Decentralization is more technologically available now than it's ever been, but the human animal seems to have a jones for authoritarianism that's bone-deep.

In all the years of recorded history, societies snap into totalitarian/authoritiarian forms like oxygen and hydrogen snap into water at the slightest provocation.

Societies that somehow manage to enshrine the rights of individuals seem to shine out for a short time, struggling like someone treading water in cement boots, and before you know it, some tyrant, mullah, king, or almighty state is telling everyone which side of bed to get up on each day, and killing off those who don't like it. It's got to be genetic somehow...the natural ape need to be either boss ape or flunky ape.

I wrote in some other post how it was beginning to look like everyone's ideal form of government, deep down below the conscious level, is a totalitarian dictator who thinks exactly like they do.

What's bizarre is how people can divide their perception to the point where they will get incensed about one encroachment on their right to do as they please, but accept without a second thought a dozen ways in which they are rendered subordinate to a collective. I'm sure you can think of as many examples as I can.

Doesn't mean we should stop treading water, though. Who knows...maybe it's really cream, and sooner or later we'll be sitting firmly on that pat of butter.