And from what I have gathered, the dilemma or issue of extraterrestrial disturbances and ‘interferences’ is something which Washington has been dealing with for years now. I wrote an article about this subject titled “Space: The Final Frontier for American National Security” in December of 2020, and it was a dilemma or issue which had vexed both the Trump Administration and federal government agencies as early as 2018, but perhaps even earlier, given the scarcity of information regarding what really went on in the White House and in the federal government agencies. Arguably, the challenge from space is a challenge which is fast rising through the hierarchy of challenges and threats which Washington faces in today’s highly complex “global hybrid war.”
But Washington has been largely quiet and low-key about the dilemma or issue of extraterrestrial disturbances and interferences since then, perhaps because Washington is still learning about this subject and at the same time wishes to avoid stirring angst and panic amongst the broader populace. In essence, Washington has three options in dealing with these extraterrestrial disturbances and interferences. For one, Washington can do nothing about them and let them play out and take their own course. Second, Washington can keep “shooting” at them until Washington exhausts itself, given that it is unlikely that it will be a dilemma or issue that is going away anytime soon. And third, Washington can cooperate with the source of these disturbances and interferences, given that Washington has actually had contact with the source.
This brings us to the issue of data and information retrieval and transmission, given that data and information are what puts us on course for rational and sensible action and in turn determines the quality of our decisions and strategies. In short, the name of the game is credibility and avoiding biased and “cheap talk” as much as possible. The limits, however, in the retrieval and transmission of data and information is the beliefs which the receiver of the data and information has about the sender. As a result of the beliefs of the receiver in regards to the sender, there can never be perfect “equilibrium” between the receiver and sender of data and information. Perhaps the best and most complex case which can demonstrate this point about the lack of equilibrium between receiver and sender as a result of the limits on retrieval and transmission placed by the beliefs of the receiver is the case of Washington and the source of these extraterrestrial disturbances and interferences.
Due to the limits stemming from the beliefs of the receiver in regards to the sender, there will be at least some loss of valuable data and information as a result of these limits. There will be some valuable data and information which will fail to reach the receiver from the sender as a result of the limits imposed by the receiver’s beliefs. This is demonstrated by China’s rejection of Washington’s phone calls over the course of the last few months. The rejection of phone calls suggests that China knows something which we do not know, and in turn, the information is not being communicated and in a sense the information is lost as a result of the rejection of phone calls. Arguably, China has chosen the extraterrestrial source over Washington.
In turn, there is the challenge on the part of the receiver to determine how big the bias is on the part of the sender of information, as well as the challenge of choosing between either the status quo or adopting a novel course of action as a result of the information being received. And more often than not, the preferences and interests of the receiver and sender of information may not be aligned, which poses yet another challenge for the receiver of information, although this may not be the case every single time.
Adam A. Azim 