The Misguided NHK Special on “Elon Musk”
My column typically analyzes weekly economic and market movements, but during this Obon holiday period, I’d like to discuss a more longer -term theme.
One reason is my dismay after watching the NHK Special “Elon Musk” that aired on August 10.
This program extensively covers criticism of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), but, as is well known, Musk has already withdrawn from DOGE.
The latter half finally addresses “Tech Right” as its theme, centering on an interview with Curtis Yarvin, described as “a friend of Vice President J.D. Vance and a person Musk allegedly met with regarding the establishment of a new party.”
NHK appears to problematize Yarvin’s ideology—which criticizes the “cathedral” composed of bureaucrats, universities, and existing media while advocating for “accountable monarchy”—linking it to the Trump administration and Musk.
The program even showed footage of demonstrations chanting “No Kings” after Yarvin’s interview.
People who have just begun researching techno-libertarians tend to overestimate Yarvin, who is merely a blogger. Since Musk and Peter Thiel have no published works on policy, understanding their ideology requires carefully tracking their statements and actions.
While Yarvin’s arguments are radical and easy to understand, they don’t have enough influence to sway the Trump administration.
The AI Tsunami
