Category: Intelligence (Public)

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Review: Among the Truthers — A Journey Through America’s Growing Conspiracist Underground

3 Star, 9-11 Truth Books & DVDs, Culture, Research, Intelligence (Public), Justice (Failure, Reform), Media, Misinformation & Propaganda, Truth & Reconciliation, Voices Lost (Indigenous, Gender, Poor, Marginalized)
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Jonathan Kay

3.0 out of 5 starsShallow, Scribbler Who Ignored the Books and DVDs, May 23, 2011

I came to this page asking myself if three stars would be too hard on this author and what has proven to be a disturbing amount of garbage. The other reviews kept me at three, I was toying with two stars.

When I received the book, and then again today, my first impressions of the author are hugely negative: glib, arrogant, smug, condescending. This guy has crawled out from under some Canadian rock where he led a very sheltered life–either that or he is an “agent of influence” funded by CSIS and the CIA to undermine the 9/11 Truth Movement just as it is gaining even more traction in the aftermath of the Wall Street looting of the American and global economies. [Cf. GRIFTOPIA and the DVD “Inside Job”]
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Review: The World Sensorium — The Social Embryology of World Federation 1946

5 Star, Civil Society, Communications, Complexity & Resilience, Culture, Research, Education (Universities), Games, Models, & Simulations, Information Operations, Information Society, Intelligence (Collective & Quantum), Intelligence (Extra-Terrestrial), Intelligence (Public), Intelligence (Wealth of Networks), Nature, Diet, Memetics, Design, Peace, Poverty, & Middle Class, Philosophy, Priorities, Public Administration, Strategy, Survival & Sustainment, Water, Energy, Oil, Scarcity
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Oliver L. Reiser

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gem–Easy to Read, A Foundation Book for World Brain and Global Game, May 22, 2011
I bought this book on a whim, sensing that despite its 1946 publication date it might be inspirational and I have been *very* glad to go through this. It was a half-century ahead of its time. This book, which does cite H.G. Wells and World Brain (Adamantine Classics for the 21st Century), is a wonderful core reading for any age including high school but certainly going all the way to PhD programs. I consider it a SUPERB start to any semester of dialog in this domain.

Quick overview and appreciation by the chapter:

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Review (Guest): Idiot America — How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free

5 Star, America (Founders, Current Situation), Complexity & Catastrophe, Consciousness & Social IQ, Country/Regional, Culture, Research, Education (General), Intelligence (Public), Misinformation & Propaganda, Nature, Diet, Memetics, Design, Peace, Poverty, & Middle Class, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Politics of Religion, Science & Politics of Science

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Charles Pierce

5.0 out of 5 stars It's True: We See This Everyday, July 2, 2009

“Idiot America” is great, informative book about concepts we see everyday. Also, many of the 1-star reviews are likely biased because of some of the political and religious topics noted. I think this book is definitely a full, 5-star book.

The Following comments aren't meant to be particularly negative towards the United States and the concepts in this book aren't exclusive to the USA. The concepts in “idiot America” exist all over the entire world. “Idiot America” is a superbly covered account of something that's very prevalent in the US.

Charles Pierce provides the history of “cranks” (con artists and showmen) from the founding of the nation to current examples today in contemporary America. I focused on TV and Radio because of it's widespread impact on the populace today (even in the age of the growing Internet, which is becoming dominant). Much of TV and Talk Radio promote misinformation based on emotion, histrionics, shock, being loud, and over-the-top attempts to get ratings.

The author notes “The 3 Great Premises: and applies them to many instances in this book:

1. Any theory is valid if it moves units (rating, and making money).
2. Anything can be true if it is said loudly enough.
3. Fact is what enough people believe (the Truth is what you believe).

There are many examples in this book. Here are just a few:

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MUST READ CAPSTONE WORK: Noosphere — The Next Stage in the Evolution of Human Consciousness, A Testimony by Jose Arguelles

11 Society, 6 Star Top 10%, About the Idea, Advanced Cyber/IO, Augmented Reality, Consciousness & Social IQ, Cosmos & Destiny, Culture, Research, Ethics, Historic Contributions, InfoOps (IO), Information Society, Intelligence (Extra-Terrestrial), Intelligence (Public), Intelligence (Wealth of Networks), Methods & Process, Nature, Diet, Memetics, Design, Officers Call, Philosophy, Real Time, Strategy, Strategy, Truth & Reconciliation, Values, Ethics, Sustainable Evolution, Voices Lost (Indigenous, Gender, Poor, Marginalized)
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Phi Beta Iota: We reproduce the excerpt in order to add links to all of the books and individuals mentioned.  Tip of the Hat to Reality Sandwich for this offering, and to Evolver Editions (North Atlantic/Random House) for their new Manifesto series in support of human consciousness and planetary synthesis.

Noosphere: The Next Stage in the Evolution of Human Consciousness, A Testimony

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To mark the recent passing of José Argüelles, we offer an excerpt from his upcoming book Manifesto for the Noosphere: The Next Stage in the Evolution of Human Consciousness, available from Evolver Editions/North Atlantic Books in October 2011.

EXCERPT:

We must enlarge our approach to encompass the formation taking place before our eyes … of a particular biological entity such as has never existed on earth-the growth, outside and above the biosphere, of an added planetary layer, an envelope of thinking substance, to which, for the sake of convenience and symmetry, I have given the name of the Noosphere. –Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Future of Man

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Manifesto for the Noosphere is the result of forty years of study, contemplation, investigation, and synthesis. While the noosphere may be beyond the grasp of conventional science, it is a deep and pervasive intuition that has gripped the minds of scientists, philosophers, poets, and artists since the concept first emerged in 1926. It is an evolutionary concept posited by studies in both biogeochemistry and paleontology. It is a whole-systems paradigm that melds prophecy and analysis of current world trends. It is a perception that the transformation of the biosphere is inevitably leading to a new geological epoch and evolutionary cycle, and it is due to the impact of human thought on the environment that this new era — the Noosphere — is dawning.

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Review: Keeping U.S. Intelligence Effective — The Need for a Revolution in Intelligence Affairs

4 Star, Change & Innovation, Complexity & Resilience, Intelligence (Government/Secret), Intelligence (Public), Public Administration
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William Lahneman

4.0 out of 5 stars Rock Solid Starting Point for Ethical Revolution in Intelligence Affairs

May 14, 2011

This is a solid four-star piece of work with the right intellectual and moral attitude. It is noteworthy for recognizing that a “revolution in intelligence affairs” has not taken place, and that everything done to date has been at best incrementalism if not outright pathologicial self-destruction. Those who are not themselves revolutionaries in the intelligence discipline, and especially those who are just starting out and need an innoculation against the embedded idiocy of the current hierarchy of seniors all too eager to pander to unethical politicans, would do well to read this book. It is more than satisfactory as a starting point for getting it right.

I know the author and his earlier work, and consider this book to be a very fine contribution with perspectives that have been completely absent among the self-proclaimed “in-house” reformists.

See Also (live links at Phi Beta Iota the Public Intelligence Blog):

Graphic: Intelligence Maturity Scale

2010: Human Intelligence (HUMINT) Trilogy Updated

2010 The Ultimate Hack Re-Inventing Intelligence to Re-Engineer Earth (Chapter for Counter-Terrorism Book Out of Denmark)

INTELLIGENCE for EARTH: Clarity, Diversity, Integrity, & Sustainaabilty

All of my books are free online so please don't take this as pimping them–the below books and the one above are the series on intelligence revolution, as yet not recognized nor implemented by any nation.

On Intelligence: Spies and Secrecy in an Open World
The New Craft of Intelligence: Personal, Public, & Political–Citizen's Action Handbook for Fighting Terrorism, Genocide, Disease, Toxic Bombs, & Corruption
Peacekeeping Intelligence: Emerging Concepts for the Future
Information Operations: All Information, All Languages, All the Time
THE SMART NATION ACT: Public Intelligence in the Public Interest
Collective Intelligence: Creating a Prosperous World at Peace

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Review (Guest): Up from Eden–A Transpersonal View of Human Evolution

5 Star, Consciousness & Social IQ, Culture, Research, Intelligence (Collective & Quantum), Intelligence (Public), Intelligence (Wealth of Networks), Philosophy, Values, Ethics, Sustainable Evolution
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Ken Wilber

Phi Beta Iota: Harrison Owen considers this one of Ken Wilber's most important contributions to humanity.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Painful History of Mankind- and a way Beyond…, July 12, 2002

By Nicq MacDonald (Sioux Falls, SD United States)

After the success of his initial works (The Spectrum of Consciousness and No Boundary), Ken Wilber gave his “spectrum” model a serious reappraisal and found it woefully lacking. It seemed that he had made a mistake that he goes on to chide others for in his later books- he confused prerational myths with transcendental truths, and confused the spiritual fall with the scientific fall. He makes up for his previous errors with “Up From Eden: A Transpersonal View of Human Evolution”.

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Review (Guest): No Boundary–Eastern and Western Approaches to Personal Growth

4 Star, Consciousness & Social IQ, Culture, Research, Intelligence (Collective & Quantum), Intelligence (Public), Intelligence (Wealth of Networks), Philosophy, Values, Ethics, Sustainable Evolution
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Ken Wilber

Editorial Reviews

“Ken Wilber is one of the most important pioneers in the field of consciousness in this century.”—Deepak Chopra

“The most sensible, comprehensive book on consciousness since William James.”—Dr. James Fadiman, President, Association for Transpersonal Psychology

“No Boundary does for this generation what Alan Watts' writings did for an earlier one. It brings the most difficult subject of all—nature of consciousness—into an easily grasped presentation that is both elegant and simple.”—John White, editor of Kundalini, Evolution, and Enlightenment Continue reading “Review (Guest): No Boundary–Eastern and Western Approaches to Personal Growth”