{"id":38306,"date":"2024-12-18T13:20:03","date_gmt":"2024-12-18T21:20:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=38306"},"modified":"2024-12-18T13:20:03","modified_gmt":"2024-12-18T21:20:03","slug":"understanding-the-maga-tech-authoritarian-alliance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2024\/12\/18\/understanding-the-maga-tech-authoritarian-alliance\/","title":{"rendered":"UNDERSTANDING THE MAGA-TECH AUTHORITARIAN ALLIANCE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theframelab.org\/r\/05ef1567?m=0e5f23e4-9eed-4b82-8ce2-a8548c438ff8\">Understanding the MAGA-Tech Authoritarian Alliance<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>By Gil Duran \u2022&nbsp;17 Dec 2024 (framelab@ghost.io)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ecp.yusercontent.com\/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theframelab.org%2Fcontent%2Fimages%2Fsize%2Fw1200%2F2024%2F12%2Fshutterstock_2449496577.jpg&amp;t=1734556382&amp;ymreqid=d41d8cd9-8f00-b204-1ce1-2c272f01c600&amp;sig=51D70mWsD_wbuG6EIMm2AA--~D\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>To understand why certain Silicon Valley billionaires have aligned with MAGA Republicans in 2024, we must examine their shared worldviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some political observers have drawn a simplistic conclusion about the tech figures backing Trump. They see these billionaires as motivated by a basic desire for lower taxes and fewer regulations. But that\u2019s only part of the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While taxes and regulations may be important issues, they do not fully explain the MAGA-tech alliance. In reality, this alliance is about power and about reshaping the world in the 21st century and beyond. A new ideological faction is emerging from Silicon Valley: tech authoritarianism. It overlaps significantly with Trump\u2019s MAGA party and thus has resulted in a (temporary) alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In these rough notes, I\u2019ll examine some of these overlaps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"yiv2132677727strict-father-morality\">Strict Father Morality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>First, it helps to understand Dr. George Lakoff\u2019s&nbsp;<em>\u201c<\/em>Strict Father Morality\u201d concept, which provides a framework for understanding the Republican moral belief system. Strict Father Morality is a worldview based on a hierarchical, authoritarian family model where the metaphorical father \u2013 the leader \u2013 is the ultimate authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Strict Father morality results in a so-called \u201cmoral hierarchy\u201d that governs how the world should work.&nbsp;Here it is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>God above Man<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Man above Nature<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Men above Women<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whites above Nonwhites<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Disciplined (Strong) above the Undisciplined (Weak)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Rich above the Poor<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Employers above Employees<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adults above Children<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Western culture above Other cultures<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>U.S. above Other countries<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Christians above Non-Christians<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Straights above LGBTQ people<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In reactionary Republican politics, this hierarchy forms the&nbsp;<em>moral order of society<\/em>. As we say at FrameLab: If you want to understand the reasons behind extreme Republican policies, consult this list to find the answer. It\u2019s not just one form of bigotry or prejudice \u2013 it\u2019s a coherent, intersectional, organized system of supremacies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is especially true of the Republican Party in the MAGA era, where these interlinked hierarchies have become more pronounced. This rigid authority and hierarchy are what make MAGA an authoritarian movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"yiv2132677727maga-tech-authoritarians\">MAGA + Tech Authoritarians<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As the Republican Party has gone full authoritarian, it has attracted strong support from an emergent group of tech billionaires who share its authoritarian politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of these tech authoritarians have tried to rebrand their politics as \u201cgray\u201d \u2013 neither blue (Democratic) nor red (Republican). However, the overlap between the tech authoritarian belief systems and Strict Father Morality reveals the deep reactionary roots of the tech-MAGA alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the core of both systems is the preservation of hierarchies. Here are the areas where I see shared beliefs between MAGA and the tech authoritarians:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"yiv2132677727men-above-women\">Men above women:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Tech authoritarians are primarily men. They increasingly embrace a toxic brand of male aggression and supremacy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They promote aggressive \u201calpha\u201d masculinity and the new \u201cpronatalism\u201d movement, which redefines women\u2019s roles mostly around subservience and childbearing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"yiv2132677727whites-above-nonwhites\">Whites above Nonwhites:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Tech authoritarians are primarily white.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They decry diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, favoring a system that upholds white supremacy, which they consider the traditional (and logical) moral order.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"yiv2132677727the-rich-over-the-poor\">The Rich Over the Poor:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Tech authoritarians are wealthy. They believe the rich should have more power than everyone else.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They are using their massive wealth to reshape politics and tip the scales toward MAGA.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They seek to solve many problems, but never the vast economic inequality from which they derive their power.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"yiv2132677727the-disciplined-strong-above-the-undisciplined-weak\">The Disciplined (Strong) above the Undisciplined (Weak):<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>They often view their success as a product of superior intelligence, discipline, and strength, reinforcing a belief in their inherent \u201cdeservedness.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They fetishize maniacal workaholic lifestyles, insisting that their mega wealth is the result of discipline. But their wealth is largely derived from the labor, property, taxes and talent of others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"yiv2132677727employers-above-employees\">Employers above Employees:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Many tech authoritarians are CEOs. They naturally prioritize the power of employers over workers, aligning with corporate supremacy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"yiv2132677727man-above-nature\">Man above Nature:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Despite rhetoric about saving the planet, tech authoritarians favor technological \u201csolutions\u201d over structural changes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They believe they can defeat aging and even death with technological enhancements.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Figures like Elon Musk think humans must urgently migrate off Earth and become \u201cmulti-planetary\u201d (which would put humankind under corporate governance\u2026in space).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Meanwhile, Musk\u2019s Neuralink company is trying to merge technology with the human brain and create an era of \u201ctranshumanism.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They believe they can conquer nature with technology.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"yiv2132677727straights-above-lgbtq-people\">Straights Above LGBTQ people:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>Tech authoritarians are primarily straight (with notable exceptions). They may not have anti-LGBTQ stances derived from religious morality, but their alliance with the Christian Right makes them open to using the LGBTQ community as a scapegoat.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Since MAGA Republicans also vilify Trans people as part of the culture war, the tech authoritarians are willing to use Trans people as scapegoats. Ironically, these tech authoritarians plan a \u201ctranshuman\u201d future in which humankind defies nature by merging with technology, changing the very definition what it means to be a human being in ways far more radical than mere gender transition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The emphasis on breeding and pronatalism also makes it easier to scapegoat LGBTQ people (even though heterosexuality has nothing to do with having children).&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"yiv2132677727where-tech-authoritarians-diverge\"><strong>Where Tech Authoritarians Diverge<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While Silicon Valley oligarchs align with most aspects of traditional Strict Father Morality, they also introduce some twists:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Tech as God (Above Man)<\/strong>: God is above man in the conservative \u201cstrict father\u201d hierarchy, and so authority is derived from God. But the tech authoritarians aren\u2019t very religious. Instead, they have replaced God with technology. This means that those who control tech \u2013 the tech authoritarians themselves \u2013 are the ultimate authority in place of God. While a handful of these tech elites claim to be religious to some degree, it is not their defining characteristic. Instead, they place their faith in technology, their own intelligence, and in the impending arrival of the supposed \u201csuperintelligence\u201d (A.I.) that will radically reshape the world in their image.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tech interests above National interests<\/strong>: Tech authoritarians view loyalty to nations as an old-fashioned superstition. They see nation-states as outdated concepts. With ideas like the Network State, they seek to replace traditional countries with tech-ruled territories. They admire authoritarian countries and openly side with these countries (especially Putin\u2019s Russia) over the United States. They have no loyalty to democracy. They prefer whatever systems best serve their own interests, regardless of what that means for others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These two key differences are potential points of conflict in the MAGA-Tech Authoritarian alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"yiv2132677727summary-an-alliance-of-hierarchy\">Summary: An Alliance of Hierarchy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The MAGA-Tech alliance is rooted in a shared hierarchical worldview. This worldview concentrates power in the hands of wealthy and predominantly white men. Their job is to impose a strict social order based on their continuing supremacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trump Republicans and tech authoritarians may frame their beliefs differently, but their actions reveal an alignment: maintaining hierarchy, resisting egalitarianism, and elevating profit, power, and their own desires above all else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What the tech authoritarians describe as \u201cgray\u201d politics is a 21st century version of Strict Father Morality. It is a moral system that replaces God with technology and money \u2013 and with the moral supremacy of those who control both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a work in progress, so I welcome any feedback from FrameLab readers. Let me know what you see, or what I might have missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"yiv2132677727for-more-information\">For more information\u2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For more on Strict Father Morality and Donald Trump, read \u201c<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theframelab.org\/r\/7b9b7e78?m=0e5f23e4-9eed-4b82-8ce2-a8548c438ff8\">Understanding Trump<\/a>\u201d by Dr. Lakoff, which was written before the 2016 election:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theframelab.org\/r\/b93e5cfb?m=0e5f23e4-9eed-4b82-8ce2-a8548c438ff8\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theframelab.org\/r\/b93e5cfb?m=0e5f23e4-9eed-4b82-8ce2-a8548c438ff8\">Understanding Trump (again)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theframelab.org\/r\/b93e5cfb?m=0e5f23e4-9eed-4b82-8ce2-a8548c438ff8\">George Lakoff\u2019s guide to understanding the Republican presidential nominee<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theframelab.org\/r\/b93e5cfb?m=0e5f23e4-9eed-4b82-8ce2-a8548c438ff8\">FrameLab\u2022FrameLab<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a recent episode of the FrameLab podcast, I talked with Dr. Brooke Harrington about \u201c<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theframelab.org\/r\/5b011067?m=0e5f23e4-9eed-4b82-8ce2-a8548c438ff8\">Why Broligarchs like Elon Musk Need Trump<\/a>\u201c:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theframelab.org\/r\/69ac0ae4?m=0e5f23e4-9eed-4b82-8ce2-a8548c438ff8\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theframelab.org\/r\/69ac0ae4?m=0e5f23e4-9eed-4b82-8ce2-a8548c438ff8\">Why \u2018Broligarchs\u2019 like Elon Musk need Trump<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theframelab.org\/r\/69ac0ae4?m=0e5f23e4-9eed-4b82-8ce2-a8548c438ff8\">Extreme tech politics loom large over the USA<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theframelab.org\/r\/69ac0ae4?m=0e5f23e4-9eed-4b82-8ce2-a8548c438ff8\">FrameLab\u2022Gil Duran<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And for a full review of Strict Father Morality, listen to Episode #1 of the FrameLab Podcast: \u201c<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theframelab.org\/r\/3b7cb537?m=0e5f23e4-9eed-4b82-8ce2-a8548c438ff8\">How Republicans Really Think<\/a>\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theframelab.org\/r\/dd8eaabf?m=0e5f23e4-9eed-4b82-8ce2-a8548c438ff8\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theframelab.org\/r\/dd8eaabf?m=0e5f23e4-9eed-4b82-8ce2-a8548c438ff8\">1. How Republicans Really Think \u2013 12:26:17<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theframelab.org\/r\/dd8eaabf?m=0e5f23e4-9eed-4b82-8ce2-a8548c438ff8\">Podcast Episode \u00b7 FrameLab Podcast \u00b7 12\/20\/2017 \u00b7 1h 3m<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theframelab.org\/r\/dd8eaabf?m=0e5f23e4-9eed-4b82-8ce2-a8548c438ff8\">Apple Podcasts<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Understanding the MAGA-Tech Authoritarian Alliance By Gil Duran \u2022&nbsp;17 Dec 2024 (framelab@ghost.io) To understand why certain Silicon Valley billionaires have aligned with MAGA Republicans in 2024, we must examine their shared worldviews. Some political observers have drawn a simplistic conclusion about the tech figures backing Trump. They see these billionaires&#8230; <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2024\/12\/18\/understanding-the-maga-tech-authoritarian-alliance\/\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38306"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38306"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38307,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38306\/revisions\/38307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}