*** From the sidelines *** I admit that "nearly dead" really meant very much alive [I was indulging a spot of wishful thinking]. In fact, the old style is still the dominant influence, much as rampaging Tyrannosaurs, were very much in charge, even as the hot, smart, mammalian zygotes were forming.
However, evolution is more a matter of punctuated equilibrium than a slow, linear business. Now, humans have unleashed a technological, political and sociological revolution and are pushing it flat out.
The age of the alpha male is pretty much over. It IS actually already over in New Zealand, and keep in mind that New Zealand, although small, is often a leader. Being small, Kiwiland can turn on a dime. Hence, experiments such as women's suffrage, the welfare state and women ruling the country are quickly developed, not to mention GSM, SMS and fast America's Cup yachts.
Because Kiwiland Kulture largely derives from British democracy, property rights, technological and industrial capitalism and so on, it is an experimental site for the world to keep an eye on. The 1980s saw very rapid and quite extensive deregulation and moves away from socialism in Kiwiland.
Cyberspace is the new frontier. Through the last half of the 20th century, outer space was seen as the frontier. That concept is now passe. The actual frontier is inner-space; our DNA coils and cyberspace. CDNA [TM] [cyberdeoxyribonucleic acid] and the CDMA Netspace are going to combine into a new, world-scale symbiotic life form which will not have much truck with cowboys trying to be top monkey; their credit cards will mysteriously give up the ghost.
Kiwiland has [subconsiously] recognized the CDNA/CDMA cyberspace duopoly and the first phase, the installation of women to run the show while men get going in cyberspace, is well under way [and nearly complete as far as getting women to run the place]. Old-style feminists will not like this suggestion, preferring to see the political taking-over by women as some kind of gender victory, rather than a tacit admission by males that ruling countries is a feminine game and beneath the dignity of red-blooded self-respecting men. But that's what's happening.
Not all countries are on the same sociological timetable so there will be a long [maybe half a century] hybrid period when macho militarism and geopolitical muscle displays and shaking of trees to impress will remain part of the scene. Indeed, some suggest we have a hybrid female/male Prime Minister [Helen Clark] and we in fact have got Georgina Beyer times-age.co.nz [a transexual and transvestite - previously a male] also in government not to mention some gender-confused women [and men].
However, with cyberspace rampant, pressure on the tree-shakers will encroach rapidly so it might be that in only 20 years, the tentacles of cyberspace and The New Paradigm will have rendered nationalistic, militaristic, geopolitical tree-shakers obsolete [a bit like the Polish cavalry in the face of Panzers].
Generals always try to fight the last war, but things are never quite the same. Aircraft carriers, ICBMs and millions of PLA goose-stepping foot soldiers seem almost quaint when viewed from cyberspace. They are so, like, last-century!
Meanwhile, I liked Gideon's article and especially <...An American foreign policy uninformed by moral values would indeed be reprehensible. But surely one must be skeptical about the feasibility of imposing our values on the world through force and bluster. True conservatives understand that domestic politics are not infinitely malleable, and that international politics are even less so. They do not believe progress to be impossible, only that the best route forward lies in moderation and prudence. They understand, in Burke’s words, that "we are not disarmed by being disencumbered of our passions"; they concur in his judgment that "magnanimity in politics is not seldom the truest wisdom, and a great empire and little minds go ill together." Without a liberal compass, American foreign policy would be directionless and adrift; without a conservative hand on the tiller, it would be all sail and no anchor.
The challenge facing Republicans, should they capture the White House, will be to remain conservative and behave like mature adults. [contd] >
nationalinterest.org
I can't help but think that Jiang Zemin being the keynote speaker and Bill Clinton the closing speaker, with Irwin on the sidelines at that recent jamboree was a big help in getting China to realize that Georgie is just a bit out of his depth and although President, is actually on the sidelines and that there are more globally-integrated views which predominate in the USA [and abroad]. asia.dailynews.yahoo.com
< Friday, May 11 1:11 AM SGT
China draws news blackout over Clinton visit
SHANGHAI, May 11 (AFP) -
Former US president Bill Clinton heralded the benefits of globalisation on a visit to Shanghai Thursday but the Chinese media drew a veil of silence over his trip as tensions in the US-China relationship continue to simmer.
Clinton was in Shanghai to address the Credit Lyonnais Securities Asia investment forum and spoke about the need to work towards greater globalisation and alleviate poverty in Third World countries.
The former president touched on the need for partnership between Beijing and Washington.
He said that the US had managed to overcome the difficulties caused by the NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade and that the US should not make China an adversary.
"If we think it's important to have adversaries we will find one and if we think it's important to build an independent world we have a pretty good chance of doing that," he said.>
A friend saw [on CNN] Jiang and Bill sharing the platform and thought that Bill was really great, doing a good job of smoothing the waters and pushing a world-scale view.
Georgie must be thinking "Who the hell is the President around here anyway?" Let's hope Georgie doesn't feel the need to shake a few trees to show who's boss in the jungle. Let's hope Condominium Rice and Colonisation Powell admire his gonads and make him feel important enough to keep him happy. Maybe after Georgie has had his day, Condoleezza can take over the USA. Gloria Arroyo kgma.org [Philippines President] looks similar to Condoleezza so they should get on well. It seems there is some progress internationally on the feminisation of politics. BRING BACK MAGGIE!!!
<...the feasibility of imposing our values on the world through force and bluster> is becoming less and less. Much more effective are movies, CDs, cyberspace and Alan Green$pan's money. Get people by the wallet and their hearts and minds follow. Ramsey Su, me and various friends and relatives all around the world look at the world through rose-coloured wallets and the view is very Nasdaqian. No need for cruise missiles [which don't work anyway].
CDMA/CDNA will convert China much more effectively than geopolitical tree-shaking - of course the outcome will be a hybrid as the world mixes it up, rather than an old-style empire.
By the way, I think Bill Clinton wants to be the first World President. I'm happy with that.
Mqurice
PS: People worried about women ruling the roost need only think of Chairman Mao, Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, and the grotesque centuries of mayhem to realize it can't be much worse. Since women are far less prone to violence, theft and general animalism [present company excepted - well, me anyway], my bet is the end to a lot of conflict. Especially since they haven't been producing a population explosion lately and there is more worry about replacement than Malthus. |
