“Modernity…based on a autonomous self in a society which he himself creates through the social contract, has been changing in postmodernity. The individual is now seen as always-already part of various social fields, as a singular composite being….Atomistic individualism is rejected in favour of the view of a relational self, a new balance between individual agency and collective communion.” – Jane JonesRobert David Steele is a former CIA operations officer and senior civilian responsible for creating the Marine Corps Intelligence Center. In 1988 he realized that the US Government was spending all of its intelligence money on secret technical collection and virtually nothing on open sources of information. He became the global proponent for Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), and from there advanced to M4IS2 Multinational, Multiagency, Multidisciplinary, Multidomain Information Sharing and Sense-Making. He is currently working on Manifesto for Truth: Intelligence with Integrity in the Public Interest.
Steele's talk below is currently being circulated both in video and audio format by Anonymous and LulzSec hackers and sympathisers, who have recently announced via video "Operation Anti-Security and their joining of forces. The June 20 announcement of Operation AntiSec contained justification for its
[ h/t P2P Foundation ]
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4 comments:
The P2P internet revolution has undeniably been a major event and continuing process of our age. However, what most theorists term "postmodernity" is just a subset of modernity. The relational self is permitted any number of empty, pseudo-performative gestures at discourse, philosophy, and politics, while society remains increasingly depoliticized and ever more unphilosophical (in terms of philosophy's actual importance relative to previous societies). This does not mean that we should abandon this astonishing new technology. It only means that we are burdened with an ever-greater responsibility towards politics, to use new media to create spaces of possibility in which radical social transformation can occur.
Agreed Ross. In fact, I think you nail it. Advanced capitalism thrives of the proliferation of superficialities. Identity/style “politics” becomes an engine of difference fueled by capital rendering possible political intentionalities stunted and/or distracted. P2P technology can radically change social relations as well as economic production – if used intelligently.
Glad to see attention to this but concerned that "attack" is displacing the needed emphasis on "displace." I made a mistake for 20 years, trying to teach governments how to get a grip on open sources of information. Now I wish I had focused exclusively on creating an open source or public intelligence counterpart to the LINUX structure, so as to displace government intelligence entirely and confront all lies from governments and corporations in real time. That was the thrust of my Open Everything keytone at Gnomedex in 2007. Am unemployed and serious interested in anything that can put me to work creating a global public intelligence network that puts the power of information back in the hands of the public. M4IS2 is the new meme. Blessings to all of you. Robert Steele sends.
@Robert - Thanks for dropping by Robert. I was moved and informed by your talk.
I understand your concern here. If citizens perpetuate the rhetoric of war and conflict they provide justification for institutional powers to label them "terrorists" or some such convenient thought-stopper in order to scare and justify their tactics. I like the notion of "displace" here, so I will change it.
I wonder, would you consider guest blogging something original, perhaps along the lines of 'is there an alternative?' here on this blog? You'd have an audience of about 130 subscribers, most of whom are activist or academics, or both.
Or maybe you will let me interview you sometime??
Consider it an open offer.
All the best,
michael-
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