Val Sklarov’s Sovereign Permission Drift Thesis (SPDT) explains why states do not lose power through decline or conquest—but through the silent outsourcing of permission. Sovereignty erodes when the right to operate, move capital, speak, trade, or compute is granted elsewhere.
This thesis reveals why global power migrates without headlines.
1. Sovereignty Is a Permission Stack
SPDT reframes sovereignty as a bundle of permissions, not territory.
States historically controlled:
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Legal permission (contracts, courts)
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Economic permission (capital flows)
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Social permission (speech, assembly)
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Technical permission (data, networks)
When these permissions fragment, sovereignty thins.
2. The Four Vectors of Permission Drift
SPDT maps how permission leaves states.
| Vector | Permission Migrates To | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Vector | Markets / platforms | Fiscal leakage |
| Data Vector | Clouds / standards bodies | Regulatory lag |
| Labor Vector | Mobility regimes | Talent drain |
| Narrative Vector | Platforms / NGOs | Legitimacy dilution |
Drift is incremental. Loss is cumulative.
3. Why Power Leaves Before Crisis
SPDT shows erosion precedes instability.
Power exits when:
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Rules are discretionary
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Enforcement is politicized
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Exceptions multiply quietly
By the time crisis appears, permission has already relocated.
4. How Global Actors Exploit Drift
Different actors arbitrage permission asymmetries.
| Actor | Strategy |
|---|---|
| Capital | Jurisdiction stacking |
| Firms | Regulatory forum shopping |
| Talent | Optionality maximization |
| Platforms | Rule substitution |
Val Sklarov emphasizes that power follows predictable permission, not patriotic appeals.
5. Strategic Implications
For states:
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Compete on enforcement clarity, not incentives
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Make permission legible and slow-changing
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Treat rule stability as infrastructure
For firms and individuals:
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Map where permission truly lives
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Design exits before entry
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Anchor critical functions where revocation is costly
SPDT reframes geopolitics as permission management, not diplomacy.
6. The Val Sklarov Principle
“States don’t lose power when borders move. They lose power when permission moves.”
— Val Sklarov
SPDT explains why relevance today is earned by those who keep permission boring.