On Point: The Enemy Is Fragility: Pompeo's New Strategy
http://www.strategypage.com/on_point/20201222205918.aspx
December 22, 2020
Planet Earth, for worse and occasionally better, is a world of neighborhood existence -- many neighborhoods at peace, many (most?) neighborhoods uneasy and facing tenuous circumstances, too many neighborhoods experiencing outright anarchy and war.
Blame the level of perception, of easy aggregation, for missing this truth. I'll illustrate with an anecdote. Six years ago, an obstreperous type saw me at a private reception. From across the room, he bellowed: "Austin Bay! Is there any hope for Africa?"
My reply to the bellower -- and the 15 or 20 so others present, who were surprised by the bellowing and puzzled by the question: "Which Africa? There are 6,000 Africas. Some Africas are doing quite well."
The bellower blinked -- an encouraging response. By George, he got it.
The 6,000 figure was meant to indicate I thought he had framed his question rater poorly. I could have replied 30,000 Africas and, given airtime and footnotes, defended the figure. Understand I could say the same thing about the Americas, Europe and Asia. Antarctica is an exception, maybe. Australia isn't.
Self-serving power brokers, corrupt leaders, nepotism, sham elections, violent intimidation and calculated propaganda spewed by crooked political and tribal organizations designed to divide communities and incite hate -- these destructive actors and actions threaten human life globally. They strangle human creativity and, in so doing, deny or steal prosperity.
If "propaganda" sounds too fancy a term for some neighborhoods, substitute "malign gossip concocted to manipulate people using shock, fright and anger." Whether delivered vocally or digitally, the abusive purveyors utilize the tactic of falsehood.
2020 provides numerous USA examples: Minneapolis. Chicago. New York. Seattle. El Paso. Stability and safety anywhere on planet Earth are not givens.
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