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zare_i's review
3.0
This book, like majority of books from the author where he mentions Russia, is a mixed bag.
Author belongs to the ranks of existing academia and think-tanks that see everything in we (West) equals good, they (almost everybody else that does not work hand in hand with West) bad/there-be-dragons, relations.
For these people world created in 1990's, and then heavy-handedly managed and controlled from the 2001 war on terror to basically instigating wars and mayhem throughout the world, culminating with the epidemic and current war, is so called world of international rules, Nirvana of the new planet wide community. Now if you check those rules you will find that underneath all of the so called internationalism promoted by the West, what is pushed forward are national interests of states belonging to the block (which is understandable, although for some reason this is always received as a shock). This means that if one goes slightly off the course and does not have means to fight back..... oh boy. I will just say that something nefarious will definitely pop up.
Book itself is not an overview of anything new - as author mentions throughout the book chapters all these ways of warfare existed since time immemorial. Blockades, burning of food stockpiles, instigating diseases and sowing confusion, corruption and bribery. One might just say that the scope has changed, but even here I beg to differ because world-level warfare and actions have been alive at least from the Renaissance period (privateers, colonies, big mercantile empires that are analog to today's (and generally dystopian) armed private corporations, spreading from North America to Asia).
Technology has changed, but effect of the press machine was equal to the today's effect of world wide web.
So, it is nothing new. Proper title would be guide to modern conflicts.
Second thing is that this is not overview of new means to conflict in neutral stance. This is guide on how they (mostly non-Western parties) threaten us (West). Considering this, book is very biased and reads like more literate and informative (there is information here, will get to that) book on danger from the Red Menace from the mid 1900's.
Third thing is that author manages to circumvent all the [very known at the time of the book] elements that show true danger of using various cyber attacks (Stuxnet, Pegasus to mention a few), law (none of the wars instigated after 2001 were approved by UN - even if we take Afghanistan as a reflex smash made by the US after catastrophic 9/11), information level rebellions (all the so called colored revolutions that brought more misery than progress - from Lybia, Syria, Iraq to Ukraine - and for majority of countries either brought extremists that are more in-line with the West block (so they are good, I mean Philippines are ruled by Netherland model, right? Or for example ultra democratic Singapore or Indonesia?) or outright destruction (mentioned wars that are started either as a cover for scandals (Clinton in 1990's) or for reasons that proved to be false from the start (oopsie Iraq)) from the Western side).
Neither he mentions extortion that West block based financial communities enforce on these newly-enlighten countries, each of which has its own fire-sale to support new political model (preferably ending up with no industry, only services because then they are dependent on everything from the outside).
So compare the above with actions of Russia (author's boogeyman of boogeymen, although he is pretty condescending towards it to the point of ridicule (as I said book reads like Red Threat book)) and China. When they offer financial means to others it is to enslave not to help. Never. Everything they do is nefarious if you ask the author.
What basically happened is that economic destruction wrought by the triumphant West in 1990's to the rest of the world (especially eastern parts of Central and whole of Eastern Europe) brought the unexpected fruit - survivor countries. After managing to survive the onslaught these survivors took additional classes from China (into which everyone and their grandma moved their industries because of slave.... hmm cheaper (?) workforce) on how things actually work. Because you see if you are financial merciless mogul who keeps thousands of people on very low wages to work 24/7 but you have contracts with Western shoe, clothes, medicinal and other technology companies - you are not a thug, you are a businessman.
And then these countries started using these rules for their own benefits, which is something Western block think tanks (and author is definitely part of one of them) do not want because ..... how dare they! Right?
While author's comments on the corruption and never-enough-life-style being the most important element that gets abused in the West are correct, when he starts on how law and economic power of US are the things keeping everything in order, one has to ask - how that economy can prosper (in terms of international trust) when whenever international relations get cold, all the deposits of whoever is called baddie at the time, can just be seized, banks knocked out from the world exchange system and due to this economies ravished? I mean whose trust is in this system? Western countries? Of course, but trust me nobody else's. Author in a single page lists how US controls every iota of finances and banking networks - but hey, they wont abuse this, like ever, pinky promise. But if China does the same, it is to punish, destroy and subdue.
Also when it comes to control of media and news - there is not a mention of perversion which was media control during the epidemic (majority of rules emerged in China and were mimicked by the West), and all the witch-hunts against those - in the medical profession mind you - who spoke against the established "truth". I agree this is not something related to inter-state relations but it was one mighty internal policing approach (including collusion with what are supposed to be private independent media companies to openly suppress anyone asking a question) that even Chinese could not do it better (not to mention all of these progressive "technological" ideas of late - from digitization of everything for better control to restrictions of movement to mention the few).
In other words you do not need an enemy when you are under such state control.
Plus side is that author calls spade a spade when it comes to 2016 elections and in general propaganda. Also his comments how people need to come to their senses and use their head are also true and he does critique today's mass social media tools. He also shows how national interests (if you can believe he actually mentions France, Turkey, Germany and Italy here for a change - no Russia at all) can be also undermining the stability - from spying on each others to supporting opposing forces on battlefields.
Most interesting here is his presentation of theoretical scenario where joined Franco-German task forces pressure Italy to not leave EU. It bears very interesting likeness to unfortunate event in Autumn 2022 in Northern Europe. Very interesting likeness indeed.
And finally in book edition from 2023 there is addendum that author treats as an "i told you" letter to president of Russia. Which is ridiculous in several ways: (a) escalation was brought by people screaming boogeyman whatever Russia does; now world needs to handle the fruits of these loudmouths; (b) recent political revelations (from heads of state such as Holland and Merkel and B. Johnson) are disastrous and show that war was on everyone's mind but they made a mistake by pushing for it; (c) to constantly escalate and expect no reaction - this shows ignorance of all involved; (d) constant calling for weaponisation of energy by Russia always makes me laugh - because you see, when certain country freezes your assets, puts you under sanctions, arms, trains, feeds, maintains and even provides medical services to opposing army (even doing some or all of it on its own turf) I mean of course you are going to keep providing them with cheap energy. I especially liked authors "cynical" comment how US with his attempts to stop the pipelines being built between Germany and Russia int he first place was so that they can sell their LNG at higher prices (which was absolutely not the case, wink, wink hahahahaha).
I mean good part of the book did not age well nine months after the books was published in 2022.
And greatest fantasy of all is that battlefields are the things of the past - they are not. Only thing is they come into focus when forces in conflict both have all the weapons available - from infantry, tanks, rockets to satellites. And when one is pushed around enough ..... well, hopefully people are writing notes now.
Book has very good bibliography after each chapter, if for nothing else I recommend it for that feature alone.
There is a lot of information here, but note that majority is so biased and written from the standpoint of the West vs rest of the world, that if you read anything besides 2 minute news reads you will be disappointed.
If I have read this book say before 2020 I would definitely look at it differently. But today, after all that world was put through in last 4 years? It just makes parts of the book read as a pamphlet.
Interesting read, but as always uneven when it comes to describing today's world power players. In general I agree with the author - world is entering dangerous waters, lets hope that it learns to swim in it.
Author belongs to the ranks of existing academia and think-tanks that see everything in we (West) equals good, they (almost everybody else that does not work hand in hand with West) bad/there-be-dragons, relations.
For these people world created in 1990's, and then heavy-handedly managed and controlled from the 2001 war on terror to basically instigating wars and mayhem throughout the world, culminating with the epidemic and current war, is so called world of international rules, Nirvana of the new planet wide community. Now if you check those rules you will find that underneath all of the so called internationalism promoted by the West, what is pushed forward are national interests of states belonging to the block (which is understandable, although for some reason this is always received as a shock). This means that if one goes slightly off the course and does not have means to fight back..... oh boy. I will just say that something nefarious will definitely pop up.
Book itself is not an overview of anything new - as author mentions throughout the book chapters all these ways of warfare existed since time immemorial. Blockades, burning of food stockpiles, instigating diseases and sowing confusion, corruption and bribery. One might just say that the scope has changed, but even here I beg to differ because world-level warfare and actions have been alive at least from the Renaissance period (privateers, colonies, big mercantile empires that are analog to today's (and generally dystopian) armed private corporations, spreading from North America to Asia).
Technology has changed, but effect of the press machine was equal to the today's effect of world wide web.
So, it is nothing new. Proper title would be guide to modern conflicts.
Second thing is that this is not overview of new means to conflict in neutral stance. This is guide on how they (mostly non-Western parties) threaten us (West). Considering this, book is very biased and reads like more literate and informative (there is information here, will get to that) book on danger from the Red Menace from the mid 1900's.
Third thing is that author manages to circumvent all the [very known at the time of the book] elements that show true danger of using various cyber attacks (Stuxnet, Pegasus to mention a few), law (none of the wars instigated after 2001 were approved by UN - even if we take Afghanistan as a reflex smash made by the US after catastrophic 9/11), information level rebellions (all the so called colored revolutions that brought more misery than progress - from Lybia, Syria, Iraq to Ukraine - and for majority of countries either brought extremists that are more in-line with the West block (so they are good, I mean Philippines are ruled by Netherland model, right? Or for example ultra democratic Singapore or Indonesia?) or outright destruction (mentioned wars that are started either as a cover for scandals (Clinton in 1990's) or for reasons that proved to be false from the start (oopsie Iraq)) from the Western side).
Neither he mentions extortion that West block based financial communities enforce on these newly-enlighten countries, each of which has its own fire-sale to support new political model (preferably ending up with no industry, only services because then they are dependent on everything from the outside).
So compare the above with actions of Russia (author's boogeyman of boogeymen, although he is pretty condescending towards it to the point of ridicule (as I said book reads like Red Threat book)) and China. When they offer financial means to others it is to enslave not to help. Never. Everything they do is nefarious if you ask the author.
What basically happened is that economic destruction wrought by the triumphant West in 1990's to the rest of the world (especially eastern parts of Central and whole of Eastern Europe) brought the unexpected fruit - survivor countries. After managing to survive the onslaught these survivors took additional classes from China (into which everyone and their grandma moved their industries because of slave.... hmm cheaper (?) workforce) on how things actually work. Because you see if you are financial merciless mogul who keeps thousands of people on very low wages to work 24/7 but you have contracts with Western shoe, clothes, medicinal and other technology companies - you are not a thug, you are a businessman.
And then these countries started using these rules for their own benefits, which is something Western block think tanks (and author is definitely part of one of them) do not want because ..... how dare they! Right?
While author's comments on the corruption and never-enough-life-style being the most important element that gets abused in the West are correct, when he starts on how law and economic power of US are the things keeping everything in order, one has to ask - how that economy can prosper (in terms of international trust) when whenever international relations get cold, all the deposits of whoever is called baddie at the time, can just be seized, banks knocked out from the world exchange system and due to this economies ravished? I mean whose trust is in this system? Western countries? Of course, but trust me nobody else's. Author in a single page lists how US controls every iota of finances and banking networks - but hey, they wont abuse this, like ever, pinky promise. But if China does the same, it is to punish, destroy and subdue.
Also when it comes to control of media and news - there is not a mention of perversion which was media control during the epidemic (majority of rules emerged in China and were mimicked by the West), and all the witch-hunts against those - in the medical profession mind you - who spoke against the established "truth". I agree this is not something related to inter-state relations but it was one mighty internal policing approach (including collusion with what are supposed to be private independent media companies to openly suppress anyone asking a question) that even Chinese could not do it better (not to mention all of these progressive "technological" ideas of late - from digitization of everything for better control to restrictions of movement to mention the few).
In other words you do not need an enemy when you are under such state control.
Plus side is that author calls spade a spade when it comes to 2016 elections and in general propaganda. Also his comments how people need to come to their senses and use their head are also true and he does critique today's mass social media tools. He also shows how national interests (if you can believe he actually mentions France, Turkey, Germany and Italy here for a change - no Russia at all) can be also undermining the stability - from spying on each others to supporting opposing forces on battlefields.
Most interesting here is his presentation of theoretical scenario where joined Franco-German task forces pressure Italy to not leave EU. It bears very interesting likeness to unfortunate event in Autumn 2022 in Northern Europe. Very interesting likeness indeed.
And finally in book edition from 2023 there is addendum that author treats as an "i told you" letter to president of Russia. Which is ridiculous in several ways: (a) escalation was brought by people screaming boogeyman whatever Russia does; now world needs to handle the fruits of these loudmouths; (b) recent political revelations (from heads of state such as Holland and Merkel and B. Johnson) are disastrous and show that war was on everyone's mind but they made a mistake by pushing for it; (c) to constantly escalate and expect no reaction - this shows ignorance of all involved; (d) constant calling for weaponisation of energy by Russia always makes me laugh - because you see, when certain country freezes your assets, puts you under sanctions, arms, trains, feeds, maintains and even provides medical services to opposing army (even doing some or all of it on its own turf) I mean of course you are going to keep providing them with cheap energy. I especially liked authors "cynical" comment how US with his attempts to stop the pipelines being built between Germany and Russia int he first place was so that they can sell their LNG at higher prices (which was absolutely not the case, wink, wink hahahahaha).
I mean good part of the book did not age well nine months after the books was published in 2022.
And greatest fantasy of all is that battlefields are the things of the past - they are not. Only thing is they come into focus when forces in conflict both have all the weapons available - from infantry, tanks, rockets to satellites. And when one is pushed around enough ..... well, hopefully people are writing notes now.
Book has very good bibliography after each chapter, if for nothing else I recommend it for that feature alone.
There is a lot of information here, but note that majority is so biased and written from the standpoint of the West vs rest of the world, that if you read anything besides 2 minute news reads you will be disappointed.
If I have read this book say before 2020 I would definitely look at it differently. But today, after all that world was put through in last 4 years? It just makes parts of the book read as a pamphlet.
Interesting read, but as always uneven when it comes to describing today's world power players. In general I agree with the author - world is entering dangerous waters, lets hope that it learns to swim in it.
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