https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netwar You should read about netwar if you want answers to those questions. Largely you answered it yourself though, what we have now is a massive capability to communicate with each other, in a secure and anonymous fashion in particular. Also, with Bitcoins, we have the ability to store and transfer wealth securely and anonymously, across national borders with little to no regulation. These are very important changes, and they lead to a natural reorganization of the groups that utilize them, into more efficient and dynamic structures. This is what Pine means by saying that there is a change from hierarchical models to networked models. In a hierarchical model there will be those who lead a group authoritatively, in a networked model there are merely actors, the more successful actors gain followers but they do not lead them in the same sense. It is similar to the online drug scene really, right now DPR runs the most successful site, but he is not the leader of us in the same sense that Pablo Escobar was the leader of his cartel. Rather he is one of the more active actors and has taken measures that bring him the most followers. This structure is extremely resilient to traditional governmental attacks, the first example that pops into my mind is a decapitation attack. With a traditional hierarchical model, attacking the leaders of the movement can kill the movement if successful, in a networked model the most active nodes are easily replaced when they are compromised. Additionally, the network consists of individual actors that can react to change in real time on their own prerogative, this is in contrast to a hierarchical model in which data flows upward to the commanders and instructions move downwards from the commanders to the actors. Removing the latency involved with that bi-directional information / command chain significantly increases the strength of the network. Also Anarchy is NOT a form of government, in the same way that Atheism is not a form of religion. Anarchy is the lack of government. Anarchists correctly believe that all government is inherently coercive, and they prefer a free market approach to society instead. Anarchists recognize that taxation is theft, that people going to prison for drug crimes are slaves, etc. Government is always inherently criminal and rights violating, they steal our money, they enforce seemingly arbitrary laws on us (often religious based), they restrict what we can do (beyond not restricting others freedoms). Anarchists are purely pro-freedom and they correctly view government as inherently pro-slavery.