thenerdreich.com

02/10/2025

On February 5, a group of anonymous researchers published a memo that reads like a techno-political thriller—except every word is real. The document, “Capture of U.S. Critical Infrastructure by Neoreactionaries,” details how Elon Musk—the wealthiest person alive and a man who once declared, “Government is the ultimate corporation”—has orchestrated a stunning takeover of federal power.

The details will sound familiar to longtime readers of this newsletter. I have no idea who wrote the memo, and I am incredibly hesitant to share anything when I don’t know its provenance. But as someone who has covered this subject in-depth, I can say that someone has made a terrific effort to explain the situation very clearly, methodically, professionally, and thoroughly (with footnotes, even). It covers most of what I wrote in my Network State series for the New Republic but adds critical analysis of what’s now taking place inside our government.

I encourage you to read the full memo yourself, which investigative journalist and researcher Dave Troy posted. Click here to read “Capture of U.S. Critical Infrastructure by Neoreactionaries.”

A summary

Under the guise of streamlining bureaucracy through DOGE, Musk has installed loyalists throughout federal agencies, taking over everything from Personnel Management to sensitive Treasury payment systems. His young and unvetted recruits now hold high-level access to government infrastructure while career civil servants find themselves locked out of their own systems.

Most alarming is how this transformation mirrors the explicit goals of Silicon Valley’s “neo-reactionary” movement—a group of tech elites who dream of replacing democracy with corporate-style rule. They haven’t dismantled the deep state–they’ve privatized it. The memo raises concerns about how Musk’s all-powerful government role will benefit his artificial intelligence, crypto, and other business interests.