Big Tech

Elon Musk’s Race to Become the World’s First Trillionaire Runs Through Your Social Security and Medicare – Jeffrey Sommers

Elon Musk’s Race to Become the World’s First Trillionaire Runs Through Your Social Security and Medicare – Jeffrey Sommers

This article was originally published on February 24, 2025, on CounterPunch. Jeffrey Sommers explores how Elon Musk could become the world’s first trillionaire through the “Mother of All Privatizations” (MOAP). He traces Musk’s rise from under $1 billion in 2011 to over half a trillion during Trump’s presidency, fueled by post-2008 policies and COVID-19 stimulus. Reaching a trillion would require massive public-to-private wealth transfers—privatizing Social Security and Medicare, tax cuts for the rich, increased government funding for Musk’s firms, and public sector cuts. Sommers sees this as the final dismantling of the New Deal.

How Capitalism Pillages the Planet and Creates Chaos – Patrick Bond Pt. 1/2
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How Capitalism Pillages the Planet and Creates Chaos – Patrick Bond Pt. 1/2

Following decades of ongoing mineral extraction, environmental plunder, and the subsidization of the fossil fuel industry, the second Trump administration’s aggressive pro-drilling agenda unapologetically seeks to seize as many foreign and domestic minerals and dirty energy sources as possible. Patrick Bond, political economist and Director of the Centre for Social Change in Johannesburg, discusses the mix of neoliberalism and paleo-conservatism undergirding Elon Musk’s corporate takeover of the US government. Bond also discusses the motivation behind US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s decision to skip the solidarity-equality-sustainability G20 in South Africa, and the implications of the US’ withdrawal from international climate agreements, slashing of emissions-reduction goals, and support for destructive carbon-intensive industries.

Trump, God, and the Techno Philosopher Kings

Trump, God, and the Techno Philosopher Kings

Trump’s inaugural speech avoided direct war rhetoric with China but signaled dangerous trends: a growing alliance between corporate elites and government, imperialist ambitions, climate denial, and authoritarian overreach. With tech CEOs at the forefront and Musk in a key government role, the fusion of state and corporate power mirrors Mussolini-style corporatism. From threats to seize the Panama Canal to deploying emergency powers domestically, Trump’s vision risks U.S. democracy and global stability. This analysis unpacks the implications of a presidency rooted in power, profit, and peril.

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