Is it possible to effectively and efficiently manage the endless forces at work in the world? What sort of power would be necessary?
Do any States have enough power?
Does any collection of States, or the United Nations have enough power?
At present, it seems unrealistic to imagine any of the above adequately managing even the social forces at play in our world. There are webs of social forces connecting with other webs, and webs on top of webs. Some of these have more power to influence events than others. Yet, all have the potential power to influence global events.
These webs may or may not contain States. Yet in many contexts, even those not containing States can be considered "powers." Thus, there are many powers in the world, not all equal, but all with enough power to influence events. Many powers perceived to be relatively inconsequential can produce great effects.
We often misperceive the forces at work in the world. Much of the blame goes to our intelligence, however, it also seems clear that the complexities of the system may be too difficult for any social organization to manage.
If this is true, then what are we to do? How could we construct better organizations to deal with the complex powers interacting across the globe? Should we even try?
Any thoughts?
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What are you talking about Grant? I bet you have a lot of ideas on this issue but they were not spelled out in this entry. What kind of "webs" you have in mind? What do you mean by an effective and efficient use of power? What do you mean when you say that the blame goes to our intelligence?
ReplyDeleteHonestly I didn't get too much from this. Thanks for sharing your thoughts in any case.
Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening,
ReplyDeleteterrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are going in
this ocean of chaos, it has been the authorities, the political, the
religious, the educational authorities who attempted to comfort us by
giving us order, rules, regulations, informing, forming in our minds their
view of reality. To think for yourself you must question authority and
learn how to put yourself in a state of vulnerable, open-mindedness;
chaotic, confused, vulnerability to inform yourself.
Think for yourself. Question authority.
Thanks for commenting Julian.
ReplyDeleteI apologize for being a bit abstract, so allow me to try and clarify a little.
Webs are simply a group of actors linked together in some recognizable form. Some examples of webs are: a social network like MoveOn.org, a political party like the Democrats, an organization like Al Qaeda, or even a nation like the United States.
Each web is a complex system comprised of multiple parts linked together in a recognizable form, but each is also capable of linking with and embedding in another web.
Further, a web such as the US government may try to control another web such as the Taliban, but it may not be able to do so effectively or efficiently. Some suggest that in order to effectively police the Taliban it would take many hundreds of thousands of troops. Yet, putting 700 thousand troops into the theater might not be the most efficient use of US power.
As for our intelligence failings, this is meant in broad terms. A classic example is the CIA's failure to predict the Iranian Revolution. Yet we all fail to perceive the complexities of the world in many instances because the world is so complex. There an infinite number of causal variables at work in the world, and it may be unreasonable to expect you, me, or the CIA to guess right all the time.
I hope this clears things up a bit, and if not keep reading because I will be writing much more about this in the future.
Thanks again.
Thanks for commenting Greg.
ReplyDeleteI think you are basically right. And I guess we will always continue to try and manage the world - for better or worse. Let's just hope it's more for the better.
And I think you're exactly right that we always need to question authority, because that is our best chance to avoid making the same mistakes over and over.
Keep questioning, and keep reading.
I think the power you perceive to be “enough” has to be able to say enough is enough. It has to be able to put right what has been wrong. It would have to be justice in action.
ReplyDeleteThe only way that could happen is for a large enough web. A web that contains everyone and none are left out. This web would have to exist in the mind and not on a map. This web would have a collective consciousness knowing its value and worth.
How could this web be created? Imagine it was created. Would it be destroyed by the leaders that seek their own power?
The greatest act leaders can do is showing their nation how to empathize. The most repugnant act leaders can do is to make their nation believe they are victims.
Thanks for commenting life23000.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to be suggesting an enlightened global-interest should replace enlightened self-interest as a guiding decision-making principle.
How do you imagine creating a global web operating on this principle? What sort of communications technology would be necessary?
Great thoughts, please post more.