Disruption? – Never mind the Bollocks. Rage, hate and genuine art.
(The concept of Stoicism consistently pops up in my writing as a sub theme. It will do it again in this piece. The Stoic Philosophy, and its positive impact on modern life, has gained popularity on social media. If you the reader want to know a little more, I highly recommend Chris Kirk's regular stoic ponderings at 'https://ascendbeyond.beehiiv/com')
At school in 1977 I heard the Sex Pistols for the first time – absolutely hated them: I was sadly listening to the Eagles and other equally lame California soft rock. I guess the disruption, represented by the Sex Pistols, completely escaped me. The social, economic, and political catalyst for the Pistol’s emergence went completely over my head.
Pretty sure I never used the word ‘disruption’ in a sentence. But as I travelled, I came to believe, that the world obviously needed an awful lot of it. The status quo, well not the British Rock Group: The existing state of affairs needed a bloody great shake up.
So, what is Disruption, is it not just anarchy?
Sid Vicious, ‘bass guitarist’, member of the Sex Pistols, believed in disruption as chaos, destruction, and complete anarchy. In defense, Sid was only 20. So, I pondered what his views were today: Woops, he died before he reached 22 – Anarchy, anger and worm poo!
Ok, so Disruption requires substance and intent. The Sex Pistols had neither, but they achieved Fame if not fortune. 2004, Rolling Stone magazine listed them No 58 in their ‘100 Greatest Artists of All Time’. Talent is certainly not a precondition of fame, which explains Donald Trump.
So British Punk Rock brought disruption and not much else. Billy Bragg thinks as much, but along came ‘The Clash’ and lead singer Joe Strummer.
“Were it not for the Clash, punk would have been just a sneer, a safety pin and a pair of bondage trousers”.
Billy Bragg. British shit stirrer, political activist and folk singer.
The Clash brought much needed class to the art of disruption.
‘The Clash’ sought disruption, but they had process, talent, substance, and intent.
In 1979, London Calling brought a new level of disruption, one that was thoughtful, and considered. Let’s respect the past, break it yes, but extend it, build on it, positive renewal of the past. The not-so-subtle hint of Strummer’s intent is in hindsight, perfectly clear from the album’s homage to Elvis Presley’s first album.
Sometimes you just need to tell people what you stand for, what your intent is – Strummer did this!
Disruption and the Boss – enduring time traveller.
So, it seems disruption can be enduring. Well certainly Strummer’s intent has been enduring:
On June 28, 2009, Bruce Springsteen packed out London’s Hyde Park. The name of the tour was ‘London Calling‘, the opening song a homage to ‘The Clash’. Thirty years to the day, the best Punk song ever written, was still disrupting London. Do yourself a favour, find this concert, sit back, embrace the Bosses energy and drive. Time travelling to 2024:
Ok, so I hear you saying, “So what, it’s all just music, makes no real difference”.
Well Bruce Springsteen gives a far better reason for music then I ever could:
Now Bruce is no Sid Vicious. For starters Bruce has a rare and unique talent, people such as that have earned their fame. Bruce and Strummer share the need for disruption, but in a considered, thoughtful way: Certainly not anarchism:
Disruption does not mean anarchy.
So, it seems that disruption does not require destruction of the status quo. Indeed, it often is respectful of the past, but desires fundamental improvements. Disruption can become the status quo or at least a major common aspect of it. That’s precisely what Earnest Hemingway did:
Have you ever read literature from the 19th Century? Like me you started and gave it up as totally incomprehensibly complex. Can’t sleep grab a copy of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (1899) or Lord Jim (1900). Hemingway thought so as well. Hemingway sought to disrupt what had been acknowledged as fine literature in the past. In so doing he created a unique formula based on comprehensible, uncomplicated language which is simple and straightforward.
Hemingway was so disruptively successful that without us even being aware, most Western writing, is based on Earnest’s Iceberg Theory:
Disruption and the Art of Warfare.
Tragically warfare has been the cause of much human disruption and suffering. So, understanding a little of disruption requires some warfare time travel. The growth and fall of the Roman Empire remains the most disruptive element of Human History. We still feel its impact today. What is but one element of that disruption that time travelled down 2000 years to us?
My Postcard, ‘Time Travel – Destruction, Lust, Philosophers, Fascists, and Arseholes‘, found Julius Caesar stalled on the beaches of Ancient Britain. His speech to his reluctant seasick troopers involved a reminder of how they could trust their weapons and their teamwork. Seems rather pragmatic. Not if you consider that Rome’s opponents, Celts and German tribes, had a military tradition of individual combat. Brave and exceptionally violent warriors. But no match for a Roman Legion. Wherein each man took shelter from the shield of the man next to him. And lunged out from behind those shields with a short stabbing sword.
Military disruption requires innovation and sound thinking.
Rome conquered and disrupted their known world. That disruption was based on innovation, and adoption of these principles:
- Leadership and teamwork;
- A professional Non-Commissioned Officer Corp ‘Centurions’, who we would recognize as Sergeants and Warrant Officers;
- The empowerment of Centurions to make tactical decisions literally in the front lines, in response to dynamic battle conditions;
- Proficiency with personal weapons: The short Roman sword ‘The Gladius’. Not visually dramatic like a battle axe. But delivering lethal thrusts to vital organs from behind the protection of your shield and that of your mates; and
- Combined arms warfare: The coordination of artillery, cavalry and infantry.
Testament that today’s disruption becomes tomorrow’s status quo: Rome’s opponents eventually copied such innovation. Significantly,
Rome’s disruptive warfare innovation, and those 5 principles, time travelled 2000 years down to 2024. All professional Western Militaries now fight like this. Putin seems to have misplaced his copy of ‘The Gallic Wars by Julius Caesar’! President Zelenskyy’s success resistance to Russian aggression indicates he actually reads his copy:
Disruptive thinkers who time travelled down to us.
Although once disruptive thinking can become the norm, often it is misunderstood. World War One Witnessed Teamwork on an epic scale. With the blow of a whistle large bodies of men, would emerge from the ground in teams. And run diligently into the interlocked arcs of mass machine guns! Teamwork does not always make the Dreamwork, certainly not in the face of misunderstood new technology. Australia World War 1, General Sir John Monash, another disruptive thinker, you can read his story at this link.
Time travelling to North Africa 1942, General Irwin Rommel, has a completely new innovative spin on disruption:
WW1 taught Erwin that military plans would not survive contact with the enemy – Chaos and Disruption were inevitable! Counterintuitively he embraced Disruption. He trained his men to seek out chaos, to create disruption. He trusted his Afrika Korp troopers to respond to such inevitable chaotic disruption, faster and more effectively than his opponent. It worked!
Unlike Putin, Rommel knew his Caesar. He also empowered his Non-Commissioned Officers to make tactical decisions literally in the front lines, in response to those chaotic disruptive conditions.
OODA Loops? Another brilliant disruptive thinker.
1981, another counterintuitive thinker formalized Rommel’s attitude towards embracing the inevitability of disruption. US Airforce Pilot Colonel John Boyd gave us the OODA Loop. (Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act)
OODA, a cycle of thinking within a disruptive chaotic environment, designed to make such disruption the other guy’s problem. Another example of how disruptive thinking can become the normal status quo – 40 years later The OODA loop has become an important concept in litigation, business, law enforcement, management education, and military strategy.
Disruptive Innovation – A brilliant man called Magleby.
Time travelling has frequently introduced me to Disruptive Innovation, I thought it was just one of my obsessive quirks, then last week I actually discovered that serious thinkers (obviously excludes me), actually make this a Profession. Take American professor Clayton Magleby Christensen (with a name like that I assumed his Dad thought he would have to fight for a living!) In 1997, old Magleby published his theory of ‘Disruptive Innovation’:
Founded in 1843, British establishment and status quo Newspaper ‘The Economist’, has called Magleby, “The most influential management thinker of his time”. Do we really need any more evidence that disruptive thinking can become the norm?
I do wonder why disruptive thinking that endures, always seems to require intellectuals – Then I remember Sid Vicious! Why can’t we simply ask the common man what outcome he requires from all this disruption? Let’s see what Henry Ford thought on this question?
“If I had asked people what they wanted, before I built the first mass produced car, they would have said faster horses.”
Henry Ford. 1930.
A Conclusion to Disruption.
What have I learned in this Time Travel episode:
- The Sid Vicious style, disruptive anarchy is self-seeking and will never endure. It must always be resisted and yes permanently DISRUPTED! I include Putinism and Trumpism in that shameless group of self-seeking miscreants;
- The status quo frequently deserves DISRUPTION, but the intelligent, patriotic, and considered approach of Joe Strummer and Bruce Springsteen is more effective. If nothing else music gives voice to the unheard;
- Julius Caesar proves that well founded disruptive principles can endure and remain useful for a very long period of time travel; and
- Irwin Rommel’s approach to chaos and disruption is healthy for the mind and body. Life is chaotic, disruption is inevitable – Best prepare by aspiring to stoic endurance and resilience.
Oh, and I learnt that some people, like Clayton Magleby Christensen, actually know what they are talking about.
Postscript # 1:
In case the presence of Erwin Rommel offends anyone. Rommel’s actions were disruptive to Hitler’s NAZI government. He was murdered for it in consequence. If only the world had more of Rommel’s disruptive influence.
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Postscript # 2:
All the characters briefly discussed above share one trait – Stoicism. Stoicism, an attitude to life has travelled down to us from the Ancient World. However, it’s so much more than historical interest. Many people today, especially so the younger generation, have discovered the life sustaining benefits of adding some stoicism to your morning cereal.
Chris Kirk, A former British Commando, now genuine good bloke, and advocate of the Stoic Life, well he is well worth having a Captain Cook at.
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