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J.D. Vance’s America: The Road to Authoritarian Rule

TheIntellectualist October 8, 2024
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Senator JD Vance (R-OH) Screenshot_YouTube

J.D. Vance: The Architect of America’s Fortress

J.D. Vance enters the political sphere wrapped in the garb of a populist hero, a self-proclaimed defender of Appalachia’s forgotten people. But beneath this carefully curated image lies a far darker reality. Vance, backed by Silicon Valley’s libertarian elite like Peter Thiel and guided by intellectuals like Curtis Yarvin, is the architect of a new American order—one where democracy fades into irrelevance, and power is concentrated within the walls of an insulated fortress. His rise signals not just a shift in political power, but the deliberate dismantling of democratic principles that once stood as the foundation of the republic.

Vance’s America isn’t one of hope and opportunity; it’s a fortress built brick by brick, policy by policy, with each new decision further entrenching the elite in their seats of power. In this fortress, the voices of the people are muted, their concerns drowned out by the hum of machinery built to sustain the few at the expense of the many. Each promise Vance makes—whether to Appalachian workers or American voters—is just another stone in this growing edifice, one designed to stand impervious to scrutiny, dissent, or accountability.

This isn’t democracy as we know it. This is a slow erosion, a quiet coup, where democratic norms are hollowed out from the inside. Like the fortresses of old, Vance’s vision of America is designed not to protect the people but to isolate those in power, shielding them from the consequences of their decisions. Each alliance he forges, whether with Thiel or Yarvin, serves to strengthen the walls of this fortress, making it harder and harder for the public to reclaim the levers of power.

Betrayal in Appalachia

Yet, behind these grand political moves lie the shattered hopes of real people—the workers who believed in AppHarvest’s promises, only to find themselves abandoned. For the people of Appalachia, who have spent generations fighting for economic survival, AppHarvest was more than just a company—it was a lifeline. Vance, ever the populist in rhetoric, aligned himself with the project, selling the vision of sustainable jobs and a revitalized economy. But as the company grew, its promises withered, and local workers, once assured of steady employment, were replaced by out-of-state labor brought in for efficiency.

For those who had invested their hopes in Vance and AppHarvest, the betrayal was profound. These workers, who had believed they were part of something bigger, found themselves on the outside looking in, as the very jobs they were promised were handed to transient workers with no stake in the future of the region. The company’s financial struggles and eventual layoffs only deepened the disillusionment, exposing the gap between Vance’s populist rhetoric and the cold, corporate reality of his alliances.

This, of course, is the central contradiction of J.D. Vance’s political persona. While he publicly champions the working class, positioning himself as a defender of “real Americans,” his real-world decisions consistently favor corporate interests and the consolidation of elite power. The fallout from AppHarvest is not an anomaly—it is a reflection of the larger pattern that defines Vance’s career. His alliance with Peter Thiel and other Silicon Valley elites underscores his commitment not to the people of Appalachia, but to a small, insulated class of technocrats and venture capitalists who see democracy as an obstacle to be overcome rather than a system to be preserved.

The Thiel Connection

Central to Vance’s rise is his deep relationship with Peter Thiel, whose $15 million investment in Vance’s Senate campaign represents more than just financial backing—it’s the underwriting of a shared vision. Thiel, who famously stated, “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible,” embodies a radical form of libertarianism that seeks to dismantle democratic governance and replace it with a technocratic elite. His vision of the future, where decisions are made in corporate boardrooms far from the reach of democratic oversight, finds fertile ground in Vance’s rhetoric and policy positions.

The ideological foundation of this movement is rooted in the “Dark Enlightenment,” a term coined by Curtis Yarvin, one of Vance’s intellectual influences. Yarvin’s ideas, which advocate for a “CEO-like” leader who wields unchecked power, align perfectly with Thiel’s vision of governance. In this worldview, democracy is seen as inefficient, a relic of the past that must be replaced by a system that prioritizes order, control, and the authority of a technocratic elite. Vance’s public statements, including his calls to “replace civil servants with our people,” mirror this dangerous philosophy, suggesting that his rise to power is less about reform and more about replacing democracy with something darker.

Digital Fortresses: Rumble and Disinformation

Vance’s vision isn’t confined to the physical structures of governance—it extends into the digital sphere, where platforms like Rumble serve as the battleground for ideological warfare. Billed as an alternative to Big Tech, Rumble, where Vance and Thiel have invested heavily, has become a haven for conspiracy theories, extremist ideologies, and misinformation. It’s a platform where the most dangerous elements of far-right ideology are amplified, providing a space for the anti-democratic rhetoric that underpins Vance’s political strategy.

On Rumble, voices that challenge the legitimacy of elections, spread disinformation about vaccines, and promote the unraveling of democratic institutions are given free rein. The platform isn’t just a marketplace of ideas—it’s a breeding ground for a new political order, one where the norms of democracy are dismantled in favor of a system that rewards control and obedience. For Vance, Rumble is a tool of influence, a digital fortress where his ideas can thrive unchecked, shaping public discourse in ways that serve to further erode trust in democratic processes.

Vance’s Views on Women: The Return to “Traditional Values”

Moreover, Vance’s views on women reflect the same regressive tendencies that define his political philosophy. His harsh portrayal of his mother in Hillbilly Elegy—where he blames her addiction and instability for the family’s struggles—points to a broader disdain for women who don’t conform to his rigid vision of domesticity. His critiques of feminism, which he claims have “undermined family values,” echo the rhetoric of Phyllis Schlafly and the social conservatives of the 1970s, who argued that women’s liberation was destroying the American family.

Vance’s nostalgia for traditional gender roles reveals a desire to turn back the clock on decades of progress. His opposition to reproductive rights, his calls for women to return to their roles as mothers and caretakers, and his dismissive attitude towards women’s autonomy suggest a worldview that is not only patriarchal but also deeply hostile to the idea of gender equality. In Vance’s America, women’s rights are secondary to the preservation of a moral order dictated by religious conservatism and enforced by the state.

Fortress America: A Dystopian Vision

As Vance’s political star rises, the fortress he builds becomes ever more imposing. His vision of America is not one of democracy, but of hierarchy—where the elite rule from insulated towers, far removed from the struggles of ordinary citizens. In this America, elections are little more than ceremonial gestures, designed to maintain the illusion of choice while power remains firmly concentrated in the hands of a technocratic elite.

The institutions that once protected the rights of the people—courts, the press, and the civil service—are hollowed out, replaced by loyalists who serve the interests of the ruling class. The press, once a watchdog for democracy, is reduced to an arm of the state, echoing the narratives crafted within the walls of the fortress. Meanwhile, civil liberties are gradually eroded, with dissenters silenced and protests suppressed under the guise of maintaining “order” and “security.”

The Dystopian Reality

The parallels to dystopian futures are undeniable. In Vance’s America, the rich live in insulated towers, far above the chaos of everyday life, while the rest of society fights for survival in a system rigged against them. These towers aren’t just physical—they are symbolic of the consolidation of power, where the elite, fortified by wealth and influence, control every aspect of society. Information, technology, even the flow of political power is concentrated in the hands of a few, leaving the rest of the population powerless to change their fate.

This isn’t the democracy of Lincoln or Roosevelt. It is a future where freedom is sacrificed for the sake of order, where equality is abandoned in favor of control. The technocratic elite, with Vance at their helm, dictate the terms of governance, free from the constraints of democratic accountability. And the people, shut out of the decision-making process, are left to watch from the outside as their rights and liberties are slowly stripped away.

Closing Thought

As Vance rises, the fortress he builds looms larger with each passing day. The question now is not whether democracy can survive, but whether we still have the will to fight for it. The walls of this fortress are not built overnight, nor are they built in secret. They rise brick by brick, as the democratic institutions we once trusted are dismantled piece by piece. The longer we wait, the higher these walls grow, and the harder it becomes to tear them down.

Do we still have the courage to dismantle these walls before they become impenetrable? Or are we watching, in real-time, the slow and deliberate end of American democracy?

Works Cited

Categories: Anti-Semitism, Authoritarianism, Conspiracy Theories, Corruption, Crime, Demagoguery, Democracy, Elections, Extremism, Fascism, Human Rights, Law, National Security, News, Politics, Propaganda, Race, Religious Fundamentalism, Reproductive Rights, Technology, Toadyism, Women's empowerment
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