Let the Sleeper Awake: Hybrid War is Here, Kinetic War is Coming

Dune 2 is a movie worth watching many times. It’s aesthetically beautiful. It’s a real human drama and the action sequences are great. Grand entertainment. Clear but conflicted good guys like the Atreides and Femen, and some real dastardly psychotic bad guys like the Harkonnens and Emperor. Truly evil.  

In some ways, like the real life situation we find ourselves in right now. The declining & hapless West of America, Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia/New Zealand vs the ambitions of the autocratic powers of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. 

I would argue we are in a Cold War right now. More proof on the quiet invasion of the USA by the CCP: https://x.com/ianellisjones/status/1875008791944855821/photo/1. It’s pretty grim and damning.

The question we should be asking ourselves is the one that comes up in the movie: “No need to be a prophet to see what’s ahead. Your path leads to war. You know that. So war is coming. 

What will you do when you feel it’s breath upon your neck?”

Now I may be called a warmonger or a war profiteer. I wish for peace, I have a great life traveling around, doing the fun things I do. I’ve thrived for the most part over the last 2 decades in this globalized, overall peaceful world. Unfortunately, the world has changed dramatically in February of 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We are not in Kansas anymore. “The world has made choices for us.”

We the West are weak, divided and our enemies are united in their alliance to topple the geopolitical top dog of America. They have explicitly stated their goals of a new world order under their aegis. A world order counter to our interests and one that contravenes every value we hold dear: freedom of speech, freedom of opportunity and freedom of law. We have to pick a side. Everyone does. 

We are no saints, I admit. While I am not a fan of our present incompetent, disconnected and corrupt political elites in the West, especially since their complete disastrous actions since the 2020 Covid pandemic, maybe even going back to the disaster of Iraq War 2. They are the lesser of evils compared to the new CRINK alliance of authoritarian countries. A combination of the mass populace, wealth and manufacturing power of China combined with the natural resources of Russia and plenty of cannon fodder from Iran and North Korea. 

This is the biggest threat to the West since World War 2. Arguably even bigger as we don’t have the industrial heft, unity and credibility we used to have. And most of the Western leadership and  populace seems asleep. Or worse in denial, blinded by wishful thinking, pining for a world that does not exist anymore. We should be preparing for hardship, “eating bitterness” as the Chinese saying goes. 

As per the original Dune story, we need to “let the sleeper awake.” “A good hunter always climbs to the highest dune before his hunt. He needs to see as far as he can see. You need to see.”