All I have to say at this point is that we are in the era of fifth generation warfare. I just found this definition which I think sums it up well:
Fifth Generation Warfare (5GW) is a new type of conflict focused on ideas, narratives, and information manipulation rather than traditional military force.
We are in an information war and, in my view, nothing can be taken at face value. By now, even Trump's most staunch critics acknowledge that he is not the buffoon the media have portrayed for ten years. The balance of power is shifting from globalism to multilateralism and Trump is the most prominent face of that shift.
Pence, Barr, Musk… all characters in a show for the masses… It is impossible to make sense of it, unless you take the highest possible view and see the bigger picture. What matters is the result and we are much better off today than ten years ago, on the core political issues.
The major difference is that 99.99% of people never used to pay attention to these issues, whereas now, more and more people do, and that is, I think, the greatest evolution we have known in recent times – knowledge is power. If Obama had been subjected to that level of scutiny and standard, via decentralised media, he probably would have been removed from office in his first year.
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"I do think he did a lot better this time, don't you ?"
A lot happened between 2020 and 2024 and Trump didn't waste a minute of those four years. His favourite book is Sun Tzu's The Art of War… and for those who have read it, that is all one needs to know. A couple of excerpts:
“All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.”
“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”
And that was my 2 baht's worth