Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Culture Shock in the Digital Age

Congressman Mike Pompeo was chosen to head the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Should we rejoice or be sad? Well, it is impossible to tell at this point how the man will handle the most pressing issue of our time. To fully appreciate what that is, we need to look back at some historic moments.

Looking at the discovery of the new world by the Europeans, and what happened to the indigenous cultures as a result, a theory developed to the effect that culture shock happens when a primitive culture gets exposed to one that's more advanced. One theory has it that the primitive culture finds it too difficult to take-in and digest what the advanced culture has to offer, thus begins to weaken and may even perish. 

This kind of development might have been true centuries ago but not anymore. We live in an age where the hunger for variety is the order of the day. It's and age in which we take-in everything that's thrown at us and ask for more. This happens because we keep very little of what we consume, and quickly discard as much as we can to make room for something new. We then get ready to plunge into a whole new cycle of exotic experiences.

And so we wonder if there is a general description of the way that we interact with a new culture. Actually, to be honest with ourselves, we must ponder the possibility that we may never have a full answer to this line of queries, but we can try. Having lived in small towns and big cities, immersed in several cultures among a number of ethnic groups, I would say that the one thing most cultures have in common is that people become curious when they discover a new trait in someone they just met.

They size up that trait, internalize it and fuse it into their culture, thus make it their own. And this is where the culture shock develops. No, it's not the recipient of the trait that gets shocked – the way it used to happen in the old days – it is the donor that gets shocked. It happens to him upon learning that the recipient is becoming somewhat like him. This is like looking in the mirror and seeing yourself not the way you think you are, but the way that a stranger sees you.

What are the ramifications of all that? This is a loaded question because the ramifications are numerous, and depend on where they apply. The area of my interest – where I spent much time studying various cultures – is the principle of governance, and all that revolves around it. For this reason, I begin with the notion that talk about Greece being the birthplace of both Western Civilization and democracy is romantic poppycock. If this were true, there would not have been a period of Dark Ages in Europe. This is the period that ended with the advent of the Arab science and culture; an event that triggered the European Renaissance.

In my view, it was the Industrial Revolution which followed the Renaissance that gave Europe its distinct character … it allowed the mass production of lethal weapons of war. These were used to conquer other lands and maintain an exploitative kind of colonialism in Africa, Asia and the New World. This development gave the Europeans the confidence that no one will invade them. But the elite of the Continent neglected to improve the social conditions of the people that toiled long and hard in mines and factories. And it was this misery that triggered the various European social revolutions; the movement that made democracy inevitable.

Democracy began in Europe but did not work out too well for everyone. In the meantime the advancement in science and technology had made possible the “discovery” of a new world; a place where everyone that was not happy with Europe went to start a new life. That was America, a Republic that became a model democracy. The situation lasted for about two centuries till the Jews came into the country harboring different ideas.

They exploited the system of democracy to advance their hidden agenda. Taking advantage of the fact that the American melting pot had not fully melted, they created the noise that confused everyone and made them suspicious of each other. This cleared the way for the Jews to rise to the top of the food chain. In the meantime, they created Israel; a homeland away from their American homeland. They made it their priority to harness the potentials of America, and make them work for the benefit of Israel.

The Jews made enormous strides in that vein, but the signs are there it may all come to an end. Because they cannot continue to serve Israel by exchanging something they have for something they don't have, they realized they need to devise a new way to maintain their exploitation of America. And they came up with one.

Notorious for the way they get what they want by blackmailing others, they found a hi-tech method to do just that. Despite the fact they are no better than average when it comes to digital technology, they are telling the world – America included – that Israel is one of the most advanced countries in cyber security.

What they want is for the heads of private and government institutions in America to hire Israeli firms in the business of securing equipment against hacking. What the Israelis will do instead is install malware that will let the Israelis see what their clients are doing. And this is how they will be in a position to blackmail anyone and everyone in America, forcing them to work for the glory of Israel.

If Pompeo can devise a full-proof way to stop this potential horror before it hits America, he will have done his country a lot of good. Otherwise, he will have failed to protect his country, not understanding how dangerous these people are. If this happens, it will be the most devastating culture shock that America has ever experienced.