I use the term "Steem Ecosystem" to denote the entire decentralized blockchain industry. We are a microcosm of the whole while also being one of the most heavily used systems.
Following technology for as long as I have, I realize the pace things are moving. Do not buy into the rhetoric that a lot of this is smoke. The reality is things are moving at warp speed and will not be slowing down. Society is changing before our eyes and the next 5 years will see more advancement than was witnessed the previous 20.
Many use the term "exponential" to describe how technology operates. What they mean by this is the progress or growth attained unfolds at an increasing speed.
There are two basic reasons for this:
A) The baseline one is starting from is higher than previously.
B) The tools that developers have are more plentiful and powerful than the ones used before.
Thus we get a compounding effect that takes place. As the amount of data we have increases and the computational power available to process that information grows, we see gains that were previously unheard of.
The result of this is going to be a massive expansion of our digital world. This bodes well for Steem when you think about the fact that the goal is to "tokenize the Internet". We are watching a pie that is going to expand tremendously for the simple fact that, soon, the Internet will be ubiquitous. The Internet is not going to be something logged onto. It will be everywhere.
Elon Musk is out there now touting that Teslas are, potentially, appreciating assets. All the cars being produced now have the hardware capability for self driving. The software is not there yet but it will be a simple upload when it is created.
Now Elon is know for his bold claims and missed timelines. The point I am making is he is getting closer with the technology. What does autonomous car technology do to society?
Couple this with 3D printing, 5G, the different forms of AI, and VR/AR, and you can see how quickly things are changing.
Which brings up the point of this article and the responsibility that Steemians (along with others involved in crypto) have.
I stated that the established entities do not stand a chance against blockchain. Ultimately, the benefits offered by this technology will overwhelm them. That said, there are companies that are accustomed to exponential threats. It is part of their everyday experience. Even the slow, stodgy ones like banks have the ability to adapt to a certain degree.
There is one entity that is the exact opposite. It is operating in an exponential world yet is linear. The inability to move quickly is causing them to fall further behind. Sadly, they are in the middle of everything.
This entity is the government.
The governments of the world are slow and inefficient. Many, if not all, are filled with corruption which leads to favoritism. The models are slow to change, operating under one "style" for centuries. Today, they are also erected in such a manner that the layers of protection are non-penetrable.
Governments, whether anyone likes them or not, do provide some stability to society. Even if it is just an illusion, since often it is the government causing many of the problems, it does keep the masses at bay. The amount of power they wield means they can keep a lot of things contained. Uprisings tend to be met with violence. Disobedient behavior tends to have other ramifications.
This potential for conflict within society is now great. The exponential advancement of technology means that government is loosing its grip. To many, this is a good thing. The challenge is, that without a replacement, there most likely will be a lot of violence. Most are ill-prepared for what is coming since the "leadership" did not make anyone aware. The media is espousing a bunch of stuff that really does not matter to keep people asleep.
We are involved in a great experiment. Presently, we are constructing an alternate system. We have a monetary basis that is not dependent upon the established use cases. There is commerce starting to emerge now that people have some money distributed to them.
Personally, I am not worried about the technology within this industry. The geeks will figure it all out. Give them enough time, and all that is lacking will be developed. I also do not question that people are going to start arriving in droves. The benefits of this system far outweigh the present one.
Essentially, it is up to us to replace the government since many are going to face extreme hardship. Society is going to feel that impact when their security blanket falls. The mismanagement of resources is rapidly getting to the point that all the financial engineering in the world is not going to keep it afloat. What happens when people lose much of what they depend upon?
Fortunately, we do offer something that is central to the needs of people: money. By providing a better choice of money and a way to earn it, we are going to alleviate many of the problems that are going to come up. This is the big advantage.
We also have the advantage of being able to experiment with different forms of governance. We can see what works and what does not. There is no need to be tied to one system. Operating from a place of anarchy, all are free to participate if desired.
Government is simply one of those entities that, in the technological age, is falling further behind. Whatever use it had is going to diminish over time. The ability to change is simply not in its nature. This does not align in a world where things are moving at a rapid pace.
In many ways, government is a primary target for blockchain. One of the big use cases of this technology is the elimination of the middle man. That is precisely what government is. Most of the functions it performs can be automated. Of course, the system does not like this nor want things transparent or streamlined.
That is where the choice needs to be removed. By creating something better, the present system will be forced to crumble. They cannot adapt hence destruction is the only option.
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