Re: <nettime> Urban dystopia is unavoidable, says the Pentagon

[Carsten Agger <agger@modspil.dk>]

On 10/29/2016 03:35 PM, Felix Stalder wrote:
> [If you ever thought you were pessimistic and/or cynical about the
> future, just take a look at this Pentagon video. A dark, fully
> dystopian view of the near future in urbanized metropolitan regions.
> What strikes me the most is that this future is deemed "unavoidable"
> hence the military needs to prepare to deal with it. No alternatives,
> no possibilities. This the neo-liberal "TINA" dogma taken to the
> logical end. The film was not made for public consumption, but for
> internal training. Felix]
>
>
> https://theintercept.com/2016/10/13/pentagon-video-warns-of-unavoidable-dystopian-future-for-worlds-biggest-cities/


This is not necessarily a realistic or even qualified prediction of
the future. It may just as well be the result of a marketing discource
based on fear, uncertainty and doubt from the military industry
wanting to sell drones, armed vehicles etc. to combat urban uprisings.

I found the reference to the US counter-insurgence tactics "honed
in Iraq" and the talk of "draining the swamp of ordinary citizens"
especially chilling. What happened in e.g. Fallujah were massacres and
war crimes with no justification whatsoever. Maybe this fantasy video
is about gearing up to more war crimes, rather than to a dystopian
future.


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