I was particularly interested in your recent comentary in the Fresno Bee. According to my interpretation of that article, you laid out very clearly that our way of living in this wonderfully prosperous nation which we gave to this generation is being changed … and lost .

“Residential architecture fascinates me. I find it endlessly evocative and a useful reflection of how a culture desires to see itself. Intelligence officers worry too much about dead facts and too little about their antagonist’s delusions. What men believe about themselves is often more important than their reality—and certainly more useful, if you must fight them.”

Peters is a retired U.S. Army Intelligence Officer.

White’s paper deals with Shakespeare exclusively. But the idea of using literature to create analytical models opens up the possibility for some interesting research. To my knowledge, very few has been done on linking research in the humanities with that of intelligence analysis. Also, given the current benevolent disposition toward transformation of the IC to apply non-traditional methods of analysis, those of us with a humanities background should take more advantage of such an opportunity and do a bit less whining – myself included – about how under-appreciated our academic credentials are in a world that puts disproportionate weight on quantitative methods. Hence, the idea I mentioned in my post of a comparative study of myth as a force multiplier to cultural and, in general, strategic intelligence analysis. Ovid’s Metamorphoses would be another great candidate to revisit in the context of transformation patterns.

If you are interested, we can discuss further.

Fascinating post!

I plan on getting a full copy of White’s paper. This is a must post item, when I can get around to it.

Did White mention any other authors besides Shakespeare in his paper?