Techno‑feudal elite are attempting to build a twenty‑first‑century fascist state • Hacker News Board

Re: Techno‑feudal elite are attempting to build a twenty‑first‑century fascist state

#11

Post by imiric » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 7:44 PM UTC

poszlem wrote: post #4

The Anthropic situation with the Department of Defense is the clearest example of the application of 'Everything within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state', a doctrine that is explicitly fascist. So if people are still not convinced it might be a good time to reconsider, maybe read a history book or two.

It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.

Re: Techno‑feudal elite are attempting to build a twenty‑first‑century fascist state

#12

Post by ares623 » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 7:45 PM UTC

Look, if a techno-fascist state is what's needed for me to continue not having to write any code anymore, then I will gladly accept it. Techno-fascism is preferable to the horrors of Agile. /s

Re: Techno‑feudal elite are attempting to build a twenty‑first‑century fascist state

#13

Post by ares623 » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 7:46 PM UTC

dyauspitr wrote: post #6

[flagged]

Work for it.

Re: Techno‑feudal elite are attempting to build a twenty‑first‑century fascist state

#14

Post by jacquesm » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 7:47 PM UTC

kelseyfrog wrote: post #7

poszlem wrote: post #4

The Anthropic situation with the Department of Defense is the clearest example of the application of 'Everything within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state', a doctrine that is explicitly fascist. So if people are still not convinced it might be a good time to reconsider, maybe read a history book or two.

To add some context that I learned recently, the fascist project was specifically anti-liberal in the sense that it rejected the conception of universal natural inalienable rights as its ideology base. Rights, when universal and natural are inalienable, while rights when derived from the state are alienable. The ability of a state to make anyone a non-person is, and should continue to be, a horrific thought to entert…

That is precisely the key and you can already see many examples of this in the last 12 months. One group after another is stripped of their rights and mistreated and yet nobody actually does anything other than some protests. I wonder how this sort of thing would go down in France or Germany, for Germany of course the track record is sub-optimal but I would hope that they had at least learned their lessons well enough to avoid a repetition of the blackest chapters in our history.

What puzzles me is how for many years it was predicted that this was going to happen and that in spite of the warnings it still did. I just don't get it.

Re: Techno‑feudal elite are attempting to build a twenty‑first‑century fascist state

#15

Post by etherus » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 7:47 PM UTC

The question is: will and or when will the response to this violence exceed levels which can be controlled by the same mechanisms? I believe there is a window here, where in most countries experiencing this shift, there are still many individuals who have the power to effect change if they accept the risk. This won't be the case forever - at some point it will be few, not many. Community is important; look after it.

Re: Techno‑feudal elite are attempting to build a twenty‑first‑century fascist state

#16

Post by jacquesm » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 7:49 PM UTC

dyauspitr wrote: post #6

[flagged]

The bystander effect in a nutshell. You too are eventually accountable and culpable and when the wheels of fascism turn far enough you'll find yourself as part of an outgroup.

Re: Techno‑feudal elite are attempting to build a twenty‑first‑century fascist state

#17

Post by dyauspitr » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 7:50 PM UTC

d_silin wrote: post #9

dyauspitr wrote: post #6

[flagged]

Centrist positions are inherently unstable (think top of the hill) because they require active efforts to maintain the balance between factions prone to polarizations (left->far-left, right->far-right). It requires consistently good statesmanship or strong external challenge for opposing factions to act in united manner.

It depends on how the populace feels. It could also technically be a valley with the extremes on either side. Honestly though I think the centrists can never find positions people can get rabid about because by definition it calls for moderation.

Re: Techno‑feudal elite are attempting to build a twenty‑first‑century fascist state

#18

Post by RGamma » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 7:51 PM UTC

d_silin wrote: post #3

The article is unpleasantly accurate.

> a transnational “authoritarian international” in which oligarchs, political operatives, royal families, security chiefs, and organized criminals cooperate to monetize state power while protecting one another from scrutiny.

At least the crackpots now get to see what a real deep state (concentrated power behind public facade) looks like.

Re: Techno‑feudal elite are attempting to build a twenty‑first‑century fascist state

#19

Post by krapp » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 7:51 PM UTC

dyauspitr wrote: post #6

[flagged]

You can't have centrist fascism. To have any kind of fascism, you would first need to commit to a specific ideological position.

Re: Techno‑feudal elite are attempting to build a twenty‑first‑century fascist state

#20

Post by CamperBob2 » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 7:52 PM UTC

EA-3167 wrote: post #8

poszlem wrote: post #4

The Anthropic situation with the Department of Defense is the clearest example of the application of 'Everything within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state', a doctrine that is explicitly fascist. So if people are still not convinced it might be a good time to reconsider, maybe read a history book or two.

It seems to be a much better example of cronyism being used to oust a competitor to OpenAI at the direct incitement of Altman. I have no doubt that the Trump admin and people like Miller, Hegseth et al dream of ruling with an iron fist... they're just too incompetent to pull it off. They couldn't even pull it off when they had a mandate and some people with actual talent in the first admin.

What do you mean, "they couldn't pull it off?" They have already accomplished half of what they set out to do [1], a quarter of the way through Trump's term.

As incompetent and stupid as they are, the dunking just never seems to stop. Nobody with the power to do anything about it cares, and nobody who cares has any power.

1: https://www.project2025.observer/en