Global Dynamics

The dynamics of an era are interesting to think about. Not all are in the public’s  consciousness. Our era, for example, might be thought of as the age of technology. That may be true. I think it should be further defined as personal technology. We have so much tech power at our finger tips. And we use every day. It is tantalizing to consider where this may end up in a few years.

I think the dynamics of an era are also colored by other factors. It may be that technology played a large role in those factors as well. In any case I think the key dynamic is: political powers running awry globally.

This is not just an American thing. It is global. Technology has allowed nearly universal communication among the world’s population. Spread of news is nearly instantaneous. Unfortunately, spreading information in this way is not mediated in any fashion. The images and words are there for the taking and making sense of them. Understanding what is happening and why is open to broad interpretation. Gossip is quick to form and may cause riots or even wars. Libya and Egypt have had recent experience with this. Syria as well. And now Iraq.

Also, consider the role of religion or what is taken as such. Misunderstanding and misstatements become imagined insults; those are rapidly disseminated. Massive misunderstandings take root. Unrest is fomented and spread quickly. Misunderstandings simply based on differing spiritual beliefs extend the mayhem more than two thousand years. That’s the past AND the future. How do we stop that progression?

Americans treasure freedom of religion, expression, gathering and print. We are used to the free-for-all of discussion and dissension. As such we rarely experience riots from such freedoms. We have in the past, of course, and may in the future as well, but for the most part Americans are used to public disagreements without fist fights.

Not so in other countries. Their cultures have a long and well documented past. Dissension is cause for personal insult and reaction. Thus riots and street violence often result. So much of Middle Eastern identity is based on religion and its link with governance. They are often integrated as one making a volatile combination. Majority religious beliefs become the authority for the government to follow. Dissident beliefs become cause for persecution.

America is often faulted in the Middle East as over-involved in their internal matters. Actually there are only three reasons why Americans are in the Middle East: oil interests, human care services requested of us (food, medical care, etc.), and military strategies for which the local government has requested aid. Any of these can be misunderstood by the public and those who wish to frame American interests as the culprit in some political struggle for power in the country.

Stability of the region has geopolitical consequences globally. The primary American interest is oil supply and attendant economic stability concerns. It is a small margin from that concern to overall military stability. Peace in the Middle East continues to be a highly volatile challenge for all nations. Enemies of the West seek instability for their own geopolitical causes. Russia and China fall in this category. Then there are economic warriors seeking power over oil interests and the pricing mechanism which spells order or chaos in the financial world.

Note that religious themes do not play a role here. Yet they often appear to do so.

I wonder why that is? What do you suppose is going on? Could this be an international game being played? If so, who are the players and for what aims?

Curious. And what role for America is a reasonable one?

June 18, 2014