There is desperation in the air. We can see the potential impact that is arising. The sad news is that governments see it also.
Anytime governments are threatened, they become reactionary and try to squash the threat immediately. They will use any means necessary including force. Ultimately, it becomes a tyrannical state.
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We see this happening on many levels, most of which are outside the scope of this article. For our purposes, we will focus upon digitization and cryptocurrency.
The introduction of Bitcoin changed everything in this regard. It was the first currency outside of government control that gained traction in a long time (maybe ever). To make it even worse, from the government perspective, it was global in nature.
The Digital World
With the emergence of the Internet, we see the governments losing control. This is not an arena they excel in.
The problem with the Internet, for governments, is it allowed the free flow of information. This is a setback in the quest for control. Since the early days, the Internet showed itself to be a forum where ideas could pass quickly and freely. This is not what governments want.
Of course, we know that the Internet does not resemble this today. Instead, it was taken over and is controlled. Yet this was done by corporations, not governments.
The only reason why governments have any control is the pressure they can exert on the different corporations, which is minimal at best. The fact that these companies are centralized is what enables governments to still have some control.
In short, governments were not made for this world. They were created to rule over people. Having a realm where people are not physically there presents a problem for governments. Enforcement of their rules, for the most part, is dependent upon geographic jurisdiction.
Decentralized Digitization
Technology is advancing which is going to radically alter the next generation of the Internet. One of the main drivers of this, as compared to the original establishing of the technology, is how it is being done.
The Internet came out of the West. It was also created by people working at high end institutions, including government. Today, we have people all over the world developing applications and protocols from their bedrooms. Many of these people do not have prestigious degrees. Instead, they learned to code at a young age which they are simply putting to use.
We also see the advancement in peer-to-peer capabilities. This is rendering the present form of the siloed Internet obsolete. It is also taking the power away from governments.
The transformation that we are going to witness is expansion. Presently, we see some base layer code that is unaffected by governments. This is in the form of blockchains and protocols. Being open source, nobody owns or controls it. This means governments cannot do anything.
Where there is an issue is with what is built upon these. Those entities tend to be centralized in some form. This presents the point of vulnerability discussed in other articles. It is an attack vector that the governments will exploit the second they realize it is there.
Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO)
The DAO is a game changer in this battle. It offers advantages on a couple different levels.
To start, it aids in the sovereignty of people. The next iteration of the Internet, especially since our world is moving towards digital at such a rapid rate, will really enhance individual sovereignty around the world. In the quest for freedom, we are going to see tools built that enable people to opt for the "laws" they prefer to operate under. Whatever is in the code is what applies. The key is people will have the ability to switch which code they utilize.
If one does not like a particular network, there are others to choose from.
DAOs also offer protection from the government. Most will be out of their reach, they do not realize it yet. Some states, in the U.S. are implementing laws that recognize DAOs as a legal entity. This is a step forward in operating within their system. The difference is that DAOs are not meant to be a part of their system. Here we see the tyranny exerted. Governments feel that everything is under their control.
Most DAOs will exist in the digital world. There will be some that handle business in the physical world but the majority will be digital. Here we can see it is the proverbial "game over" for governments.
The DAO structure can create a system of inclusion. We presently need government permission to be involved. This establishes a situation where more are excluded rather than included. Individual sovereignty is usurped by government regulation, which mostly favors cronies at the expense of the masses.
The New Luddites
We are seeing a new class forming: the new Luddites.
These were the original textile workers who fought against technological advancement. They are know for their destruction of new textile machinery which were a threat to their jobs. While many bash the Luddites, they were correct. The approach was wrong but their observation was spot on: textile machines destroyed their livelihoods.
A new class of threatened people exists today. From Wall Street-to-governments-to-corporate boardrooms, we see millions of people, most high powered, are under attack.
This is a Luddite moment for them and they are lashing out in the same manner.
History is riddled with stories of how this works out. Right now, we are watching the onset of the downfall.
It is easy to get caught up in trying to separate the different players. Many will focus upon government while others look at corporations. The other entity that gets attention is Wall Street. People view things in a separate manner not understanding the convergence.
The reality is they are all the same. It is only a matter of where you start looking at the circle. They operate in that pattern, with power growth transmitting throughout. Each entity helps the next one, establishing more power for all parties.
In their own way, they are all approaching blockchain and cryptocurrency in an effort to control. They use different methods yet the goal is the same.
Governments are the most heavy handed and can affect people they most. They also have guns and jails which makes the physical experience rather uncomfortable. In short, the push towards individual sovereignty will cause the greatest change to them.
Politicians depend upon support, in some manner, to keep what they want. Outside a few militaristic tyrannies, most seek some type of compliance. They have to because the numbers are against them. At some point, with enough upset people, a popular uprising puts them at risk.
Hence, the new technology we are seeing is akin to a popular uprising. While it is not a physical threat to their well being, it does affect all other areas of their lives. Simply, it attacks their power structure. Decentralized digitization can provide individuals with freedom, economically and politically. The entire political and regulatory apparatus becomes obsolete with the formation of digital DAOs.
The entire crypto world is becoming littered with them. This is only going to grow in number and impact over the next few years. Recent moves by governments to implement regulations is only going to further the push in this direction. It is ironic that, by trying to hang on, the governments are only going to influence more development that makes it impossible for them to retain power.
Because of that, the rest of the circle is going to face a similar demise in power. Corporations and Wall Street are equally under attack. They might not be aware of the immediate threat since they still have faith in government control aiding them.
Nevertheless, the next decade will see how rapidly things move away from this realm. The digitization process is not going to stop. Many feel it will still operate with the same entities in charge. History shows that is never the case when it comes to technology.
The difference now is that governments are also under threat. T
They are going to do whatever they can to try and hang on.
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