When I was in the Army I was a professional Military Intelligence Officer. The criteria and methodology we used to evaluate information are still valuable to me as I wade through the deluge of information coming from all sides about issues in our society today. Intelligence is the end product of a process of rational and unemotional analysis and evaluation of all the bits of relevant information received. The conclusion of the intelligence about a particular situation may be that the reports are false, or they may be possible, probable, or confirmed as true. Decisions made to take (or not take) action based on the available intelligence hopefully can benefit from intelligence that has been confirmed as true. This is not always possible, but decisions still must be made. Whether the decision is to launch a military operation, to modify the foreign policy of the United States, to invest in a particular company, or to support and vote for a particular candidate for public office, the process of coming to the decision is the same.
I start by evaluating the relevant reports and bits of information. The system we used in Military Intelligence evaluated and scored two aspects of each piece of information:
What is the reliability of the source? and
What is the accuracy of the information?
The reliability of sources could score from A (perfect) to F (unknown).
The scoring of information was similar, ranging from 1 to 6. A score of 1 meant the information had been confirmed by multiple independent sources with no contradictions. 2 meant probable, 3 was possible, 4 meant doubtful , 5 was false and 6 meant unknown.
In combat we rarely ever received reports rated A1. The best were normally B2. Many were F6. Our job as Military Intelligence professionals was to collect, evaluate and analyze relevant information and produce the best possible actionable intelligence for our commanders. There was no place in this process for individual bias or emotion. Facts mattered.
This same thought process guides me when I consider what actions I will take in supporting candidates for public office. My decision to take these action is not a recent, spur of the moment decision. As an Army officer, I took the oath to “support and defend the US Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” That oath is still binding. I support President Trump for re-election and I will proudly help seek the support of other voters.
I am constantly evaluating information I read on the Internet or see or hear in the media. I try to do this objectively as I learned in the military, and the best intelligence I am able to produce after analyzing the available information suggests that the alternatives proposed by the Democrats would be catastrophic for our country, and strongly supports my decision to vote for the re-election of President Trump.