Over six months ago, a brilliant billionaire entrepreneur made a bold move. Balaji Srinivasan released his manifesto, unveiled his flag, declared The Network State inevitable and The Network School open for business.
Here’s the gist:
Our world is undergoing a seismic shift. Just as the printing press broke the church’s grip on information, the internet is dismantling the nation-state’s propaganda machine. God-centered kingdoms gave way to godless bureaucracies, now fading as global networks emerge. Most people spend their days online, a trend that’s accelerating.
Looking back, one can chart the course, face the future, and assume this pattern will persist. Balaji’s long-term bet is to skate where the puck is heading. The internet liberates the masses from control. Power once held by self-appointed representatives of God, then transferred to self-important state officials, now rests with networked individuals.
Consider how you categorize people nowadays. iPhone vs. Android: “Blue Bubble Crew” vs. “Oh, Your Phone Can’t Do That?” gang. Most friends likely use one or the other; relationships strain when someone switches. Facebook vs. X vs. Instagram vs. LinkedIn: rant, learn, fawn, or offer empty praise—pick your tribe. TikTok or not? Mentally overdosing on cotton candy or stoically staring into the sun?
Even within groups, like livestock producers, everyone aligns with a breed association—Angus, Brangus, Simmental, Charolais, or lingering Herefords. Polled vs. short-horn vs. long?
We’re constantly refining our affiliations, connecting online often and in-person occasionally. Goodbyes brim with “we should do this more often” and “can’t wait to reunite.” Why? You’ve found your people—shared principles, scattered geography.
It’s shifting, isn’t it? We’re gravitating toward extremes. Some places double down on wokeness, others embrace libertarianism, and some champion MAGA. We identify less as countrymen or Catholics, more with the products and apps we use to express our beliefs. I’m for Bitcoin, Spotify, Martin guitars with Elixir strings, scavenged furniture, and second-hand clothes.
Balaji’s bet seems sound, but it’s still a gamble—a big risk. What happens when you gather a hundred techies, feed them communally, house them in the tropics, and spark competition?
That’s for the next piece.
In parting:
Hi to everyone back home. I love and miss you all. It’s been nearly a month since I moved to a hotel in Forest City, Malaysia, with kind, curious folks striving to do their best. I’ve started a weekly music gig, a semi-planned open mic. I’ve made friends from Italy, Hungary, Poland, India, New Zealand, Australia, China, Guam, Russia, Belarus, and beyond. We met a robot dog. There’s weekly poker, fierce ping pong, hilarious improv, and daily nudges to adapt and create.
It’s fun at times, tough at others—real life with real people. I’ll send pics.
Til next time,
Your loving son/brother/uncle/friend,
Lucas
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