Crypto-industrial complex

I asked the internet ‘what is a nation state?’ Whether the response was from Wikipedia or ChatGTP the answer was the same: ‘just about anything really.’ In my simple imagination I thought the definition may depend on things like having a common language, control of one’s own laws, the means to defend the population, possibly even your own currency—well, it might include all of these things but a lot more besides. And of course ‘controlling your own laws’ doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t share that responsibility with other nation states, nor even your currency or any other number of policies. But ultimately even if you had shared those things you might retain the right to withdraw from sharing them, as the UK foolishly did with Brexit.
 
I am prompted to ask the question ‘what is a nation state’ by coverage of the Epstein scandal, particularly some reporting of it in the Byline Times. Much of this looks at the paedo’s international connections, and the manner in which he used these connections to promote interests outwith the control of any particular nation state. Prominent here is his relationship with the Techbros and the development of cryptocurrency. Choosing your own currency, and the controls under which it is employed is a significant national governance issue. So the development of cryptocurrency, which doesn’t submit itself to any form of regulation is a concern, not least in advancing the cause of ne’r do wells. But it seems to me the likes of Epstein, and others, such as Peter Thiel of Palantir fame are bent on creating their own crypto empires, reliant on and facilitated by technology and supplicated for the time being by pliant governments.. What other explanation can there be for Epstein’s so-called ’philanthropic’ donations to academic institutions working on complex technological issues if not to understand this new world?
 
We are already well in to the era where technology outpaces regulation. Legislators struggle to keep up (and some are bought off, of course). Indeed, if legislators could keep up with the technology, we might find that real democratic oversight would have to be sidelined if not abandoned. The Epstein files give us an invaluable insight into how the techbro-industrial complex meshes together. I maintain my view that the offering up of Mr Windsor, and now even Mandy’s heads will be seen by some as a necessary sacrifice to keep their show on the road. And that road leads to the utter evisceration of what has previously been known as ‘sovereign power.’
 
There’s a huge irony that for the likes of Farage and the populist right the language of sovereign power is crafted to accelerate the emergence of the crypto-state.