Past Present Future Where Are We Going? Societal Collapse – The Present Day
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Mar 4, 2026 
Luke Kemp, researcher and author of Goliath’s Curse, explores the prospects of societal collapse and existential risks. He contrasts long-term collapse stories with modern Goliaths. They discuss state failure like Somalia, migration and urban decline, lootable resources such as fossil fuels and data, surveillance and inequality, and how interconnectedness and advanced technologies amplify systemic shocks.
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Match Safe Havens To Collapse Type
- Plan for different collapse scenarios because safe havens vary by cause.
- Kemp notes nuclear war would favour Australia/New Zealand while other shocks might require different retreats; elites are already making such plans.
From Grain To Oil To Data As Lootable Fuel
- Lootable resources have evolved from grain to fossil fuels and now data.
- Kemp argues fossil fuels power modern Goliaths and data is emerging as a new lootable resource concentrated in a few corporations and states.
How Mines Spawn Proto States In Real Time
- State-like organizations can form around lootable minerals in real time.
- Kemp points to DRC coltan and gold booms where militias taxed miners and created proto-bureaucracies near mines.
