Bungacast

/538/ Muskism ft. Quinn Slobodian & Ben Tarnoff

Share this episode
Anyone with this link can open it.
Share Link
Start at 0:00

This episode isn’t summarized yet

Create a free account and summarize it. In a few minutes you’ll have the key takeaways and a section-by-section summary.

Show notes

On the operating system of the 21st century.

Historian Quinn Slobodian and tech writer Ben Tarnoff talk to Alex Hochuli and Alex Gourevitch about their new book, Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed, and why we should ask "what is Musk a symptom of?"

  • If Fordism characterised the mid-20th century, are our times those of Muskism?

  • What are the touchstones of Muskism that the authors identify: fortress futurism, financial fabulism, state symbiosis?

  • Who is the real Musk, that of vehicles, energy, infrastructure, or that of the post-industrial stuff of social media, finance, AI?

  • What does Muskism promise people? How does it legitimise itself – if at all?

  • Is the state actually dependent on Musk, or is Musk dependent on the state?

  • How much of Musk's right-wing turn is necessary to Muskism, and how much is contingent? Is the racial component central?

Links:

 

Couldn't load the audio. A blocker may be stopping the show's tracking links. Open the file