Kurt Lykke Lindved Ph.D
Culture and Development – UN
Lecturer and Writer
Honored Dutch Consul
Former CEO in EAC
Entertainer and Event Management

Cyber War USA is in full swing to formulate an actual cyber war doctrine and cyber war rules: Do the U.S. cyber warriors under General Keith Alexander (budget: 22 billion. Per year) for example. attack a foreign server without warning if it is believed to be behind a cyber attack? U.S. and Israel are believed already to being behind the cyber attacks that crippled Iran’s nuclear program in 2010, and as late as Christmas Day accused the Iranians the United States of being behind the new cyber attack on its infrastructure. Iran was suspected of being behind the ”Shamoon# virus attack that in August 2012 hit the oil and gas industry with U.S. allies in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. China and Russia are also suspected of several cyber and hacker attacks, especially against private entities. In the United States Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned of a looming ”Cyber-Pearl Harbor ‘, while an anonymous source in that place has warned, that it is only a matter of time before the United States is hit by a cyber attack that will “get 11th September to look like a tea party.”

EU. With the euro crisis, it was as if the EU completely lost control over the future of Europe to speculators and faceless financial markets, there was speculation that the euro was out of the 21 century. But over the past six months, EU leaders with Angela Merkel at the head regained the initiative and is now establishing a new banking union, the EU takes over some responsibility for the supervision of the EU’s major banks, thence enabling for more coordination of fiscal policy. The power test between the democratically elected politicians and the speculative financial market is not over: The indebted southern Europeans can still pass on the euro. More philosophically, this showdown is an example

Some of the brains behind the survival of the EURO

of how traditional nation-states must collect against non-state actors – In this case against big capital and speculators. We will experience a growing number of confrontations between nation states and digitally well-armed terrorists / groups and networks In cyberspace and we have already seen non-governmental network as the WikiLeaks and Anonymous are challenging various states. Power diffuses.!

God and religion have a prominent position in the coming years, predicts U.S. national intelligence services in their latest report on the world in 2030, ‘Global Trends’. In the Middle East, the Arab uprisings have already brought the Islamist to power in several places, and they will also make their mark on the development of the new year. In Syria will the Islamist put some big footprints on post-Assad. In Egypt, the Islamist president will work

“Faith is to do the good, even God permits evil”

on the new constitution, which has just been accepted through a referendum. And in Tunisia P.T. dominated by the Islamist Ennahda – New elections will take place in June. We are experiencing a short right move now being a struggle for the Arab soul: religion versus the secular mindset that separates the state and religion. Right now is the religion upstairs. But in the West we are moving the other way. In ‘God’s own country’ – U.S. – and registered by Pew Research Center in October, the highest number of non-believers ever. Among young people under 30 were one-third  non-believers. For the first time ever, the proportion of American Protestants was less than 50 percent.

Economy will also make its mark on 2013: Equipped with giant austerity and reform requirements we are fighting both in the EU and the U.S.A. A desperate struggle against the ticking debt bombs. But how long can the European democracies keep millions of people running out of unemployment and severe poverty without disasters? During the upcoming

The bail-out of the euro represents the introduction of socialism on a continental scale – with the British government’s cynical endorsement.

elections in Italy in February may dissatisfaction with the established political system make a populist comedian for a big vote-getter. The political situation is difficult, but marital revitalized Silvio Berlusconi, together with his new 27-year-old lady will probably blow to the EU-skepticism, that has long shrouded the UK in anti-European fog. In Hungary, the crisis has encouraged nationalism and antisemitism to flourish to such an extent, that a few years back it would have led to a yellow card from the EU. But right now the focus is on the economy and not democratic values, which was the brand mark of the EU from the very beginning.

A shortcut …. is it realistic or is it already too late?

Social Balance. From America to Europe, India and China is a growing social inequality a ticking threat to social stability. In the otherwise liberal nominee the U.S. it led to the capitalism’s critical Occupy movement, however, with some difficulties to holding their breath. And even in the communist-controlled China is the situation completely skewed: Here are the social differences now so large, that it threatens social stability. In Europe, austerity and unemployment re-awakened the nationalism in several countries, including a creation of good conditions for the neo-fascist party Golden Dawn in Greece and an Italian group with roots in the Greek neo-fascist party is now under establishment for the election in February in the also ailing Italy.

Well, much more, of course, will see the light of day in 2013 and if the world’s most intelligent and dynamic leaders understand how to navigate and solve the tasks safely, this will hopefully result in a positive and constructive way out of the economic and democratic crisis.

@K.L.L.