On the Super Empowered Individual

(I originally posted this at Soob and thought it too generally interrogative and bit meandering for D5GW. A session in thinking aloud, perhaps. And then got to thinking D5GW is a long discussion of theory and theory involves uncertainty and thinking aloud so I had a change of mind and put it down here as well.)

At least in the terms that it’s popularly discussed, visions of a “rise” of single human beings who through their actions wreak havoc or great change upon society. A brief look at some of my questions/thoughts regarding this concept:

1. It would seem to presume that super empowered individuals are some new and coming threat as opposed to a rather well documented phenomena that transcends the concepts of war theory, GMW, XGW or otherwise.

2. That the actions of these individuals will be encapsulated by both plurality and yet some method of viral coincidence. The mere concept suggests unilateral action that produces results on a massive scale and the indulgence of colorful adjectives suggests this phenomena will be numerous but not concerted (hence “individual.”) Seems a bit like eating ones cake and having it too.

3. Zenpundit, some years ago, noted:

    Previously, such ” empowered individuals” were forced to act through some kind of collectivity, be it a Mongol horde or a modern state. In the near future, perhaps today, that will not be the case.


In what context do we place this? Would the Mongol “horde” have succeeded to the extent that they did had Temujin not gone after his newlywed? Would Hitler have ascended without first penning Mein Kampf? Would Alexander have been great without Aristotle? In other words did the empires make the emperors or is it the other way around?

4. To what extent does one have to effect a society to earn such distinction? Certainly the above all acted on their own prior to their ascent to greatness and subsequent marks on both history and their own societies. Do we relegate these to super empowered ideas? Or super empowered luck? Super empowered situations?

5. How do you define super empowerment? Why is it often viewed as a theoretical addition (5GW) to the XGW or the GMW instead of a possible tool or element in the same sense of a tank or rifle? What’s the threshold that divides it from, say, the simple criminality of the likes of John Hinckley or Jesse Timmendequas both of whom had a considerable effect on their societies? Are these two SEI’s? What of Jim Jones? The DC snipers? Rosa Parks? Karl Marx? 50 Cent?