Muskism: The New Economic Model Reshaping Our World
Elon Musk stands as one of the most polarising figures of our time. To some, he is a visionary industrialist pioneering a sustainable future; to others, a controversial social media personality with far-right leanings. Yet, as historians Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff argue in their new book, focusing solely on Musk the individual misses the broader point. The critical inquiry is not about who Musk is, but what he represents—a phenomenon they term "Muskism."
From Fordism to Muskism: A Century's Shift
Drawing a deliberate parallel to Fordism, which defined 20th-century capitalism through mass production and consumption, Slobodian and Tarnoff posit that Muskism is the operating system for the 21st century. Like its predecessor, Muskism is a modernising force, but with a stark difference: it does not seek to distribute its benefits widely. Instead, its core promise is "sovereignty through technology," offering the illusion that individuals and states can achieve self-reliance by integrating into Musk's infrastructure.
However, the authors compellingly reveal that this promise is a mirage. Rather than fostering independence, Muskism entrenches dependence on Musk himself, the so-called Techno-king. This insight forms the backbone of their analysis, as they trace this dependency across his empire—from SpaceX's near-monopoly on U.S. orbital launches to Tesla's electric vehicles that lock consumers into a walled garden, and X's platform, which amplifies Musk's voice and agenda.
The Roots of Muskism: Apartheid and Technocracy
The book delves into Musk's background, though it is careful to avoid being a mere biography. Slobodian and Tarnoff trace Muskism's origins to his grandfather, Joshua Haldeman, a Canadian adherent of the Technocracy movement who moved to apartheid South Africa in 1950. They draw clear lines from Musk's upbringing in Pretoria to his later beliefs, including a faith in engineering as governance, a fortress mentality, and a conflation of racial purity with civilisational survival. Apartheid South Africa, they argue, served as the nursery for Muskism's development.
Algorithmic Governance and the State
One of the most revealing sections examines Musk's brief role as a "special government employee" in what he dubbed the "department of government efficiency." His attempt to treat the federal government like a codebase to debug clashed with the complex realities of a state supporting millions. The authors highlight Musk's use of computational metaphors—such as viewing empathy as an "exploit" or society as "corrupted code"—which they find deeply troubling, especially when applied to ideas and people as deletable variables.
Will Muskism Outlast Musk?
A key question the book raises is whether Muskism can endure beyond its founder, much as Fordism outlived Henry Ford. Slobodian and Tarnoff suggest that its logic—state-tech symbiosis, algorithmic governance, and racialised exclusion—might persist, but they acknowledge the challenge of separating it from Musk's personal influence. Despite their structural analysis, the narrative often feels centred on one man's empire, built under unique historical conditions. Yet, they note that others may follow this blueprint, ensuring its legacy.
For those weary of Musk's omnipresence in media, Muskism offers a compelling, well-researched account of how vast resources have concentrated in one individual's hands and how this concentration will inevitably shape our future. It is a timely exploration of a new economic model that demands critical scrutiny.
