The article linked below is called “The Blockchain Brain” and is from John Hargrave, Publisher of Bitcoin Market Journal.
https://mailchi.mp/e525d527b988/hot-off-the-press-qe-episode-15936224?e=9bf9185fba
John discusses the issue of decentralization that the idealists of blockchain and crypto argue for as the solution for corrupt and greedy centralized power structures across society. Central banks and the financial industry tend to be at the top of that list. Blockchain enthusiasts feel these centralized power structures are greedy and corrupt and the only way to fix everything is to decentralize everything. Similar to the original internet the early enthusiasm was justified. The promise of Web 3.0 is truly exciting. No more centralized, power happy money people. No more centralized groups like Facebook and Twitter deciding what you can or cannot read and thinking they own your life. Taking back your power means decentralize everything, or does it? This article was written before the recent plunge and scandal in blockchain and crypto and it is worth revisiting. As we move forward, we need to find a balance between centralization and decentralization, between regulation and total autonomy. John discusses how nature does things, not specifically referencing permaculture but the message is the same. Look to nature for answers to find balanced, win/win solutions. In nature, you find balance between these two extremes.
We can only hope that those that are pushing for regulation and those that are the regulators understand the creativity, passion, and imagination necessary to evolve the world through all our interrelated global traumas. Balance is critical. Orwellian takeovers are not the solution either, but certainly moving less manically, less like Indiana Jones chasing the holy grail and more like the old wise Crone who realizes that the grail was already inside her all along. She just needed to look inside and heal what was out of balance within her, face her fears and allow people in that had her best interests at heart, people looking to empower her. The existing economic and regulatory institutions we have today do not empower or inspire. They control. They dominate. They disempower. They segregate. They divide. Narcissists needs plenty of victims and they both are to blame, not one side or the other. Narcissists in our society make billions or have big power positions, are idolized at big universities. However, they have the same scarcity mindset as the victims. Passing too many laws and making it too easy for victims does not help either. Finding the central ground requires lifting up both sides. The red pill needs a bit of blue and the blue needs a bit of red, and it is now magenta. It is not a straight line. Straight lines lead to the same linear solutions with unintended tradeoffs everywhere you look. In science this shows itself as many exceptions to the rule, but in society today these scientific laws are treated as absolute truth and then the regulators and governments mandate these supposed truths from the top down. Except it is not truth. Linear science is not real. It is an illusion. It leads to destructive endings 100 percent of the time, sooner or later. Creative chaos needs to be embraced, or it will be forced upon us, but that level of chaos is unnecessary if we follow this balanced path. The middle ground becomes the top of a triangle. The triangle is the true fractal of the new whole and vibrates at a higher resonance. The triangle finds other triangles. The energy that connects them is quantum not linear. Both sides want what is best for the whole. Only then can true individuality, passion and purpose be nourished in society, which is the only way we can live in harmony with each other and the earth. However, our centralized, elitist, zero-sum game narcissistic economic framework just sucks the life out of empowered entrepreneurs today and before you know you it, these entrepreneurs become the new narcissists as that is just how the game works. Play by the rules or be ostracized to the fringe. Interestingly, narcissists require victims to survive, as their framework is zero-sum game, so you have to ask yourself how serious this group is about empowering others. There must be people that obey and serve them, to work at their large companies that sell products that harm the earth, poison the food, waste resources or dirty the water. Many narcissists are happily embracing the save the world discussion, such as pushing solar energy and climate change, but buyer beware. The game is the same below the surface with this group. It is still about domination, control, and scarcity. Greenwashing is an epidemic today. It is the new ‘it” thing and has replaced religions as a way to control people. Now, the fringe is something else entirely.
I would take a very close look today at the fringe as that is where the real action is. Both permaculture and chaos theory discuss the “edge effect” in some way. The edge is where all the magic happens, where you find all the best ideas, but it is on the edge of chaos. There you find imagination and plenty of creativity, so if you are a narcissist and you want to stop people from tapping into their own innate creativity and brilliance, all you have to do is terrify them, polarize them, and take advantage of their natural hive instincts to get them to follow along like sheep (does that sound at all familiar?). Get everyone to stay in survival mode as that is zero-sum game at its best. Yes, some in the fringe are a bit beaten up, as it is not easy to live on the edge in our world. You pay a very heavy price. The challenge is finding just the right mix of structure and support that nourishes this new fringe creativity. Our economic structures today are based on scarcity economics. It does result in huge wins for one side, but the scarcity mindset is the same. The emptiness, lifelessness and scarcity are still there but hidden behind all the opulence. They always need a new company to buy or country to conquer to keep the fix going. With the victims, the scarcity is more obvious, so that is where we tend to focus, but it is less about real imagination, passion, and creativity and more about teaching them to be dependent on the same outdated narcissistic-victim economic system. Your choice is to stay a victim or be a narcissist in this system. Empowerment threatens the existing power structures. Like a dark tower it will fall eventually when enough empowered people come along, but that dark tower needs to fall. Real power inspires and nourishes creativity. It allows for some uncertainty. The new resonance of true abundant capitalism has flow, beauty, inspiration, and natural diversity. It is inclusive and has real creative power. It lifts people up. It heals people and the earth. It restores vitality.
It does challenge the old obsolete, lifeless systems but that is necessary today. Our choice is to follow this new path or the more Orwellian one that is so worrying today. Many people have cognitive dissonance and do not want to see the true ugliness underneath a seemingly honorable path of creating order in the chaos. But this is not a phoenix rising from the ashes, but just the disguise of the same narcissist-victim energy, like immature teenagers who refuse to learn their lessons. Calling out the corruption is not enough. The corruption does need to be exposed, but we all need to find the compassion and humility to understand that these horrible situations are really just a byproduct of how we structure our economic systems across society. These economic systems drive everything else we do and how we live our lives. The energy is shifting to something new, something more authentic and vibrant, yes, of course, creating some chaos along the way. Some chaos is inevitable. Natural intelligence shows us a path forward, if we just have the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the courage to follow our intuition. We can use these principles to find and teach the new leaders and the new creators (rather polymath-like) that will help guide our way. They come in some unexpected places.
Speaking of Indiana Jones, the next article is called “The MacGuffin, Part 1.” Ben Hunt is the Co-Founder and CIO of Epsilon Theory and Second Foundation Partners. Ben is a wonderful writer, and it is with a touch a humor he writes about his perspective on the recent chaotic events with the Luna/Terra crypto ecosystem. He discusses how early bitcoin enthusiasts lost their way, even if their early inspiration was totally justified.
The article is here:
https://www.epsilontheory.com/the-macguffin-part-1/