The Nerd Reich and the War on Democracy with Gil Durán

The Nerd Reich and the War on Democracy with Gil Durán

Author: Caitlin Begg August 24, 2026 Duration: 50:08

Social media was once sold to us as "fun"—years later, the Big Tech leaders who sold us on it flaunt their authoritarian alignments.

Gil Durán and I discuss his new book, "⁠The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy"⁠.

We speak about what "technofascism" is and its origins; "The Nerd Reich" and its similarity to the Third Reich; the "religion of technicity"; Gil's permanent ban from X and suppression on Meta platforms which drew headlines; Peter Thiel (ranging from "Zero to One" to his current obsession with the antichrist to his relationship with JD Vance); fringe philosophers' impact on Big Tech leaders & the U.S. government; DOGE and RAGE; Palantir and 9/11; the challenge of imagination in today's world; how professionals can navigate the job market with so many open roles coming from Big Tech; whether it is possible to work in Big Tech and still make a difference; and more.

Gil Durán is a San Francisco-based journalist covering tech extremism.

⁠⁠Buy the book⁠⁠

⁠More about Gil Durán⁠

⁠The Nerd Reich Newsletter⁠


There's a quiet but persistent feeling that something essential is getting lost in our digital shuffle. Progression to Analog is a space to examine that feeling, hosted by sociologist and Authentic Social founder Caitlin Begg. This isn't a nostalgic retreat, but a thoughtful exploration of how reintroducing analog elements-whether in communication, work, or leisure-can reshape our daily experience toward something more intentional and, ultimately, more human. Each conversation in this podcast moves beyond simple tool-swapping to ask deeper questions about presence, connection, and the architecture of our attention. You'll hear discussions that weave sociological insight with practical reflection, considering how the textures of a less-mediated life can influence our relationships, creativity, and sense of self. New episodes arrive every Monday, offering a regular pause to consider the pace and quality of the everyday. Tune in for a series that treats the analog not as an antiquated concept, but as a meaningful progression.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 46

Hypercommunication
Podcast Episodes
Anemoia: Nostalgia For A Time You've Never Known [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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I felt an inexplicable feeling a few weeks ago, and turned to GPT-4 to help explain it. I was feeling nostalgia for a time I've never known, a longing for an unexperienced past. GPT identified this as "anemoia". In this…
A People's History of Tech with New York-based Sara M. Watson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:45
Radical futurist, tech critic, independent industry analyst, and interdisciplinary researcher Sara M. Watson and I discuss "A People's History of Technology" in this episode, which she co-founded and curates (with Emily…
A Sociotechnical Approach to AI, Sales, and Communication [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:32
One issue organizations are dealing with right now: how do we move AI from a buzzword to something that actually impacts our organization? Along these lines, in this episode I discuss the importance of a sociotechnical (…
No Phones in the Bedroom? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:21
I discuss why you should stop checking your phone when you wake up, benefits to ditching your smartphone in the bedroom, sleep inertia and sleep drunkenness, how I decreased my screen time by 65%, and more. Some referenc…
Human-Centric Enterprise AI with Helsinki-based Dr. Anna Lahtinen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:41
In this episode, I discuss practical sociotechnical approaches to enterprise artificial intelligence adoption (especially for small and medium sized businesses) with Helsinki-based Dr. Anna Lahtinen. Curiously, artificia…