Page 37 - Rockefeller Lockstep Document

Scenario Narratives HACK ATTACK

recognized seals of safety and approval proved with advanced medical treatments and other
ineffective when even those seals were hacked. under-the-radar activities.
The positive effects of the mobile and internet
Those who couldn’t buy their way out of
revolutions were tempered by their increasing
chaos — which was most people — retreated
fragility as scamming and viruses proliferated,
to whatever “safety” they could find. With
preventing these networks from achieving the
opportunity frozen and global mobility at a
reliability required to become the backbone
near standstill — no place wanted more people,
of developing economies — or a source of
especially more poor people — it was often a
trustworthy information for anybody.
retreat to the familiar: family ties, religious
Interestingly, not all of the “hacking” was bad. beliefs, or even national allegiance. Trust
Genetically modified crops (GMOs) and do-it- was afforded to those who guaranteed safety
yourself (DIY) biotech became backyard and and survival — whether it was a warlord, an
garage activities, producing important advances. evangelical preacher, or a mother. In some
In 2017, a network of renegade African scientists places, the collapse of state capacity led to a
who had returned to their home countries after resurgence of feudalism. In other areas, people
working in Western multinationals unveiled managed to create more resilient communities
the first of a range of new GMOs that boosted operating as isolated micro versions of formerly
agricultural productivity on the continent. large-scale systems. The weakening of national
governments also enabled grassroots movements
But despite such efforts, the global have/have-
to form and grow, creating rays of hope amid
not gap grew wider than ever. The very rich still
the bleakness. By 2030, the distinction between
had the financial means to protect themselves;
“developed” and “developing” nations no longer
gated communities sprung up from New York
seemed particularly descriptive or relevant. •
to Lagos, providing safe havens surrounded by Scenarios for the Future of Technology and International Development
slums. In 2025, it was de rigueur to build not
a house but a high-walled fortress, guarded by
armed personnel. The wealthy also capitalized on
the loose regulatory environment to experiment

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