How to Overturn a Democracy?
Curtis Yarvin, an American intellectual figure, philosopher, and computer engineer, whose extreme political ideas remained discreet for a long time, now seems to be attracting attention. He has become an inspiration for the U.S. tech world and even for the Trump administration. For Yarvin, a major overhaul of institutions is necessary. The American democracy should be replaced by what he calls a monarchy, led by a benevolent CEO, a corporate executive.
“People will gladly trade a chaotic democracy for a well-managed technocracy.”
— Curtis Yarvin, philosopher
The question is: how far will they go?
Contextualizing the Situation
The early months of Trump's presidency were tumultuous. It was a genuine campaign of shock and intimidation that temporarily left the opposition anesthetized. He had promised to “drain the swamp” and “make America great again.” Barely in office, he began signing dozens of executive orders, drastically cutting the USAID budget, an agency possibly used by the CIA to secretly fund a wide range of opaque programs, from regime changes to geo-engineering. Today, Trump is completely liberated from the traditional constraints that usually weigh on a new president: not yet knowing the subtleties of the presidential function and wanting to please his electorate (and the press) for a future re-election.(Wikipedia)
A Reinforced Team
Having undergone a contested previous election (the Russiagate), a vicious judicial harassment campaign (the Capitol), and several assassination attempts, Trump now understands much better than at the beginning of his last term who his allies are and who his enemies are. He has assembled an unusual team, mixing left and right-wing politicians. Notable names include Elon Musk (the DOGE: Department of Government Efficiency), JD Vance (his vice president), Peter Hegseth (Secretary of Defense), Robert Kennedy Jr. (Health), and Tulsi Gabbard (Director of Intelligence Services). Marco Rubio (Secretary of State) is also involved.
Then, he surrounds himself with funders, whom he will need, especially to confront powerful enemies like the pharmaceutical lobbies and a press that has always been very fierce against him.
The Tech Oligarchs and Trump
And here's where it gets interesting. Donald Trump has the full support of Silicon Valley. He has surrounded himself with most of the tech billionaires. Elon Musk, of course, but also Sam Altman of OpenAI and Larry Ellison of Oracle, who were invited to the White House a few days after his inauguration. There's also Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and owner of Palantir, the spy software that powers the NSA, CIA, and most Western intelligence activities. And who is also, by the way, the sponsor of JD Vance with a generous $16 million donation to his campaign.(Wikipedia, lemonde.fr)
Names like David Sacks, Marc Andreessen, Brian Armstrong, Ben Horowitz, Michael Kratsios, Ajit Pai, Stephen Miller, or Derek Kan, known or less known, are all invested in new technologies or AI, and have responded to the President-elect's call. This group of people is incredibly powerful: they are the "data barons," the new power that controls the infrastructure of the future! The world's major data centers run their software, they control the technical infrastructure, and manage our data.
What Unites the Tech Oligarchs and Donald Trump?
In the 21st century, the United States has lost its dominance in many industries, from the automotive sector to electronics. However, it is clear that they still dominate the digital realm. Could it be that freeing this flagship industry from any government constraint could restore America's former power? At first glance, Trump's bet doesn't seem stupid, but the pitfalls of this policy can be dangerous. The hitch is that Trump and his tech oligarchs all seem deeply inspired by an ideology developed by a political philosopher, also a figure in Tech.
The Six Pillars of the "Yarvin Plan"
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Campaign for Autocracy
Politicians must openly admit to campaigning for autocracy, acknowledging that democracy has failed, and present themselves as strongmen. -
Purge the Bureaucracy
Dismiss all disloyal civil servants and replace them with pre-approved agents. -
Ignore the Courts
Dismantle judicial oversight by simply refusing to comply with court decisions. -
Control the Police and Military
Centralize law enforcement under a federal system controlled by loyalists. -
Close the Media and Universities
Dismantle elitist institutions, major media outlets like the New York Times, and universities like Harvard, because they have been overtaken by progressive groupthink. -
Mobilize the Base
Send crowds into the streets whenever an institution attempts to obstruct them.
Yarvin and the Butterfly Revolution
His name? Curtis Yarvin. To put it briefly, he is to the tech elite what Yuval Harari is to the World Economic Forum. At first glance, he appears to be a somewhat eccentric geek. Silicon Valley has given him the nickname "prophet" or "Lord Yarvin," that's saying something! He was born in 1973 into a liberal and secular family. Initially a blogger under the pseudonym Mencius Moldbug, this gifted individual completed his studies at a very young age, with excellent results. Bullied at school, he found refuge in computer programming and early internet discussion forums. The libertarian culture of Silicon Valley allowed him to develop and express his ideas. One of his articles, "The Butterfly Revolution," caused a stir because it constitutes a plan to overthrow the current governance system and install an authoritarian regime
This article appeared initially in the Zèbre Magazine - No. 4/2025
Sources : blog https://graymirror.substack.com
Gray Mirror: Fascicle I: Disturbance de Curtis Yarvin, Amazon