Top Stories Daily

Betty Reid Soskin, nation's oldest park ranger, has died. She was 104

richmondside.org · Dec 22

Betty Reid Soskin, one of the nation's most iconic park rangers, died peacefully at her home in Richmond on Sun., Dec. 21, 2025. She was 104.

Shared by @arisummerland and 17 others.

Ari "Two Holidays" Jackson (@arisummerland) · Dec 22

🔁 @mazz:

Betty Reid Soskin, 104. “Rosie the Riveter” for the East Bay. Rest in power. May her memory be for a blessing.
https://richmondside.org/2025/12/21/betty-reid-soskin-oldest-park-ranger-has-died-at-104/

Hide

Trump’s shuttering of the National Center for Atmospheric Research is Stalinist | Michael Mann and Bob Ward

theguardian.com · Dec 22

This is the latest in the relentless purge of climate researchers who refuse to be co-opted by the fossil fuel industry

Shared by @dcbikeguy and 22 others.

Mensch, Marina (@energisch_) · Dec 22

🔁 @rahmstorf:

Michael Mann and Bob Ward don't mince their words here, and unfortunately they are right about the Trump administration's "Soviet-style campaign to prevent Americans and the rest of the world from knowing the truth about climate change."
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/22/trump-stalin-national-center-atmospheric-research

Hide

Worth reading

Why tech billionaires want a dictatorship

theverge.com · Dec 22

Guest host Jon Fortt and The Nerd Reich author Gil Duran on the rise of tech authoritarianism.

Shared by @trendsbot and 10 others.

trends (@trendsbot) · Dec 22

Why tech billionaires want a ‘corporate dictatorship’ https://www.theverge.com/decoder-podcast-with-nilay-patel/707010/gil-duran-the-nerd-reich-tech-billionaires-authoritarianism-dictator
Guest host Jon Fortt and The Nerd Reich author Gil Duran discuss why Silicon Valley wants a king so badly.
---
39 uses from 38 accounts #toplink

Trending Bot (@trending) · Dec 22

🔁 @cdarwin:

Tech journalist Gil Duran outlines a disturbing theory
that a growing number of Silicon Valley elites are pursuing a vision of power
not rooted in the common good,
but in profit, feudal hierarchy, and total control of the platforms that define daily life for hundreds of millions of people.

Duran dubs this emerging ideology the “Nerd Reich”
— a slurry of right-wing ideas championed by ruthless tech overlords like
Palantir founder Peter Thiel,
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk,
venture capitalist Marc Andreessen,
and cryptocurrency titan Brian Armstrong,
with some OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sprinkled in for good measure.

Drawing on the reactionary writings of
Curtis “Mencius Moldbug” Yarvin and the
cryptolibertarianism of tech investor Balaji Srinivasan,
this philosophy isn’t explicitly outlined by our billionaire overlords,
but is nonetheless a useful framework that explains their increasingly undemocratic actions.

Basically, as Duran tells it,
we’re quickly marching into the dictatorship erected by a handful of the richest tycoons in the history of humankind.

At the core of the Nerd Reich is the insistence that liberal democracy,
the governmental system characterized by rule of law,
is set to collapse any minute now.

When that happens, the billionaire cabal hopes to be ready.

“I say it’s inherently anti-American,”
Duran told the Verge’s Jon Fortt.

“It sees a post-United States world where, instead of democracy, we will have basically tech feudalism
— fiefdoms run by tech corporations.

They’re pretty explicit about this point.”

Marc Andreesen,
for example,
in his 2023
"Techno-Optimist Manifesto",
argues that an unregulated tech industry,
not democracy,
is the key to unlocking the
“ultimate open society.”

Andreessen’s enemies,
he says in no uncertain terms,
are pesky ideas like
“sustainability,”
“trust and safety,”
“tech ethics,”
and “social responsibility.”

As a sneak preview of things to come,
Duran points out that these men are already investing billions into network-state schemes,
lobbying for “freedom cities,”
and using their platforms to erode trust in public institutions.

Political theorists of all stripes have long argued that when economic power is concentrated,
political power follows.

The immediate lesson of Duran’s Nerd Reich is that
these billionaire ideologues are actively investing in a future
where their immense wealth buys not just influence over elected politicians
— as is arguably the case today
— but the rule of law itself.

Yet, Duran notes,
US workers once organized throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s
to curb the excesses of robber barons,

winning the labor rights many of us enjoy today.

Unfortunately, those hard-fought victories have been purposefully eroded over decades of
union busting,
outsourcing,
and legal campaigns
— an effort which continues to this day.

Zooming out a bit, Duran’s analysis of the present day finds us in a remarkably similar situation
— if corporate rule is allowed to sink its teeth any further into our institutions,
democracy as we view it could become a historical footnote
(if it hasn’t already, as some political scientists have argued.)

“We have a bunch of CEOs telling us that AI is going to get rid of millions and millions of jobs,” Duran argues.

“Well, what’s going to happen to those people who can no longer work?
What is their future?
What is the future of their children?
What does democracy look like when you don’t get to eat unless someone like Elon Musk is approving of your existence?”

Unless you’re a billionaire tech CEO, the stakes Duran lays out are clear.

Behind the hyped-up rhetoric of “innovation” lies an age-old project:
the wealthy elite reshaping society in their own image.

The antidote is also old:
democratic resistance and politics built around in the material needs of the many,
not the dystopian fantasies of a wealthy few.
https://www.theverge.com/decoder-podcast-with-nilay-patel/707010/gil-duran-the-nerd-reich-tech-billionaires-authoritarianism-dictator

Martin Holland (@fingolas) · Dec 22

🔁 @cdarwin:

Tech journalist Gil Duran outlines a disturbing theory
that a growing number of Silicon Valley elites are pursuing a vision of power
not rooted in the common good,
but in profit, feudal hierarchy, and total control of the platforms that define daily life for hundreds of millions of people.

Duran dubs this emerging ideology the “Nerd Reich”
— a slurry of right-wing ideas championed by ruthless tech overlords like
Palantir founder Peter Thiel,
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk,
venture capitalist Marc Andreessen,
and cryptocurrency titan Brian Armstrong,
with some OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sprinkled in for good measure.

Drawing on the reactionary writings of
Curtis “Mencius Moldbug” Yarvin and the
cryptolibertarianism of tech investor Balaji Srinivasan,
this philosophy isn’t explicitly outlined by our billionaire overlords,
but is nonetheless a useful framework that explains their increasingly undemocratic actions.

Basically, as Duran tells it,
we’re quickly marching into the dictatorship erected by a handful of the richest tycoons in the history of humankind.

At the core of the Nerd Reich is the insistence that liberal democracy,
the governmental system characterized by rule of law,
is set to collapse any minute now.

When that happens, the billionaire cabal hopes to be ready.

“I say it’s inherently anti-American,”
Duran told the Verge’s Jon Fortt.

“It sees a post-United States world where, instead of democracy, we will have basically tech feudalism
— fiefdoms run by tech corporations.

They’re pretty explicit about this point.”

Marc Andreesen,
for example,
in his 2023
"Techno-Optimist Manifesto",
argues that an unregulated tech industry,
not democracy,
is the key to unlocking the
“ultimate open society.”

Andreessen’s enemies,
he says in no uncertain terms,
are pesky ideas like
“sustainability,”
“trust and safety,”
“tech ethics,”
and “social responsibility.”

As a sneak preview of things to come,
Duran points out that these men are already investing billions into network-state schemes,
lobbying for “freedom cities,”
and using their platforms to erode trust in public institutions.

Political theorists of all stripes have long argued that when economic power is concentrated,
political power follows.

The immediate lesson of Duran’s Nerd Reich is that
these billionaire ideologues are actively investing in a future
where their immense wealth buys not just influence over elected politicians
— as is arguably the case today
— but the rule of law itself.

Yet, Duran notes,
US workers once organized throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s
to curb the excesses of robber barons,

winning the labor rights many of us enjoy today.

Unfortunately, those hard-fought victories have been purposefully eroded over decades of
union busting,
outsourcing,
and legal campaigns
— an effort which continues to this day.

Zooming out a bit, Duran’s analysis of the present day finds us in a remarkably similar situation
— if corporate rule is allowed to sink its teeth any further into our institutions,
democracy as we view it could become a historical footnote
(if it hasn’t already, as some political scientists have argued.)

“We have a bunch of CEOs telling us that AI is going to get rid of millions and millions of jobs,” Duran argues.

“Well, what’s going to happen to those people who can no longer work?
What is their future?
What is the future of their children?
What does democracy look like when you don’t get to eat unless someone like Elon Musk is approving of your existence?”

Unless you’re a billionaire tech CEO, the stakes Duran lays out are clear.

Behind the hyped-up rhetoric of “innovation” lies an age-old project:
the wealthy elite reshaping society in their own image.

The antidote is also old:
democratic resistance and politics built around in the material needs of the many,
not the dystopian fantasies of a wealthy few.
https://www.theverge.com/decoder-podcast-with-nilay-patel/707010/gil-duran-the-nerd-reich-tech-billionaires-authoritarianism-dictator

Steve's Place (@steter) · Dec 22

🔁 @cdarwin:

Tech journalist Gil Duran outlines a disturbing theory
that a growing number of Silicon Valley elites are pursuing a vision of power
not rooted in the common good,
but in profit, feudal hierarchy, and total control of the platforms that define daily life for hundreds of millions of people.

Duran dubs this emerging ideology the “Nerd Reich”
— a slurry of right-wing ideas championed by ruthless tech overlords like
Palantir founder Peter Thiel,
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk,
venture capitalist Marc Andreessen,
and cryptocurrency titan Brian Armstrong,
with some OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sprinkled in for good measure.

Drawing on the reactionary writings of
Curtis “Mencius Moldbug” Yarvin and the
cryptolibertarianism of tech investor Balaji Srinivasan,
this philosophy isn’t explicitly outlined by our billionaire overlords,
but is nonetheless a useful framework that explains their increasingly undemocratic actions.

Basically, as Duran tells it,
we’re quickly marching into the dictatorship erected by a handful of the richest tycoons in the history of humankind.

At the core of the Nerd Reich is the insistence that liberal democracy,
the governmental system characterized by rule of law,
is set to collapse any minute now.

When that happens, the billionaire cabal hopes to be ready.

“I say it’s inherently anti-American,”
Duran told the Verge’s Jon Fortt.

“It sees a post-United States world where, instead of democracy, we will have basically tech feudalism
— fiefdoms run by tech corporations.

They’re pretty explicit about this point.”

Marc Andreesen,
for example,
in his 2023
"Techno-Optimist Manifesto",
argues that an unregulated tech industry,
not democracy,
is the key to unlocking the
“ultimate open society.”

Andreessen’s enemies,
he says in no uncertain terms,
are pesky ideas like
“sustainability,”
“trust and safety,”
“tech ethics,”
and “social responsibility.”

As a sneak preview of things to come,
Duran points out that these men are already investing billions into network-state schemes,
lobbying for “freedom cities,”
and using their platforms to erode trust in public institutions.

Political theorists of all stripes have long argued that when economic power is concentrated,
political power follows.

The immediate lesson of Duran’s Nerd Reich is that
these billionaire ideologues are actively investing in a future
where their immense wealth buys not just influence over elected politicians
— as is arguably the case today
— but the rule of law itself.

Yet, Duran notes,
US workers once organized throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s
to curb the excesses of robber barons,

winning the labor rights many of us enjoy today.

Unfortunately, those hard-fought victories have been purposefully eroded over decades of
union busting,
outsourcing,
and legal campaigns
— an effort which continues to this day.

Zooming out a bit, Duran’s analysis of the present day finds us in a remarkably similar situation
— if corporate rule is allowed to sink its teeth any further into our institutions,
democracy as we view it could become a historical footnote
(if it hasn’t already, as some political scientists have argued.)

“We have a bunch of CEOs telling us that AI is going to get rid of millions and millions of jobs,” Duran argues.

“Well, what’s going to happen to those people who can no longer work?
What is their future?
What is the future of their children?
What does democracy look like when you don’t get to eat unless someone like Elon Musk is approving of your existence?”

Unless you’re a billionaire tech CEO, the stakes Duran lays out are clear.

Behind the hyped-up rhetoric of “innovation” lies an age-old project:
the wealthy elite reshaping society in their own image.

The antidote is also old:
democratic resistance and politics built around in the material needs of the many,
not the dystopian fantasies of a wealthy few.
https://www.theverge.com/decoder-podcast-with-nilay-patel/707010/gil-duran-the-nerd-reich-tech-billionaires-authoritarianism-dictator

AI6YR Ben (@ai6yr) · Dec 22

🔁 @cdarwin:

Tech journalist Gil Duran outlines a disturbing theory that a growing number of Silicon Valley elites are pursuing a vision of power
not rooted in the common good, but in profit, feudal hierarchy, and total control of the platforms that define daily life for hundreds of millions of people.
Duran dubs this emerging ideology the “Nerd Reich”
— a slurry of right-wing ideas championed by ruthless tech overlords like
Palantir founder Peter Thiel,
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk,
venture capitalist Marc Andreessen,
and cryptocurrency titan Brian Armstrong,
with some OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sprinkled in for good measure.

Drawing on the reactionary writings of
Curtis “Mencius Moldbug” Yarvin and the
cryptolibertarianism of tech investor Balaji Srinivasan,
this philosophy isn’t explicitly outlined by our billionaire overlords, but is nonetheless a useful framework that explains their increasingly undemocratic actions.
Basically, as Duran tells it, we’re quickly marching into the dictatorship erected by a handful of the richest tycoons in the history of humankind.
At the core of the Nerd Reich is the insistence that liberal democracy,
the governmental system characterized by rule of law,
is set to collapse any minute now.
When that happens, the billionaire cabal hopes to be ready.
“I say it’s inherently anti-American,” Duran told the Verge’s Jon Fortt.
“It sees a post-United States world where, instead of democracy, we will have basically tech feudalism
— fiefdoms run by tech corporations.
They’re pretty explicit about this point.”
Marc Andreesen, for example, in his 2023 "Techno-Optimist Manifesto", argues that an unregulated tech industry, not democracy, is the key to unlocking the “ultimate open society.”
Andreessen’s enemies, he says in no uncertain terms, are pesky ideas like
“sustainability,”
“trust and safety,”
“tech ethics,”
and “social responsibility.”
As a sneak preview of things to come, Duran points out that these men are already investing billions into network-state schemes,
lobbying for “freedom cities,”
and using their platforms to erode trust in public institutions.

Political theorists of all stripes have long argued that when economic power is concentrated,
political power follows.
The immediate lesson of Duran’s Nerd Reich is that these billionaire ideologues are actively investing in a future where their immense wealth buys not just influence over elected politicians
— as is arguably the case today
— but the rule of law itself.

Yet, Duran notes, US workers once organized throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s to curb the excesses of robber barons,
winning the labor rights many of us enjoy today.
Unfortunately, those hard-fought victories have been purposefully eroded over decades of
union busting,
outsourcing,
and legal campaigns
— an effort which continues to this day.
Zooming out a bit, Duran’s analysis of the present day finds us in a remarkably similar situation
— if corporate rule is allowed to sink its teeth any further into our institutions,
democracy as we view it could become a historical footnote
(if it hasn’t already, as some political scientists have argued.)
“We have a bunch of CEOs telling us that AI is going to get rid of millions and millions of jobs,” Duran argues.
“Well, what’s going to happen to those people who can no longer work?
What is their future?
What is the future of their children?
What does democracy look like when you don’t get to eat unless someone like Elon Musk is approving of your existence?”

Unless you’re a billionaire tech CEO, the stakes Duran lays out are clear.
Behind the hyped-up rhetoric of “innovation” lies an age-old project:
the wealthy elite reshaping society in their own image.
The antidote is also old:
democratic resistance and politics built around in the material needs of the many, not the dystopian fantasies of a wealthy few.
https://www.theverge.com/decoder-podcast-with-nilay-patel/707010/gil-duran-the-nerd-reich-tech-billionaires-authoritarianism-dictator

Chuck Darwin (@cdarwin) · Dec 22

Tech journalist Gil Duran outlines a disturbing theory
that a growing number of Silicon Valley elites are pursuing a vision of power
not rooted in the common good,
but in profit, feudal hierarchy, and total control of the platforms that define daily life for hundreds of millions of people.

Duran dubs this emerging ideology the “Nerd Reich”
— a slurry of right-wing ideas championed by ruthless tech overlords like
Palantir founder Peter Thiel,
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk,
venture capitalist Marc Andreessen,
and cryptocurrency titan Brian Armstrong,
with some OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sprinkled in for good measure.

Drawing on the reactionary writings of
Curtis “Mencius Moldbug” Yarvin and the
cryptolibertarianism of tech investor Balaji Srinivasan,
this philosophy isn’t explicitly outlined by our billionaire overlords,
but is nonetheless a useful framework that explains their increasingly undemocratic actions.

Basically, as Duran tells it,
we’re quickly marching into the dictatorship erected by a handful of the richest tycoons in the history of humankind.

At the core of the Nerd Reich is the insistence that liberal democracy,
the governmental system characterized by rule of law,
is set to collapse any minute now.

When that happens, the billionaire cabal hopes to be ready.

“I say it’s inherently anti-American,”
Duran told the Verge’s Jon Fortt.

“It sees a post-United States world where, instead of democracy, we will have basically tech feudalism
— fiefdoms run by tech corporations.

They’re pretty explicit about this point.”

Marc Andreesen,
for example,
in his 2023
"Techno-Optimist Manifesto",
argues that an unregulated tech industry,
not democracy,
is the key to unlocking the
“ultimate open society.”

Andreessen’s enemies,
he says in no uncertain terms,
are pesky ideas like
“sustainability,”
“trust and safety,”
“tech ethics,”
and “social responsibility.”

As a sneak preview of things to come,
Duran points out that these men are already investing billions into network-state schemes,
lobbying for “freedom cities,”
and using their platforms to erode trust in public institutions.

Political theorists of all stripes have long argued that when economic power is concentrated,
political power follows.

The immediate lesson of Duran’s Nerd Reich is that
these billionaire ideologues are actively investing in a future
where their immense wealth buys not just influence over elected politicians
— as is arguably the case today
— but the rule of law itself.

Yet, Duran notes,
US workers once organized throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s
to curb the excesses of robber barons,

winning the labor rights many of us enjoy today.

Unfortunately, those hard-fought victories have been purposefully eroded over decades of
union busting,
outsourcing,
and legal campaigns
— an effort which continues to this day.

Zooming out a bit, Duran’s analysis of the present day finds us in a remarkably similar situation
— if corporate rule is allowed to sink its teeth any further into our institutions,
democracy as we view it could become a historical footnote
(if it hasn’t already, as some political scientists have argued.)

“We have a bunch of CEOs telling us that AI is going to get rid of millions and millions of jobs,” Duran argues.

“Well, what’s going to happen to those people who can no longer work?
What is their future?
What is the future of their children?
What does democracy look like when you don’t get to eat unless someone like Elon Musk is approving of your existence?”

Unless you’re a billionaire tech CEO, the stakes Duran lays out are clear.

Behind the hyped-up rhetoric of “innovation” lies an age-old project:
the wealthy elite reshaping society in their own image.

The antidote is also old:
democratic resistance and politics built around in the material needs of the many,
not the dystopian fantasies of a wealthy few.
https://www.theverge.com/decoder-podcast-with-nilay-patel/707010/gil-duran-the-nerd-reich-tech-billionaires-authoritarianism-dictator

Null Hypothesis (@null_hypothesis) · Dec 22

🔁 @cdarwin:

Tech journalist Gil Duran outlines a disturbing theory
that a growing number of Silicon Valley elites are pursuing a vision of power
not rooted in the common good,
but in profit, feudal hierarchy, and total control of the platforms that define daily life for hundreds of millions of people.

Duran dubs this emerging ideology the “Nerd Reich”
— a slurry of right-wing ideas championed by ruthless tech overlords like
Palantir founder Peter Thiel,
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk,
venture capitalist Marc Andreessen,
and cryptocurrency titan Brian Armstrong,
with some OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sprinkled in for good measure.

Drawing on the reactionary writings of
Curtis “Mencius Moldbug” Yarvin and the
cryptolibertarianism of tech investor Balaji Srinivasan,
this philosophy isn’t explicitly outlined by our billionaire overlords,
but is nonetheless a useful framework that explains their increasingly undemocratic actions.

Basically, as Duran tells it,
we’re quickly marching into the dictatorship erected by a handful of the richest tycoons in the history of humankind.

At the core of the Nerd Reich is the insistence that liberal democracy,
the governmental system characterized by rule of law,
is set to collapse any minute now.

When that happens, the billionaire cabal hopes to be ready.

“I say it’s inherently anti-American,”
Duran told the Verge’s Jon Fortt.

“It sees a post-United States world where, instead of democracy, we will have basically tech feudalism
— fiefdoms run by tech corporations.

They’re pretty explicit about this point.”

Marc Andreesen,
for example,
in his 2023
"Techno-Optimist Manifesto",
argues that an unregulated tech industry,
not democracy,
is the key to unlocking the
“ultimate open society.”

Andreessen’s enemies,
he says in no uncertain terms,
are pesky ideas like
“sustainability,”
“trust and safety,”
“tech ethics,”
and “social responsibility.”

As a sneak preview of things to come,
Duran points out that these men are already investing billions into network-state schemes,
lobbying for “freedom cities,”
and using their platforms to erode trust in public institutions.

Political theorists of all stripes have long argued that when economic power is concentrated,
political power follows.

The immediate lesson of Duran’s Nerd Reich is that
these billionaire ideologues are actively investing in a future
where their immense wealth buys not just influence over elected politicians
— as is arguably the case today
— but the rule of law itself.

Yet, Duran notes,
US workers once organized throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s
to curb the excesses of robber barons,

winning the labor rights many of us enjoy today.

Unfortunately, those hard-fought victories have been purposefully eroded over decades of
union busting,
outsourcing,
and legal campaigns
— an effort which continues to this day.

Zooming out a bit, Duran’s analysis of the present day finds us in a remarkably similar situation
— if corporate rule is allowed to sink its teeth any further into our institutions,
democracy as we view it could become a historical footnote
(if it hasn’t already, as some political scientists have argued.)

“We have a bunch of CEOs telling us that AI is going to get rid of millions and millions of jobs,” Duran argues.

“Well, what’s going to happen to those people who can no longer work?
What is their future?
What is the future of their children?
What does democracy look like when you don’t get to eat unless someone like Elon Musk is approving of your existence?”

Unless you’re a billionaire tech CEO, the stakes Duran lays out are clear.

Behind the hyped-up rhetoric of “innovation” lies an age-old project:
the wealthy elite reshaping society in their own image.

The antidote is also old:
democratic resistance and politics built around in the material needs of the many,
not the dystopian fantasies of a wealthy few.
https://www.theverge.com/decoder-podcast-with-nilay-patel/707010/gil-duran-the-nerd-reich-tech-billionaires-authoritarianism-dictator

☑️ Cath (@Kletskous) · Dec 22

🔁 @cdarwin:

Tech journalist Gil Duran outlines a disturbing theory
that a growing number of Silicon Valley elites are pursuing a vision of power
not rooted in the common good,
but in profit, feudal hierarchy, and total control of the platforms that define daily life for hundreds of millions of people.

Duran dubs this emerging ideology the “Nerd Reich”
— a slurry of right-wing ideas championed by ruthless tech overlords like
Palantir founder Peter Thiel,
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk,
venture capitalist Marc Andreessen,
and cryptocurrency titan Brian Armstrong,
with some OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sprinkled in for good measure.

Drawing on the reactionary writings of
Curtis “Mencius Moldbug” Yarvin and the
cryptolibertarianism of tech investor Balaji Srinivasan,
this philosophy isn’t explicitly outlined by our billionaire overlords,
but is nonetheless a useful framework that explains their increasingly undemocratic actions.

Basically, as Duran tells it,
we’re quickly marching into the dictatorship erected by a handful of the richest tycoons in the history of humankind.

At the core of the Nerd Reich is the insistence that liberal democracy,
the governmental system characterized by rule of law,
is set to collapse any minute now.

When that happens, the billionaire cabal hopes to be ready.

“I say it’s inherently anti-American,”
Duran told the Verge’s Jon Fortt.

“It sees a post-United States world where, instead of democracy, we will have basically tech feudalism
— fiefdoms run by tech corporations.

They’re pretty explicit about this point.”

Marc Andreesen,
for example,
in his 2023
"Techno-Optimist Manifesto",
argues that an unregulated tech industry,
not democracy,
is the key to unlocking the
“ultimate open society.”

Andreessen’s enemies,
he says in no uncertain terms,
are pesky ideas like
“sustainability,”
“trust and safety,”
“tech ethics,”
and “social responsibility.”

As a sneak preview of things to come,
Duran points out that these men are already investing billions into network-state schemes,
lobbying for “freedom cities,”
and using their platforms to erode trust in public institutions.

Political theorists of all stripes have long argued that when economic power is concentrated,
political power follows.

The immediate lesson of Duran’s Nerd Reich is that
these billionaire ideologues are actively investing in a future
where their immense wealth buys not just influence over elected politicians
— as is arguably the case today
— but the rule of law itself.

Yet, Duran notes,
US workers once organized throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s
to curb the excesses of robber barons,

winning the labor rights many of us enjoy today.

Unfortunately, those hard-fought victories have been purposefully eroded over decades of
union busting,
outsourcing,
and legal campaigns
— an effort which continues to this day.

Zooming out a bit, Duran’s analysis of the present day finds us in a remarkably similar situation
— if corporate rule is allowed to sink its teeth any further into our institutions,
democracy as we view it could become a historical footnote
(if it hasn’t already, as some political scientists have argued.)

“We have a bunch of CEOs telling us that AI is going to get rid of millions and millions of jobs,” Duran argues.

“Well, what’s going to happen to those people who can no longer work?
What is their future?
What is the future of their children?
What does democracy look like when you don’t get to eat unless someone like Elon Musk is approving of your existence?”

Unless you’re a billionaire tech CEO, the stakes Duran lays out are clear.

Behind the hyped-up rhetoric of “innovation” lies an age-old project:
the wealthy elite reshaping society in their own image.

The antidote is also old:
democratic resistance and politics built around in the material needs of the many,
not the dystopian fantasies of a wealthy few.
https://www.theverge.com/decoder-podcast-with-nilay-patel/707010/gil-duran-the-nerd-reich-tech-billionaires-authoritarianism-dictator

Eye (@grb090423) · Dec 22

🔁 @cdarwin:

Tech journalist Gil Duran outlines a disturbing theory
that a growing number of Silicon Valley elites are pursuing a vision of power
not rooted in the common good,
but in profit, feudal hierarchy, and total control of the platforms that define daily life for hundreds of millions of people.

Duran dubs this emerging ideology the “Nerd Reich”
— a slurry of right-wing ideas championed by ruthless tech overlords like
Palantir founder Peter Thiel,
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk,
venture capitalist Marc Andreessen,
and cryptocurrency titan Brian Armstrong,
with some OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sprinkled in for good measure.

Drawing on the reactionary writings of
Curtis “Mencius Moldbug” Yarvin and the
cryptolibertarianism of tech investor Balaji Srinivasan,
this philosophy isn’t explicitly outlined by our billionaire overlords,
but is nonetheless a useful framework that explains their increasingly undemocratic actions.

Basically, as Duran tells it,
we’re quickly marching into the dictatorship erected by a handful of the richest tycoons in the history of humankind.

At the core of the Nerd Reich is the insistence that liberal democracy,
the governmental system characterized by rule of law,
is set to collapse any minute now.

When that happens, the billionaire cabal hopes to be ready.

“I say it’s inherently anti-American,”
Duran told the Verge’s Jon Fortt.

“It sees a post-United States world where, instead of democracy, we will have basically tech feudalism
— fiefdoms run by tech corporations.

They’re pretty explicit about this point.”

Marc Andreesen,
for example,
in his 2023
"Techno-Optimist Manifesto",
argues that an unregulated tech industry,
not democracy,
is the key to unlocking the
“ultimate open society.”

Andreessen’s enemies,
he says in no uncertain terms,
are pesky ideas like
“sustainability,”
“trust and safety,”
“tech ethics,”
and “social responsibility.”

As a sneak preview of things to come,
Duran points out that these men are already investing billions into network-state schemes,
lobbying for “freedom cities,”
and using their platforms to erode trust in public institutions.

Political theorists of all stripes have long argued that when economic power is concentrated,
political power follows.

The immediate lesson of Duran’s Nerd Reich is that
these billionaire ideologues are actively investing in a future
where their immense wealth buys not just influence over elected politicians
— as is arguably the case today
— but the rule of law itself.

Yet, Duran notes,
US workers once organized throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s
to curb the excesses of robber barons,

winning the labor rights many of us enjoy today.

Unfortunately, those hard-fought victories have been purposefully eroded over decades of
union busting,
outsourcing,
and legal campaigns
— an effort which continues to this day.

Zooming out a bit, Duran’s analysis of the present day finds us in a remarkably similar situation
— if corporate rule is allowed to sink its teeth any further into our institutions,
democracy as we view it could become a historical footnote
(if it hasn’t already, as some political scientists have argued.)

“We have a bunch of CEOs telling us that AI is going to get rid of millions and millions of jobs,” Duran argues.

“Well, what’s going to happen to those people who can no longer work?
What is their future?
What is the future of their children?
What does democracy look like when you don’t get to eat unless someone like Elon Musk is approving of your existence?”

Unless you’re a billionaire tech CEO, the stakes Duran lays out are clear.

Behind the hyped-up rhetoric of “innovation” lies an age-old project:
the wealthy elite reshaping society in their own image.

The antidote is also old:
democratic resistance and politics built around in the material needs of the many,
not the dystopian fantasies of a wealthy few.
https://www.theverge.com/decoder-podcast-with-nilay-patel/707010/gil-duran-the-nerd-reich-tech-billionaires-authoritarianism-dictator

Ivey Janette McClelland (@IveyJanette) · Dec 22

🔁 @cdarwin:

Tech journalist Gil Duran outlines a disturbing theory
that a growing number of Silicon Valley elites are pursuing a vision of power
not rooted in the common good,
but in profit, feudal hierarchy, and total control of the platforms that define daily life for hundreds of millions of people.

Duran dubs this emerging ideology the “Nerd Reich”
— a slurry of right-wing ideas championed by ruthless tech overlords like
Palantir founder Peter Thiel,
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk,
venture capitalist Marc Andreessen,
and cryptocurrency titan Brian Armstrong,
with some OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sprinkled in for good measure.

Drawing on the reactionary writings of
Curtis “Mencius Moldbug” Yarvin and the
cryptolibertarianism of tech investor Balaji Srinivasan,
this philosophy isn’t explicitly outlined by our billionaire overlords,
but is nonetheless a useful framework that explains their increasingly undemocratic actions.

Basically, as Duran tells it,
we’re quickly marching into the dictatorship erected by a handful of the richest tycoons in the history of humankind.

At the core of the Nerd Reich is the insistence that liberal democracy,
the governmental system characterized by rule of law,
is set to collapse any minute now.

When that happens, the billionaire cabal hopes to be ready.

“I say it’s inherently anti-American,”
Duran told the Verge’s Jon Fortt.

“It sees a post-United States world where, instead of democracy, we will have basically tech feudalism
— fiefdoms run by tech corporations.

They’re pretty explicit about this point.”

Marc Andreesen,
for example,
in his 2023
"Techno-Optimist Manifesto",
argues that an unregulated tech industry,
not democracy,
is the key to unlocking the
“ultimate open society.”

Andreessen’s enemies,
he says in no uncertain terms,
are pesky ideas like
“sustainability,”
“trust and safety,”
“tech ethics,”
and “social responsibility.”

As a sneak preview of things to come,
Duran points out that these men are already investing billions into network-state schemes,
lobbying for “freedom cities,”
and using their platforms to erode trust in public institutions.

Political theorists of all stripes have long argued that when economic power is concentrated,
political power follows.

The immediate lesson of Duran’s Nerd Reich is that
these billionaire ideologues are actively investing in a future
where their immense wealth buys not just influence over elected politicians
— as is arguably the case today
— but the rule of law itself.

Yet, Duran notes,
US workers once organized throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s
to curb the excesses of robber barons,

winning the labor rights many of us enjoy today.

Unfortunately, those hard-fought victories have been purposefully eroded over decades of
union busting,
outsourcing,
and legal campaigns
— an effort which continues to this day.

Zooming out a bit, Duran’s analysis of the present day finds us in a remarkably similar situation
— if corporate rule is allowed to sink its teeth any further into our institutions,
democracy as we view it could become a historical footnote
(if it hasn’t already, as some political scientists have argued.)

“We have a bunch of CEOs telling us that AI is going to get rid of millions and millions of jobs,” Duran argues.

“Well, what’s going to happen to those people who can no longer work?
What is their future?
What is the future of their children?
What does democracy look like when you don’t get to eat unless someone like Elon Musk is approving of your existence?”

Unless you’re a billionaire tech CEO, the stakes Duran lays out are clear.

Behind the hyped-up rhetoric of “innovation” lies an age-old project:
the wealthy elite reshaping society in their own image.

The antidote is also old:
democratic resistance and politics built around in the material needs of the many,
not the dystopian fantasies of a wealthy few.
https://www.theverge.com/decoder-podcast-with-nilay-patel/707010/gil-duran-the-nerd-reich-tech-billionaires-authoritarianism-dictator

Hide

Stupidity and the Progress of Human Civilization

existentialcomics.com · Dec 22

A philosophy webcomic about the inevitable anguish of living a brief life in an absurd world. Also Jokes

Shared by @mmu_man and 10 others.

mmu_man (@mmu_man) · Dec 23

🔁 @existentialcomics:

Stupidity and the Progress of Human Civilization
https://existentialcomics.com/comic/634

Hide

Sound Waves Replace Scalpels to Fight Cancer's Toughest Tumors

spectrum.ieee.org · Dec 22

How does a technique called histotripsy turn tumors into a liquid slurry without harming healthy tissue? Learn about this new noninvasive cancer treatment.

Shared by @knizer and 9 others.

knizer (@knizer) · Dec 23

🔁 @hn100:

Ultrasound Cancer Treatment: Sound Waves Fight Tumors
https://spectrum.ieee.org/ultrasound-cancer-treatment

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46357945

Hide

Over/Under #47 with Ploum

lazybea.rs · Dec 22

2025-12-22 03:04:16 +0000 UTC about 1807 words 9 min

Shared by @muhh and 5 others.

Markus :prami_retro: (@muhh) · Dec 22

🔁 @hyde:

#OverUnder 047 with @ploum

He’s a Belgian #blogger, #writer, and #opensource #developer.

He wrote many SF #books, created #Offpunk, an “offline-first command-line browser”, and blogs often about things that could make our world better.

He’s a bépo user, and loves split mechanical keyboards.

Today, he shares his thoughts on mailing lists, #bikes, #Gemini, Calendar.txt and #plaintext files, and #Mussels and Chips.

#blog #MechanicalKeyboards #fediverse #mastodon #email

https://lazybea.rs/ovr-047

Hide

Worth reading

The best books we read in 2025

theverge.com · Dec 22

Great stuff to read

Shared by @theverge and 2 others.

The Verge (@theverge) · Dec 22

The best books we read in 2025 https://thever.ge/FpMx #Entertainment #Roundup #Report #Books

Hide

It's always TCP_NODELAY. Every damn time.

brooker.co.za · Dec 22

It's not the 1980s anymore, thankfully.

Shared by @hn100 and 8 others.

Curated Hacker News (@CuratedHackerNews) · Dec 22

It's Always TCP_NODELAY

https://brooker.co.za/blog/2024/05/09/nagle.html

Hide

The HTML Elements Time Forgot - HTMHell

htmhell.dev · Dec 22

A collection of bad practices in HTML, copied from real websites.

Shared by @davew and 7 others.

Tyler Sticka (@tylersticka) · Dec 22

🔁 @vale:

Welcome to the Marvellous Museum of Moribund Markup. You’re in for a treat today, for I’ll be guiding you through a brief history of an assortment of the more arcane esoteric elements of HTML past.

Take a look at what they were and what still remains of them.

https://www.htmhell.dev/adventcalendar/2025/22/

#HTML #WebDevelopment

Hide

Top Stories Daily

The latest thought-provoking Fediverse stories

Betty Reid Soskin, nation's oldest park ranger, has died. She was 104

richmondside.org · Dec 22

Trump’s shuttering of the National Center for Atmospheric Research is Stalinist | Michael Mann and Bob Ward

theguardian.com · Dec 22

Why tech billionaires want a dictatorship

theverge.com · Dec 22

Stupidity and the Progress of Human Civilization

existentialcomics.com · Dec 22

Sound Waves Replace Scalpels to Fight Cancer's Toughest Tumors

spectrum.ieee.org · Dec 22

Over/Under #47 with Ploum

lazybea.rs · Dec 22

The best books we read in 2025

theverge.com · Dec 22

It's always TCP_NODELAY. Every damn time.

brooker.co.za · Dec 22

The HTML Elements Time Forgot - HTMHell

htmhell.dev · Dec 22