Mr. Douglas Rose is our guest contributor for this discussion. Doug is a career intelligence executive with more than 25 years of strategic experience including postings as a Senior Policy Adviser within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, National Intelligence Manger for Cyber, and as the lead Defensive Cyber Operations Planner during the standup phase of the Joint Force Headquarters, Department of Defense Information Networks (JFHQ-DoDIN).
In the past several years, Doug has received invitations to lecture from James Madison University, The George Washington University, and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. His Master’s Thesis focused on multi-dimensional information engagement and dynamical systems and Doug is currently completing his doctoral dissertation on the thermodynamic properties of complex, non-linear systems in cyberspace. Outside of his formal academic engagements, Douglas’ other publications focus on non-linear dynamics, capability-based analysis, and stochastic processes.
So many cognitive artforms today… yet they often go underutilized and most are several decades old. Yet, routine application of the core of each of these techniques is broadly missing from the political discourse and absolutely absent in a vast majority of social media trends. Despite such broad statements, in the domestic context, one might struggle to quantify any real, near term impact because of our roaring economic success, continued hegemonic relationship with regards to the rest of the world, and our history of industrial and technological innovation.
That is the danger. We are losing these advantages due to a growing acceptance of a lack of conceptual patience.
The surge to the short term and immediate gratification… the speed of communication and diminished attention is a violent mismatch with the depth required to leverage any of these systems of thought and an antithesis to enduring geopolitical views of those nations which seek to supplant our freedom to choose. The evolution of the China’s People’s Doctrine against an absence of our focus post World War II, the implementation of their One Belt, One Road Initiative, Russia’s massive cyber/disinformation campaign, and both of these nations’ positioning within the global energy/resources markets all represent layered approaches that require depth of understanding that the broader U.S. population cannot or will not dissect.
Counterpoint 
I could not agree more with the points made in this article. Innovation and creativity is slipping from the population. Assistance whether from another person or government is expected. Common sense or the ability to consider the second and third order of effects to decisions feels like a distant memory. In my experience individuals fail to holistically analyze cause and effects to situation regardless of the complexity. Leader and/or managers are counter productive or “yes men/women”. Some may point the fingers at an overextended education system. Others point to bad parenting. I’m not sure. There is data to support multiple angles but what is abundantly clear is our youth are taught to learn a curriculum but unfortunately we shove the knowledge into their minds and most is forgotten before even starting college or leaving to join the work force. As a nation we have the studies and data to support the necessity of knowing and understanding critical thinking or critical reasoning. Bring back the philosophers and encourage the youth to develop problem solving techniques and to reasonably analyze situations and life problems. Understanding these techniques will subliminally empower higher learning. I say higher learning and not higher education because I am a firm believer that although a degree is impressive, degrees have become diluted and do not necessarily imply intelligence or ability. The pursuit of knowledge and understanding does not require a degree but it does require a motivation to learn and absorb knowledge.
Whiskers Signing Off
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