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?
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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?
https://existentialcomics.com/comic/655
That's what I thought.
Yeah.
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?
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.
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.
Seems like #HowardRoark come to life.
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.
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.
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.
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….:)
Sovereignty is not the absence of dependency.
It is the absence of a single point of failure.
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.
Can they just leave, already?
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.
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?
So what do us working class people do???
Sharpen our pitchforks…