The Road to Anarchy, or away from Westphalia

Not quite the apocalypse but Apple is not taking cash for iPhones anymore, which is anotherstep away from the current state system. This is a move away from trust backed upon government reliability, and towards trust based on corporate reliability. Capital, and purchasing power, have rested in land, gold, silver, precious stones, salt, and government reliability. Now purchasing power is moving exclusively to trust in a credit card company.

Traditional states have rested on several concepts: sovereignty over land, monopoly on violence, and common currency. The rise of strong multinational organizations, whether it be for pure profit, or for common world goals is affecting the global balance of power. From changes to tax laws to draw large corporations to pressing leaders towards free trade agreements the global political situation is something that increasingly can be bought and sold.

Arthur C. Clarke said "CNN is one of the participants in the war. I have a fantasy where Ted Turner is elected president but refuses because he doesn't want to give up power." We had Wag the Dog about a president who starts a war to draw attention from a scandal, and discussions over the Clinton bombing in the Sudan (a chemical weapons plant, or a pharmaceutical plant?) but whether or not that is true, the media has indisputably had a large role in shaping the agenda of government for that last 25 years.

The removal of many of the traditional governing tools, responsibilities and powers is a step away from our idea of the western state. We aren't moving directly to anarchy, but we are leaving the old rules by the wayside. Where will we go?