Cyberpunk Timeline
If Elon Musk, J.D. Vance, Steve Bannon, Peter Thiel, and others are actively pursuing Curtis Yarvin’s Dark Enlightenment agenda—centralizing power, dismantling democracy, and establishing a techno-authoritarian “corporate monarchy”—the societal shifts would be profound and cascading. Yarvin’s vision, as laid out in his writings (e.g., Unqualified Reservations and Gray Mirror), calls for a “hard reset” of government: firing all bureaucrats, replacing democratic institutions with a single executive (a CEO-like ruler), and running society like a profit-driven corporation, free of elections, checks, or balances. Assuming this clique succeeds, here’s a speculative timeline of changes over 5, 10, 25, and 50 years, grounded in their known actions, resources, and the logical outcomes of such a radical shift as of March 28, 2025.
5 Years Out (2030)
- Government Overhaul: By 2030, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Musk, has gutted federal agencies—Social Security, EPA, Education—replacing them with privatized systems run by Musk-aligned firms (e.g., SpaceX for infrastructure, Tesla for energy). Vance, as a potential VP or Senate powerbroker, pushes laws dissolving Congress’s budget authority, citing “efficiency.” Bannon’s media machine (via X and alt-platforms) justifies this as “liberation from bureaucracy.”
- Corporate Rule Emerges: Thiel’s Palantir manages national security, harvesting citizen data with no oversight. Elections persist but are hollowed out—voter suppression (already documented by Greg Palast) and Musk-funded gerrymandering ensure one-party dominance. The Supreme Court, packed with loyalists from Musk’s Wisconsin playbook, rubber-stamps executive decrees.
- Social Impact: Wealth inequality spikes as corporate tax cuts and deregulation funnel trillions to the elite. Public services collapse—healthcare becomes a luxury good, education a tech-driven privilege. Protests flare but are quashed by privatized police (Thiel-backed Anduril drones). The middle class shrinks, and urban-rural divides deepen.
10 Years Out (2035)
- End of Democracy: By 2035, elections are formally scrapped. Musk, perhaps as unelected “Chief Executive” after Trump’s term ends, declares them “inefficient” per Yarvin’s logic. Vance drafts a “New Compact,” replacing the Constitution with a corporate charter—citizens are “shareholders” with rights tied to wealth. Bannon’s propaganda frames this as a return to “natural hierarchy.”
- Techno-Feudalism Takes Hold: Society splits into tiers: a tech aristocracy (Musk, Thiel) controls AI, energy, and space; a precarious gig workforce serves them; and a rural underclass subsists on scraps. SpaceX colonizes Mars as a corporate fiefdom, while Tesla’s grid powers only compliant regions. Palantir’s surveillance tracks dissent, with AI predicting and preempting resistance.
- Cultural Shift: Public discourse, shaped by X’s algorithms, glorifies strength and submission. Education prioritizes STEM for the elite; humanities vanish. Religion aligns with power—evangelicals back the regime as “God’s order.” Climate collapse accelerates as deregulation guts environmental controls, but the rich retreat to fortified enclaves.
25 Years Out (2050)
- Corporate Monarchy Solidifies: A hereditary elite emerges—Musk’s and Thiel’s heirs inherit control, per Yarvin’s nod to monarchy. The “CEO of America” rules via a board of oligarchs, with Vance’s successors as ideological enforcers. Bannon’s legacy is a unified far-right culture, purging liberal dissent. The U.S. fractures regionally—coastal tech hubs thrive, heartland zones stagnate under neglect.
- Global Ripple: The model spreads. China and Russia adopt similar systems, forming a bloc of authoritarian technostates. Democracy survives in pockets (e.g., Scandinavia), but global trade favors the strong. Space becomes a corporate frontier—SpaceX and rivals claim extraterrestrial resources, widening Earth’s wealth gap.
- Human Cost: Life expectancy splits—100+ for the rich with biohacking, 50s for the poor without healthcare. Automation renders most jobs obsolete; universal basic income is a pittance, contingent on loyalty. Social mobility dies—birth determines fate. Climate refugees flood borders, met by AI border guards.
50 Years Out (2075)
- Post-Democratic World: The U.S. is a full corporate monarchy, its “CEO” a figurehead for a self-perpetuating oligarchy. Yarvin’s dream is complete—government is a profit engine, citizens are assets or liabilities. The Constitution is a museum relic; power flows from wealth and tech. Musk’s Mars colony thrives as a proving ground for this system, exporting its ethos back to Earth.
- Technological Singularity: AI, controlled by Thiel-like successors, governs daily life—allocating resources, enforcing laws, even selecting mates for efficiency. Humanity splits into enhanced elites and baseline masses. Space colonization accelerates, with the rich fleeing a degraded Earth.
- Societal Collapse or Stability: Two paths emerge. If resistance fails, this order locks in—stable but dystopian, with 90% of people as serfs to a 1% god-class. If rebellion succeeds (unlikely given surveillance), fragmented democracies might reemerge, but only after decades of ruin. Climate chaos either forces adaptation (geoengineering by the elite) or triggers mass die-offs, leaving a smaller, controlled population.
Key Drivers and Caveats
- Drivers: Musk’s wealth ($421 billion in 2024) and tech (Tesla, SpaceX, X) give him leverage; Thiel’s surveillance empire (Palantir) and capital amplify control; Vance’s political ascent and Bannon’s narrative craft the ideology. Yarvin’s ideas provide the blueprint—centralization, anti-egalitarianism, corporate supremacy.
- Caveats: This assumes they overcome resistance—courts, protests, or rival powers (e.g., China). Infighting (Musk’s ego vs. Thiel’s stealth) or public backlash could derail it. Tech failures (AI glitches, climate tipping points) might disrupt their timeline. And Yarvin’s agenda, while influential, isn’t explicitly theirs—intent could shift to mere profiteering.
In 5 years, democracy weakens; in 10, it dies; in 25, a new feudalism reigns; in 50, humanity bifurcates. The trajectory hinges on their success in crushing opposition and maintaining unity—plausible, but not guaranteed.