The Un-Diplomatic Podcast Techno-Industrialism and the Plot to Save America, w/ Maddy Crowell | Ep. 290
Mar 6, 2026
Maddy Crowell, freelance journalist who covered techno-industrialism for Harper's Magazine. She unpacks the push to revive U.S. manufacturing using AI and rearmament. Conversations cover movement leaders, gender dynamics, labor visibility, VC and defense ties, China framing, and whether a weapons-driven industrial revival can be redirected toward peaceful, equitable priorities.
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Techno-Industrialism Is Tech-Driven Factory Revival
- Techno-industrialism frames reindustrialization as upgrading factories with AI and software rather than just bringing back old manufacturing.
- Maddy Crowell reports founder Aaron Slodov and peers want to apply advanced tech to hard manufacturing to revitalize US production.
Aaron Slodov Became The Movement's Public Face
- Aaron Slodov emerges as the movement's public face after publishing a 2024 Techno-Industrialist Manifesto and organizing a conference.
- Slodov's Ohio roots and nostalgia for Cleveland's industrial past motivated his push to rebuild regional manufacturing.
Conference Demographics Were Overwhelmingly Male
- The conference Maddy attended was overwhelmingly male and displayed a specific gender skew in techno-industrial circles.
- She observed women present mostly as company or VC representatives while attendees were predominantly men.
