Game with no rules: how to live in a system where rules and regulations have ceased to be effective?
Prof. Gianfranco Lizza — Former full professor of Political and Economic Geography at the “La Sapienza University” in Rome and Director of the Master’s Program in Geopolitics and Global Security
I do not think human existence and subsistence are heading to unregulated settings.
Rules that are the foundations of our existence, human rights, relationships among different cultures, commercial exchange and scientific progress will be still in place, but they are going to change due to new interests and economic problems, cultural and technological development and the increasingly precarious conditions of our planet caused by an insane exploitation and pollution that we are getting used to live with at this stage.
It is undeniable that the development of real-time communications, the speed of transport, the availability of new raw materials and energy sources, the power derived from owning mass destruction weapons are changing methods and relations. Thus, the use of new consumption models and, above all, the persuasive effects of political and economic propaganda have already been manipulating human brains leasing them to achieve new goals. The latter will be making new rules. Social rules of human coexistence will change propaganda through all the channels spreading news that will create new life models. The rules of coexistence are changing either and the mankind influenced by artificial intelligence, will never be the same. Human beings are somehow out of historical time already but they cannot live without rules. Indeed, post modernism is going to create new ones because the old ones will no longer be able to adapt to a world that has completely changed throughout the years. The above rules will be replaced, renewed and imposed with an increasing severity.
According to me the problem is not related to the rules that are going to change along with the future technological development and according to the world that will come out from climate change. Because post modernism that has a wide technological expectation will slowly tend to acquire human minds forcing them to have new lifestyles. The only difference can derive from the different peoples’ reactive capability to the conditions dictated to other countries from the rules linked to the standard levels of new technological, cultural, economic and social development reached by leader countries because we do not live and think similarly. Furthermore, there are different religions worldwide and there are people who have lived and still live in historical, physical and environmental conditions different from the ones of leading countries bearers of economic technological and social wellness. Furthermore, having developed different capabilities and resistance to difficulty and sacrifice they need more time to get used to the new rules. ln this part of the world everything will be depending on the level of instruction and economic development of the new generations which are definitively more consistent than the ones in the so-called well-off countries.
Let’s suppose all the governments worldwide are asking people to make sacrifices due to the changes that require new forms of coexistence and international relations. How will each country react according to a behavioral and environmental point of view? Is it possible that some countries weakened by aging process, which is fundamental to have a good life, are more vulnerable and easily influenced, despite less reactive, than the ones who were used to live facing deprivations, armed clashes and an overall precarious existence? How will they react to one another?
Russians and Ukrainians are two Slavic populations used to be suffering after centuries of domination, deprivations and constraints. Two strong people used to accept political authoritarianism. The present war has taken us back in time, to massacres that took place in the past centuries, and according to a psychological point of view is faced up with a different attitude from the ones who are into it and the ones who are not, A uniformity of rules should be established and then change turn them into new ones. But to obtain new common rules of life we should get rid of speculation, selfishness, abuse of power, hate and revenge the drive humanity to their dark past despite it is undeniable that cooperation is the only solution to get a better future. Anyhow at present world can not live without rules, not it will be able to do the same in the future due to the global change of the society and different weather conditions.
Elsewhere too, in Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, in Palestine and in a great deal of countries in Africa, not to mention those who continue to live in war zones and instructions in the Near and Middle East, there are people whose capability to fight adversities Is much higher than what is considered humanly bearable in the Western world. The latter has been profoundly transformed in the last decades by internal political economic struggles, threatened by the interests of organized crime and less fond, than in the past of the principles of the Christian faith. Despite this it’s thanks to social, democratic, political, economic and technological achievements it can count on an average economic well-being that makes it less ready to sort out any problems if compared to the ones who are fighting invisible wars. Rules are in place but only few individuals follow them wisely.
There is a part of the world that is continuously suffering and another one which, thanks to massive achievements including the most sophisticated weapons, have enjoyed a certain political, economic and social stability for a while which makes them less inclined to make sacrifice, where vulnerability produces uncertainty, the element that makes the rules of human existence forgettable. Less inclined to dialogue, diplomacy and solve problems using violence. We must not forget that technological tools such as cell phones, up to artificial intelligence have transformed our lives which are heading from a technological determinism to a social one.
All this can be everything but a source of profound reflection. Apparently simple but in reality, very complex. Therefore, the question remains the same: on which path is our existence heading and what are the fundamental rules? What chance do we have to be living peacefully without dark clouds on the horizon? The demographic winter that characterizes much of the western world is weakening physical and psychological resistance of its inhabitants making them ready to have a dialogue or distancing from poor countries which are rich of young people who want to leave their country looking for new goals? Globalization has highlighted social disparities and what appears to be globalized on one hand is completely uncertain on the other one. Huge capitals can be found where ancient traditions make most of humanity waiting for better days and this is the result coming from the rules that are going to change as time goes by.
As the anxiety of not losing the present positions is increasingly taking possession of the Western world generating vulnerability, weakness, resignation, habit of suffering in the rest of the world, elements that are being transformed into willpower. As the Westerners are getting older and older, the rest of the world is increasing its number. China, once poor, has become the United States’ main contender on the international chessboard. Certainly, Chinese people have the capacity of enduring difficulties consolidated over time, since like Russians, they do not have the ability to think, do and say what Is not consistent with an autocratic way of thinking. China is looking for new achievements wherever it is possible to obtain them at the expense of Western power, thanks to a constantly increasing demography and technological development. There are no similar countries apart from India, both for its impressive demographic and technological development, and its well-known adaptability to suffering.
No doubts about the distinction dealing with social and moral rules among all the people around the world regardless of their technological capabilities, but thanks to the quality of the time that has forged characters and resistance to adversity. History teaches us that the decline of empires and kingdoms generally begins at the height of prosperity. Certainly, the causes may be different, some can not scientifically demonstrate, due to the intervention of variables that cannot be analyzed, however, the question is; it is possible that traditions, past, habits, characters, average age, all possible reactions to great difficulties may be different among the different populations of our planet because the rules of human existence are different?
Furthermore, if the difficulties are prolonged over time, due to the different ability to adapt to adverse circumstances, they can mark the beginning of a decline, or even a growth, as happened in China, according to the reactive capacities of each population. If this is real, it is certain that in these situations any “weak “nation, despite a strong military power, will tend to use all available technology to get rid of the risk of decline. This is the fundamental rule.
The virtual versus the real: what will prevail and why?
It’s my opinion that virtual is going to largely replace what is real. There’s no a continuous solution for a technological development that should produce jobs, food and economic wellness for everyone worldwide, a population whose number is estimated to reach about 8 billion people by the end of the present year. Future generations will consider real what we now consider only digital. Of course the change of our society will uproot human beings from their own traditions and past experiences making them different from what we are now. Identity norms will get into crisis digesting a new awareness that is going to produce a new conscience.
Digitization makes people profoundly dependent on machines and prisoner as well and it is going to create control systems that are going to analyze people’s actions. The same people feeling under pressure will become more and more passive subjects getting used to the new rules in a progressive and instinct way. I am not talking about Sci-fi but the path we are walking on makes us vulnerable when carrying out human activities because we are not good at making crafts any longer along with thinking in new ways. Virtual is good, digital tools makes life easier but in case of a prolonged black out over time it’s easy to jump back in the past. ln this technological void human beings are just animals, unable to communicate and find those elements that make them self-confident.
In the past, the use of violence to oppose or impose asserted rights or simply dominion over lands and populations, took place more or less slowly throughout the years, and even wars most of the time required a long time to be concluded. Moreover, until the end of the first world war, they mainly dealt with armies arrayed against one other; civilians were safe and there was not the technology we have at present, to destroy everything. There was a time to think, plan and be aware of old-time consciousness. At present everything is the opposite. Speed first of all, the essential comes later. The world has changed and newborns are going to do jobs in the future that we can even not take in consideration. The power of modern weapons is used to threaten other countries or simply to defend themselves. The consequence is that with just a single serious mistake can cause a kind of ruckus.
Although nuclear deterrence remains important, it cannot be the only criterion available to live peacefully. Violence can not sort disputes out especially the political and economic ones. Moreover, the time to resolve a conflict has become too short and risky. Therefore, it is inevitable for everyone to use other forms of conflict that define the new and more modern approaches to power. We could define them the intelligent achievements of the future that surf uninterrupted on internet 24 hours a day. I am talking about communications and propaganda constitutes the essential aspect thanks to the mass media, true or false news ads and images or the obsessive bombardment of facts and comments interpreted artfully with transversal objectives and interests.
Fake reality Is using its own images likes a worm acting in human brains. This is a fundamental concept because is linked to brain manipulation. Over time these flowing virtual images and information will change and what is certain in people’s minds and will gradually take different directions from those originally intended.
Therefore, since the great political, economic and military powers are mainly concentrated in the United States, in China, in the European Union and militarily in Russia; that the technology and economic power of these states, in all operational fields, are overwhelming compared to the other nations: that is not possible find definitive solutions for the conflicts as it was in the past: that demographic increase along with impoverishment of our planet is visible not only in the emerging countries and with this phenomenon of profound criticality, which can be modern instruments to conquest or defence? According to a financial, economic and political point of view. Furthermore, what are the tools to save our planet that is getting more and more populated but unhealthy?
The answer Is definitively linked to virtual meetings on the web, mobile phones, television, cinema, social, chat, etc… So why using weapons or coercive authoritarianism when using force of conviction through propaganda is more lasting and less risky along with and slow and long brainwashing?
Given for granted people worldwide spend most of their time in front of a screen and some images can manipulate brains, create emotions, reactions and lead to acting that would not have taken place without virtual communication it sounds logical what is the incredible power of the web. The virtual is turned into real, people can see, speak, communicate, feel emotions, think over different issues becoming producers and receivers at the same time. Reality is different, so is the world itself. There is no need of physical contact because the virtual is already instilled in our minds.
Politics, consumption, life models are shown in real time on screens through a continuous and unstoppable pressing. The ones who were not used to producing meaningful thoughts are the very ones who are not used to wising up right now. Other people suffer passively and if they want to know something they have to take an unlimited number of steps before getting what can be considered worth of interest. Meanwhile the mind works where the ones who control news want it to work. The virtual allows people to travel around the world for free and, it shows us what the owners of the web want to be seen while concealing everything else.
The countries where fundamental human rights and freedom are denied establish their own social system on internal networks that exclude any foreign interference and through propaganda, videos, images and above all mass media, influence the minds of large crowds in order to achieve governmental goals. All that is virtual is able to act, move, give advice using special programs where nothing Is given for granted What Is virtual is like a fairy tale that seizes one’s attention for the sake of ratings. It can be compared to the simplest way to solve complex problems or to those sheepdogs that herd thousands of sheep.
The example definitively fits because people more and more passively choose the virtual to be dragged towards roads he would never have walked alone. Together with other people are continuously led to make mistakes.
Models and lifestyles, consumption and waste are the result of continuous brainwashing to get development programs created by a few for those masses longing for non-existent certainties. Because those who govern must provide work and food for everyone and if they make mistakes it’s going to be chaos. All leaders have always declared the sacrifice of few is useful and can be used for the ones that remain: the latter concept is dreadful but is still working.
What is the painless way to govern, direct and feed the masses who are continuously growing despite the birth rate is falling everywhere? So what is the best way to cope with the increasing shortage of drinking water, desertification of large territories, poisoning of the seas and aquifers, disposal of radioactive waste, lack of food in some regions mixed with an initial population growth in addition to unsustainable healthcare costs in poor and humiliated countries and regions? The solution Is not a war but in sharing of problems and perspectives. The sharing process makes people understand solutions should be accepted that only the virtual can make a better way of living thanks to increasingly refined and sophisticated tools.
Youngsters who represent the largest population in Asia Africa and Latin America are using internet more and more therefore they are more reachable than the older generations of North America Europe and Australia and are the ones who will have a new kind of existence and coexistence. The real physical aspect and physical contact will never disappear for sure but their presence will be considered only according to what can be considered essential.
It sounds like a sci-fi issue but it is not because the changes are taking place at high speed and in about 30 years the world will be completely different from the one we are familiar with now due to the pursuit of new ideals which on the other hand, may be the first ones to fall on dead ears.
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The horizons of the new geopolitics. Towards 2050
Significant achievements at any latitude are already taking place through manipulating minds. The development of technology, communications, videos, images, true and false news, politics, high medication costs, and media bombardments at every level is the expression of the worm that slowly develops, conditions, convinces, and subdues. Young people are more susceptible to them, and many of them occupy lands with slow economic development. How will they react in the future to the economic and technological development of the wealthy world? The power of propaganda will determine the metamorphosis of society by changing values and expressions, conflicts, and powers of contemporaneity. The geopolitics of the past will necessarily have to correct styles, methods, and techniques of defense and conquest.
Prof. Gianfranco Lizza, author