Sunday, 4th. October 2026

Another fine late-summer day and I am relieved that my blood pressure, whilst still higher than usual, is coming down from the highs of the last 3-4 days. I realised yesterday that my studies – on a subject that is clearly causing me some distress – are quite possibly harming my health and, interesting though they are, I perhaps ought to curtail them. I have done this, but a nagging question remains in my head this morning.

Yesterday afternoon I found myself focussing on some of the ideas contained within The Sovereign Individual, a book from 1997 that was hugely influential on tech billionaires as well as others, including some populist and right-wing politicians. I first came across it on the excellent BBC podcast The Coming Storm back in 2022 and even then I could not understand why I had not come across it before.

Anyway, suffice to say that The Sovereign Individual – subtitled How to Survive and Thrive During the Collapse of the Welfare State – predicted some very scary stuff for the 21st. century, much of which was remarkably prescient. That subtitle sounds almost benign and did not really do justice to what the book was about, so in 1999 it was changed – Mastering the Transition to the Information Age. The book focussed on the rise of the internet, the gig economy, crypto, the end of the nation state, blockchain – and decentralisation from the state to the lowest possible level – the individual.

An idea that grabbed my attention – and I paraphrase – was this: the internet will create a world of parallel realities; an epidemic of disorientation. Scary but true. 

Yesterday I found myself attempting to untangle the complex web of conspiracy theories surrounding the book and links with the daddy of all conspiracy theories: QAnon. The book does not present a conspiracy theory, it simply predicts what the 21st. century will be like. I soon realised I was on a hiding to nothing and that just a few hours of thought given to the subject created anxiety in me so I gave up. I smacked myself for being so stupid; knowledge is good but the tech billionaires and rabid politicians are going to do whatever they are going to do – and there is nothing I can do about it.

However, one strange question remains in my mind this morning: why is it that those who believe the alternative reality narrative promoted by these people are those that have the most to lose when the shit hits the fan?

BUT… I have resolved to avoid the question and give it no further thought. My cardio-vascular system will thank me I’m sure, and in any case I need to make the bed and get the ironing done. Mundanity replaces fear.