Localism in the Network State

The essay argues that a network state should be grown through localism, meaning locally accountable communities, rather than treating exit alone as enough. It contends that Vitalik Buterin's concerns about a voice-versus-exit binary, which he framed as "exitocracy," call for conviction and public service at the local level. The author points to Brad Feld's startup-community work, which he says takes a generation, and to the Silicon Valley exodus during COVID as a case of the risks of exit. The essay also holds that physical infrastructure such as sanitation, roads and public safety matters as much as digital infrastructure.