The snowball of the 21st century

 By Milton Lima

17-06-25

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Humanity has a tendency to create heroes and heroism, and history has left behind a legacy of myths that serve this purpose. Prometheus, for instance, is said to have saved humanity by giving them fire, an act that resulted in his punishment. Despite opening Pandora's box in the process, this secured him a place in history. Over time, the myth has perpetuated the idea of the need for a hero. Throughout human history, the relationship between culture and the philosophy of science has been rooted in heroism. However, some argue that we are on the brink of destruction and that no hero can save us. Whether visible or invisible, war changes everything, regardless of faith or mythology. War mourns its heroes, and humanity's dilemma is to determine who the heroes of the 21(st) century will be. Once again, we must choose between real-life culture and superficiality.

The construction of the superman in the eternity of fear

At the beginning of February, this blog ran an article that is well worth revisiting. Drawing parallels between Dante's Purgatory and Hell, the article considered the nature of the state and a plot involving myth and holy war in the Middle East. It covered Lebanon, Palestine and Israel. At the start of 2020, Iran's army commander was killed on a diplomatic mission, marking the beginning of a new era of warfare. As I write this in mid-June 2025, fear is rampant in many parts of the world, and it is this fear that we must address now. In 2020, the Trump administration was in charge of US power and was therefore responsible for the Iranian general's death. Five years ago, heroism transcended visible warfare as we confronted an invisible enemy in the form of a pandemic. Fear was on everyone's mind, from the visible to the invisible.

The real world is shaped by various narratives, whereas fantasy seeks to distract. In recent human history, heroes who paint a dark picture have been overlooked. Some hide behind a caricature deemed most appropriate for them, which elevates them to elite status. Rather than having a passion for humanity, this elite class controls each individual's dreams. These dreams allow dynasties to dominate 'supermen', who are born and raised in fear and will not die without waging a holy war.

Fear on the internet

When war isn't an option in terms of technological rather than economic frontiers, the approach is to exploit fear with strategic defence justifications. This is what has led the United States, the United Kingdom, and NATO allies to express concern about cyberattacks in recent months. According to some analyses, these attacks would originate from Russia and China. However, the idea of controlling the population by instilling fear in citizens is rarely discussed. Taiwan has taken the issue of espionage seriously. Leonid Savin says that:

According to Taiwan’s legislature, the country is now fending off more than 2.4 million cyberattacks daily, a figure that has doubled in just one year. Taiwan Intelligence assessments attribute most of the activity to Chinese advanced persistent threat groups. The warnings in April from Western intelligence agencies (that is, the promotion of an anti-Chinese narrative) have further highlighted the threat. Notably, it is claimed that the spyware tools “BADBAZAAR” and “MOONSHINE” are being deployed by Chinese actors to conduct surveillance on Taiwanese independence advocates and civil society figures. These tools allow adversaries to extract personal data and monitor communications in real-time, posing serious risks to human rights defenders and the political process.

According to the report, the Taiwanese administration is concerned that China may use artificial intelligence to disseminate misinformation in Taiwan. This is why President Lai Ching-te intends to invest heavily in a new national cybersecurity centre.

Considerations on the real and the superficial

The current geopolitical situation is a puzzle, balancing real and superficial worldviews. In the mythological realm, this is why defending one side of the hero's story requires a lawyer. The struggle lies in mentality rather than truth.

Without fear, the story would be one of peace rather than war. The elites who dominate the narratives have already consolidated their power, regardless of whether those they dominate approve. What we can study is who will win the dispute for the new power dynasty. In reality, the BRICs have an opportunity to present an alternative narrative. Some argue that this could lead to a hot war and the collapse of the financial system as we know it. In a world where artificial happiness is sold while real unhappiness is written into history, who will be our hero?