Defeating Dictators through the Global Power of Social Media - Fredrick Fleitz

April 30, 2012

Defeating Dictators through the Global Power of Social Media and Water

Former CIA Intelligence Analyst Fredrick Fleitz Discusses Totalitarian Psychology on The Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water

Hear Sharon Kleyne's April 23, 2012 interview with Fredrick Fleitz on demand on World Talk Radio, Voice America, Green Talk Network and Apple iTunes

Why do North Korea and Iran believe that provoking the United States "strengthens" their standing in the world? What do the CIA and other intelligence analysts believe really happened to the food sent by the US to North Korea? Do the leaders of North Korea and Iran really care about their own people?

It all comes down the psychology of totalitarianism and few individuals understand this better than former CIA intelligence analyst Fredrick Fleitz, who was interviewed on the Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water on April 23, 2012. Fleitz is Managing Editor of www.Lignet.com, which does for-profit intelligence forecasting. He is also a former CIA intelligence analyst and former Chief of Staff to UN Ambassador John Bolton.

Sharon Kleyne frequently expresses concern on her show over the health, well-being and freedom of people in developing nations; the indifference to humanitarian, health and environmental issues shown by the world's dictators; and the withholding of life-giving water as a means of totalitarian control.

Fleitz noted that social media is making it more difficult for the world's oppressive regimes to operate in isolation. Iran attempted to set up its own Internet and China originally outlawed Facebook. But it was still possible to link to the US Internet from Iran and China, even in their own languages. He also noted that the demonstrations in Egypt, Syria and Libya were touched off by a spike in food prices resulting from water shortages.

The conversation began with North Korea, which recently concluded an agreement with the United States in which the US would provide food in exchange for North Korea dropping its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. North Korea broke the agreement within weeks, following the first US food shipment, by testing a ballistic missile.

According to Fleitz, North Korea spent $800,000,000 on this failed rocket - money that could have gone to feeding its people. The 240,000 tons of food shipped by the United States to North Korea most likely either went to the huge North Korean military or was sold for profit.

Why is North Korea interested in rocketry and nuclear technology? According to Mr. Fleitz, the psychology is complex. First, this technology could be sold to other rogue states. Second, North Korean is not driven by concerns about its economy or the needs of its people but by the ego of Kim Jong-Un.

Kim Jong-Un, and other dictators, believe (incorrectly) that provoking the United States weakens our morale, intimidates us and causes social unrest. This, in turn, strengthens the dictator's standing among other rogue states and enhances the people's "love" for the dictator (while diverting attention from the poor economy).

The fact that North Korea is impoverished, and that its leadership is regarded as fools by most of the word and is hated by its own people, simply does not register. Potential contamination of the environment by nuclear testing also does not register. In dealing with the United States, Republican or Democrat, or differing foreign policy approaches, makes no difference.

In China, according to Fleitz, the situation is similar. The Chinese leaders allowed a free market economy mostly to silence dissent, and the government remains autocratic and repressive. Only recently, in response to international pressure, is China beginning to show "concern" about air quality (the worst in the world) and water pollution (also the worst in the world).

Fleitz described Iran ad an "oppressive theocratic regime" with widespread corruption, incompetent management and little support among the Iranian people. Iran became influential in the Muslim world because most other Muslim nations have similar governments and Iran has taken it the farthest. There is considerable room for debate over whether the United States should have become involved in anti-government protests in Iran, as they did in Libya but not in Syria.

Website: www.lignet.com (Which offers a one-month free trail of their intelligence service for $1.00).

The Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water is broadcast live on Mondays, 10 a.m., PST/PDT. The syndicated talk show is heard on Voice America/World Talk Radio, Green Talk Network and Apple iTunes. Go to www.SharonKleyneHour.com for written summaries and on-demand replays.

© 2012 Bio-Logic Aqua Research (142).