5. The Predator's Hour: The Conflict Between Agency and Power

1. The text analyzes the phenomenon of the 'predator's hour,' understood as a crisis of agency within traditional institutions in the face of the acceleration of events. The author points to the emergence of temporal arbitrage—a situation where actors operating with the logic of shock and speed (e.g., tech corporations, authoritarian leaders) gain an advantage over democratic and diplomatic systems. While law, courts, and international organizations rely on time-consuming procedures and consensus, contemporary threats, such as cyberattacks or disinformation operations, act almost instantaneously. This leads to a state where formal power structures still exist but become merely a ritual backdrop for real decisions made outside their control and reaction speed.