EPIC 2014 - Googlezon

On Amazon, the description of the book The Sovereign Individual is as follows:

The computer revolution, in the authors' dire scenario, will subvert and destroy the nation-state as globalized cybercommerce, lubricated by cybercurrency, drastically limits governments' powers to tax. They further predict that the next millennium will see an enormous decline in the influence of politicians, lobbyists, labor unions and regulated professions as new information technologies democratize talent and innovation and decentralize the workplace. In their forecast, citizenship will become obsolete; new forms of sovereignty reminiscent of medieval merchant republics will spring up; electronic plebiscites will decide legislative proposals; mafias, renegade covert agencies and criminal gangs will exercise much more behind-the-scenes power.

So basically, the internet is supposed to lead to a complete overhaul of the economy and the political process.

I thought of that quote today when I watched a short flash film called EPIC 2014.  For the last year or so, everyone has been talking about the overthrow of the mainstream media and how blogging is democratizing the process by which we get our news.  I have found it interesting that, the things that are being said about the Sovereign Individual in relation to the economy and politics dovetails with what is being said about the mainstream media as it contends with the blogging phenomenon.

What is interesting to me is that lots of people are predicting the downfall of the mainstream media, but no one is really speculating on what might replace it. EPIC 2014 dares to speculate on this. 

I take futurology with a grain of salt but this film was still worth watching and is interesting to think about.  It prophesies a world in which the mainstream media is destroyed and is replaced by Googlezon.  And it seems that it is sovereign individuals, using the power of the internet that bring this to pass.

So, here's the movie - go and watch it and let me know what you think.

(Hat tip - Out of Egypt)

Also, check out Summary of the World: Googlezon and the Newsmasters EPIC, Crumb Trail, and Reflexive Blog.