Mini-Recommended Reading & Viewing

Threat based narratives again have a pernicious effect – they reinforce our tendency to focus on the short-term.  They lead us to further magnify risk and discount potential rewards. The threat is imminent – we must focus on protecting ourselves now from the enemies gathering force.  We can’t afford to be diverted by longer-term issues – the battle is here and now. If we don’t win today, we will have no tomorrow.

Threat based narratives lead to a further consequence. They motivate us to seek out those who agree with us.  We can’t tolerate divergent views when we are under attack.  We must all come together under the same banner.  Uniformity of thought and perspective is highly valued and rewarded.  This pressure to conform reduces the potential for creative thinking and new ideas which further reinforces our sense that we live in a static world with a given set of resources and wealth. The passion of the explorer gives way to the passion of the true believer. Once again, we find reinforcement for a short-term mindset.

This is congruent with what I have been reading about intractable problems in Coleman’s The Five Percent

Recommended Viewing:

Wikistrat’s “The World According to Tom Barnett” 2011 brief, Part 8 (Q&A on global economic crisis)

More Q&A from my presentation of the current Brief to an international military audience in the Washington DC area in September 2011.

Audience question was about the global economic crisis and role of China in global economy.

Referenced from: http://thomaspmbarnett.com/#ixzz1dMqQSbVh

RSA Animate – “Drive” by Dan Pink

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