Ben Tarnoff

Ben Tarnoff, writer on tech, finance and infrastructure, and Quinn Slobodian, historian of global political economy, map the rise of 'Muskism' as a new industrial-political system. They track space land grabs, brain‑implant ambitions, fortress futurism rooted in apartheid‑era strategies, attention-driven financial magic, and how state symbiosis and monopoly reshape technological power.

Met Quinn Slobodian, historicus en hoogleraar, en Ben Tarnoff, techjournalist en mede-auteur van Muskisme. Ze bespreken Musks wereldbeeld als politiek-economisch paradigma. Thema's: apartheid als vormende invloed, technofeodalisme en techno-monarchie, staatssymbiose en private soevereiniteit, cyborg‑visie en het verkopen van beveiliging.

Quinn Slobodian, a historian of political economy, and Ben Tarnoff, a tech writer on digital culture, discuss their book Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed. They probe Musk as a structural figure: fortress futurism, financial fabulism, and state symbiosis. Conversations cover Musk’s industrial trajectory, social media and AI turn, vertical integration, performative markets, political legitimation, and the fragility of his project.

Anne McElvoy, POLITICO executive editor and political commentator. Ben Tarnoff, tech writer and co-author of Muskism. Quinn Slobodian, historian and co-author of Muskism. They dig into Reform UK’s energy-bill giveaway and its voter-data angle. They unpack Nigel Farage’s paid Cameo clips and the controversies around them. They explore Muskism, Big Tech’s power, and what that means for politics and sovereignty.

Ben Tarnoff, writer and technologist dissecting tech, state power, and Musk’s projects. Quinn Slobodian, professor of international history, explores Muskism’s political and historical roots. They map Muskism as a social-operating ideology, show how states and firms blur, probe humans-as-programmable systems, and debate whether this tech‑wrapped vision can outlast its creator.