Our mental software is under attack! Talk at Ignite Shanghai in May 2010 with the "Geeks on a Plane"

1. Anti-Virus for the Mind
Ignite Shanghai | May 2010 | @benjaminjoffe

2. Case 1: Duels
Not everyone plays by the rules

3. Arthur Schopenhauer 38 Stratagems for Discussing
(1788-1960) (and avoiding abuse)

4. I. XXXVIII.
“Carry your “Become
opponent's
proposition personal,
insulting, rude as
beyond its soon as you
natural limits perceive that your
and narrow your opponent has the
own” upper hand”

5. Case 2: One-to-Many
Edward Bernays
(1891-1995)

6. • Crystallizing Public Opinion (1923)
• Propaganda (1928)
• Public Relations (1952)
• The Engineering of Consent (1955)

7. “Torches of Freedom” Joseph Goebbles
Third Reich Propagandist

8. Case 3: Few-to-Many
Gene Sharp (1993~)
Non-Violent Revolution Expert

10. Case 4: Twitter Revolution?
60 accounts in the city of Tehran
Fell to 6 accounts later on
Question
How representative is that?
Source: Al Jazeera

11. One Hobby :
War Museums
“War Memorial of Korea”
(Seoul, South Korea)
“Victorious Fatherland Liberation Museum”
(Pyeongyang, North Korea)
“Korean War Memorial Museum”
(Dandong, China)
Formerly “War to Resist U.S. Aggression & Aid North Korea”

12. Common Points
1. The enemy attacked first
2. It was a liberation war
3. Their side won
(mostly thanks to their own efforts)
Question
What do you think the “Korean War Veterans
Memorial” in Washington, DC says?

13. Quick Reminders
(1903-1950)
• “We've always been at war
with Eastasia”
– (or was it Eurasia?)
• “Super-states' ideologies
are alike…
• … and public's ignorance of
it is imperative” -- Goldstein
(1948)

14. Case 5: Many-to-Many
“The Theft of History”
• Pervasive Western viewpoint
• “Theft” by the West of the
achievements of other cultures
– Democracy
– Capitalism
– Individualism
– Love!
• And maybe more?
– Entrepreneurship
– Innovation
(2007)

15. Two Views on Europe
Zbigniew Brzezinski Francois Asselineau
US Geostrategist French Political Scientist

16. The Grand Chessboard
American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives
“No Eurasian challenger
should dominate Eurasia
and challenge America's
global preeminence”

17. Agreement on Situation but…
Celebrate the result Get out of Europe

18. 1984, Brave New World… or both?
• Is it “Proles” life…
– Victory Gin
– Synthetic foodstuff
– Always-on Telescreens
• …Or “Soma”? (from Brave New World)
– (Popular dream-inducing drug)
– Method of control through pleasure

19. Is There a Solution?
• Critical Thinking
• Media Literacy
• Digital Literacy
• “Slow News” vs. The Instant Web

20. To Report Mind Intrusions
benjamin [at] plus8star.com
Thanks!