Bold War 2020

by Redemption

  "No thanks, Christiana, let's get on with the show. I can source detail later, when and if I want it."

  ~

  The film returned to Naples. In a dingy room equipment was set up on a table. A swarthy man with a diamond set in his front tooth and earphones set on his head was grunting "Hurry up, get it working… pronto!" Sweating and frowning, the technician laboured over the keyboard, anxiously looking at the screen from time to time.

  "Here it comes," he blurted after what seemed an eternity. Heads leaned forward to read the screen.

  DETECTOR PROCEDURES

  START-UP

  'Diamond' contorted his face into his impression of a smile. "About time. Let's see what it can do."

  ATTENTION!

  This program is about to do what the Calabrone is doing to society - abort.

  Tell your bosses they are parasites - the blood-suckers of the world.

  But one day truth will out and then they will be out.

  Disraeli said "Justice is truth in action."

  I am acting, TRUTH is on the way,

  JUSTICE WILL BE DONE!

  Diamond was on his feet and raging as a picture of a sword appeared on screen dripping blood. He knocked the technician senseless before turning to the screen. But it was blank. The lights on the computer had been extinguished. Silently, sweating, he surveyed the mute equipment, struggling in mounting panic to think of a way to break the news to his superiors. He felt no better when the machine beside him printed out the message from the screen, before he knocked it senseless as well.

  BOLD WAR 2020

  Part III

  PREPARATION

  CHAPTER 15 Kick - off

  It was mid-summer of the following complete year, 2AB, when a Rolls Royce swept silently up the long curving drive to the stately country manor. Kent's property in Kent - convenient to London and business dealings, far enough away for solitude of thinking and planning ('scheming' Andrew called it). There he kept a collection of the finer points of British life as he saw them, a background to his readings on the history of individuals with power and influence in Europe. Particularly Napoleon. And, relative to his current efforts, Churchill - to stand and fight against the odds, to inspire others, to 'never give up'".

  Impatiently he mounted the front steps as fast as his walking stick and chauffeur / pilot Charles could assist him. The waiting room was full of people and noise and exuberance. Old portraits on polished oak walls looked down disapprovingly, suits of armour impassive.

  "Welcome all," he boomed. "I hope you've had time to read each other's briefing notes. Good to see you're getting to know each other. Dinner will be served in half an hour." He shook hands all round and exited.

  They re-assembled around a long table in the baronial dining hall. The first course was served on silver plate under the soft light of chandeliers, accompanied by small talk. Kent rose to speak.

  "Thank you for coming. You know why we are here. The world is in a mess and getting worse. But nothing is going to get better until someone does something constructive about it. Who knows what that will be? We can't solve tomorrow's problems with today's non-solutions. How can it be effective when the best brains in the world have failed?

  "With your combined help I am going to do something about it, starting tonight. I can't achieve this by myself, never have. I've always bought in talent, supported and encouraged it. That's why you are here, and I issue a challenge. Around this table we have the brains, ideas, resources and I trust the energy and determination to achieve things which existed previously only in people's imaginations. What most people would think impossible - if indeed they thought about it at all.

  "I am talking about an advanced world where most of today's problems are resolved and society is improved from many points of view - socially, politically, quality of life, economically, environmentally, morally. I believe we can do this, to quote a friend of mine, by using man to solve man's (self-created) problems. Man has many unused abilities, hidden talents and untapped resources that need to be brought to the surface and applied to today's unsatisfactory circumstances.

  "Sound Utopian? Perhaps. In my previous 'life' I didn't understand, in fact I dismissed, altruism, 'doing good', being selfless and thinking of others. I am now a convert working on ways to do what I scorned. And I have an advantage over the rest of you. I have seen or experienced all your various offerings and believe that collectively they can bring us to a new era of world history. The challenge? To commit to and use our very best efforts towards a better world.

  "Each guest has a particular idea or concept which has potential to contribute in this direction. But with my usual bluntness I have to suggest that left to their own devices these fledgling ideas would not survive let alone prosper. Just because an idea is 'good' is not sufficient reason for it to be taken up and acted on by the jaded, misguided and timorous people who are in positions to do so.

  "The road to progress, they say, is bleached by the bones of pioneers. You have ideas and I have resources so together I hope we can travel down that road - without leaving anything to be bleached. But we will have to work hard, together, in uncharted waters. By the end of tonight's session I will ask each of you if you are prepared to commit to that challenge.

  He was preaching to the converted. In one way or other the visitors and staff had felt the surge of creativity, the stimulation of discovery, seen possibilities for the future, glimpsed a different world. They had also been criticised by those who 'knew better', crushed by defenders of the status quo, experienced rejection, been ignored by people in higher places. They had tried to surmount obstacles, been discouraged by opposition, fallen at hurdles, despaired of support.

  So what they heard was music to their ears, sustenance for their flagging efforts, empathy for their souls. All of them were ready to give their unqualified commitment at that moment, but fate was to intervene, savagely, before the night was out.

  "Starting from my left," Kent continued, "our first guest is Ed May from San Francisco. Ed has developed a comprehensive course that increases people's abilities in learning and achieving. Next is Rosemary Danne of Oxford who works at a more subtle level, helping in the way we think and in the way our knowledge and perceptions are formed. Raj Krishna is steeped in oriental wisdoms, parts of which I believe have relevance in our quest. Mario Tontini's truth machine out of Italy has tremendous possibilities to revolutionise the world, although with associated risks. Finally, Phillipa Quinn from Down-Under is very ambitious - nothing less than a new 'code' to radically uplift the world.

  "Individually these five concepts can make a positive contribution to society. Jointly I look for a synergy which will enhance their cumulative effect - to improve the lot of mankind." (More than anything in previous history, he wanted to add, but restrained himself.)

  "Briefly, the other members of our team. They have been released from duties in my companies until further notice to concentrate on whatever is needed for this project. I have to say they are extremely capable in their particular areas of activity; even so I am sure we will test them thoroughly. Xena Peron, my right hand, can get anything done, anywhere, any time. Rick Standish who brought in Ed is an engineer with skills in electronics and information technology. He also is good at project management which will be central to our efforts.

  "Trevor Urquhart who unearthed Rosemary works in software and networking. Yvonne Ziebarth was responsible for Phillipa. She has experience in the fields of marketing, advertising and psychology. Guy Leech replaces Luigi Tontini who discovered Mario but was unfortunately involved in a fatal accident."

  "Tell it the way it was, Mr Buchanan," interrupted Mario, tersely. "He was killed. Don't hide the truth."

  "My friends,… Mario is correct. But there is no reason to be alarmed, as I will explain later. Guy's background is in molecular biology and enzyme mining techniques, with a dash of philosophy to supplement Phillipa's efforts."

  A fleeting glimpse appeared on screen of a shado
wy figure peering through leafy branches at the manor as darkness began to fall and the windows were illuminated. Gentle movement of leaves framed a silhouetted face, motionless and menacing.

  "Charles Hendon in the background is accomplished with aeroplanes, cars and everything mechanical and electronic. Finally, beside me is my sister-in-law, Sylvia, whose down-to-earth judgement I have come to respect highly."

  Andrew's interest jumps at the mention of Sylvia. He relishes the glimpse of her, glad that she was not played by an actor. He also notices a dark darting glance from Xena as Kent spoke of Sylvia.

  ~

  "Now that the introductions are over and while we continue the meal I ask each guest, in the order introduced, to make a brief summary of how you hope to contribute within the overall context and, where applicable, how you think the others may be able to help you."

  Eager, but more nervous than he had ever been when presenting to cynical audiences, Ed wiped his mouth on a napkin and commenced. "This is all very interesting and stimulating. There are areas of overlap and mutual support and it is encouraging to see kindred spirits in action.

  "You've all seen a summary of Pals - my Program for Attitudinal and Learning Skills - so for the moment I'll just skim over the significant points. All of us are capable of much more than we currently do, but the experts and gurus over the years have achieved only minimal advances in bringing out those abilities - many people are stationary or even going backwards in the face of technology and change.

  "To me our current waste, oversight, wanton neglect and mismanagement are a travesty, totally unacceptable, and will lead to disaster. I struggle to find suitable words to express the gravity of the situation and the depth of my feelings - the scale of my disappointment, anger and sorrow at this deplorable state of affairs.

  "But it doesn't have to be this way. My course enables people by simple means to learn better and faster and to achieve more in their lives. Learning skills, the first half of the course, are of great value but under-appreciated by those who should know better."

  V

  D: Learning Skills Value:

  Ed: "As a point of interest I'll conduct a survey." He did so within the group and found that ten of the thirteen had undertaken tertiary education. Only one had been given a brief course in rapid reading, none had been assisted with memory training and two had minor help with time management. Tuition in other study skills was universally minimal.

  "So between you some 30,000 to 40,000 hours of study was spent without any basic help in learning how to learn?" He completed the sentence with a rising inflexion and paused for effect, to let the grossness of the fact sink in. "And yet my course, which all of you could have completed within forty hours, would have at least doubled your reading speed and improved your memory and time management by more than fifty per cent. Learning to learn.

  "Accordingly do you think this course would be worth doing? Would you have taken it if it was available at your university?"

  "Yes," and "Emphatically yes!"

  "Could any of you run a business without training your staff in what they were doing?"

  "Of course not! And so it ought to be with education."

  =

  "And, let me assure you, the attitudinal half of the course is even more important and productive than learning skills!"

  V

  D: Attitudinal Value:

  Ed: "A second survey. How many of you have seen a group of people start out in life with similar education, academic ability and opportunity, and yet only a few become really successful? What factors allow some to succeed while others fail?"

  The range of responses clearly indicated the reasons for success were predominantly attitude-related. "And yet the attitudinal component of formal educational courses is virtually zero. It is not meaningful to academics - they ignore or deprecate it.

  "Pals helps students understand how the brain works, how their thinking affects their attitudes and behaviour. How they are conditioned and what they can do about it. Straight-forward and simple techniques to work out what they want to do in life, how to set targets and achieve them. How to handle stress and manage change.

  "When these techniques are put into effect the transformation in students is remarkable - even more so than the learning skills segment, and more far-reaching in their importance.

  "And when the two halves of the course are combined an interesting and rewarding phenomenon takes place. Learning skill components help in learning attitudinal enhancements, and attitudinal enhancements improve the approach to gaining learning skills. Importantly, when their learning is carefully reinforced in practice, the skills 'stick'."

  =

  "There are very significant ramifications arising from Pals, such as self-directed learning and life-long learning. These are concepts bandied about by educators which are highly desirable ends but for which there is currently precious little means for achievement."

  V

  D: Self-directed and Life-long Learning:

  Ed: "With self-directed learning each student has the interest and motivation and ability to proceed actively at his / her own pace without substantial input from lecturers and others. It is a superior form of learning. It has been much talked about for decades and given lip-service, but will only become fully effective with enhanced personal characteristics such as arise from Pals.

  "In a similar way life-long learning is universally praised and yet almost impossible to introduce successfully in our society after the stunted and too often boring or scarring process that passes for 'education'. Pals makes learning easier and more enjoyable, fostering attitudes and abilities that make life-long learning valued and feasible.

  "Another term used glibly, with only a vague chance of it eventuating, is 'empowerment'. Currently it 'happens' occasionally, more by accident than design, whereas Pals specifically brings out the latent power of people. It 'actualises' their potential - a word you will see increasingly."

  =

  "And yet our educators give Pals at best a lukewarm reception, certainly not enough to go out of their way to look at it seriously."

  "Too busy, fear of change, not enough time or money," said Rosemary. "We're going to have to find ways around the resistance."

  "The same sort of things that probably hold back the rest of us," added Pip. "Apathy, timidity, fear of making mistakes, vested interests. But I like what I hear about skills 'sticking'. I want to find out more about how to do it."

  "Some say they like the idea of Pals," said Ed, "but baulk at the suggestion of backing it with time or effort or money. I feel Pow-Woww might help to get the message across, and some aspects in Raj's area could supplement the content. At this stage I'm still trying to get my mind round the implications of Mario's work."

  Rosemary's comments were brief. "Half my efforts have been to master an effective approach to information overload while strengthening the positive use of the media to turn around its debilitating effects. The other half has been to use language to foster approaches to newness and change that improve accuracy, speed and understanding of communication and consequent positive action. My whole efforts for now will be directed to augmenting our joint project.

  "I was impressed, or I should say depressed, on reading Phillipa's comments on the world as a patient, and this led me to draw up a brief world 'report card'".

  V

  D: World Report Card:

  Screen: A disappointing year. Does not use potential. Seems to be unaware of own limitations and possibilities. Technologically precocious but sociologically backward. Economically patchy - in some places brilliant, in others deplorable. Lacks understanding and focus. Has few useful goals and fewer values.

  Could and should try harder. Has great possibilities within but is letting it slip. Another term like this may result in irreparable damage. Suggest a wake-up call or severe dressing-down to emphasise seriousness of position. Supplementary and reinforcing activities are necessary to retrieve position. Perhaps find
a good coach or reliable mentor.

  Result: Fail!

  =

  Rosemary: "Regarding Pow-Woww, I will take the liberty of offering relevant new words as we progress. Wide transmission and uptake of any developments arising from our joint efforts can be assisted by the Woww component.

  Rick Standish tackled Rose about her use of the word 'wisdom'. "Bit high-falutin' isn't it?" he asked, with murmured assent from several others.

  V

  D: Wisdom:

  Rose flicked open her lap-top computer. "I thought about that word before using it," she said. "A lot of people get 'thing' about it. Quoting partially, here are a few definitions."

  1 Experience and knowledge together with the power of applying them; prudence, common sense.

  2 A rare combination of discretion, maturity, keenness of intellect, broad experience, extensive learning, profound thought and compassionate understanding.

  3 Good judgement, sagacity, understanding, profundity, judiciousness, discernment, comprehension, penetration, intelligence, brains.

  4 In its full application, wisdom implies the highest and noblest exercise of all the faculties of the moral nature as well as of the intellect.

  "I took a composite interpretation of the above, after leaving out definition 4. In our current society the number of people who would meet this interpretation of wisdom is exceedingly small. However with full access to information and learning through Woww, conditions exist for the incidence to increase appreciably. With added input from areas I have read in your briefing papers I am even more optimistic of the possibility of a satisfying measure of wisdom finding its way into the world - far exceeding the dismal results of past and present generations.

  "Finally, the old saying comes to mind: 'God grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.' Within our group and subsequently in the wider sphere we want to produce, and are going to need, a lot of that kind of wisdom, even more of the courage, and a modicum of serenity to go with it."