The Revolution Will Be Digitized

Members too young to have watched “The Network” can get the gist of the movie by watching this two minute clip as we ask ourselves whether it’s finally time to get mad as hell and agree “we are not going to take it anymore.”

“The only constant is change.” Change is cyclical. Clocks move. The pendulum swings, constantly oscillating between potential and kinetic energy. Our Founding fathers knew about cyclical rhythms, thus designing our political system to accommodate ongoing changes from liberal to conservative, from left to right.

The Great Depression, sandwiched between two bloody world wars, demonstrated how grueling life can be. But the past 75 years of relative global peace and prosperity have softened us and may have distorted our perspective on the noble path. 

When a nation spends more time arguing whether the cornerstone of our country was laid in 1776 or 1619, as a tribute to liberty or slavery; when children are taught Critical Race Theory rather than lessons about our country’s Constitution; when our government engages in irresponsible spending even as it interferes with every aspect of our lives, we become inured to certain social pathologies e.g. each year more Americans die from drug overdose than the combination of suicide, homicide, and auto accidents.

There is a sense our country is ripe for major transition when the top 1% own more than the bottom 50%, when our fellow Americans live and die on our streets, mislabeled as the poor and homeless, rather than for the root cause of their condition, which is often drug addiction and/or mental illness, both of which are amenable to treatment including institutional care.

Change is in the air. However, our domestic situation cannot be seen in isolation. Neither the national nor the global condition is sustainable.  As such, our challenges at home must be seen in the international context, such as our looming conflicts with China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and many lesser adversaries.

I posit that future international confrontations will be fought, not with guns, tanks, or even atomic bombs but, instead, in a digital form –  in cyberspace, on the internet, and through such means as undermining our opponents’ currency. Think Israel and Iran, and note Turkey’s Lira has lost 45% of its value year to date.

In that vein, we believe the biggest catalysts for the ensuing global changes capable of advancing humanity will likely be in the cyber world, including Blockchain and Crypto Currencies. City Club strives to help prepare us for the digital revolution ahead by planning to host regular meetings on these topics.

Let’s not get mad; let’s get creative! 

— Sina.