by Charles Hugh Smith
Of Two Minds
The elites dancing through the minefield all have plans, but how many are prepared for the punch in the mouth?
Open any newspaper from the past 100 years and you will soon find a newsworthy geopolitical hotspot or conflict. Geopolitical conflict is the default setting for humanity, it seems, but it does feel as if the minefield of geopolitical rivalries and flashpoints has been thickly sown and many of the players are dancing through the minefield with a worrisomely cavalier confidence that they won’t step on mine, i.e. bad stuff only happens to the other players.
The global minefield includes these dynamics:
1. The grinding collision of geopolitical tectonic plates: spheres of influence, soft and hard power projection, border conflicts, etc.
2. The urgency sparked by the pandemic to take advantage of rival’s vulnerabilities and the countering urgency to defend one’s key borders/interests.
3. The destabilizing forces of elite dominance and wealth inequality within nation-states encourage elites to seek external distractions.