Pyramids and Meshes: Rival Orders of Rule
By Richard Martin | The Strategic Code
Here’s a diagrammatic metaphor that captures the distinction you’re drawing between sovereign (inward/upward) and parasovereign (outward/downward) orders:
Geometry of Orders
Sovereign Order
Orientation: Inward + Upward
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Inward (centripetal):
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Gathers into one center.
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Census, regulation, taxation, codification.
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The State draws all action into its symbolic body.
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Upward (vertical, hierarchical):
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Supreme authority, highest court, apex of legitimacy.
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“Straightens” what is crooked, “judges” what is wrong.
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Embodied historically in the rex (king) → abstract modern State.
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Symbol: Crown, pyramid, summit.
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Metaphor: The straight line, the peak, the center.
Parasovereign Order
Orientation: Outward + Downward
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Outward (centrifugal):
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Diffuses through networks, peers, nodes.
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Forks, replicates, resists convergence into one.
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Nostr, Tor, samizdat, kinship, language.
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Downward (grounded, material):
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Laid down at the base-layer (e.g. Bitcoin mining → hashing → physical energy).
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Rules enforced by protocol, not hierarchy.
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Anchored in the everyday, resilient through persistence.
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Symbol: Rhizome, mesh, tent.
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Metaphor: The spread, the ground, the hidden circulation.
Comparison (Metaphorical Axis)
| Dimension | Sovereign (Right-hand, rectus) | Parasovereign (Left-hand, gauche/sinister) |
|---|---|---|
| Orientation | Inward, centripetal | Outward, centrifugal |
| Direction | Upward, vertical | Downward, horizontal |
| Structure | Pyramid, hierarchy | Mesh, rhizome |
| Symbol | Crown, summit | Tent, network |
| Function | Straightens, judges, codifies | Distributes, diffuses, grounds |
| Legitimacy | Legible to the State (law, rights, regulation) | Illegible to the State, but internally ordered |
| Example | Monarch, parliament, constitution | Bitcoin, Nostr, Tor, kinship, family |
In summary:
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Sovereign order = apex of rectitude (inward/upward, centralizing, elevating).
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Parasovereign order = spread of grounded persistence (outward/downward, distributing, materializing).
About the Author
Richard Martin guides leaders and thinkers through the terrain of sovereignty, power, and the individual—illuminating parasovereign systems that enable human action and cooperation beyond the reach of the state.
© 2025 Richard Martin
