Roundtable Wrap-Up: RT 1-Thursday

In the final Roundtable of the conference the group opened by proposing the question, “What role does social media play in war?” Certainly, information posted on Facebook can come back to haunt any user, but could information posted by military personnel be utilized to gain a definite strategic advantage? With this in mind, the delegates quickly came to the conclusion that the manipulation of personal information could result in ethical dilemmas. Technology provides amazing empowerment to everyday people, however it can just as easily be misused to infringe upon rights, and in extreme cases, oppress the voice of the people.

The Roundtable found that by influencing political unrest, via the use of social media and social networks, governments had the capability to influence other states’ policy in a manner which has never previously been capable. Foreign governments now have the ability to magnify the effects of minor unrest against particular policies through social media coverage and attention. In a harder display of force governments are able to incite“Bloodless Revolutions” by playing upon the passions of social media users, particularly the youth.

Towards the end of the Roundtable, another excellent question was proposed. Are we nearing the end of conventional warfare? Will technology and social media influence be enough to avert traditional “physical” warfare? Midshipmen delegates, fearful of their job security, tended to argue that Cyber Warfare alone was not enough to wage war. Rather they argued, that cyber warfare will be used to supplement physical military force. Eventually, it was determined that although cyber warfare may develop to dominate conventional warfare, physical force deterrents will be necessary for the extent of the foreseeable future.

Moderator Brandon Beckler reluctantly concludes the Roundtable for group photographs, evaluations, and lunch. Overly the Roundtable has been an enormous success. The delegates are excited to attend future Foreign Affairs Conferences.