AI, Politics and Populism, Luddites and Social Revolution

Blain’s Morning Porridge 1st March 2026 – AI, Politics and Populism, Luddites and Social Revolution“You say you want a revolution, well, you know we all wanna change the world..”As the US and Israel attack Iran, confirming the Fire Horse threat of escalating conflict risks, do we also face a second social threat from AI triggering widespread social and wealth-inequality protests? Does 2026 risk becoming a double whammy hit on market sentiment and confidence?I am cheating this morning. This morning’s Porridge was written on Saturday – before I jumped on a plane for a week on Sunday morning to go skiing in Italy. As War has broken out in the Middle East I’ll have the full laptop suite with me in case it gets hairier than Trump expects… First thing to note is Bitcoin crashed on higher risk.I warned a few weeks ago how “Fire Horse Years” (according to the Chinese Zodiac) can be volatile and explosive, this one occurring in conjunction with a 2K (2 Kondratieff Cycle) period of hegemonic challenge – and the elevated likelihood of associated conflict as the USA and China square off. The rising tide of conflict in the Middle East highlights the risks.But, what if we are also going through an acute societal shift, which could trigger social unrest?There is an apocryphal story set in the near future where a starship built around a super-AI is crewed by three humans and a dog. The ship traverses the vastness of the galaxy to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to go boldly where no dog has gone before. (No split infinitives in the Morning Porridge!)The humans are there to feed and exercise the dog.How is AI going to change the world? Do we face civilisational erasure as a result of its’ quadratically expanding god-like power? Will we be replaced or become pods in some Matrix like future. Or will AI’s phenomenal access to information and our intellect lead to a fulfilling partnership between Man and Machine.  You can read the Morning Porridge by subscribing on ⁠www.morningporridge.com⁠, and have it delivered fresh to your inbox every morning!