5GW Theory Timeline

(Originally appeared on the defunct blog Phatic Communion, republished at Dreaming 5GW.)

A post dissecting what kind of activity the 5GWarrior would utilize. Specifically, a consideration of “rhythm” and “randomness” leads to a questioning of the secrecy aspect assumed to exist in fifth generation warfare, via a metaphor Dan tdaxp had already utilized: The female assassin that targets a Yakuza Boss:

1. The yakuza boss, when killed, would no longer appear to be alive. That is, if an action occurs, its effects are always observable, even if we don’t happen to see the action itself.
2. What kind of effects will a 5GW warrior desire? What kind of activity will the 5GW warrior attempt in order to obtain the results desired? Specifically, why would a 5GW warrior engage in activity the results of which are entirely unobservable; would such results truly be results, if they do not produce cascading effects or a changed reality?
3. If results are observable, to what degree can the “secret” in terms such as SecretWar and SecretWarrior, obtain or persist?

These questions lead to two alternative unfoldings for fifth generation warfare:

Crossing the Rubicon: in which the effects caused by the fifth generation attacker may be clearly seen, but even if they are ultimately connected by the target to some enemy and understood to be a concerted effort to defeat the target, the target has already been influenced to “cross the rubicon”, unable to avoid the remaining negative effects of the fifth generation attack:  “A successful 5GW will leave the target on a downward spiral into insignificance. The target’s knowing it has been a victim won’t save the target from the spiral.”

The SecretWarrior as Benefactor: The most influential members of a society able to operate with no or very limited negative suspicion are those who can promise the most benefit to that society; and, a society which believes it is moving toward a brighter future may also “cross the rubicon” — but without realizing that the achievements it has made are in fact much less than what it might have achieved had the 5GW not occurred. Such a society might be quite happy and content with its future prospects, never even knowing that a fifth generation war had targeted them and limited them.

This post was later cross-posted to the blog Dreaming 5GW under the same name.

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