The Silicon Valley bits of Bannon's interview are quite revealing about one thing. All the recent talk about “technofeudalism” and antitrust - and their fusion by Bannon - has come to obfuscate the dynamics (as well as history) of America’s global techno-power. A thread. 🧵 - ThreadSky

evgenymorozov.bsky.social • 91 days ago

The Silicon Valley bits of Bannon's interview are quite revealing about one thing. All the recent talk about “technofeudalism” and antitrust - and their fusion by Bannon - has come to obfuscate the dynamics (as well as history) of America’s global techno-power. A thread. 🧵

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evgenymorozov.bsky.social•91 days ago

First, why date America's efforts to use the tech industry to strengthen its global hegemony to *2008*? This has been going on since the mid-1970s! That's how Europe & Japan were eventually defanged while the Global South (e.g. Group of 77) weren't allowed to regulate US tech.

evgenymorozov.bsky.social•91 days ago

Second, Bannon doesn’t see the link between the 2008 crisis (even as he mentions it!) and the rise of Big Tech. But the connection is clear: given lack of other enticing investment options post-2008, smart money – from everywhere, not just US - flew to tech, private and public.

evgenymorozov.bsky.social•91 days ago

Third, this post-2008 bet on Big Tech did have odd therapeutic effects. Rising tech stocks ended up boosting stock portfolios, pension funds, etc, of ordinary Americans that Bannon claims to represent. Same for Uber, Airbnb, etc – they became ATMs for the struggling masses.

evgenymorozov.bsky.social•91 days ago

Fourth, we barely know the benefits to the US surveillance state from the centralization of all that data in the hands of just a few – rather than hundreds – of platforms. The commercial and military advantages of that centralization to US power is something that eludes Bannon.

evgenymorozov.bsky.social•91 days ago

Fifth, Bannon's use of “techno-feudalism” is empty. It’s completely disconnected from his analysis of tech-as-hegemony. That tech bros want to upload their souls doesn’t mean that America’s bet on the heavily financialized tech industry wasn’t a smart move, at least hegemony-wise

evgenymorozov.bsky.social•91 days ago

Sixth, few of these geopolitical & geoeconomic implications are visible if one looks at Big Tech through the lens of antitrust. This is why Bannon is happy to endorse Lina Khan: better talk about market power (feudalism is back!) than global power (hegemony is still there!) .

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