categories:
– Protest and persuasion (vigils, petitions, picketing)
– Noncooperation (strikes, boycotts, shutdowns)
– Intervention (direct disruption of state functions)
Color Revolutions and U.S. Strategy
The text reveals how nonviolent movements often blur the line between peaceful activism and state-sponsored destabilization. Movements framed as grassroots “color revolutions” are described as government-backed efforts to replace regimes without traditional military interventions. Instead of tanks, these campaigns use mass protests, economic strikes, and media amplification to create political crises.
Psychological Warfare Roots
The methods Stephan and others cite originated in the U.S. military’s psychological warfare programs. Funded by the Pentagon and other agencies, these strategies were designed not only to suppress insurgencies abroad but to manufacture uprisings where U.S. interests demanded regime change. In essence, nonviolent campaigns became another branch of counterinsurgency warfare—less bloody than outright coups but no less destabilizing.
Risk and Recruitment
A recurring point in the transcript is “risk tolerance.” Frontline activists, often marginalized individuals—whether by social status, criminal history, or ideology—are framed as the most willing to take high-risk actions such as clashes with police or acts of civil disobedience. The irony highlighted is that elite strategists and program directors rarely face consequences themselves; they orchestrate movements from safe positions while others absorb the legal and physical dangers.
From Symbolism to Strategy
Symbolic protests such as vigils or peaceful marches serve as entry points. They are designed to gain media attention and build international narratives of oppression. Once these movements are legitimized through symbolic acts, they escalate to disruptive, illegal actions that apply economic and political pressure. This step-by-step escalation mirrors the “scorpion’s tail” analogy—leading participants slowly until they accept higher-risk behavior as natural progression.
Historical Examples
The transcript connects these strategies to global events such as the Tibetan resistance, the 2008 Burma protests, and the Tiananmen Square demonstrations in China. In each case, U.S. involvement through funding, training, or resource provision is suggested. Even in domestic cases—such as large-scale protests in American cities—the same frameworks appear to shape how unrest unfolds.
Labor, Boycotts, and Strikes
One of the most significant tools in this playbook is labor action. Strikes and boycotts disrupt economies and force political concessions. However, since workers on strike do not earn wages, funding is necessary. Here, organizations like USAID step in, allegedly covering lost income to ensure participation. This creates a direct line between U.S. taxpayer money and overseas protest movements.
Peace or Power?
Perhaps the greatest irony is that the U.S. Institute of Peace, an institution branded as fostering peace, is depicted as orchestrating unrest. By training activists and promoting protest strategies, the institute acts less like a peacebuilder and more like a geopolitical strategist—weaponizing dissent under the banner of democracy promotion.
The Rent-A-Riot transcript sheds light on the blurred boundaries between peaceful activism and state-sponsored regime change. By leveraging nonviolent methods, the U.S. turns mass movements into instruments of foreign policy. While branded as democracy-building, these tactics often destabilize societies and outsource risk onto ordinary citizens, leaving larger questions about the true meaning of peace in their wake.
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