Why 'Broligarchs' like Elon Musk need Trump
Extreme tech politics loom large over the USA
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This year, I spent a lot of time writing about something called the "Nerd Reich." That's a term used to describe a group of Silicon Valley zillionaires who have openly embraced extreme right-wing politics. Having attained massive wealth, these zillionaires now seek to attain massive political power to match it. And in 2024, many of them lined up behind Donald Trump. They bet big on the MAGA movement and the bet has now paid off.
Today, Elon Musk is positioning himself as Trump's co-president and Mini-Me. But he's not alone. Many other super-wealthy tech figures are also rejecting Democratic Party politics and going all in on Trumpism. But what do these tech bros really want? The superficial narrative is that they just want lower taxes and fewer regulations. But I think it goes a lot deeper than that. I believe these billionaire tech barons want to use their money and technology to shift the balance of global power in their favor – permanently.
In the latest episode of the FrameLab podcast, I talk to Dr. Brooke Harrington of Dartmouth College. She's a professor of sociology who has studied the behavior of the ultra-wealthy for 25 years and has some chilling observations about what this new breed of super-wealthy tech barons – the "Broligarchs" – really wants. ("Broligarch" is a portmanteau of "bro" and "oligarch.")
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FrameLab Podcast: The Rise of the Broligarchs w/Brooke Harrington
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Put simply, these Broligarchs seek to escape taxes and responsibility, push women out of public life, replace the US dollar with crypto and undermine the power of nation-states in order to cement their own control over the rest of the planet. It's important to understand what they really want, because the future depends on how we respond.
Yesterday, The Atlantic published an essay by Harrington titled "What the Broligarchs Want from Trump." She wrote the following:
Their political vision seeks to undermine the nation-state system globally. Musk, among others, has set his sights on the privatization and colonization of space with little or no government involvement. Thiel and Andreessen have invested heavily in creating alternatives to the nation-state here on Earth, including libertarian colonies with minimal taxation. One such colony is up and running in Honduras; Thiel has also invested in efforts to create artificial islands and other autonomous communities to serve as new outposts for private governance.
Click here for a gift link to Harrington's piece, or click below:
Brooke Harrington