Information & National Security
English Essay on "Information & National Security" - Compositions on "Information & National Security"
Developments in the field of information technology, including transitional satellite communication, have had a profound effect on the global information environment. The speed with which news travels, the graphic nature of coverage, the variety of views that can be accessed by those who can afford receivers of even the simplest sort, has transformed the relationship between power groups and the Populations they want to control. The creation, or manipulation, of public opinion on a broad range of issues and the projection of personalities that are chosen for positions of power by national and international power brokers is now open to critical analysis at many levels in society. Transnational communications media activity encourages specific consumption and behavior patterns but awareness that this is happening has increased. Public awareness of media agendas tends to deprive them of the very impact they seek to create, which is just as well.
Individuals, communities and populations exposed to changes in the information environment can react in diverse ways-they may accept, resist or be ambivalent to change. For instance, transnational satellite images that are not generally found in the immediate environment represent an unknown quantity that shapes public attitudes. Such image a powerful addition to the information environment, instance, powerful images of the total destruction of ordinary homes by missile and rocket fire during Israel’s re-occupation of Palestinian territories are seen side by side with images of desperate suicide bombings in the area. The ethics of the issues involved are obscured-the conflict is seen as a war between the powerful and the desperate. The hunt for so-called terrorists in Pakistan’s tribal belt has created unprecedented unrest.educationsight.blogspot.com Those killed in combat with government troops are being buried as martyrs of Islam-the public turns up at their - graves to pray. There is no interest at all in any rationale presented by the Western coalition regarding the war against terrorism, In IHK a small political rally is attacked by large numbers of armed police. In Quetta, Rawalpindi, Multan, small political meetings and rallies are disrupted by heavily armed riot police that outnumber the participants, chairs are overturned, political workers are hauled away. The terrain in the images mentioned above is not so very different for the casual viewer who does not listen to the commentary, or, does not understand the language used. It could happen here, it does happen there.
To an extent, cleverly coordinated media activity can influence public attitudes and national policy in some sectors. This possibility has led to the cooption of media practitioners by power elites from time to time. The idea that media can change public opinion is, however, a misconception. Facts and analyses presented through media reflect reality, to which the public reacts. Research shows that the public gravitates towards those media, those particular television and radio channels, newspapers and magazines that reinforce the views they are already inclined towards, or hold. For instance, media did not create the recent economic crisis that has emerged in the United States and Europe as a result of irresponsible, or downright dishonest, accounting and poor management. Media merely reported the facts of the case and the house of cards collapsed, to the horror of the establishment. In view of the revelations about unethical business practice there, the cooption of highly paid foreign experts, some from the very organizations implicated in high level shady dealing in their own countries, in the preparation of a National Accountability Strategy for Pakistan, has made the entire exercise suspect. Recently it was revealed that foreign consultants had been hired to help amend the constitution of Pakistan for the military-at the same time questions were being raised about various aspects of the application of constitutional law in the West. Media has not manufactured the situation-it has merely reported it. From time to time Western governments offer to provide various kinds of data and expertise they believe will ensure the success of military governments in Pakistan. If we could be persuaded to set aside our commitment to national interest, and military governments could be sure we would do so, we could provide similar if not better advice. During his Budget speech of 1981 Mr. Ghulam Ishaq, the Zia government’s Finance Minister admitted, “I refused to sanction funds for the appointment of one national Consultant, I did not know I would then have to sanction several hundred times the amount for the appointment of a group of international consultants.” He had set a trend and he appeared to be quite happy with his choice, may he rest in peace.
A great deal has been said about the power of modern media organizations to pre-empt public policy. Dialogues between policy makers, media owners and practitioners were initiated in Pakistan in the aftermath of India’s nuclear blasts during May 1998. This was done in order to put forward reasons for government policy and answers questions raised by opinion makers holding a variety of views. The transmissions of various media transnational’s were also monitored intensively in an effort to determine whether national or transnational communications media operators were actually being given a strategic agenda or were merely responding to events.
It was noted that shortly after the Indian nuclear test explosions attention shifted from that occurrence to whether or not Pakistan would also test, while threats coming from various quarters in India regarding imminent action against Pakistan’s alleged intervention in Kashmir were given relatively less coverage. While Pakistani media showed interest in the environmental organization of the test area most international environmental organizations showed little interest. There was a deliberately muted response to events in the sub-continent from most Islamic countries. Nevertheless, within a week, analysts on media transnational’s were talking about the future ‘Islamic bomb’, just as they talk about ‘Islamic militants and terrorist now.
At the time a clear pattern of global opinion building activity was visible. The Indian test was a fait accompli and that country could almost be seen moving into the nuclear club while all pressure shifted to Pakistan, ostensibly in an attempt to prevent it from testing. Local media coverage combined with the belligerent but confusing statements undermined public confidence in the ability of the Pakistan government to deal with unfolding events. The threats directed at Pakistan to prevent it from testing led to uncertainty, fear of sweeping sanctions, A concrete result, compounded by apprehensions of a war in Kashmir, was the collapse of the Karachi Stock Market. On May 20, 1998 the KSE hit its lowest profit in 55 months. Since attention had shifted from India to Pakistan and the sanctions imposed on India were seen to be limited, probably to be lifted soon, the Bombay Stock market began to recover within a week of the nuclear blasts. There is a moral in all of this, for those who might be interested.
There is a degree of control and regulation of all kinds of information and news that has a bearing on national security through dialogue at the editorial level, but a great deal gets through anyway. The real power to set and Implement national policy rests with governments and there is relatively little that independent media organisations can do about it. Responsible analysis, however, has intrinsic worth that has nothing to do with the ability to rally public opinion. A review of occasions on which there were differences between state policy and media reaction, which reflected public opinion, removals a complex relationship between the two. Either may lead and both can be man ipulated by sharp operators. Media reserves the right to reflect all shades of public opinion and opinion leaders reserve the right to pressure government to adopt one policy at other. The development of security systems utilizing advanced information technology have added a new dimension to the formulation of national security strategies. Based on analyses of recent history the United States is evolving new systems based on the assumption that in future the primary function of its milit.ary establishments is likely to be intervention to perfect and defend allies. Within this scenario it is believed that information technology can facilitate such intervention and minimize impediments to conventional military assistance to allies.
The idea is that the provision of strategic information can be an on-going process that is not as easily detected, or as costly, as shipments of conventional arms. Superiority in this field is more easily achieved where the political will to provide it exists. Information critical to the integration, maintenance and indigenous up gradation of existing systems that allies possess can be of immense importance. It may be, provided to them in varying quantities, depending on their importance in the envisaged global security system. It is the promise of such assistance that bus lured a number of East European countries into the “Partnership for Peace” arrangement as a first step towards full integration into NATO. Pakistan has some experience of such arrangements. ‘Data collected by remote control was of critical importance during the Afghan War when the Soviets were present on the ground in Afghanistan. It was used as a substitute for patrols in areas controlled by the Soviets and minimized pro-American casualties. It was also used to monitor the movement of arm, meh and essential commodities such as grain etc. The fact that the sub-continent is so closely monitored by satellite has led to skepticism bout the US government claim that it had no prior knowledge that the Indian government, was planning nuclear tests for May 1998. No one can be sure about what. is happening these days either.
Individuals, communities and populations exposed to changes in the information environment can react in diverse ways-they may accept, resist or be ambivalent to change. For instance, transnational satellite images that are not generally found in the immediate environment represent an unknown quantity that shapes public attitudes. Such image a powerful addition to the information environment, instance, powerful images of the total destruction of ordinary homes by missile and rocket fire during Israel’s re-occupation of Palestinian territories are seen side by side with images of desperate suicide bombings in the area. The ethics of the issues involved are obscured-the conflict is seen as a war between the powerful and the desperate. The hunt for so-called terrorists in Pakistan’s tribal belt has created unprecedented unrest.educationsight.blogspot.com Those killed in combat with government troops are being buried as martyrs of Islam-the public turns up at their - graves to pray. There is no interest at all in any rationale presented by the Western coalition regarding the war against terrorism, In IHK a small political rally is attacked by large numbers of armed police. In Quetta, Rawalpindi, Multan, small political meetings and rallies are disrupted by heavily armed riot police that outnumber the participants, chairs are overturned, political workers are hauled away. The terrain in the images mentioned above is not so very different for the casual viewer who does not listen to the commentary, or, does not understand the language used. It could happen here, it does happen there.
To an extent, cleverly coordinated media activity can influence public attitudes and national policy in some sectors. This possibility has led to the cooption of media practitioners by power elites from time to time. The idea that media can change public opinion is, however, a misconception. Facts and analyses presented through media reflect reality, to which the public reacts. Research shows that the public gravitates towards those media, those particular television and radio channels, newspapers and magazines that reinforce the views they are already inclined towards, or hold. For instance, media did not create the recent economic crisis that has emerged in the United States and Europe as a result of irresponsible, or downright dishonest, accounting and poor management. Media merely reported the facts of the case and the house of cards collapsed, to the horror of the establishment. In view of the revelations about unethical business practice there, the cooption of highly paid foreign experts, some from the very organizations implicated in high level shady dealing in their own countries, in the preparation of a National Accountability Strategy for Pakistan, has made the entire exercise suspect. Recently it was revealed that foreign consultants had been hired to help amend the constitution of Pakistan for the military-at the same time questions were being raised about various aspects of the application of constitutional law in the West. Media has not manufactured the situation-it has merely reported it. From time to time Western governments offer to provide various kinds of data and expertise they believe will ensure the success of military governments in Pakistan. If we could be persuaded to set aside our commitment to national interest, and military governments could be sure we would do so, we could provide similar if not better advice. During his Budget speech of 1981 Mr. Ghulam Ishaq, the Zia government’s Finance Minister admitted, “I refused to sanction funds for the appointment of one national Consultant, I did not know I would then have to sanction several hundred times the amount for the appointment of a group of international consultants.” He had set a trend and he appeared to be quite happy with his choice, may he rest in peace.
A great deal has been said about the power of modern media organizations to pre-empt public policy. Dialogues between policy makers, media owners and practitioners were initiated in Pakistan in the aftermath of India’s nuclear blasts during May 1998. This was done in order to put forward reasons for government policy and answers questions raised by opinion makers holding a variety of views. The transmissions of various media transnational’s were also monitored intensively in an effort to determine whether national or transnational communications media operators were actually being given a strategic agenda or were merely responding to events.
It was noted that shortly after the Indian nuclear test explosions attention shifted from that occurrence to whether or not Pakistan would also test, while threats coming from various quarters in India regarding imminent action against Pakistan’s alleged intervention in Kashmir were given relatively less coverage. While Pakistani media showed interest in the environmental organization of the test area most international environmental organizations showed little interest. There was a deliberately muted response to events in the sub-continent from most Islamic countries. Nevertheless, within a week, analysts on media transnational’s were talking about the future ‘Islamic bomb’, just as they talk about ‘Islamic militants and terrorist now.
At the time a clear pattern of global opinion building activity was visible. The Indian test was a fait accompli and that country could almost be seen moving into the nuclear club while all pressure shifted to Pakistan, ostensibly in an attempt to prevent it from testing. Local media coverage combined with the belligerent but confusing statements undermined public confidence in the ability of the Pakistan government to deal with unfolding events. The threats directed at Pakistan to prevent it from testing led to uncertainty, fear of sweeping sanctions, A concrete result, compounded by apprehensions of a war in Kashmir, was the collapse of the Karachi Stock Market. On May 20, 1998 the KSE hit its lowest profit in 55 months. Since attention had shifted from India to Pakistan and the sanctions imposed on India were seen to be limited, probably to be lifted soon, the Bombay Stock market began to recover within a week of the nuclear blasts. There is a moral in all of this, for those who might be interested.
There is a degree of control and regulation of all kinds of information and news that has a bearing on national security through dialogue at the editorial level, but a great deal gets through anyway. The real power to set and Implement national policy rests with governments and there is relatively little that independent media organisations can do about it. Responsible analysis, however, has intrinsic worth that has nothing to do with the ability to rally public opinion. A review of occasions on which there were differences between state policy and media reaction, which reflected public opinion, removals a complex relationship between the two. Either may lead and both can be man ipulated by sharp operators. Media reserves the right to reflect all shades of public opinion and opinion leaders reserve the right to pressure government to adopt one policy at other. The development of security systems utilizing advanced information technology have added a new dimension to the formulation of national security strategies. Based on analyses of recent history the United States is evolving new systems based on the assumption that in future the primary function of its milit.ary establishments is likely to be intervention to perfect and defend allies. Within this scenario it is believed that information technology can facilitate such intervention and minimize impediments to conventional military assistance to allies.
The idea is that the provision of strategic information can be an on-going process that is not as easily detected, or as costly, as shipments of conventional arms. Superiority in this field is more easily achieved where the political will to provide it exists. Information critical to the integration, maintenance and indigenous up gradation of existing systems that allies possess can be of immense importance. It may be, provided to them in varying quantities, depending on their importance in the envisaged global security system. It is the promise of such assistance that bus lured a number of East European countries into the “Partnership for Peace” arrangement as a first step towards full integration into NATO. Pakistan has some experience of such arrangements. ‘Data collected by remote control was of critical importance during the Afghan War when the Soviets were present on the ground in Afghanistan. It was used as a substitute for patrols in areas controlled by the Soviets and minimized pro-American casualties. It was also used to monitor the movement of arm, meh and essential commodities such as grain etc. The fact that the sub-continent is so closely monitored by satellite has led to skepticism bout the US government claim that it had no prior knowledge that the Indian government, was planning nuclear tests for May 1998. No one can be sure about what. is happening these days either.
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