Democracy's Most Imminent Threat: Saving America from Digital Tyranny

Democracy's Most Imminent Threat: Saving America from Digital Tyranny
Photo by Possessed Photography / Unsplash
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles ~Sun Tzu
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Democracys Most Imminent Threat
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A lot has happened in just one month. Donald Trump started a short-lived trade war with our closest allies, threatened to annex Canada, Greenland, and Panama, and proposed turning Gaza into a seaside resort. He ordered the wasteful release of 2.2 billion gallons of water from dams too far from L.A. to reach the fire zone, attended the Super Bowl and Daytona 500, and golfed seven times. He also scrawled his signature onto 66 executive orders, which rescinded Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies, withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO) and restored names that 'honor American greatness.' Most importantly, he ended the procurement and forced use of paper straws.

At the same time, senators were happily fast-tracking the most cringey-fringy cabinet picks in U.S. history into some of the highest offices in the land, including Russell Vought to the Office of Management and Budget. Vought, a self-described Christian nationalist, is the chief architect of Project 2025, a 900-page playbook for consolidating executive power and legislating morality for all of America.

And while we were in a tizzy over this and the renaming the Gulf of Mexico, the world's wealthiest unelected private citizen, Elon Musk, along with a posse of pubescent programmers, broke into multiple federal computer systems and hoovered up sensitive data on you and me. Then he fed USAID into the 'wood chipper' as he cheerfully boasted on 'X,' initiating the first round of federal layoffs and sending government workers home from foreign countries where they had lived and faithfully served for years, with little more than the clothes on their backs.

We quickly learned this was just a warning shot of what was to come. Since then, he’s been dismantling democratic institutions faster than an exploding SpaceX Starship, including regulatory agencies that protect us from predatory business practices by corporations like his. He's also gained access to vast amounts of information that will help him win even more government contracts over competitors, continued hollowing out the government by laying off thousands more civil servants, and ending social programs that save lives.

This is the dark trio now converging in D.C.: our old, orange-faced arch-nemesis, Donald Trump; the shadowy, self-righteous Russell Vought; and the technocratic outsider, Elon Musk—each aiming poison darts at democracy. Which of them demands the most immediate response?

For all his blather, it isn't Trump. We've seen every aspect of his deficient character before. Though his selfish and soulless policies range from stupid to harmful, many will be blocked by competent lawyers and judges or simply ignored by the public—like his attempt to rename the Gulf of Mexico. Trump is nothing more than a convenient distraction, a tool designed to keep our eyes off the real threat. Every time he utters another inane proclamation or wastes taxpayer dollars attending a sporting event—and we give it our attention—we leave our flank wide open to attack from another quarter—namely, Vought, an alt-right Christian Nationalist and Musk, a neo-reactionary, who are both working with more diabolical efficiency than Trump ever dreamed.

The good news is that Christian Nationalists and neo-reactionaries cannot coexist. One ideology is based on a perverted interpretation of the gospel and traditionalism, the other on computer code and futurism. Though both used Trump to gain access to the central government, now that they’re there, they will eventually dismiss him and battle each other to consolidate power.

So of the two, who should we deal with first? It’s simple: the one with the greatest potential for harm.

Vought's doctrine is steeped in tradition, so it's supported by plenty of historical records making it possible to predict the likely outcome of his ambitions. Since the dawn of Christianity, there have been disagreements over the interpretation and application of the teachings of holy texts, resulting in more than 45,000 Christian sects in the world today. Even if he achieves his heart's desire—consolidating executive power under one national leader ordained by God—it will not last long. Infighting will occur within the inner circle over minute details about what is lawful and what is not—the same kind of fighting that fractured the religion into so many sects. Besides, there is already an example of an attempt to legislate morality in the United States: the passage of the 18th Amendment, which made it illegal to manufacture, transport, and sell alcohol. Simply put, it failed and was ultimately appealed.

On the other hand, Musk is a radical unknown. His doctrine is something the world has never seen before, but some have imagined it in the darkest, most dystopian works of futuristic fiction.

The neo-reactionary movement, also known by the ominous oxymoron, Dark Enlightenment, emerged from elitist Silicon Valley technocrats who envisioned a future for America in which control of financial systems, AI governance, and digital media is consolidated under one techno-monarch.

In implementing this twisted ideology, Musk has already proven himself particularly lacking in empathy by the harm he willfully inflicts on so many people's lives in the U.S. and abroad. He's expressed disdain for what he deems unproductive members of society, even deriding those who take weekends off—something he doesn't do. When he cuts government programs with the excuse that he's eliminating expendable waste, he means us. We're the waste.

Under the auspices of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), he is trimming back federal excess, though wasteful spending would normally be identified through a forensic audit by qualified accountants with the oversight of government watchdogs. This is nothing like that. Elon is not an accountant.

Now that he has access to everyone’s personal records through the IRS system and has seeded his servers with that data, algorithms can be used to monitor members of society for the state. At the same time, he is rapidly dismantling the balance of power that maintains American democracy, such as by undercutting the Senate’s control of the purse strings by arbitrarily upending programs they had already approved and funded through bipartisan agreement. Additionally, he is deregulating and privatizing federal programs that his companies can now exploit. Musk is like a parasite that infects an ant’s brain, transforming it into a zombie that can only carry out its will. Every day that goes by, he burrows deeper, transforming America into a hollowed-out shell of itself—one that further enriches and strengthens him, the techno-monarch. Elon is the most immediate threat to democracy.

The good news is the resistance is growing. President's Day was proof, with thousands of people hitting the streets across the U.S. Many carried signs with slogans like "Fork You, Elon," alluding to the first memo he sent federal workers, inviting them to resign, with the title reading A Fork in the Road.

As smart as Elon thinks he is, he's clearly lacking in social aptitude and is grossly underestimating his opponent—us. How many computer geeks do you think it would take to hold off millions of angry Americans marching on the U.S. Capitol? Technology aside, he is no more than another tyrant wannabe—and one who can be unplugged.

Call to Action

• Don't let up. Even if you can only commit 5 minutes or $5 in donations to your favorite democratic guardian organization, every bit helps.
• Use the 5 Calls app to hold Congress's feet to the fire for conceding their power. Harass them daily.
• Join the February 28th U.S. Economic Blackout and send a strong message that people also vote with dollars.
• Watch out for announcements for more public demonstrations and get out there when they happen! We must be seen and heard.
• Spread the message to everyone within your circle of influence. Invite those who are receptive to join in the movement.