By Silicon Valley’s Shadow: America Under Technocratic Oligarchy
by The Structural Lens | Substack
The New American Oligarchy – Origins and Ascension
The rise of America’s technocratic oligarchs represents a unique historical phenomenon, distinct from previous concentrations of private power in American history. Unlike the industrial barons of the Gilded Age who built their empires on physical infrastructure and tangible assets, today’s tech oligarchs control something potentially more valuable: the infrastructure of information, communication, and increasingly, thought itself. This fundamental difference shapes how their potential dominance over American governance might manifest.
The pathway to oligarchic control in contemporary America would likely emerge not through sudden upheaval but through a gradual process of institutional capture and democratic erosion. The seeds of this transformation are already visible in the increasing entanglement of big tech with government functions, from election systems to military contracts, from digital identity verification to public surveillance infrastructure. This creeping technocratic influence represents what political theorist Sheldon Wolin termed “inverted totalitarianism” – a system where corporate power gradually hollows out democratic institutions while maintaining their outer shell.
The new oligarchs bring to governance a distinctive ideological framework, one shaped by Silicon Valley’s unique blend of libertarian individualism, technological solutionism, and what might be termed “benevolent authoritarianism.” This worldview, evident in writings and public statements from figures like Peter Thiel and Elon Musk, often expresses deep skepticism toward democratic processes, viewing them as inefficient and outdated compared to the speed and decisiveness of corporate decision-making. Read Full Article >
