Martin Gurri
The digital revolution did not just change how we communicate, it shattered the elite monopoly on information, sparking a global crisis of authority and a relentless public revolt against the status quo.
In an era of information scarcity, authorities commanded trust by controlling the narrative, but the digital avalanche of the Fifth Wave exposed their inevitable errors and shattered their aura of competence.
Modern conflict is defined by the clash between rigid, top-down industrial hierarchies and fluid, bottom-up digital networks that can instantly mobilize protests but are inherently incapable of governing.
The networked public is united entirely by what it opposes rather than what it supports, fostering a sectarian nihilism that seeks to destroy the existing order without offering viable alternatives.