‘We’re Not Kidding’ is back! After a not-very-relaxing holiday break, Mehdi is joined by tech and online culture journalist (and new Zeteo contributor!) Taylor Lorenz to discuss the new age of American oligarchy. Trump is back in office and his inauguration was a star-studded showcase of spineless tech billionaires.
“Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, Jeff Bezos, and of course, [Elon] Musk — what did you make of the oligarchy from tech turning up?” Mehdi asks.
“I think it just shows where this administration's priorities lie and who they're beholden to,” Taylor says.
Mehdi and Taylor also unpack the dumbfounding blunder of Democrats’ TikTok ban, why private ownership of social media platforms by “red-pilled billionaires” is actually BAD for free speech, the MAGAfication of Elon Musk, and whether Mark Zuckerberg looks cool now. Taylor also pushes back against the argument that Democrats should go to war with social media companies.
Also, make sure to subscribe to Zeteo so you don’t miss Taylor’s exclusive new column, Network Effect, which will cover how Silicon Valley’s tech billionaires wield their power through interconnected networks of influence, diving deep into how these billionaires’ endeavors are reshaping democracy, media, and culture. Welcome to team Zeteo, Taylor!
Free subscribers get a 10-minute preview of the video above while Zeteo’s paid subscribers can watch it in full. As always, you can also listen wherever you get your podcasts.
