Globalony

Wonderful word, but not my word ; as seemingly every time a microphone is thrust in front of an ingénue they blurt out ‘facts’ that reveal serious ignorance of elements outside their own country or region.  This is 2015, last I checked, and all statements can be fact-checked by a twelve year old.

My own opinion has emerged that the twin tsunami of profound granular data availability and asymmetric behavior has caused those not prone to respect for the facts to come unglued in their public pronouncements. I will explain the details.

First, a prejudice – just because a microphone is thrust in front of one’s face an attempt a profound and attention getting response is not obligatory.  I really have developed an attraction to some level of opacity. We do not need to know every detail of everyone’s views and activity.  Individuals and institutions may actually benefit by some selective silence. (A lot of silence in many cases).

Profound unfettered availability of data, or science, or true expert views is a recent phenomenon. Researchers have had access to real scientific data and models for a long time, but the contemporary digital (access) communications flood has allowed everyone a fact-based view of demographic, geopolitical, environmental, and social trends that may well run contrary to the narrative that large groups of people embrace. Some continue to be ‘truthers’—not letting the facts get in the way of their opinions. Most are at least temporarily disoriented, and reach for alternatives.

Examples abound, from the world of sports that has been shaken by data analytics; to the demographic projections for the US which shortly will no longer be Caucasian majority and blacks will no longer be the largest minority, and surely to the data on accelerating income inequality all around the world.

Asymmetry appears in every element of current events.  The wars around the globe are fought asymmetrically.  Social foundations, with only 47% of households having a married couple, no longer retain familiar characteristics. Governments and politicians simply cannot negotiate as in the past. So that these unconventional behaviors of individuals leave observers confused. In our current culture of surveillance these behaviors cannot be avoided.  Most traditionalists reach for alternatives.

The alternatives most common are historical narratives – storytelling reflecting the facts and environments of a more familiar time. With comfort in numbers, these prisoners of cognitive capture do not realize that 2015 is passing them by with great speed, and rather than adapt and adopt so that they can both deal with and understand modernity these globalonies become more and more frustrated. Good.  They deserve it.