First order thinking is the most immediate and simplest — I see this, I do that.
Second order thinking takes the consequences of the prior step into account before the action.
There is also third, fourth, etc... thinking - chess for example.
It takes time and it takes brains to accomplish successfully but it is extremely effective.
Most people are running on first order.
A second order plan will appear to come out of nowhere and catch them off guard.
Case in point - a two-fer. First, from The Intercept:
SAUDI ARABIA OWNS STAKE IN FIRM THAT BOUGHT DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S CAMPAIGN TECH
The government of Saudi Arabia is an investor in the private company that owns a virtual monopoly on software that powers Democratic candidates — including management of the Democratic National Committee’s all-important voter list.
Sanabil Investments, the company that manages Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, recently published its first list of investments in venture capital, buyout firms, and startups. The list includes two private equity firms involved two years ago in the sale and acquisition of EveryAction and NGP VAN, the companies that make up the Democratic Party’s campaign tech apparatus.
“Saudi Arabia’s investments are definitely strategic,” said Paul Rose, an associate dean at the Ohio State University’s law school, who has done research on sovereign funds in Gulf states. “This disclosure is interesting because I look at it and I think, ‘Well, why would you disclose all this?’ The Saudis are really quite shrewd about signaling to not only people in their own country but people abroad what their priorities are.”
And Second - let's look at these - four headlines (click for link to the story) All within the last month.
All showing a growing allience between Saudi Arabia and the Communist Chinese government.
Please note - these are all mainstream media outlets. No "conspiracy theory" fringe groups here:
- Reuters: China's Xi calls for oil trade in yuan at Gulf summit in Riyadh
- CNN: China and Saudi Arabia are getting closer. Should the US be worried?
- CNBC: Saudi Arabia takes step to join China-led security bloc, as ties with Beijing strengthen
- New York Times: Iran-Saudi Pact Is Brokered by China, Leaving U.S. on Sidelines
The Communist Chinese government is relatively new only having cemented its power in the last 70 years but the Chinese culture historically takes the long view and second and third order thinking is revered. They are maneuvering for a place in World Power that our own leadership is simply not seeing. This is to our great detriment.
They will have eyes and ears in the heart of the Democratic Party operations.
Time to learn to speak Chinese?
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