Pretty...!

If you've ever wondered where to start on Science Fiction this is a VERY good list. I think I agreed with 90% of the recommendations. I can recommend his YouTube Channel too! 

Just Finished Reading: How To Lose A Country - The Seven Steps From Democracy To Dictatorship by Ece Temelkuran (FP: 2019) [280pp]

Its difficult not to be aware of the rightward slide to more authoritarian government and right-leaning politicians across the world, from the obvious examples of Turkey and Hungary to France, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany and, of course, the USA. Living and working as a journalist and author in Turkey the author of this fascinating (and rather disturbing) book knows this all too well and all too personally from her day to day experiences. As Turkey was something of an outlier in this trend the author was able to discern, along with others, these trends in other places but recognised what appeared to be a 'playbook' of would-be authoritarians and wannabe dictators - the Seven Steps of the title. Having such first hand knowledge and a desire to educate those who would be facing similar challenges to democracy and the rule of law that her country did (and still does) the author wrote articles at home and abroad, gave lectures and informal talks and, as here, produced books both non-fiction and fiction to get her thoughts and ideas across and to get people thinking about their own situations as well as ideas of what to do about it.  

Watching the news over the past 5-6 years it's easy to see how the 'playbook' plays out. How 'Movements' can be created from what was disparate groups of disaffected people, how Myths (and especially foundational myths) can be used to both tie the new Movement together, differentiate it from outsiders and then demonise them, how language - especially regarding the Truth [nearly always capitalised] - can be twisted to create a world of 'alternate facts' where the so-called 'reality based community' can be ridiculed for not creating its own reality as required, where the concept of shame or the need to actually apologise or, God forbid, resign after being caught red-handed with fingers in the cash box or other body parts elsewhere is both a thing of the past and is now seen as passé, how judicial and political processes can be dismantled, ignored or so bent out of shape that they become meaningless theatre, how 'real people' (naturally always in the minority) can be created out of whole cloth to compete with and ultimately replace 'others' who, no matter what they say or do, can never become really 'real', how, no matter the depths of the horror, events that would have previously given people serious pause for thought are either dismissed as 'fake news' or 'false flags', viewed as righteous retribution or laughed at. Once these elements are accepted as right, as normal, you can create your own country with the trappings of Democracy but without any of the substance.

I did find myself sadly nodding in agreement throughout this extremely well-written short work. So much so I've recently bought her follow up book and I'm looking out for her novels too. Not only is the author passionate about her work she is a very able communicator. She knows (again from first hand experience) how difficult it is to fight against this sort of anti-democratic force but she also knows that such a fight is possible and that, despite some news to the contrary, all is not lost. This is, be warned, a sobering read but also a hopeful one. Most definitely recommended to anyone who has ever wondered what they can do or how can they cope with the world as it is or seems to be moving. Definitely looking forward to reading her next book.       

I think that Summer is coming to an end.........

20 even MORE (Random Internet) Questions 

Why do you think we dream? 

The brain has been ‘designed’ for millions of years to “make sense” of the environment and increase our chances of survival and reproduction. When we sleep, this sense making aspect is left to interpret the activities of a brain that is no longer receiving exterior input. It is, in a sense, free-wheeling as it does what it needs to do to process the days data, store long term memories and do housekeeping. The ‘sense’ made of these activities is what we call ‘dreams’.     

If you had to rename yourself, what name would you choose? 

For some unknown reason, people I have met over decades seem to think my name is David. Maybe I should go with that one. 

What’s your favorite holiday, and why? 

Visiting historic cities and seeing historic sites – plus things like museums and art galleries. 

What’s the weirdest thing you used to eat as a child? 

Possibly salt & vinegar sandwiches. 

Would you rather always be hot or always be cold? 

Well, I’m normally always cold so........... 

Would you rather discover a new periodic table element or win gold at the Olympics? 

Definitely an element. That stuff is FOREVER. Although an Olympic gold is a heck of an achievement it won’t be long until it's forgotten because of the next one. 

What’s the best decision you’ve ever made? 

Going to University. 

Would you rather be trapped in a sandstorm or snowstorm? 

Sandstorm. I’ve been in a snowstorm (well, a mini blizzard) and it really wasn’t nice. At least in a sandstorm you could hunker down and wait until it ‘blows over’. 

What is the weirdest dream you’ve ever had? 

I mentioned my ‘wading through blood’ dream last time so... There was one where I landed on an alien planet which was alive and essential ate all of my high-tech equipment so I had to live in the forest, reduce to a stone age lifestyle. That was pretty odd..... 

Have you ever cheated on someone? 

No. 

What is the worst thing you’ve ever done in your life? 

SO much to choose from. Mostly stupid decisions, comments or actions in my youth. 

Would you rather starve to death or eat humans for the rest of your life? 

As a veggie, that would be starvation. 

If you could be any animal, what would you be? 

Erm, let me see...... Cat, duh! 

What would you tell your younger self if you could go back in time? 

Be more open to possibilities. Don’t always say no to things that initially make you uncomfortable. Take more risks (at least sometimes). 

What TV shows did you watch when you were a kid? 

FAR, FAR too many. I used to watch a staggering amount of TV as a child. 

Would you rather brush your teeth with rocks or drink milk that smells like bad breath? 

I only left this in because the question was just SO ridiculous. 

What’s the most ridiculous thing you have convinced someone is true? 

I think I mostly convinced someone that scientists had actually produced elephants with HUGE ears that could fly. 

What would your perfect day look like? 

Nice weather, good company, good food, maybe an outdoor event of some kind (with music) followed by a relaxing chatty evening around a dinner table with wine. 

What country can you name, but besides the name, you know almost nothing else about? 

Most of Africa, a good chunk of Asia and a portion of South America at least. My world knowledge (over and above general common knowledge) is embarrassingly scant. 

What do you think people automatically assume about you when they look at you? 

A surprising number of people automatically think I’m gay. I’ve rationalised this as an aspect of me treating women as equals and looking them in the eyes when I’m talking to them. 

 Life, she is a beach...................

"It requires neither courage nor prescience to predict disaster. Courage is required of the man who, when things are good, says so. Historians rejoice in crucifying the false prophet of the millennium. They never dwell on the mistake of the man who wrongly predicted Armageddon."

The Great Crash 1929 by John Kenneth Galbraith (1954)

Just Finished Reading: Kill Chain – Drones and the Rise of High-Tech Assassins by Andrew Cockburn (FP: 2015) [259pp] 

It has always been the dream of militaries around the world to be able to dispel the ‘fog of war’. This conceptual fog is the inability to see ‘over the hill’, around corners and behind enemy lines at will. To be able to see, god-like, the whole battlefield and know, precisely, where every unit (both friendly and enemy) was exactly located would, in most instances, mean that you could win every battle and dominate every encounter – or at least you could if you could deny such an ability to the enemy. Naturally, with the demand for such omnipotent gaze so high we would expect that companies would offer just such an ability to their military masters – for a cost. 

They tried it in earnest first in Vietnam. The US military at the time couldn’t understand how their low-tech enemies both continued to resist and managed the feats of logistics they evidently were capable of. The culprit was the so-called Ho-Chi-Min Trail. But even with the largest and most powerful air force in the world they couldn’t simply bomb a winding jungle trail 24/7 and hope for the best. They needed accurate and timely intel so they could respond ‘Just In Time’ for most effect. Enter the high-tech sensors designed to pick up human smells, human footfall and the rumble of truck engines. Or so the manufacturers promised. But that was a lot of remote data that needed processing so computers (or a sort) were designed and built to process the data and determine exactly what was going on along the Trail and tell the air force exactly where and when to bomb. Or so the manufacturers promised. Of course, it turned out that the sensors, even when they worked and even when they actually landed anywhere near the Trail, couldn’t differentiate between a Viet-Cong and a local peasant or between a truck and a wild pig. Nor could the computer program supposedly designed to do just that. But the air force had its targeting data, so planes flew and bombs, lots of bombs, fell as did Saigon sometime later. 

Not deterred by failure, the manufacturers of high-tech equipment eventually delivered the iconic ‘drone’ which was, in their minds at least, the all-seeing eye that could provide ‘real-time’ intel and, in later iterations, launch instant precision strikes. The military dream had finally been achieved – they could view any battlefield anywhere on the planet and, with the touch of a button or a word over a phone bring down hell (or at least a Hellfire missile) on a helpless enemy. Or so the manufacturers promised. Unfortunately, things were never that straight forward. For one thing the drones couldn’t really take off or land in strong winds, or actually in light winds. Their light construction meant that they were easily damaged and needed constant maintenance. Their sensors, supposedly god-like, were nothing of the sort and, at the height they usually operated at, couldn’t easily distinguish between types of vehicles or identify people on the ground by age, gender or whether or not they were carrying a weapon. This naturally meant that any strike had a high chance of collateral damage – AKA dead women, children and innocent bystanders. Also naturally, the military LOVED their new toys and demanded more of them with longer ranges, higher payloads and longer loiter times. All of which the manufacturers promised to provide – at ever increasing costs.  

I’ve never been a fan of drones and the more I read about them the less I like them. Not only are they a very questionable weapon system for a whole host of reasons they have been used, in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Yemen, as essentially tools of targeted assassination which isn’t, as far as I’m aware, what they were originally designed for. The ethical problems with this approach are huge and the result are, as we are now only too aware, questionable at best. If you ever wondered how we arrived at this situation this is most definitely a book for you. Told with an apparent deep, often inside, knowledge of the equipment, the companies that make them and the organisations that buy them this is a totally fascinating (if at times almost blood-boiling) of why ‘drone strike’ and ‘hellfire missile’ have become common terms in the media and beyond. Drones are definitely here to stay (as we’re presently seeing in Ukraine) and as their advertised abilities grow so will their usage around the world. Watch the Skies and pray for cloud. Recommended.