698 THE ADVOCATE
VOL. 80 PART 5 SEPTEMBER 2022
“So, how does blockchain actually work? There’s a bunch of math and
cryptography and computer science and information theory involved, but
you don’t need to know any of that, trust me. There are only four things that
you need to remember about blockchain: it is secure, it is immutable, it is
unanimous and it is—here’s that word again—distributed. Now, why does
blockchain matter for your lives, here in northern Albania, in the Shkodra
region—am I saying that right? Shkodra. Ok, Shkodra. Shkodra.
“And can I say what a beautiful region this is? I’m sorry, I forgot that none
of you can go outside—but don’t worry, that’s why I’m here. It really is spectacular
out there, though. It reminds me of New Zealand—have you ever
been to New Zealand? No, of course not, you’re trapped in your own
home—you don’t have to repeat that last part, Kirill. Just use your judgment,
ok?
“Maybe I’ll get an Albanian passport, buy a few hundred acres, build a
compound on it. I feel safe, up here in the mountains. There’s fresh water,
there’s plenty of space, but I still feel tucked away. Secure. You know, this
really is a bit of luck; ever since a bunch of other tech billionaires snapped
up all the good apocalypse estates in New Zealand, I’ve been on the lookout
for a different refuge.
“Why? As an escape hatch if there’s some cataclysmic event—nuclear,
viral, artificial intelligence related. Maybe hackers bringing down the internet
or the electrical grid. Or extreme civil unrest caused by polarization or
inequality. Maybe something climate change induced? If any of that happens,
then those tech guys have somewhere to take asylum. Me, though?
Nowhere to go. Can you imagine how it feels to be so trapped—never mind,
that’s not important. This isn’t about me, this is about me helping you. Why
don’t we get back on track?
“Again, why does blockchain matter for your lives, here in northern Albania?
Let me answer that question with a question: How did this blood feud
that’s engulfed your family for generations, this blood feud to which you’ve
lost so many family members and relatives, this blood feud which for years
and years has forced you into confinement within your own home for
safety’s sake, how did this blood feud begin? Does anybody know? That’s not
a rhetorical question—I’m truly wondering. Though I’m not surprised that
I’m only seeing blank stares. What about you, Basmir? You’re the oldest,
you’re the patriarch, surely you remember how it all began?
“Thank you for sharing that, Basmir. Did anyone notice a pattern in his
answer? ‘It has always been this way’, and ‘It is said the Hoxhaj family
started it’, and ‘Yussef told me’, and—don’t you see the problem? Hearsay, second
hand information, rumour and myth. Unverified. OK, here’s another