I think you are entirely correct and that you have delineated the deep structure of the scenario we find ourselves in.
Are you familiar with the work of Ken Wilber who, standing on the shoulders of giants, popularised the ideas of Developmental Psychology that support your claim?
Hayden uses language in a specific way that indicates the centre of gravity of his consciousness is located in a very Conventional / Conformist / Concrete-operational place. He speaks in terms of heroic status, power, glory, rage, revenge; take what you need, power over others, force. The downside to all of this is anxiety, depression, phobias, bullying, terrorism etc etc.
This stage of development sees anything that isn't at the same stage as a threat, and tends to respond to everything with escalating violence / force / arrest.
It is the nature of this stage of psychological development to create threats where none exist, because it defines itself in terms of what occurs when those threats are push against.
Ultimately, what we most pressingly need is to work out how to move the world through this developmental stage before we manage to work ourselves in to some really atrocious place.
Each new development in technology represents a new development in consciousness, it brings with it new ways to connect and create together as a nation of people ever so less fixed to any one geographical area. I've seen Earth from space, didn't see any boarders. As well as all new and terrifying ways to annihilate ourselves.
Perceived through the framework of Developmental Psychology, as it was progressed by the above authors, and with an eye to the greater historical context this is all occurring in, it's all very predictable.
The "competing view", as you put it, that sees the world as a "collection of ad-hoc networks of ideas and social mechanisms, some forming, others dissolving -- clearly structured, but not at all hierarchical" is located at a stage of psychological development that is a full four stages above the one Hayden is speaking from.
To further support this refer to the works of Ken Wilber, particularly Integral Psychology it's end notes and references. Also, Jane Loevinger, Susan Cook-Greuter, Lawrence Kohlberg, and Abraham Maslow.
Edit: grammar