Tech Billionaires, the American Oligarchy

Mid-Atlantic - conversations about US, UK and world politics

The second Trump inauguration was more than just a political spectacle—it was a clear signal of Silicon Valley’s growing entrenchment in American governance. Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and other tech moguls sat front and center, ahead of cabinet secretaries, embodying a stark new reality: the marriage of big tech and the state is no longer subtle, it's explicit. This week’s Mid Atlantic dissects what this means for democracy, corporate power, and the growing rift within the American right.

Host Roifield Brown is joined by an incisive panel: progressive strategist Aaron Fisher, political thinker Cory Bernard, campaign strategist Z Cohen Sanchez, and tech entrepreneur Michael Donoghue. Together, they explore whether this alignment is mere corporate pragmatism or a more sinister ideological shift. Fisher warns of the perils of unchecked billionaire influence, Sanchez underscores the Democratic Party’s failure to counteract these forces, and Bernard highlights the distinct differences between U.S. and U.K. political structures. Donoghue, speaking from the tech world itself, offers a bleak outlook: billionaires are playing with power like a passing fad, but the systemic consequences are anything but temporary.

As Trump’s executive orders begin dismantling legal and regulatory frameworks at breakneck speed, the discussion pivots to how opposition forces—particularly the Democrats—should respond. Is it time to watch and wait for fractures in the new ruling class, or is immediate mobilization necessary? The panel is divided, but one thing is clear: the line between corporate control and state power has never been thinner.

Five Notable Quotes from the Episode:

1. "Billionaires have always owned America. The difference now is they aren’t even pretending otherwise." – Aram Fischer
2. "The Democratic Party treats its movements like inconveniences, while the Republicans elevate theirs into power." – Z Cohen Sanchez
3. "Trump’s second term isn’t just dangerous—it’s disciplined. That’s what makes it terrifying." – Cory Bernard
4. "Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos—they’re not just donors, they’re shaping policy. That’s the death of democracy in real time." – Michael Donoghue
5. "This isn’t the Gilded Age. It’s the Gilded Age on steroids, with an algorithmic propaganda machine to match." – Roifield Brown

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