The Last American Vagabond - Donald Trump, Peter Thiel, and the Technocrats

Episode Date: March 13, 2025

Donald Trump’s 2nd term is off to a controversial start, with his supporters celebrating his Executive Orders to free Ross Ulbricht, ending funding for schools requiring COVID19 injections, calling for releasing the JFK, MLK, and RFK files, and ending support for USAID.However, while the MAGA movement cheers Trump for moving at a rapid pace, many of his supporters appear to be turning a blind eye to the influence of Peter Thiel and other Technocrats.Who is Peter Thiel and what is a Technocrat? Let’s Dive In…In the early 20th century, a movement began to develop around a political theory known as Technocracy, a system wherein management of governments is handled by technical experts, often involving technology-focused solutions. Early proponents of Technocracy claimed that the concept would lead to better management of resources and the protection of the planet. However, this system of governance by technological experts and their technology would also involve a loss of privacy, as well as centralization of power and the management of all human behavior. Although the term appears to have been largely forgotten, the technocratic philosophy and influence can be seen everywhere in our modern digital world.One of the most influential proponents of Technocracy was a man named Howard Scott, a writer who founded the Technical Alliance in New York City in 1919. Scott believed that business owners lacked the necessary skills and data to reform their industries, and thus control should be handed over to engineers.Technocrats publicized their vision of a centrally-planned world via books, speeches, clubs, and political parties. This resulted in a brief period of popularity in the US and Canada in the years following the Great Depression. As politicians and economists searched for a solution to the financial calamity, the technocrats imagined a world where politicians and business owners were replaced with scientists, engineers, and other technical experts, who would manage the economy.However, in the 1940s, mainstream interest in the Technocracy movement seemed to dissipate.The ideas that underpinned the technocratic vision received a notable endorsement in 1970, when political scientist Zbigniew Brzezinski released his book, Between Two Ages: America’s Role in the Technetronic Era. Brzezinski will be familiar to long time researchers of the ruling elite. Until his death in 2018, Brzezinski was a diplomat who ran in the same circles as David Rockefeller and former Secretary of State and accused war criminal Henry Kissinger. Brzezinski served as advisor to several presidents—from Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama. Brzezinski was also a member of the Atlantic Council, the National Endowment for Democracy, and the Council on Foreign Relations.Although Brzezinski’s Between Two Ages substituted the term “Technetronic” for “Technocracy,” the depiction of the future is the same: a world in which the scientific and technological elite centrally plan the lives of all humanity. Essentially, Brzezinski’s vision is a technologically-advanced authoritarian-style collectivism, wherein individual liberties are subordinated to the apparent needs of the collective.When we examine the world of 2025 we clearly see the signs of technocratic influence. For example, we can see this influence in the wealthiest companies and most influential CEOs. These individuals are running companies that have amassed large amounts of financial wealth, as well as unfathomable amounts of digital data on all of their customers.From Jeff Bezos at Amazon, Bill Gates of Microsoft, Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook, Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, we can see the technocratic ideology. These men and their colleagues in various technological industries wield immense power through their companies, wealth, and cultural influence. These individuals have enough money, resources, and connections to shape elections, geoengineer the climate, and cause dips in the stock market, to name a few examples. They are the technocrat class of 2025.Who is Peter Thiel?Peter Thiel is the infamous co-founder of Palantir, the “private” surveillance firm with a long history of involvement and collaboration with the CIA. Thiel is also a Steering Committee Member of the Bilderberg Group, the infamously secretive group which represents the interests of the hidden ruling class.In the second Trump administration, Thiel’s influence is more visible than ever as numerous associates and acolytes of his are set to play various influential roles.An examination of Donald Trump’s cabinet reveals many connections to Thiel.Vice President J.D. VanceDespite not giving directly to the 2024 Trump campaign, Thiel has gained well-deserved scrutiny for his role in financing the rise of Vice President J.D. Vance.Vance, the 40-year-old former Ohio Senator, was in attendance at David Sacks’ June 2024 fundraiser for Trump. Sacks is a former COO of Paypal.According to “two people with knowledge of the exchange”, during the June event Trump “informally polled the room” regarding who he should choose for his Vice Presidential running mate. David Sacks, Chamath Palihapitiya, and others all told Trump he should choose Vance. Elon Musk also reportedly encouraged Trump to pick Vance. A few weeks later at the Republican National Convention that’s exactly what Donald Trump did.Thiel and Vance have an extensive relationship. Vance claims that after hearing Peter Thiel deliver a speech at Yale Law School in 2011 he was inspired to pursue a career in big tech firms. He started as a junior investor with the Thiel-backed Mithril Capital in 2016.Vance briefly worked at biotechnology firm Circuit Therapeutics, a move which then-CEO Frederic Moll told the NY Times was a “favor to Peter.” In 2019, Vance would found his own venture firm, Narya Capital, with financial backing from the former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, the billionaire investor Marc Andreessen, and, of course, Peter Thiel.When Vance announced his run for Ohio Senator, Peter Thiel was there and gave $15 million to the campaign. With this money Vance was able to secure a victory and within two years he was on the way to the White House with the full support of Thiel and other technocrats.Elon MuskWhile Musk is a powerful and influential technocrat in his own right, he and Thiel have their own history of collaboration.Elon Musk and Peter Thiel have been friends for more than two decades and both men received massive financial wealth from their co-founding of PayPal. Thiel has also been a prominent investor in Musk’s various ventures, including Neuralink.Musk and Peter Thiel also co-founded “America PAC” as their vehicle to support Trump’s return to the White House. In July 2024 it was initially reported that Musk would invest $45 million a month into the Trump campaign. In the end, Musk would give nearly $75 million to the PAC.As promised, Trump nominated Musk to lead the “Department of Government Efficiency”. While the idea of reducing government waste and increasing efficiency is an appealing proposition, it should also be noted that Musk’s talk of efficiency is reminiscent of the little known Efficiency Movement which predated the more well-known Technocracy movement.The Efficiency Movement sought to identify and eliminate waste in all areas of the economy and society, and to develop and implement “best practices”. Supporters of the movement included Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller.Is the goal of Trump and Elon to make government more efficient to serve the people? Or, is the goal to finally fulfill the dream of the original technocrats and eliminate the political and business classes in favor of “machines” (Artificial Intelligence), centrally planning, and managing society? Time will tell.David SacksDavid Sacks is most well-known for his involvement in the early days of PayPal, serving as the COO with Thiel as the CEO. He is considered a member of the so-called “PayPal Mafia”, a name given to the founders of PayPal who later founded numerous tech companies, including Tesla, LinkedIn, Palantir Technologies, SpaceX, YouTube, and Yelp.In June 2024, Sacks hosted a fundraiser for Trump at Sacks’ home in San Francisco. It was this dinner where the billionaires told Trump he should choose Vance as his running mate.Shortly after his victory in the 2024 election, Trump rewarded Sacks for his loyalty by appointing him as the “AI and Crypto Czar”. In this position Sacks is expected to greatly influence the U.S. government’s policies on cryptocurrency, and the advancement of AI.Howard LutnickHoward Lutnick is the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald investment firm and has become a vocal proponent for Bitcoin in the last couple years. Trump has recently nominated him to be U.S. Commerce Secretary.Lutnick is also an investor in Strive Asset Management, which was founded by Vivek Ramaswamy. Peter Thiel, the Founders Fund, and J.D. Vance’s Narya Capital also contributed to Strive’s $30 million funding round.Lutnick is also a part owner of video platform Rumble, founded by Chris Pavlovski. In December 2021, Pavlovski announced his intention to take Rumble public by combining forces with CF Acquisition Corp, a division of the Lutnick’s Cantor Fitzgerald.Lutnick was also formerly a neighbor to Jeffrey Epstein in NYC and raised millions for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Presidential campaign.Lutnick has spoken at the World Economic Forum’s various meetings as far back a s 2016 and as recently as January 2023.Jim O’NeillDonald Trump has appointed Jim O’Neill as deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). O’Neill has extensive connections and collaborations with Peter Thiel.O’Neill worked at two of Peter Thiel’s funds, Clarium Capital and Mithril Capital Management from 2012 to 2019. In 2010, he co-founded Peter Thiel‘s Thiel Fellowship. He also worked as the CEO of the Thiel Foundation from 2009 to 2012.From 2019 to July 2021, O’Neill was the CEO of SENS Research Foundation, an organization focused on “rejuvenation”. The SENS received its initial funding from Peter Thiel in 2006 and 2008, a fact that should come as no surprise given Thiel’s own interest in fighting aging using the blood of the young.Ken HoweryTrump named Ken Howery as his pick for U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark.The connections between Howery, Peter Thiel, and the World Economic Forum run deep. Apparently, Trump sees those connections as a net positive.Howery was another PayPal co-founder with Thiel. The pair also co-founded the venture capital fund Founders Fund.In March 2012, the WEF named Howery a member of the Young Global Leader program. He is also a member of the Selection Committee for the World Economic Forum Technology Pioneers Program.Howery may have been selected for the role of ambassador to Denmark to help Trump fulfill his goal of annexing Greenland. Denmark has administrative control over Greenland as part of its kingdom. Interestingly, Trump’s calls for purchasing Greenland and making it part of the United States mirrors the original Technocrats plan for the “Technate of America”, including Canada and Panama as well.Jacob HelbergJacob Helberg was appointed to be undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment. Helberg donated $2 million to Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.He is an ardent supporter of Israel and a former supporter of Democrats who has said his shift to Trump was a result of Democrats becoming “anti-Israel”.Helberg is also a senior adviser to Palantir Technologies, the private surveillance firm co-founded by Peter Thiel. Helberg also is also senior advisor to Alex Karp, Thiel’s co-founder and CEO of Palantir Technologies, and a fellow Bilderberg Steering Commitee Member.Michael KratsiosDonald Trump has named Michael Kratsios to serve as science adviser and director of the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy. Kratsios was the 1st Trump admin’s policy specialist on artificial intelligence, drones, quantum computing, and cybersecurity.Kratsios worked for two of Peter Thiel’s funds, Thiel Capital and Clarium Capital.It’s abundantly clear that the 2nd Trump administration is stacked with allies of Peter Thiel – the Technocrat and Steering Committee member of the Bilderberg Group.One final point worth noting relates to Palantir’s blind support for Israel and the Zionist cause.Thiel, and Palantir’s Support of GenocideIn November 2023, Palantir issued a letter to shareholders that stressed the company’s support for Israel’s quest to ethnically cleanse Palestinians.“We are one of a few companies in the world to stand up and announce our support for Israel, which remains steadfast. Palantir stands with Israel.”Thiel has also made it clear he will not interfere in Israel’s crimes and has no qualms supplying technology which leads to civilian deaths. First, in January 2024 Palantir announced that it had signed a “strategic partnership” with the Israeli Defense Ministry to supply technology for the genocide.In May 2024, protesters accused Thiel of complicity in ‘genocide’, blocking his vehicles for over an hour while he was speaking at the Cambridge Union. Over two hundred students gathered outside the Cambridge Union attempting to “drown out” Thiel’s talk.When Thiel was directly questioned about his support of Israel and their use of AI technology to murder humans, he gave a rambling non-answer.Given that Thiel and company are willing to turn a blind eye to the crimes of Israel, it should come as no surprise that Trump’s 2nd cabinet is stacked with former and current associates of Thiel’s who also share this zeal for Zionism and Technocracy.While these troubling facts may be disturbing to MAGA, these connections need to be questioned. If we are ever to defeat the so-called “deep state” we must commit ourselves to opposing techno-tyranny no matter which political party, politician, or billionaire is promoting it.The Last American Vagabond Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Last American Vagabond Substack at tlavagabond.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you very much. Donald Trump's second term is off to a controversial start with his supporters celebrating his executive orders to free Ross Oldbrick and funding for schools requiring COVID-19 injections, calling for releasing the JFK, MLK, and RFK files, and ending support for US aid. Okay, that solves that problem. However, while the MAGA movement cheers Trump for moving at a rapid pace,

many of his supporters appear to be turning a blind eye to the influence of Peter Thiel and the other technocrats. Who is Peter Thiel and what is a technocrat? Let's dive in. In the early 20th century, a movement began to develop around a political theory known as technocracy, a system wherein management of governments is handled by technical experts, often involving technology-focused solutions. Early proponents of technocracy claim that the concept would lead to better management of resources and the protection of the planet. However, this system of governance by technological experts in their technology would also involve a loss of privacy, as well as centralization of power and the management of all human behavior.

Although the term appears to have been largely forgotten, the technocratic philosophy and influence can be seen everywhere in our modern digital world. ...to arrive at the huge civic auditorium where a large receptive audience turned out to hear Howard Scott as he warned of an impending crisis in America's domestic and foreign affairs. One of the most influential proponents of technocracy was a man named Howard Scott, a writer who founded the Technical Alliance in New York City in 1919. Scott believed that business owners lacked the necessary skills and data to reform their industry, and thus control should be handed over to engineers. The technocrats publicized their vision of a centrally planned world via books, speeches, clubs, and political parties. This resulted in a brief period of popularity in the U.S. and Canada in the years following the great

depression. As politicians and economists searched for a solution to the financial calamity, the technocrats imagined a world where politicians and business owners were replaced with scientists, engineers, and other technical experts who would manage the economy. However, in the 1940s, mainstream interests in the technocracy movement seemed to dissipate. The ideas that underpin the technocratic vision received the notable endorsement in 1970 when political scientists as a big new Rosensky released his book, Between Two Ages, America's role in the technotronic era. Brzezinski will be familiar to long-term researchers of the ruling elite. Until his death in 2018, Brzezinski was a diplomat who ran in the same circles as David Rockefeller

and former Secretary of State and accused war criminal Henry Kissinger. Brzezinski served as advisor to several presidents from Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama. He was also a member of the Atlantic Council, the National Endowment for Democracy, and the Council on Foreign Relations. Although Brzezinski's book, Between Two Ages, substituted the term technotronic for technocratic, the depiction of the future is the same, a world in which the scientific and technological elite centrally planned the lives of all humanity. Essentially, Brzezensky's vision is a technologically advanced authoritarian-style collectivism wherein individual liberties are subordinated to the apparent needs of the collective.

When we examine the world of 2025, we clearly see the signs of technocratic influence. For example, we can see this influence in the wealthiest companies and the most influential. influential CEOs. These individuals are running companies that have amassed large amounts of financial wealth, as well as unfathomable amounts of digital data on all of their customers. From Jeff Bezos at Amazon, Bill Gates of Microsoft, Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook, Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, we can see the technocratic ideology. These men and their colleagues in various technological industries wield immense power through their companies, wealth, and cultural influence. These individuals have enough money, resources, and and connections to shape elections, geoengineer the climate, and cause dips in the stock market to name a few examples. They are the technocratic class of 2025. Who is Peter Thiel? Peter Thiel is the infamous co-founder of Palantir, the private surveillance firm with a long history of involvement and collaboration with the CIA. Teal is also a steering committee member of the Bilderberg group, the infamously secretive group, which represents the interests of the hidden ruling class. In the second

Trump administration, Teal's influence is more visible than ever, as numerous associates and acolytes of his are set to play various influential roles. Teal has a long history of supporting the two-time president. Tonight, I urge all of my fellow Americans to stand up and vote for Donald Trump. An examination of Donald Trump's cabinet reveals many connections to Teal. Vice President J.D. Vance. Despite not giving directly to the 2024 campaign, Teal has gained well-deserved scrutiny for his in financing the rise of Vice President J.D. Vance, the 40-year-old former senator from Ohio,

was in attendance at former CEO of PayPal David Sacks' June 24 fundraiser for Trump. According to two people with knowledge of the exchange, during this June event, Trump informally polled the room regarding who he should choose for vice presidential running mate. David Sacks and others in attendance all told Trump he should choose Vance. Elon Musk also reportedly encouraged Trump to pick Vance. And a few weeks later, at the 2024, Republican National Convention, that's exactly what Donald Trump did. Teal and Vance have an extensive relationship.

Vance claims that after hearing Peter Thiel deliver a speech at Yale Law School in 2011, he was inspired to pursue a career in big tech firms. He started as a junior investor with the teal-backed Mithril Capital in 2016. Vance briefly worked at biotech firm Circuit Therapeutics, a move which then-CEO Frederick Moll told the New York Times was, quote, a favor to Peter. In 2019, Vance would first be a favor to Peter. found his own venture firm, Naria Capital, with financial backing from the former CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt, the billionaire investor Mark Andreessen, and of course, Peter Thiel.

When Vance announced his run for Ohio Senator, Peter Thiel was there and gave $15 million to the campaign. With this money, Vance was able to secure a victory, and within two years, he was on the way to the White House with the full support of Peter Thiel and the technocrats. Elon Musk. While Musk is a powerful and influential technocrat in his own right, he and Teal have their own history of collaboration. Musk and Teal have been friends for more than two decades, and both men received massive financial wealth from their co-founding of PayPal. Teal has also been a prominent investor in Musk's various ventures, including Neurrelink. Musk and Peter Teal also co-founded America Pack as their vehicle to support Trump's return

to the White House. As promised, Trump nominated Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency. And while the idea of reducing government waste increasing efficiency is an appealing proposition, it should also be noted that Musk's talk of efficiency is reminiscent of the little-known efficiency movement, which predated the more well-known technocracy movement. The efficiency movement sought to identify and eliminate waste in all areas of economy and society and to develop and implement best practices. Supporters of this movement included Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller. Is the goal of Trump and Musk to make government more efficient to serve the people?

We're going to make the future good. We're going to make it good. We're going to make it good. Or is the goal to finally fulfill the dream of the original technocrats and eliminate the political and business classes in favor of machines, artificial intelligence, central planning and managing society? David Sacks Sacks is most well known for his involvement in the early days of PayPal, serving as the C-O-O with Teal as the CEO. He is considered a member of the so-called PayPal Mafia, a name given to the founders of PayPal, who later founded numerous tech companies, including Tesla, LinkedIn, Palantir, SpaceX, YouTube, and Yelp. In June 2024, it was Sachs who hosted a fundraiser for Trump at his home in San Francisco. It was this dinner where the billionaires told Trump he should choose Vance as his running mate.

Shortly after his victory in the 2024 election, Trump rewarded Sachs for his loyalty by appointing him as the AI and Cryptozar. In this position, Sachs is expected to greatly influence the U.S. government's policies on cryptocurrency and the advancement of AI. Howard Lutnik Howard Lutnik is the CEO of Cancer Fitzgerald Investment Firm and has become a vocal proponent for Bitcoin in the last couple years. Trump recently nominated him to be U.S. Commerce Secretary. Lutnik is also an investor in Strive Asset Management, which was founded by Vivek Ramoswamy.

Peter Thiel, the Founders Fund, and J.D. Vance's Naria Capital also contributed to Strive's $30 million funding round. Lutnik is also part owner of Video Platform Rumble founded by Chris Pavlowski. In December 2021, Pavlowski announced his intention to take Rumble public by combining forces with CF Acquisition Corps, a division of Lutnik's Cantor Fitzgerald. Lutnik was also formerly a neighbor to Jeffrey Epstein in New York City

and raised millions of dollars for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. Lutnik has spoken at the World Economic Forum's various meetings as far back as 2016 and as recently as January 2023. Jim O'Neill Donald Trump has a platform. pointed Jim O'Neill's Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. O'Neill has extensive connections and collaborations with Peter Thiel. O'Neill worked at two of Peter Thiel's funds, Clarium Capital and Mithril Capital Management,

from 2012 to 2019. In 2010, he co-founded Peter Teal's Teal Fellowship. He also worked as the CEO of the Teal Foundation from 2009 to 2012. From 2019 to July 2021, O'Neill was the CEO of Sends Research Foundation, an organization focused on rejuvenation. The Sends Foundation received its initial funding from Peter Thiel in 2006 and 2008, a fact that should come as no surprise given Teal's own interest in fighting aging using the blood of the young. Ken Howary. Trump named Ken Howry as his pick for the U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark. Howary previously served as a U.S. ambassador to Sweden.

The connections between Howary, Peter Thiel, and the World Economic Forum run deep. Apparently, Trump sees these connections as a net positive. Howie was another PayPal co-founder with Teal. The pair also co-founded the Venture Capital Fund, Founders Fund. In March 2012, the World Economic Forum named Howary as a member of the Young Global Leader Program. He is also a member of the Selection Committee for the World Economic Forum's Technology Pioneers Program.

Howary may have been selected for the role of ambassador to Denmark to help Trump fulfill his goal of annexing Greenland. Denmark has administrative control over Greenland as part of its kingdom. It's interesting that Trump's calls for purchasing Greenland and making it part of the United States literally mirror the original technocrats' plan for the tech Native America, including Mexico, Canada, and Panama as well. Jacob Helberg. Jacob Helberg was appointed to be Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment. Helberg donated $2 million to Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.

He is an ardent supporter of Israel and a former supporter of Democrats who has said that his shift to Trump was a result. of Democrats becoming, quote, anti-Israel. Hellberg is also a senior advisor to Palantir Technologies, the private surveillance firm co-founded by Peter Thiel. Helberg is also a senior advisor to Alex Karp, Peter Thiel's co-founder and current CEO of Palantir Technologies, and a fellow Bill DeBerg steering committee member. Donald Trump has named Michael Kratzios to serve as a science advisor

and director of the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy. Kratzios was the first Trump administration's policy specialist on artificial intelligence, drones, quantum computing, and cybersecurity. Kratzios worked for two of Peter Thiel's funds, Teal Capital, and Clarium Capital. It is abundantly clear that the Second Trump administration is stacked with allies of Peter Thiel, the technocrat, and steering committee member of the Bilderberg group. One final point worth noting relates to Palantir's blind support for Israel and the Zionist cause. In November 2023, Palantir issued a letter to shareholders that stressed the company's support for Israel's

to ethnically cleanse Palestinians. Quote, we are one of the few companies in the world to stand up and announce our support for Israel, which remains steadfast. Palantir stands with Israel. Tio has also made it clear he will not interfere in Israel's crimes and has no qualm supplying technology, which leads to civilian deaths. First, in January 2024, Palantir announced that it had signed a strategic partnership with the Israeli Defense Ministry to supply technology for the genocide.

In May 24, protesters accused Teal of complicity and genocide, blocking his vehicles for over an hour while he was speaking at the Cambridge Union. Over 200 students gathered outside the Cambridge Union attempting to drown out Teal's talk. When Teal was directly questioned about his support of Israel and their use of AI technology to murder humans, he gave a rambling non-answer. So what do you think about the use of artificial intelligence or lavender by the IDF in? identifying Hamas targets. And secondly, do you agree with Elon Musk about that the population decline is a risk for humanity? Yeah, I'm not, I'm not, you know, without, without going into all the, you know, I'm not on top of all the details of what's going on in Israel because my, my bias is to defer to Israel.

Given that Teel and company are willing to turn a blind eye to the crimes of Israel, Israel, it should come as no surprise that Trump's second cabinet is stacked with former and current associates of Teal who also share the zeal for Zionism and technocracy. While these troubling facts may be disturbing to Maga, these connections need to be questioned. If we are ever to defeat the so-called deep state, we must commit ourselves to opposing techno-tirony no matter which political party, politician, or billionaire is promoting it.