The Kakistocrats
I was reminded this week of the word “kakistocracy”, a government run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous people.
Perhaps because people were taking time off from work over the holidays, this week saw a lot of TFP’s supporters spending time telling each other that they were wrong on the internet.
I’m unsure whether it’s important to follow all of the twists and turns of the conflict. (You can could read rundowns by The Guardian, Washington Post, or NYTimes)
The flashpoint in this particular conflict is the H-1B immigration visa, which TFP’s billionaire friends depend upon, and which TFP’s MAGA coalition despises as much as any other form of (nonwhite) immigration.
The online MAGA crowd began its yelling following TFP’s announcement of Sriram Krishnan as an advisor on AI policy. Krishnan had previously been associated with proposals to increase the number of foreign-born workers (including the use of H-1B visas).
Memlon Fuchs jumped in to defend the visas, posting on X—on Christmas, amidst what I feel confident was quality time with his children—that “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent. It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.”
Vivek Ramaswamy* waded into the online waters to earnestly assert that importing skilled workers was important because of America’s celebration of “mediocrity”, in its cultural elevation of prom queens and jocks over mathletes and valedictorians.
A brown person using language to denigrate white Americans that they themselves have used to denigrate brown people went over with the MAGA crowd about as well as one might have expected.**
Laura Loomer, Libs of TikTok, and others of the online far right began criticizing TFP’s billionaire wing, with questions about whether the “Department of Government Efficiency” (Ramaswamy’s project with Memlon Fuchs) was masking as a monetary grab. Loomer wrote “The elephant in the room is that @elonmusk, who is not MAGA and never has been, is a total fucking drag on the Trump transition.”
Swarms of MAGA posters on X began pointing to Fuchs’s conflicts of interest with China and Russia, his assertions from less than a year ago that TFP was too old, and more.
In the past two days Loomer*** and more than 50 other right wing accounts on X claim that their accounts have been suspended, or have lost their “verified” blue check marks, which typically gives posters access to more views and to monetization.
But despite criticism from Nikki Haley, Sarah Palin, and Steve Bannon, Fuchs has dug in, saying “I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.” Perhaps by this he means I might not comprehend why he might call TFP’s voting base “contemptible fools” or use the “r” word against them.
Or perhaps I do comprehend, since Fuchs continues to claim (falsely) that he immigrated via H-1B, rather than illegally (as a student who then took no classes).
He might also wish to obscure that he and these other billionaires depend on the H1-B program for access to engineering talent that is more likely to accept lower wages, less likely to leave (since their immigration status is tied to their employment), and even less likely to organize with other workers.
(While a great many employees quit Twitter/X after Fuchs’ takeover, those on H1-B visas could not leave without risking deportation.)
The desire for cheaper, more compliant labor that you didn’t pay to train (e.g. by investing in the American educational system) is baked into capitalism at its roots.
We do not know to what extent this conflict will spill into the administration itself. As of the time of sending this, TFP has not yet waded into the morass. (He has instead been mistakenly posting direct messages on the main feed of his bribery social media platform, in the way others of his age might.)
TFP will need to maintain the MAGA base should he run for president again in 2028. But MAGA can’t write million-dollar checks to his inauguration, or make investments at scale in his cryptocurrency.
There will be no “adults” in the room this time. The kakistocrats are in charge.
*As the son of immigrants, Ramaswamy is an American via birthright, a path to citizenship many in the MAGA movement—and in TFP’s announced administration—seek to end.
**The criticism of white Americans as lazy and unambitious also happens to be a core thesis of J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy. (But Vance isn’t a brown person.)
***Loomer, to be clear, is a racist troll. While literally cozying up to TFP on his plane this fall, Loomer convinced him to bring up imaginary pet-eating immigrants in his televised debate with Harris.
All the @#$%ing things
Night 34: The gap between what voters want and what they’re getting
Night 33: An editorial policy of sorts
Night 32: Requesting records when medical claims are denied
Night 31: Things I’ve learned about money laundering
Night 30: Turned to the words of Frederick Douglass
Night 29: Canceled my OpenAI subscription
Night 28: Donated money to three orgs
Night 27: Addressed a hazardous tile floor
Night 26: Picked up trash with the Trash Falcons
Night 25: Learned more about Pete Hegseth than I wanted to
Night 24: Canceled recurring subscriptions I no longer need
Night 23: Dwelt in gratitude
Night 22: Picked up pie from a favorite local business
Night 21: Downsized my clothes closet
Night 20: Increased my monthly contribution to the ACLU
Night 19: Deleted a blog from two decades ago
Night 18: Researched nonprofit board opportunities
Night 17: Contributed to Trans Lifeline
Night 16: Spent time together with loved ones
Night 15: Bought from a not-for-profit online store
Night 14: Refined an icon and wordmark
Night 13: Contributed to the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund
Night 12: Contributed to The Guardian
Night 11: Read, reflected, and rested
Night 10: Sent money to support vaccinations in Nigeria
Night 9: Sent money to a friend in need
Night 8: Gave gifts and spoke words of appreciation aloud
Night 7: Contributed to a California-focused nonprofit newsroom
Night 6: Made homemade donuts for my team
Night 5: Opted into a paid Buttondown tier
Night 4: Reviewed my local election results
Night 3: Deactivated my X account
Night 2: Contributed to my local nonprofit newsroom
Night 1: Started by starting
Words, sorts, thinks, and actions by Chris Ereneta, from Oakland, California. Thanks for reading! Consider forwarding this to a friend! Thoughtful feedback and questions are welcomed at that.often@gmail.com