Chaos is the inevitable result when any centralized system attempts to bite off more than it can chew. Top-down governance only works for what the central entity can perceive, understand, and control. Thanks to technology expanding the scope of perception and control, our modern society has devolved into totalitarianism. Yet without superintelligence god-king AI, complete understanding cannot be achieved. Nor would we, as sentient humans, ever want it to be.
Unfortunately, it will never be a popular idea to let go of this centralized control. The same technological trends have given us individuals similar perception. The belief that any action of any person is subject to popular judgment is now deeply embedded in our psyche. Everybody fashions themselves a mini dictator, deciding between whether any given activity should be prohibited or mandatory. Occam's razor, "live and let live", and "good fences make good neighbors" have gone out the window.
Sure, we all still long to be left alone ourselves. But our desire for freedom is played to by demagogues promising freedom through this top-down structure that they'd like to steer. Our frustrations are then channeled toward the people of the "opposing team" rather than properly on the system that has bound us all in this suicide pact.
I just finished reading Hamilton, all 700+ pages, and this article doesn't seem to address the viciousness that has been a documented part of American politics for over 200 years now. Really not all that much has changed? Jefferson was frequently called a "fanatic" who "pandered to the populace" and the age was marred by again, vicious personal slandering.
Indeed, this is also like the chaos that accompanied the self-destruction of the american Whig party before the civil war. My guess is that the republicans will become a loud irrelevance by 2020 and cease to exist after that while the democrats (which are not really a party either, simply everyone who is "not republican") will split into a few factions, two of which will be strong enough to be parties (probably one still called "Democrat") by 20204/2028.
Unfortunately, it will never be a popular idea to let go of this centralized control. The same technological trends have given us individuals similar perception. The belief that any action of any person is subject to popular judgment is now deeply embedded in our psyche. Everybody fashions themselves a mini dictator, deciding between whether any given activity should be prohibited or mandatory. Occam's razor, "live and let live", and "good fences make good neighbors" have gone out the window.
Sure, we all still long to be left alone ourselves. But our desire for freedom is played to by demagogues promising freedom through this top-down structure that they'd like to steer. Our frustrations are then channeled toward the people of the "opposing team" rather than properly on the system that has bound us all in this suicide pact.