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The Obsession with Profit & the Dark Side of Technological Innovation

ByRichelle SteynSep 30, 20248 mins

The tech world is obsessed with profit and that obsession is showing symptoms of an unsettling pattern, the exploitation of human vulnerability disguised as technological innovation and progress. This article presents three compelling examples: the militarization of AI, the creeping influence of centralised finance on decentralised finance, and the rise of unemployment-tech. Together they illustrate […]

Are NFTs Dead, or is Digital Art on the Blockchain a Game-Changer for Art and Culture?

ByRichelle SteynSep 15, 202410 mins

Digital art on the blockchain—often referred to as NFT Art, CRYPTOART or just NFTs—represents a ground breaking shift in how we perceive, create, and exchange art. Despite early exuberance, the current NFT market has faced scrutiny, market corrections and cultural re-evaluation. While some proclaim that “NFTs are dead,” others argue that this is merely a […]

Ideas Too Dangerous to Share, Digital Censorship and Cultural Hegemony

ByRichelle SteynSep 13, 202411 mins

Antonio Gramsci developed the concept of cultural hegemony to describe how dominant classes maintain power, not solely through economic control, but by shaping culture and ideology. By framing the accepted norms, values, and beliefs, they secure consent from the public, even when these structures work against the public’s own interests. Gramsci’s insights remain deeply relevant, […]

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Future Trajectories: Navigating the Commons Economy in South Africa

ByRichelle SteynNov 21, 202419 mins
The Commons Economy is a vision of society that prioritizes individual freedom, data sovereignty and ecological stewardship. Here, communities thrive in a network of decentralized systems where technology is used to empower, not exploit. Governance is shared, privacy is protected and resources are allocated to support collective well-being.

Designing a Regenerative Cultural Economy

ByRichelle SteynJun 23, 202516 mins
“When values-aligned actors begin to acquire digital works from the Art Stoke Commons ecosystem, they don’t just support individual artists – they validate a new logic of cultural production. Each successful Hive becomes a proof-of-concept. Each replication, a new node in a growing network of islands of coherence. If it works in South Africa where the wounds of inequality and the hunger for cultural healing are deep, it can serve as a blueprint for global cultural resurgence in the digital age.”

Imagining Otherwise Under Conditions of Impunity

ByRichelle SteynJan 2, 20266 mins
“Capitalism does not merely constrain change; it organises which forms of suffering matter, which legal rulings are enforced, and which crimes are indefinitely deferred. It functions as a selective enforcement regime, shielding actors embedded in military, financial, and diplomatic infrastructures from consequence.”
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