'The Middle Class Proletariat' aka 'We're all potential terrorists now'

And whilst waiting patiently for the imminent collapse of the world’s banking system and the return of the much-missed feudal economic system why not while away a few minutes flipping through a fascinating document a fellow Conspiraloon just reminded me of...

Called ‘Strategic Trends’ it is an 'independent view of the future produced by the Development Concepts and Doctrine Centre (DCDC), a Directorate General within the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD). It is a source document for the development of UK Defence Policy'.

It’s available as a downloadable pdf (dated March 2007) straight from the MOD website here

My favourite bits come near the end in the section called ‘Strategic Shocks’

Strategic Shocks being…

“An analysis of trends and probable outcomes can only go so far in describing the future, the unexpected also needs to be taken into account - shocks will happen. Our discussion now outlines ways in which discontinuities may occur. This section makes no claim to be a comprehensive list of all possible shocks, but does seek to demonstrate how the world might develop in ways that are radically and intuitively different from outcomes derived from linear analysis.”

My two favourite potential Strategic Shocks being…

“The Middle Class Proletariat

The middle classes could become a revolutionary class, taking the role envisaged for the proletariat by Marx. The globalization of labour markets and reducing levels of national welfare provision and employment could reduce peoples’ attachment to particular states. The growing gap between themselves and a small number of highly visible super-rich individuals might fuel disillusion with meritocracy, while the growing urban under-classes are likely to pose an increasing threat to social order and stability, as the burden of acquired debt and the failure of pension provision begins to bite. Faced by these twin challenges, the world’s middle-classes might unite, using access to knowledge, resources and skills to shape transnational processes in their own class interest.”

and

“Terrorist Coalition of the Willing

Islamist terrorism is likely to remain the most obvious manifestation of the international terrorist threat until at least 2020. However, changes in the strategic context could cause this threat to evolve in unusual ways. A generational change among leading Islamist terrorists could lead to a more broadly based coalition of opposition to the cultural invasion caused by globalization and modernization. A terrorist coalition, including a wide range of reactionary and revolutionary rejectionists, such as ultra-nationalists, religious groupings and even extreme environmentalists, might conduct a global campaign of greater intensity.”

Get the picture?

Alternatively, you could keep telling yourself that agencies of Western governments are not exploring the possibility of, and making provision for, waging counter-insurgent warfare against swathes of their own populations. After all, only a lunatic would believe stuff like that

here's the link to that MOD site again...

Strategic Trends

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