Balaji on Decentralized Democracy and Yarvin on American Monarchy (Network State Conference 2026)

The post-war order is the pre-Internet order. And the rise of the Internet means that order is ending. But what comes next? Decentralized democracy — or American monarchy? Curtis makes the case for a centralized American monarchy. Balaji makes the case for decentralized Internet democracy. OUTLINE 0:28 - Do you believe America can be turned around? 12:23 - Mass market ideologies versus institutional power structures 14:38 - In the late 1800s, four things happening at the same time that are mirrored today 26:52 - The future of America is more like American anarchy than American monarchy 52:49 - AI is the economic equivalent of the resource curse 1:01:34 - China is more MAGA than MAGA, and the internet is more America than America 1:04:22 - China has simply rediscovered pre-Anglo-American statecraft 1:13:20 - The Cromwell of China is Deng Xiaoping 1:17:22 - Are we living in the late Roman Republic or the late Roman Empire? LINKS Network State Conference: https://ns.com/conference Full Network State Conference 2026 playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEM0D05MwaL4&si=8AewHhUFNtZJP_Zq