When a libertarian sociopolitical programme of transglobal reach is founded on a text by a mountebank ninny such as Jacob Rees-Mogg we can only sit back and wonder at the apparently illimitable depths of human stupidity and wickedness.
I appreciate it’s not a big difference, but the book was co-written by William Rees Mogg, Jacob’s father. A Baron. A journalist and failed conservative politician.
I blush and apologise for speed-reading the question. However it should be said hat Jacob's father's ludricously Widmerpool-like self-regard made him an object of ridicule while at Balliol. Which is probably why Jacob had to go next door to Ballol's despised neighbour, Trinity.
The Davidson-Rees-Mogg thesis is worth taking seriously regardless of where you land politically. What's striking is how Bitcoin's actual use pattern diverges from the blueprint. The "exit currency" framing assumes the cognitive elite would be the primary holders. But the on-chain data tells a different story: wallet distribution has broadened enormously since 2020. The same tool theorized as an instrument of elite exit is now held by truck drivers in Texas and nurses in the Philippines. The question nobody asks: does that demographic broadening change the political valence of the technology itself, or does the infrastructure layer — exchanges, ETFs, custody — reconcentrate power regardless of who holds the coins?
I find it interesting that there isn’t much thought into what comes after. I haven’t read the book ( I most certainly will now) but the simple question is if everything is automated and the majority of the population is rendered useless then what? Do they really think that they can live in their little utopias and enjoy their accumulated wealth while everyone else descends into the abyss? What is the point of automation if there are no consumers? Are a tiny group of total wankers going to consume everything that is produced? What happens to the value of their accumulated wealth when the rest of humanity descends into civil war? Wouldn’t it be a beautiful irony if AI infiltrated block chain and rendered it worthless.
As I read about the Plan I couldn't help but see confirmation of my sense that the heart of the Exit is the 10 year old running away from home WITH a plan, but still a 10 year old. They never account for Giuseppe the serf or the modern-day prol (knowledge worker?) emerging with some leadership abilities and a sense of injustice - think: the new President for Life emerging from the revolution he lead as Sgt. Ndongo of the state Security Force; and the whole process starts over again. Prols, serfs, workers... we all just watch our betters, our elites the way the slaves watched the plantation elites; and when the Federal forces showed up, they joined. Who woulda thunk it? The elites have built-in blind spots.
The most basic point is what exactly is a currency. And how does it work? Normally one part flows into consumption another into productive investment. When that flow is blocked for any reason we have financial crisis that paralyze the economy. A lot of our current regulation is aimed at insuring the flow exists. So what happens when the overwhelming mass of workers is rendered useless. They stop consuming. The economy declines. With crypto currency in the system it makes it even more unstable. So are tech bros investing in AI data centers using crypto. What economic functions do any of these little sovereign states do.
Explanation received and much appreciated. I also appreciate the statements along the lines of: not a criticism, not an interpretation, just a description of what has been said plainly. Without doubting that Thiel and some others have the blueprint explicitly in mind in some form, I am mulling the extent to which other important actors are unaware of, and indifferent to the larger picture and focused on their own aspect as a way to get rich (mostly) or powerful in their own lane. If this is so for most of these important actors, does it matter? Maybe, at least for conceptualizing and producing a liberal/democratic response.
Underlying this story is the existence of a self-identified "cognitive elite." That entire concept is bullshit. They are not smarter or better than other people. They have simply combined opportunities and luck in education and business with overwhelmingly narcissistic personalities and intellectual and spiritual miniaturization over one bad book, and as a result come to love themselves more than is admirable or warranted.
This story is really about why society exists. Is its goal to care for everyone better than would be possible in a world of every-man-for-himself, to lift everyone into the best we can be collectively and individually; or, does society exist so that the self-declared "cognitive elite" can, in their own self-perceived, illustrious minds, swipe all the wealth and freedom for themselves, and lord it over the few in the middle who may be able to pay to live in their (once again, self-described) glorious kingdoms?
A surprise awaits not only the masses of people who have fallen for the con during forty or fifty years of unwittinglly voting to dismantle democracy, in the false promise of lower taxes and greater freedom. One also awaits the self-described "cognitive elite" who, in their ignorance, naivete, and foolishness, would discover that their wealth was built on the work of those they cast aside. Automated systems will not create and run themselves forever. Hate to tell 'em, but the masses who are as smart and deserving (if less fortunate) than the (merely) self-described "cognitive elite" are needed in this world. A small population of inbred ubermen will not last as long or as happily as they think.
So what are we taking about here, just so I’m on the same page?
Are they trying to create a technological class or layer of elite’s who sits above all others, accountable to no one, including governments?
Additionally, they will be using a digital currency of their own (bitcoin)—extracting value from all (wealth and technological advantages as leverage).
This would be different from Yarvin’s version with a fascist, deranged CEO….:)
To summarize what the book appears to be in language that I, myself, find as distasteful and wrong-headed as what appears to be in the book itself, it sounds as though for the grandiosely self-described "cognitive elite," "cognitive eliteness" is the new white skin. They, by nature of their eminent and evident glory, as envisioned in their own illustrious minds, get to rise above the rest of us or even leave us to suffer and die, because they deserve to take all by virtue of having earned it. How good they can feel about themselves, for following the new natural order and harming no one who did not deserve what nature itself had coming! They are carbon copies of enslavers of the past, busy admiring the fruits of only their labors while stealing those of others.
These new separatists fundamentally misunderstand democracy. Historically, it is true that governments often devolved into self-serving entities supporting their rulers (a word that, by the way the announcer inappropriately but likely deliberately used in describing to the crowd the United States government officials present at Charlie Kirk's funeral). They do not see the genuine intention with the founding of the United States to end the rule of kings by creating a government — you have heard the fine words that have become a cliche — of the people, by the people, and for the people. They confuse the ongoing struggle to retain the purity of that intention with their self-declared right to become the new kings, so long as they do not call themselves so.
One could summarize by saying that they may have read, and made the mistake of believing, too much of the narcissistic, loud-spoken, but fairly worthless philosopher Ayn Rand, who was (unfortunately) popular while they were coming of age. Time for them to grow up! They are not the only people on this planet, nor are they better than anyone else.
This is way too weird a battle for us to have to fight. Its genius is in how the Republicans have sold it to the masses as the glories of lower taxes in a parallel effort to disable the government that the new kings want disabled.
I did read enough to think it was crazy and delusional. IE, a democratic government is a lot like organized crime extorting money from factory owners. It felt like what happens when one reads too much without touching grass, as the youths say.
Why don't they leave and take their AI bubble with them (so we don't have to bail that crap out) and we can build a working government? They can be their own problem instead of the rest of ours.
As a huge percentage of their value seems to be based on future business and forward commitments with each other and minimal success turning any profits, I for one, am looking forward to watching the train wreck 😊
Agreed, but I feel bad for American's 401ks that are often heavily weighted in Nasdaq. Cheap Chinese AI is going to burst that bubble. But I'll be happy to see the TESCREAL self-absorbed bros take a hit.
Wow, Mike - whew! Thank you for this comprehensive article and your clarity about how and why this is happening. You would know, having lived and worked among the tech elite. Your perspective is invaluable. So - this book as their “blueprint” seems to be in parallel to Project 2025, a creation of the Heritage Foundation begun in 1973. And how does their blueprint inform or complement Project 2025 and the religious “7 Mountains”? Are they in conflict or in parallel?
When a libertarian sociopolitical programme of transglobal reach is founded on a text by a mountebank ninny such as Jacob Rees-Mogg we can only sit back and wonder at the apparently illimitable depths of human stupidity and wickedness.
I appreciate it’s not a big difference, but the book was co-written by William Rees Mogg, Jacob’s father. A Baron. A journalist and failed conservative politician.
I blush and apologise for speed-reading the question. However it should be said hat Jacob's father's ludricously Widmerpool-like self-regard made him an object of ridicule while at Balliol. Which is probably why Jacob had to go next door to Ballol's despised neighbour, Trinity.
https://existentialcomics.com/comic/655
That's what I thought.
Yeah.
LOVE this 🌼 Thank you!!!
The Davidson-Rees-Mogg thesis is worth taking seriously regardless of where you land politically. What's striking is how Bitcoin's actual use pattern diverges from the blueprint. The "exit currency" framing assumes the cognitive elite would be the primary holders. But the on-chain data tells a different story: wallet distribution has broadened enormously since 2020. The same tool theorized as an instrument of elite exit is now held by truck drivers in Texas and nurses in the Philippines. The question nobody asks: does that demographic broadening change the political valence of the technology itself, or does the infrastructure layer — exchanges, ETFs, custody — reconcentrate power regardless of who holds the coins?
Seems like #HowardRoark come to life.
Indeed
Do the billionaire sovereign individuals require a worldwide working class? If not, why not?
They believe they can tame AI and have no use for humanity. They believe humanity is obsolete.
I find it interesting that there isn’t much thought into what comes after. I haven’t read the book ( I most certainly will now) but the simple question is if everything is automated and the majority of the population is rendered useless then what? Do they really think that they can live in their little utopias and enjoy their accumulated wealth while everyone else descends into the abyss? What is the point of automation if there are no consumers? Are a tiny group of total wankers going to consume everything that is produced? What happens to the value of their accumulated wealth when the rest of humanity descends into civil war? Wouldn’t it be a beautiful irony if AI infiltrated block chain and rendered it worthless.
As I read about the Plan I couldn't help but see confirmation of my sense that the heart of the Exit is the 10 year old running away from home WITH a plan, but still a 10 year old. They never account for Giuseppe the serf or the modern-day prol (knowledge worker?) emerging with some leadership abilities and a sense of injustice - think: the new President for Life emerging from the revolution he lead as Sgt. Ndongo of the state Security Force; and the whole process starts over again. Prols, serfs, workers... we all just watch our betters, our elites the way the slaves watched the plantation elites; and when the Federal forces showed up, they joined. Who woulda thunk it? The elites have built-in blind spots.
The most basic point is what exactly is a currency. And how does it work? Normally one part flows into consumption another into productive investment. When that flow is blocked for any reason we have financial crisis that paralyze the economy. A lot of our current regulation is aimed at insuring the flow exists. So what happens when the overwhelming mass of workers is rendered useless. They stop consuming. The economy declines. With crypto currency in the system it makes it even more unstable. So are tech bros investing in AI data centers using crypto. What economic functions do any of these little sovereign states do.
Explanation received and much appreciated. I also appreciate the statements along the lines of: not a criticism, not an interpretation, just a description of what has been said plainly. Without doubting that Thiel and some others have the blueprint explicitly in mind in some form, I am mulling the extent to which other important actors are unaware of, and indifferent to the larger picture and focused on their own aspect as a way to get rich (mostly) or powerful in their own lane. If this is so for most of these important actors, does it matter? Maybe, at least for conceptualizing and producing a liberal/democratic response.
Underlying this story is the existence of a self-identified "cognitive elite." That entire concept is bullshit. They are not smarter or better than other people. They have simply combined opportunities and luck in education and business with overwhelmingly narcissistic personalities and intellectual and spiritual miniaturization over one bad book, and as a result come to love themselves more than is admirable or warranted.
This story is really about why society exists. Is its goal to care for everyone better than would be possible in a world of every-man-for-himself, to lift everyone into the best we can be collectively and individually; or, does society exist so that the self-declared "cognitive elite" can, in their own self-perceived, illustrious minds, swipe all the wealth and freedom for themselves, and lord it over the few in the middle who may be able to pay to live in their (once again, self-described) glorious kingdoms?
A surprise awaits not only the masses of people who have fallen for the con during forty or fifty years of unwittinglly voting to dismantle democracy, in the false promise of lower taxes and greater freedom. One also awaits the self-described "cognitive elite" who, in their ignorance, naivete, and foolishness, would discover that their wealth was built on the work of those they cast aside. Automated systems will not create and run themselves forever. Hate to tell 'em, but the masses who are as smart and deserving (if less fortunate) than the (merely) self-described "cognitive elite" are needed in this world. A small population of inbred ubermen will not last as long or as happily as they think.
What happens when their sons and daughters fall in love and intermarry with the proletariat . . .
The reality is that people tend to marry within their own social class.
Can they just leave, already?
So what are we taking about here, just so I’m on the same page?
Are they trying to create a technological class or layer of elite’s who sits above all others, accountable to no one, including governments?
Additionally, they will be using a digital currency of their own (bitcoin)—extracting value from all (wealth and technological advantages as leverage).
This would be different from Yarvin’s version with a fascist, deranged CEO….:)
I have not yet read the book, but for a quick start, I read this review:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sovereign_Individual
To summarize what the book appears to be in language that I, myself, find as distasteful and wrong-headed as what appears to be in the book itself, it sounds as though for the grandiosely self-described "cognitive elite," "cognitive eliteness" is the new white skin. They, by nature of their eminent and evident glory, as envisioned in their own illustrious minds, get to rise above the rest of us or even leave us to suffer and die, because they deserve to take all by virtue of having earned it. How good they can feel about themselves, for following the new natural order and harming no one who did not deserve what nature itself had coming! They are carbon copies of enslavers of the past, busy admiring the fruits of only their labors while stealing those of others.
These new separatists fundamentally misunderstand democracy. Historically, it is true that governments often devolved into self-serving entities supporting their rulers (a word that, by the way the announcer inappropriately but likely deliberately used in describing to the crowd the United States government officials present at Charlie Kirk's funeral). They do not see the genuine intention with the founding of the United States to end the rule of kings by creating a government — you have heard the fine words that have become a cliche — of the people, by the people, and for the people. They confuse the ongoing struggle to retain the purity of that intention with their self-declared right to become the new kings, so long as they do not call themselves so.
One could summarize by saying that they may have read, and made the mistake of believing, too much of the narcissistic, loud-spoken, but fairly worthless philosopher Ayn Rand, who was (unfortunately) popular while they were coming of age. Time for them to grow up! They are not the only people on this planet, nor are they better than anyone else.
This is way too weird a battle for us to have to fight. Its genius is in how the Republicans have sold it to the masses as the glories of lower taxes in a parallel effort to disable the government that the new kings want disabled.
True, that.
I did read enough to think it was crazy and delusional. IE, a democratic government is a lot like organized crime extorting money from factory owners. It felt like what happens when one reads too much without touching grass, as the youths say.
Why don't they leave and take their AI bubble with them (so we don't have to bail that crap out) and we can build a working government? They can be their own problem instead of the rest of ours.
As a huge percentage of their value seems to be based on future business and forward commitments with each other and minimal success turning any profits, I for one, am looking forward to watching the train wreck 😊
Agreed, but I feel bad for American's 401ks that are often heavily weighted in Nasdaq. Cheap Chinese AI is going to burst that bubble. But I'll be happy to see the TESCREAL self-absorbed bros take a hit.
Wow, Mike - whew! Thank you for this comprehensive article and your clarity about how and why this is happening. You would know, having lived and worked among the tech elite. Your perspective is invaluable. So - this book as their “blueprint” seems to be in parallel to Project 2025, a creation of the Heritage Foundation begun in 1973. And how does their blueprint inform or complement Project 2025 and the religious “7 Mountains”? Are they in conflict or in parallel?