The Sept. 17-18 deadly pager attacks in Lebanon feel incomprehensible. But from a socionomics perspective, they make perfect sense.
On September 17-18, the world awoke to a new level of cyberterrorism when what many consider a child’s toy was used as a deadly weapon of war. The lack of sophistication in converting pagers, walkies and hand-held radios into killing machines was debated across the globe. Wrote NPR on September 18:
“It’s hard to explain just how used to bad things happening Lebanese are,” [NPR’s Jane Arraf] told All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro, “but this has been largely a conflict involving warplanes, artillery, drones.”
“As a result, Tuesday’s attack was especially shocking,” Arraf says.
Added The Hindu: “This was a low-tech gadget blitz.”
Here, our brand-new October 2024 Socionomist recovers an early, prescient warning about the rise of such crude instruments of destruction when social mood declines, writing:
Such attacks do not utilize expensive weapons such as missiles, tanks, aircraft and ships. They are what socionomists have characterized as “belligerence-on-the-cheap.”
In the February 2012 issue, the Institute’s Alan Hall said that because of technological advancements, the world would see the rise of individuals who were “radically empowered.” Such individuals would be able to turn small, inexpensive items into “cheap” but effective weapons. As recent developments in Lebanon have shown, such weapons are now a reality.
“As animosity rises and military budgets fall, expect even more belligerence-on-the-cheap,” said Hall, who warned that in the future, attacks could come in the form of such things as espionage, internal terrorism, cyberattacks and drones. And as we have seen, even otherwise benign items such as pagers and hand-held radios can also be converted into instruments of war.
The Lebanon attacks fit this category of “belligerence-on-the-cheap” to a T. And, the October Socionomist explains the likelihood of whether these unconventional “expressions of aggression” will continue.
Plus: The October 2024 Socionomist includes part 1 of a spooky study that puts the recent global fascination with aliens into a historical context. And, no, said fascination didn’t come from fringe, tinfoil-hat wearing conspiracy theorists but rather, established authorities like astronomers, the Air Force, and CIA.
Not to mention a deep dive into Ecuador’s authoritarian response to violent drug cartels and how the 2025 Oasis reunion tour may reflect rising social mood across the pond.
Knowledge is power… up to a point.
Understanding the nature of critical events after they occur makes you a well-informed member of society.
But being aware of potential shifts in the social, political, and cultural landscape before they occur – that makes you an advocate for your physical and financial wellbeing.
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