Brave New War
The counterterrorism expert John Robb reveals how the same technology that has enabled globalization also allows terrorists and criminals to join forces against larger adversaries with relative ease and to carry out small, inexpensive actions?like sabotaging an oil pipeline?that generate a huge return. He shows how combating the shutdown of the world?s oil, high-tech, and financial markets could cost us the thing we?ve come to value the most?worldwide economic and cultural integration?and what we must do now to safeguard against this new method of warfare.
Stats for nerds
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2013–2019years
60% recommend40% neutral
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What Hacker News says
- "Plus, worryingly, this does seem a fairly automatable attack."
Yes. Cheap. Easily available. Can be launched from a Camel. Don't have to attack major facilities. It is enough to attack pipelines in the desert. How much does a drone cost?
Please consider: https://www.amazon.com/Brave-New-War-Terrorism-Globalization...
- Wanted to comment that I think corporate shame is such a beautifully under-appreciated tool people should be leveraging more, and it absolutely is as much a pillar of the political process as the legislative branch.
Bringing back a societal-enforced code of ethics punishable by humiliation and public shame with a defined path of atonement is what’s going to put all corporations back in line. It absolutely has dangers and can go to far, but that is inherent in nearly every good political choice.
On a more scary note, a lot of security advisors have suggested we’ll be seeing a rise in terrorism against corporations and executives (very soft targets) in the next 10 years, probably coinciding with the next economic bubble.
See “Brave New War” by John Robb for more info.
- The problem with both of those plans is that they involve attacking humans, in crowded places where heavily armed forces will rapidly respond and probably kill you as an attacker.
Terrorism now is focused more on systems disruption. Buy a $300 bomb, go to any one of bazillions of miles of pipeline, blow it up, cost the USG/Shell Corporation millions. Buy a cheaper bomb, go to any power substation, blow it up, cost the economy however much it loses and as a bonus, cost the government a bit of legitimacy as its denied the opportunity to provide services to its citizens.
If you truly are that confident, I'll put some money on the table at good odds (for me, since you're almost certain of winning). But if you're not truly 100% confident and can still be convinced, I recommend reading Brave New War, by John Robb. It's a fantastic overview of the tactics, strategies, and organization of modern (post Iraq occupation) terrorists. It comes very highly reviewed from higher-ups in the MEND insurgency.
- "I'm more optimistic."
I am not.
"WWII was the last attempt to capture the wealth of developed nations by invading them."
There were many reasons. I was not aware that "wealth" was one of them. For very advanced but small countries with a small population it may have made sense as a last grab to try to stay a super power.
"These days such a strategy is a complete non-starter because no developed nation can withstand an invasion."
I dont understand this statement.
"Think of it like this: Silicon Valley is probably one of the richest bits of America. So imagine that some dictator decides to invade it, and that the US military try to stop him but fail in some improbable way."
Silicon valley is rich because of knowledge, no because they have stored gold in the vaults or oil under the soil. ALso: "The threshold necessary for small groups to conduct global warfare has finally been breached, and we are only starting to feel its effects. Over time, in as little as perhaps twenty years and as the leverage of technology increases, this threshold will finally reach its culmination -- with the ability of one man to declare war on the world and win." Brave new War, john robb
"So this dictator now controls a bunch of ruins with no electricity containing broken computers."
This won't be a dictator but a nerd in this parents basement doing DoS or running a CRISPER Lab from his garage.
"How does this make him any richer than he was before?"
I doubt that "money" was the driving force beyond most wars in the last century. Power. Fame. Ideology. But money?
The 3rd world war will make the last two look like Disney land trips.
- Probably not. A quick thing you can do is start using a password manager and opt-out of ads and tracking on Facebook and Google. Beyond that? Look into Michael Bazall’s (sp?) books on privacy.
Look for yourself though: https://pipl.com
There was a book a few years ago called “Brave New War”. Can’t remember the author’s name, but he basically argued that it’s now possible to run your own semi-competent intelligence agency off of simply internet data. Once this becomes more widely known, that data, combined with with a desire for vengeance, could lead to lots of blackmail, retribution, and general harassment.
The other day I found someone’s Facebook profile and he posted everything. Where his kids went to school, where his wife worked.
I kind of think society is like it was with airplanes up until the 1970’s, which was called the “golden age of hijacking”. Before that sure everyone knew technically you could hijack a plane, but no one worried about it because it hadn’t been done yet seriously or frequently. The time will come.
