President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Path to a New Form of Authoritarianism
It’s no accident that the future of American democracy seems to be unraveling. There is a deliberate overhaul underway, replaced by a radical and untested form of governance.
A profound ideology, termed the Dark Enlightenment, is driving a billionaire-led initiative aimed at dismantling the U.S. government, undermining democratic standards, and positioning a technocratic ruling class at the helm.
President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are more than just agents of institutional disruption—they are actively setting the stage for a novel, experimental type of authoritarian governance.
Elon Musk’s bold venture, which Trump may not fully grasp, is transforming the United States from a country governed by its citizens to one controlled by an exclusive cadre of self-anointed “genius” white male technocrats.
The relentless and harsh campaign against American institutions by these figures has left many citizens perplexed.
Why would they compromise our global standing by dismantling USAID? What’s the issue with federal aid to impoverished school districts or funding for college students through Pell Grants? Why slash billions in scientific research that has positioned America as a world leader and saved countless lives?
Paul Krugman has suggested a psychiatric perspective might be enlightening; Dr. Bandy X. Lee, a regular on my show, agrees, citing the spiritual dimensions of these actions. An extensive discussion among three New York Times journalists also pondered whether destruction is the actual goal.
- Some theorize that both Musk and Trump are aligned with Putin, and their actions are aimed at collapsing our government from within, fulfilling a long-term KGB objective.
- Others believe they aim to cripple essential government functions like Social Security and the Postal Service to pave the way for private sector takeovers.
- Democratic leaders argue that Musk and Trump’s efforts are merely attempts to reduce government spending to offset the $4 trillion in tax cuts for billionaires soon to be proposed by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
These theories miss the mark.
The underlying motive is to scrap the 240-year-old “American Experiment” in favor of their own governance model, largely conceived in San Francisco’s tech hubs.
This isn’t merely a resurgence of the libertarian ideals that gained traction during the Reagan era. This is the Dark Enlightenment or neo-reactionary movement (NRx), a radical ideology eagerly adopted by Silicon Valley magnates and their allies intent on dismantling our government.
This isn’t a completely new concept; proponents believe they have seen it work successfully far across the globe. I’ve witnessed it myself, and it does seem effective—if one disregards personal freedoms.
In 1994, I published a book suggesting that ADHD wasn’t a disorder but a type of brain wiring that was advantageous during the hunter-gatherer era but problematic in modern educational settings. Following a Time Magazine cover story on my book, I found myself in high demand worldwide.
During a book tour that took me to several countries (the book is available in over a dozen languages), I visited Singapore. A local parents’ group arranged for me to discuss my theories and potential educational reforms. After my presentation, I advised them to engage politically—a common suggestion I made worldwide and back home in America. I didn’t realize the implications of this advice in Singapore.
When I returned to my hotel—a renowned five-star establishment—I discovered my room had been thoroughly searched. Everything was out of place, and although nothing was stolen, the disruption was alarming.
Hotel security and management were unshaken by the state of my room, casually informing me that the police had conducted the search. They assumed it was related to drugs, though I denied any illegal activities. They simply shrugged and offered to send a housekeeper to tidy up.
The next day, the parents I had met whispered that I should not have mentioned “politics” in my speech. They informed me that such topics were off-limits in Singapore.
Despite some progress, Singapore remains an authoritarian state. As Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein noted in Mother Jones, Lee Kuan Yew (LKY), Singapore’s long-time leader, combined pro-corporate libertarian economics with state socialism, creating a unique blend of social and political control:
During his tenure, [LKY] successfully merged pro-corporate economic policies with state-controlled social measures, resulting in a conservative mix of social and political governance.
Singapore restricts free speech, intervenes in personal and family decisions, promotes eugenics, punishes minor infractions with caning, fosters an ethnically uniform ruling class, marginalizes migrant workers, and famously banned chewing gum.
LKY prioritized economic growth above all, even at the expense of human rights, advocating a “soft” authoritarianism. He believed that the unruliness of democracy hindered development.
According to Curtis Yarvin, a key philosopher of the Dark Enlightenment, and his billionaire backers, Singapore’s model is the ideal blueprint for America’s future. As Kaiser-Schatzlein explains, Yarvin and others find LKY’s governance model highly appealing:
For a new generation of right-wing thinkers, politicians, and activists, LKY’s governmental approach is attractive. Curtis Yarvin, a neo-monarchist from Silicon Valley, likens LKY to FDR—both viewed as strong unilateral leaders.
Nick Land, an accelerationist philosopher, describes LKY as an “autocratic enabler of freedom.”
For them, LKY epitomizes an illiberal ruler who created a controlled paradise for his citizens: a type of freedom devoid of rights, a prosperity free from disorder.
Indeed, Republicans aim to slash government spending to fund tax breaks for the billionaires who control them. They also envision major financial institutions managing Social Security, much like how a significant portion of Medicare has been privatized under George W. Bush.
However, the ambitions of Musk and others extend far beyond enriching billionaires or increasing corporate power. Their radical experiment, which Trump may not fully comprehend, seeks to transform America from a self-governed nation to one dominated by a select group of “genius” white male technocrats.
Once artificial intelligence (AI) achieves the cognitive abilities of a genius-level human—known as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)—these visionaries believe that many government functions and decisions could be automated, managed by advanced computer systems.
This scenario requires a monarch-like leader who tolerates no dissent, similar to LKY.
Trump could fulfill this role, serving as a frontman for the real power brokers like Vance and Musk. Their strategy to dismantle federal agencies could pave the way for their replacement with AGI-driven systems.
Rana Foorahar of The Financial Times elucidates this philosophy:
The ideology contends that democracy inherently leads to societal decline due to entrenched bureaucracies that fail to curb oligarchic influences. Proponents argue that societies should be managed like corporations, with a CEO-like monarch at the helm.
As Yarvin suggests, “To change government in America, we must overcome our fear of dictatorship… One solution is to appoint dual executives who collaborate, ensuring effective governance with no alternatives…”
The dismantling of government and the consolidation of political control to enact this vision are well underway, more advanced than most Americans realize.
- A new website, project2025.observer, details the progress toward crippling the federal bureaucracy. According to the site, they are approximately 40% toward their goal, though judicial interventions may cause temporary setbacks.
- The project to secure billionaire dominance over elected officials—and consequently over government at all levels—is nearly complete: A staggering 18% of all spending on the 2024 elections came from just 150 billionaire families, representing a minuscule .00000045% of the American populace.
The Dark Enlightenment explicitly rejects democracy, scoffs at the ideals of equality set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, and dismisses the notion of historical progress toward greater liberty and enlightenment, known as “Whig historiography.”
Instead, figures like Julius Evola, Thomas Carlyle, and Oswald Spengler champion “classical” societal structures—such as feudalism, monarchy, or cameralism—that they believe are superior to democracy. Ignoring the historical evolution of modern democracy, they propose replacing it with a high-tech, AGI-enhanced version of these ancient governance models.
(Ironically, much of the infrastructure supporting this movement was funded by fossil fuel magnates who sought to evade income taxes and deregulate their industries for higher profits. This is reminiscent of those who financed Hitler’s rise to power, including Fritz Thyssen, who later expressed regret in his book I Paid Hitler after WWII.)
Advocates of the Dark Enlightenment are advancing their agenda with the tech industry’s motto of “move fast and break things,” popularized by Mark Zuckerberg. Their strategy, combined with their substantial financial resources, has achieved remarkable success. They refer to themselves as “Masters of the Universe,” without any hint of irony.
Some prominent observers of American politics are becoming aware of this ongoing takeover, which has largely escaped mainstream media attention. Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich recently addressed this in his Substack newsletter:
Behind figures like Vance and Musk is a community of wealthy libertarians, including cryptocurrency enthusiasts, tech executives, rural retreat advocates, and disenchanted right-wing intellectuals.
Curtis Yarvin, often regarded as their intellectual leader, has argued that political power in the U.S. is controlled by a liberal coalition of universities and mainstream media, whose commitment to equality and justice is undermining America’s social fabric.
Yarvin believes that democratic governments are inherently inefficient and wasteful, advocating for their replacement with sovereign corporate entities governed by major “shareholders” who appoint an all-powerful executive. He points to Singapore as a model of successful authoritarian governance.
Reich notes that these tech-savvy “oligarchs of the techno-state” seek to replace “inefficient” democracy with “an authoritarian regime equipped with technologies they control.”
Rachel Maddow has also highlighted stories about Yarvin and similar thinkers on her show, although infrequently. The New Yorker and several other publications have covered the movement as well.
Progressive intellectuals and thought leaders are beginning to recognize the Dark Enlightenment experiment that has been slowly but steadily infiltrating the GOP. Now, with substantial financial backing from Elon Musk for Trump’s campaign, this movement is accelerating, causing significant damage to governmental institutions.
A broader awareness of the motives behind Trump’s and Musk’s experimental destruction of our government is urgently needed.
If Americans fail to recognize the growing influence of the Dark Enlightenment on those who govern our democracy, we may soon find ourselves in a nation where elections are meaningless, the government serves only the ultra-wealthy, and freedom exists in name only.
Spread the word… and take to the streets!
Similar Posts
- Sanders Warns: Trump’s Authoritarian Lean Might Empower Elon Musk
- Senate GOP Approves Bisignano, Paves Way for ‘DOGE Destruction of Social Security’
- Exposed: How Chuck Schumer Allowed American Fascism to Flourish Unchallenged!
- Hundreds of Thousands Rally Globally in ‘Hands Off’ Protests Against Trump-Musk!
- Thousands Worldwide Join ‘Tesla Takedown’ Protests – What’s Happening?
An economic reporter, Dax Everly breaks down financial trends and their impact on Americans’ daily lives.