Part 2. An Invitation to the Second American Revolution
Democracy, Decentralization and the Digital Revolution
The following is a continuation of Part 1. America is Run By a Cartel.
The New Strategy: Opt-Out
Each of us is incredibly powerful, but we’re currently using our power to perpetuate systems that make us weak:
- We consume the Mafia Media
- We work for and trade Mafia Money
- We vote for Mafia Members
We know these systems are corrupt, but what else can you do? Historically there has been no other option.
Until now.
Decentralized Money: Cryptocurrency
In 2009 an anonymous person calling themselves Satoshi Nakamoto invented a software-based form of money called Bitcoin. Unlike the Mafia Money, which is printed endlessly, the Bitcoin software enforces a cap of 21 Million digital coins. Also the software was made for anyone to run, creating a decentralized worldwide network with no single point of control. The result has been astounding. As the dollar disintegrates, the value of Bitcoin has soared. The system is operating in parallel to the banker dollar system, and competing against it with brutal effectiveness.
But the key concept isn’t just Bitcoin, as there are now many cryptocurrencies. The real breakthrough was the creation of a decentralized digital system. Bitcoin has proved that in the internet age, we can use software to create a shared system where democratic principles are pre-programmed. Even better, decentralized systems can be applied across all three circles.
Decentralized Information: Social Media
Although Social Media platforms currently have centralized ownership, they are structurally decentralized, meaning the information is shared person to person rather than one channel beaming to millions.
This has already led to a ton of progress. For example the police have been murdering black people for many years, but now there’s a good chance it gets recorded and goes viral. Similarly, the #MeToo movement has put a long overdue spotlight on rape and sexual harassment, empowering people to speak out against those who were previously untouchable.
Decentralized information is also starting to impact politics. Thanks to social media, Bernie Sanders was able to match his Super PAC funded opponents with a record number of individual donations.
It was an incredible achievement buried into obscurity by the Mafia Media, who carried their lackey Joe Biden across the finish line despite numerous campaign disasters like calling a female audience member Dog-Faced and trying to fight a worker. As it stands today, the American Mafia still has primary control over consensus reality because they generate much of the “trusted” content flowing through social media. From reporters to politicians to academics to scientists to bankers and beyond, the Mafia’s tendrils include a vast network of people in positions of primary authority.
To give just one example, they have completely invented the concept of Pete Buttigieg, a small town mayor deeply unpopular in his own city who somehow became a major player in the Democratic party. People like this aren’t chosen by the people- they are chosen by the Mafia.
Despite their vast network of power, the Mafia are well aware that decentralized systems are a threat, and are thus gaslighting America to believe social media is causing all our problems. The attack vector is deeply hypocritical- they are accusing social media of spreading misinformation. But of course the Mafia doesn’t care about people lying on the internet. Their real concern is that people may learn the truth.
So there are a few important things to remember as this battle unfolds. First, the contentious debates over “truth” on social media are good. Previously we accepted mainstream media propaganda with no debate. Moving to a system where all information is scrutinized is progress, even though it will feel a bit chaotic until a new ecosystem of trust is developed.
Second, decentralized media platforms are brand new and need time to grow. For example they are currently under centralized ownership, meaning they have the ability to shape and censor information (and do). But over time decentralization can be applied at every level of the software, from the base layer (control of the system), to the content layer (crowd-sourced reporting) and finally the curation layer (voting determines visibility). If they refuse to decentralize and democratize, we can simply use another, because it’s our participation that powers the systems.
Finally, it’s true that social media apps have a problem with confirmation bias and echo chambers. If you curate your feed to include only those who agree with you, you have censored your own information. But it’s a solvable problem- new software patterns can be created that expose us to different viewpoints and expand awareness. It’s all part of the maturation process for these new platforms, and software evolves really quickly. Smartphones, social media and cryptocurrency are all only about ten years old. Ten years!
Decentralized Politics: DAO’s
At the heart of any blockchain is a ledger, which is not just great for counting money, but other things too, like votes. The marriage of blockchain and governance is a natural fit, and soon Decentralized Autonomous Systems (DAO’s) will become a large part of our lives online. It’s also likely that we will see the convergence of all three subsystems into fully decentralized digital operating systems.
These new digital systems aren’t just for escaping corrupt real world systems, they’re critical tools for reconnecting us and cultivating power.
Rediscovering Power
The small choices we make every day may feel insignificant, but the truth is that we are all powering the Mafia systems. Think of each day as an election, and every action as a vote:
- Did you watch CNN or FOX? That’s a vote for the Mafia Media. Instead follow an independent journalist on Twitter or Substack. Follow independent media on YouTube or subscribe to podcasts.
- Did you deposit dollars at the bank? That’s a vote for the Mafia Money. Instead exchange some dollars for Crypto, and pay friends with it. It’s easy on apps like Venmo, Paypal, and Coinbase.
We can either choose corrupt systems that destroy our power, or healthy systems that connect and empower us. Ask yourself, if our money isn’t a scam, why is the establishment worried that some magic internet coin will completely destroy the financial system?
Revising the Activist Playbook
For activists I propose three changes:
1. An effective strategy must fight into all three circles at once
Unless we gain power across all three systems, the other two will be used to flank and destroy us. For example consider the egregious amounts of money that pour into obscure local elections to make sure high quality candidates never get off the ground. Same for media coverage. To offset this, we must cultivate our own systems across all three forms of power and coordinate them in opposition.
2. Attack their greatest weakness: Exposure
Although the fight is full spectrum, it’s important to recognize the Mafia’s strengths and weaknesses. We are currently aiming the tip of our spear directly into their strongest defense- the political system. We should instead aim at their greatest weakness- the information system. Each of the three centralized systems relies on a deception, and that makes them vulnerable to the truth. This also provides a more feasible task for activists, because information has a lower barrier to entry compared to winning elections and out-fundraising the rich.
3. Unite in Opposition
Most activists currently identify the opposite horizontal side as their opponent:
The republicans are propping up institutional racism!
The liberals keep raising taxes!
If we keep having that conversation, nothing will change. To create change, we need to expose the grift. We need to talk about the three systems, and how each is rigged. It’s the conversation that will unite us.
If you seek racial justice reform, this is your fight. If you seek healthcare reform, this is your fight. Global Warming. Police Brutality. Systemic racism. Criminal Justice. Reproductive Rights. High taxes. Poverty. Every single issue traces back to the American Mafia. We either unite against them, or we all lose.
This conversation can also unite the left and right. We don’t need everyone to agree on everything, we just need to expose the rigged systems. And it would also be helpful to counteract the caricatures the Mafia has created of each side. For example they labeled the left socialists, and as much as I love Bernie, he made a mistake allowing it.
The goal isn’t equal outcomes (socialism), the goal is a level playing field. By clarifying that, a unifying conversation can be had with the right. Instead of threatening the rich with higher taxes, the left can promise lower taxes for everyone. Even the bigots will be angry about being stolen from. Right now they think they are being robbed by politicians and minorities, so it’s a conversation that can create common ground.
A Case Study in Power
Something fascinating happened during the summer of 2020. After the murder of Jacob Blake, the Milwaukee Bucks decided to stop playing basketball. Soon the whole league was threatening to boycott, and the entire country watched with anticipation. It felt like something real was happening. The people were standing up.
But then the American Mafia pulled out their ace: Barack Obama. In a phone call with LeBron and others, Obama convinced them to end the boycott and form a social justice committee. The next day basketball was back, and with the benefit of hindsight, we know the committee achieved nothing. Obama diverted their power right where change goes to die: the political system.
Here is LeBron’s tweet the next day, and the familiar call to VOTE for change.
But the power was already there! They just needed to flex it, and demand real changes, and refuse to play until the laws changed. Real power has always been with the people, because we power the systems with our participation. MLK knew this, which is why he organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott that succeeded in ending the segregation of public buses in Alabama. Boycotts have real power. Strikes have real power. Direct action has real power. Not tomorrow. Not next year. Not next election. Right now.
This story is not only instructive of how we should wield power, but also how the American Mafia will respond. They will try and channel us back to their rigged, centralized systems. “Social media is dangerous! Bitcoin is dangerous! DAO’s are dangerous!” They will try to scare us away from our own emancipation.
Don’t fall for it.
Broken systems incentivize the worst aspects of our nature: selfishness, violence, hatred, greed. Good systems incentivize the best aspects of our nature: empathy, generosity, creativity, compassion. The corruption all around us is not the inevitable result of human nature- it’s the inevitable result of the systems we use.
So now is not the time to despair. Now is the time to shed these predatory systems and unleash an era of unprecedented prosperity. By stealing from us, the American Mafia was just trying to protect themselves and their families. But what they didn’t realize is that they also stole from themselves, by stifling innovation and the evolution of our species. Connected together, we can and will create a world of abundance, peace, and unimaginable splendor.
