After Donald Trump won the election this month, one of the first things he did was nominate two unelected plutocrats, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, to run. The new government’s Ministry of Efficiency DOGE, an abbreviation for a yet-to-be-created entity, is a joke—a reference to the cryptocurrency it’s named after. There are internet memes about Shiba Inu.– but was appointed to be the duty of Reorganizing the federal bureaucracy and reducing spending It heralds a new political arrangement in Washington: a broligarchy regime in which enormous power flows to tech and financial magnates. Some of whom appear to be indifferent or even openly hostile to democratic traditions.
The ranks of the broligarchs also include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel and Palantir vice president-elect JD Vance’s. Mentor, former employer, and main financial supporter—Like venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and David Sacks, both of whom have pumped millions of dollars into the Trump campaign, Musk is certainly a role model. The richest man in the world is reported to be attending the president-elect’s speech with at least three foreign heads of state: Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine– Serbia Aleksandar Vucicand of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan– Musk joins Trump in welcoming Javier Miley, President of Argentina at Mar-a-Lago and accordingly The New York TimesMet personally in New York with the Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations in Bid for It “resolved tensions” between that country and the United States.– Most recently, after Musk publicly endorsed financier Howard Lutnick as Treasury secretary, some in Trump’s camp have concerns where Musk serves as “co-chairman” The Washington Post Reported
Musk doesn’t always get what he wants, Trump Elected Lutnik as Minister of Commerce instead. The leadership of the broligarchs in both foreign and domestic policy surprised many observers. including me This is despite the fact that I wrote last August about the broligarchs’ deeper political alignment with Trump. Even though some people have opposed Trump in the past because of his immigration or tax policies. But the leadership shared his politics of impunity: the idea that some men should be above the law. This defiant rejection of the constraints and obligations to society that made them prosperous. It is considered normal among the world’s billionaires. The group I studied practices and norms. For nearly two decades Trump exemplifies this ethos to the present day: he is Now there is a violation of the law.—which he signed into effect during his first term—requires incoming presidents to embrace ethics commitments.
Trump—who infamously said about sexual harassment that “When you are a star They let you do it.” – citing his fame as the basis for elevating him above the law. Many nobles still saw themselves as special beings. But that view was reached through a different route: through science fiction. fantasy literature and comic books Ideas from these genres have long permeated Silicon Valley culture. Last year, Andreessen published a statement calling for “Become a tech superman” is defined by the startup. “Hero’s Journey” and “Conquer the Dragon”
The superhero narrative also seems to inform many of Musk’s idiosyncratic political views, including his own. belief report that Top geniuses have a reproductive function.And it may help explain why in September he posted such claims again. “Republican Man of High Status” It will be superior to our current democracy. Last week Musk Like Matt GaetzTrump’s then-Attorney General nominee To Judge Dredd A dystopian comic book character who is allowed to carry out summary executions. Musk seemed to mean this as a compliment, describing Gaetz as “unusual” until he resigned from the council. Under parliamentary investigation involved in an alleged sex trafficking scheme “Our Hammer of Justice”
Regardless of the source The broligarchs’ sense of their inherent superiority has led many of them to take tax positions that are quite similar to Trump’s. In 2016, the Republican presidential nominee Ligan brags about avoiding paying taxes for years – “That makes me smart,” he says. coming from the debate stage– The broligarchs have quietly freed themselves from the only certainty in life. As a pro-publica Report in 2021Musk paid zero federal income taxes in 2018 and a de facto tax rate of 3.3 percent from 2014 to 2018, during which his wealth increased by $13.9 billion. Thiel implemented a government program intended to Expand retirement savings among middle class Americans. to collect $5 billion in capital gains revenue Completely tax free at The political hegemony of Trump-friendly broligarchs Turn the Boston Tea Party’s rallying cry into a leader. Achieve representation with minimal taxes.
With an aversion to taxes and regulations The men running Wall Street and Silicon Valley resemble previous generations of wealthy capitalists. who enjoys influence over American politics Even some tech giants are supporting Kamala Harris. Cheers for firing Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khanwho support strict enforcement of antitrust laws. But the broligarchs differ from older American oligarchs in one important respect: Their political vision seeks to undermine the global nation-state system. Musk has it too. Aimed at the privatization and colonization of space. with There is little or no government involvement.– Thiel and Andreessen have invested heavily in creating alternatives to nation states on Earth, including Liberal colony with minimal taxation– A colony has begun operations. Honduras– Thiel has also invested in efforts to create artificial islands and other autonomous communities. to serve as a new frontier for private sector governance “The nature of government is changing at a fundamental level,” Thiel. Mention these initiatives. In 2008
Cryptocurrency It is the financial instrument of the political project of the broligarchs. For centuries, the state was defined by two monopolies. The first is the lawful use of coercion. (for example, by the military and police) and secondly money supply control Current leaders have long sought to weaken government control of global finance. Thiel noted in his 2014 book, zero to oneWhen he, Musk and others started PayPal, it “had a pretty big mission… We want to create a new internet currency to replace the US dollar.” If the oligarchs succeed in making cryptocurrencies a serious competitor or replacement for the dollar, The impact can be enormous. So does American currency. World reserve currency– global medium of exchange This has contributed to the US It dominated the global economy for 80 years and gave Washington greater latitude to use financial and economic pressure as an alternative to military action.
A devaluation of the dollar could increase the value of the cadre. which holds a large amount of wealth in cryptocurrencies But it would also likely weaken the United States. making the world economy unstable– Yet Trump—despite his pledge to “Make America Great Again” and his previous claim that crypto is “Scam” with the dollar—This episode seems to be fully following the agenda of the big bosses. Trump signaled this alignment during his campaign. Keynote speeches at crypto conferences Last July He later pledged To put crypto at the heart of American monetary policy Through the strategic purchase of Bitcoin reserves, the day after the election, one crypto supporter posted on X “We have a #Bitcoin president.– It is reported that the incoming administration is selecting applicants for the role.”crypto tsar–
If America dominates the economy and politics fallThe country’s richest man may be well positioned to fill and profit from the resulting power vacuum. But the country is weakening. Growing global instability And was rule by the rich few what voters wanted when they voted for Trump?
Musk spent millions of dollars supporting the Trump campaign and promoting it on X. He is now doing everything he can to capitalize on Trump’s victory and maximize his own power, to the point. Fired his X followers from obscure government officials.– Some evidence includes: Axiosof A recent focus group study of swing voters.It shows that Americans may already be uncomfortable with the influence of the young masters. “I didn’t vote for him,” one participant said of Musk. “I don’t know what his final agenda is for having that kind of access,” another voter added. “In my opinion Nothing in Elon’s history Musk shows that he has the best interests of the country or its citizens in mind.” Still, we can expect him and his fellow leaders to expand their influence as far as possible. that Trump allowed
