book report- powershift

8/3/2019 Book Report- Powershift

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EXECUTIVE BOOK R2nd Lt Michael J. Castag

Alvin TofflerPowerShift:Knowledge. Wealth, and Violence at the(Bantam Books, 1990, ISBN 0This book is the third book in one of the mo

time. This series began over a quarter century abook, Third Wave, followed in 1980. Both bookscontroversy and debate. The third book meets an


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book

* He concludes that we are in midst ofwhich the traditional relationships betand knowledge are being transformeThe very nature of power is being transfo"reciprocal of desire" or simply the ability to maketo. Toffler states, "Power, which to a large extenations, is itself being redefined.3This new definition of power stems from aquantitative analysis of the nature of power. Wheit is easy to see why knowledge has become the Violence, preeminent during feudal times, has los


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* Now that technology supports "info"just in time" delivery of services annew approach could be taken to theimpact on how other mission arorganize their capabilities.

The capital in this new economy is "supertransactions in the new "super-symbolic econobecome electronic pulses racing from computer tothe medium of exchange moves from the tangibenough to keep pace with the rapidly paced ecoby electronic money, this will allow an economthus requiring fewer resources.


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lowered again with seemingly little affect on tstrategv for reducing joblessness in a super-symbthe allocation of wealth and more on the allocatio* As knowledge replaces wealth as thecreation, those in the establishmenteconomy will begin to feel the heat,wars" to break out all over the worthese battles are already raging inarenas.This new information in society is adding a

conflict. Conflicts of the future will revolve arou


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Toffler gives valuable insight on new methstyles of leadership which will be required in theout, military officers are finding that their troopsare less willing to blindly follow their leaders. In threlationships between leaders and the led are requirbuild upon the subordinate's knowledge, rather t"blind obedience".* He shows that many governments arestructuring inorder to keep pace w

information-rich global environment.Some world governments will face collaps


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planet. In fact, the demand for smart-weapons haStates's brilliant victory in the Persian Gulf War.The power vacuum created by the demiseto the surface ancient cultural, ethnic, territothreaten to ignite into bloody conflicts. In Yugoand is beginning to involve the world's major powintensity conflict diminishes, the need to preparespectrum increases. This will require that cultequation for strategic action."Because of an out-of-date conception of


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mentions that as the intelligence community mayintelligence firms.* The "privatization of intelligence"overhead imagery and signals colledissemination, will significantly Ingovernment-sponsored intelligencestrategic, operational, and tacticalactors--including non-governmentalbuy all-source capabilities previousl

major powers.In conclusion, those who prove capable


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End Notes

'Orient, Observe, Decide, Act", as articulated by Jo2 Curt Suplee, 'The Times They are A-Changing.November 1990, pages 14+. Emphasis added.

Alvin Toffler. Power Shift: Knowledoe. Wealth and(New York: Bantam Books, 1990) page 7. Other wripower is being transformed from the more traditionalto 'softerw forms of power (such as technologicalBound to Lead (Basic Books, 1990), passim.4 bid.,


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FIRST INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM: NAT

COMPETITIVENESS: OPEN SOURCE SOLUT

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book report- powershift

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