Writing about systems and their consequences. Explorations of how the things we build shape us in return.
October 2024: Polymarket odds spike on Israel-Iran strikes. Hours later, strikes happen. Someone knew. Someone bet. Someone profited. This isn't prediction—it's information extraction. Markets convert privileged knowledge into public signal. But visibility comes after insiders profit. Two tiers: those who know (profit from certainty), those who watch (learn too late).
Bitcoin promised to eliminate banks. Blockchain promised to eliminate intermediaries. Web3 promised power to users. Fifteen years later: new banks, new intermediaries, same concentration. Four mining pools control 75% of Bitcoin. Coinbase, Binance dominate. Infura runs "decentralized" Ethereum. The revolution got funded by venture capital. Then became what it opposed.
Davos 2026 is happening now. January 19-23. Theme: "A Spirit of Dialogue." 3,000 attendees. Record 400 political leaders. What gets discussed here appears as policy in governments worldwide within 6-12 months. The pattern is documented. Agentic AI, ownership consolidation, population optimization, disease management, surveillance infrastructure. Here's what to watch for.
European materialists struggle with God not because the logic fails. They struggle because accepting the conclusion requires changing how they live. The reasoning itself is straightforward. Islam approaches God's existence through rational arguments before revelation.