IP: Warfare trial-balloons

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2001 15:19:47 GMT
> From: dave () scripting com (DaveNet email)
> Subject: Warfare trial-balloons
>
> DaveNet essay, "Warfare trial-balloons", released on 9/16/2001; 8:19:25 AM 
> Pacific.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> ***The title of this piece
>
> I'm writing very quickly now, operating in high bandwidth mode. No time to 
> edit for political correctness, or to avoid the fear that's out there. 
> These thoughts are trial balloons, ideas that occur to me now, but things 
> are so fluid. I think the next few pieces will be like this. And there's 
> so much going on, there's not enough time to email very often. Please if 
> you're interested read Scripting News [1], the most current stuff is 
> there. Thanks.
>
> ***Can women lead?
>
> Remember a couple of weeks ago (seems like a lifetime) when I wrote about 
> gender balance [2] in high tech? The piece was filled with 
> generalizations. Men do art and war, women do civilization and 
> infrastructure, etc.
>
> OK, now we're going to war, or according to some (like the US president) 
> we're already at war. Now, most of the voices we're hearing are male. 
> That's not a big surprise. A few are preaching restraint, don't be so 
> linear (the bad guys /know/ we have nukes and lots of cash and planned for 
> it) but most are on a straight line to a conventional war in Afghanistan, 
> which to me, is the most idiotic linear thing we could possibly do.
>
> Now emotions rule, and the TV networks know how to manipulate emotions on 
> a massive scale, and of course they're doing it. (I don't know this 
> first-hand, no TV here, just NPR and the Web.)
>
> Wired says [3] this is the first Internet war, and I think they're right. 
> So this could be the first war where women have a voice. Imho, 
> civilization and infrastructure need to speak up, before we flush it all 
> down the toilet. I fear that's exactly what's happening. I'm not kidding 
> about that.
>
> Can women lead? Now is the time to find out.
>
> ***Don't be linear
>
> This is totally a male thing. We get an answer, maybe just a preliminary 
> one, and attach to it and never let it go. We're very modal beasts. We 
> need to get less linear, be more dubious, think more strategically.
>
> While we're confused and emotional, new laws are being passed, that make 
> some pretty terrible things legal. The next thing is to make some pretty 
> sacred things illegal.
>
> Don't look at a general or a president as your pal or your uncle, that 
> would be naive. They've got agendas too, and beliefs that they'd like to 
> put into action.
>
> ***Use the tools, while we have them
>
> If this is the first Internet war, let's use the tools while we still have 
> them.
>
> The terrorists used airplanes loaded with civillians as bombs. They can 
> use the Internet too, or despite what others have said, it probably 
> wouldn't be too hard to knock out the Internet. Assume that's going to 
> happen. And the US governmment, the good guys, probably would like to shut 
> down the Internet too. Perhaps just for a while. Heh.
>
> Use the communication tools /while we still have them./
>
> ***What really happened?
>
> 5000 people are dead.
>
> Part of NY's financial district is in ruins.
>
> The airline industry is in deep shit.
>
> The Pentagon took a direct hit, but it's still functioning.
>
> What else?
>
> ***It won't work again
>
> I don't remember where I heard or read this, but I believe it.
>
> They won't use the same trick again. Next time they try to use a knife to 
> take control of an airliner, the passengers will do what they did on the 
> Pittsburgh flight. The bad guys will factor that into their plans. The 
> next time they strike it will be in a completely different way. Whatever 
> it is, it'll probably happen at the worst possible time.
>
> However we don't know for a fact that they /didn't/ have the bombs they 
> said they had. Or do we?
>
> ***Why are we getting support now?
>
> Why the outpouring of love for the USA now?
>
> That's not normal. Will it last?
>
> Let's say we nuke Afghanistan.
>
> Maybe then they'll be rooting for Uncle Osama.
>
> I don't trust the love -- I think people are scared out of their minds. If 
> it can happen in the US, it can happen anywhere. Civilization may be 
> getting flushed. If we retaliate in kind world opinion will swing the 
> other way.
>
> The American flag has become or shortly will become, the symbol for lost 
> civilization. Especially if we don't manage the PR.
>
> Postscript: Fredrik Lundh, a Swedish developer, compiled a list [4], by 
> country, of people who are dead or missing in the WTC and Pentagon 
> attacks. Fredrik shows us that the WTC was part of the world, not just the US.
>
> ***Upgrade defenses
>
> Like it or not, we must take some of the responsibility for the people who 
> died on Tuesday, for the destruction of World Trade Center, the damage to 
> the Pentagon and the US financial system.
>
> Our defenses didn't anticipate this kind of attack. So we must enhance our 
> defenses to protect our cities with the same intelligence and diligence 
> that we secure our computer networks.
>
> ***Clearly defined goals
>
> Like all wars we're getting ready to fight the last one again. Probably 
> the Gulf War. But, if you recall the takeaway of the military from Vietnam 
> was they would never again fight a war without clearly defined goals. Has 
> that changed?
>
> It's too weird. Afghanistan was the Soviets' Vietnam. Round and round. 
> Only this time the provocation wasn't in the Tonkin Gulf. And instead of 
> following the French, we're following the Soviets.
>
> I bet even Saddam Hussein will help us get this war started. I can't 
> believe we're taking the bait. Too linear to be real.
>
> ***If we get back to peace
>
> If we manage to get the war off the front-burner, there are some things we 
> should do right away.
>
> The first thing to do is to solidify our friendships. Let's ask our allies 
> what we can do better, and really listen and respond. As an economy and a 
> culture, not just as a government and military.
>
> ***Starbuck's
>
> Our culture dominates the world. Until last week, the war was totally 
> cultural.
>
> Globalization is what they call it at Davos [5]. In technology we call it 
> the Web. It's what the WTO protests were about. In the US we sniff at 
> this, but globalization is flattening our culture too.
>
> I like Starbucks, but I don't think it belongs in NY. Disney owns Times 
> Square. McDonald's, Hertz, CNN, Mickey Mouse, Hollywood, Microsoft and 
> IBM, Coke and Pepsi, etc, are all everywhere now.
>
> What do we do about this? Listen. And learn and self-impose restraint. See 
> the bombing as related to our domination of world culture. Much of the 
> support the terrorists hope to gain will be about exactly that. It's 
> really there, the resentment, anger, and it's justified. I see it in a 
> small way when I see McDonalds in Copenhagen. To me it looks like home, 
> but to others -- what does it look like?
>
> A few days ago I said [6] we should look for things we did that are wrong, 
> and apologize for them.
>
> Hijacking the world's culture may be the biggest thing we have to 
> apologize for.
>
> Disclaimer: I am a Starbuck's user. I love their product.
>
> ***Important pointers
>
> Pakistan has at least one weblog [7].
>
> Brewster Kahle [8] is archiving the Web of September 11.
>
> ***Are you sure we can win?
>
> None of the ideas I've heard about going to war are scenarios we can win.
>
> Now in retrospect, did we win the Gulf War? Think about it. How many 
> casualties did we suffer?
>
> The Bushes are still in Washington, and the Hussein is still in Iraq. Is 
> this a different war or the same one?
>
> Are we prepared to lose?
>
> Are you sure we can win?
>
> Dave Winer
>
> [1] http://www.scripting.com/
> [2] http://davenet.userland.com/2001/08/28/genderBalanceInHighTech
> [3] http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,46862,00.html
> [4] http://hem.passagen.se/eff/2001_09_01_bot-archive.htm#5703994
> [5] http://davenet.userland.com/2000/01/29/twoDaysAtDavos
> [6] http://scriptingnews.userland.com/backissues/2001/09/13
> [7] http://www.dawn.com/
> [8] http://groups.yahoo.com/group/archivists/message/67
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> (c) Copyright 1994-2001, Dave Winer. http://davenet.userland.com/.
> "There's no time like now."



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