Superempowerment — an increase in the ability of individuals and small groups to accomplish tasks/work through the combination of rapid improvements in technological tools and access to global networks — has enabled small groups to radically increase their productivity in conflict. For example, if a small group disrupts a system or a network by attacking systempunkts, it can amplify the results of its attacks to achieve as much as a 1,400,000 percent return on investment.
Open source warfare is an organizational method by which a large collection of small, violent, superempowered groups can work together to take on much larger foes (usually hierarchies). It is also a method of organization that can be applied to non-violent struggles. It enables:
- High rates of innovation.
- Increased survivability among the participant groups.
- More frequent attacks and an ability to swarm targets.
In Mari El, a Finno-Ugric republic in the Middle Volga region of the Russian Federation, leaders of the most ancient of mankind’s religions have turned to the most modern communications channel as part of their struggle to defend their culture and beliefs against the encroachments of modernity.
the Russian-dominated government in Mari El may soon find itself confronted with an even more powerful force than the one that it confronted three years ago when Finno-Ugric activists abroad attracted more than 10,000 signatures on an appeal to end Ioshkar-Ola and Moscow’s oppression of the Mari people. [mari]
GENEVA a€" Muslim and Western nations clashed at the United Nations on Tuesday after a measure backed by Islamic countries added monitoring religious prejudice to the duties of a U.N. free speech expert.
The U.N. investigator on freedom of opinion and expression is responsible for reporting on repressive governments’ restriction of free speech. The change sponsored by Egypt and Pakistan now requires him to also report acts of "racial or religious discrimination" that constitute "abuse of the right of freedom of expression."
The change passed 32-0 by the U.N. Human Rights Council on Friday was seen as a move against forms of expression that have offended Muslims, such as Danish newspaper cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. The U.S., Canada and some European countries said the measure could curtail freedom of expression and help dictatorial regimes block dissenting views.
"The resolution adopted attempts to legitimize the criminalization of expression," U.S. Ambassador Warren W. Tichenor told the 47-nation Human Rights Council. [idahostatesman]
This is what happens when fools plan April Fools jokes