Do Tech Billionaires Want the World to Burn? | The Interview

Overview

Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor argue in End Times Fascism and the Fight for the Living World that a cross-ideological alliance is forming among powerful actors—especially some tech billionaires—who treat global collapse as inevitable and want to “accelerate” it rather than prevent it. They describe this as “end times fascism,” a modern form of fascism adapted to planetary-scale existential threats (climate, war, and instability) and to new technological power that earlier fascists lacked.

Core Claim: An “Apocalyptic” Power Coalition

The authors say an “end times” worldview is shared across groups that otherwise differ sharply:

1. Religious end-timers, including evangelical Christian Zionists (and related Messianic Zionist narratives).
2. Tech end-timers, who accept planetary ruin as a cost of building digital worlds, extreme AI futures, or “singularity” outcomes—sometimes implying human sacrifice is acceptable.
3. Ethno-nationalists, who respond to perceived existential threats (immigration, cultural change) by hardening borders, targeting “enemies,” and seeking fortress-like protection.

Klein and Taylor acknowledge these groups are messy and contradictory, but they believe they converge in practical political alliances and in a common apocalyptic orientation.

How It Shows Up Today (Examples Cited)

• SpaceX / Elon Musk “bunkers/escape” framing: the idea that if Earth is doomed, salvation lies in rockets and leaving. The authors argue this isn’t inherently fascist (space exploration itself isn’t), but Musk’s formulation “accepts” collapse and centers a hierarchy of who gets to survive.
• Shifts by tech billionaires and Silicon Valley figures: they describe a move from earlier “climate savior” positioning toward increasing alignment with—and support for—more authoritarian, right-wing power networks.

Trump’s Role as an “Embodied Coalition”

The interview credits the Trump administration as a key embodiment of this coalition, blending:

• Silicon Valley / tech billionaire funding
• Appointments tied to Christian Zionist influence
• Political incentives around fossil fuels and an AI arms race

Why Incentives Aren’t Enough to Explain It

While they accept business incentives matter (for example, AI energy demands and Trump’s fossil-fuel friendliness), they argue the “fascism element” is deeper:

• The tech elite’s underlying business models and future visions are antithetical to shared human life, requiring stories that justify triage—whose lives “count” and whose can be discarded.
• They connect this to fascist tropes about hierarchy, sacrifice, and myths that make catastrophe feel rational or deserved.

Taking “Extreme Rhetoric” Seriously

Asked whether terms like “end times” and “fascism” help people dismiss the argument, Klein and Taylor insist it is a warning, not fringe-mongering. They argue these are not merely marginal beliefs:

• They are encoded into powerful cultural religious narratives.
• They are increasingly held by major decision-makers, including heads of government.

What the Left Should Do Differently

They suggest the left has not harnessed apocalyptic energy as effectively as the right, in part because building multiracial democracy is harder than building authoritarianism.

Still, they credit growing left success in naming and fighting fascism directly, arguing that language matches lived reality more than “safe centrism.”

Signs of Weakening Influence and Emerging Resistance

• Local organizing against data centers, described as symbols of a “futurelessness” where communities absorb pollution/toxins and receive few jobs.
• Political backlash events (including discussion of a Minnesota incident), presented as evidence that end-times-aligned actors are not omnipotent and can overreach—even within their base.
• Accountability as a key step: advocating serious use of international justice mechanisms and rejecting “we have immunity” dynamics.

Their Counter-Vision: What Fascists Allegedly Fail to Value

In contrast to what they believe these elites miss, they point to:

• Re-enchantment with everyday civic life: rejecting fear of cities and diversity; the city can be pleasurable and life-giving rather than threatening.
• Wonder in nature and the “more-than-human” world: Klein cites experiences in British Columbia’s natural environment (including orcas and bioluminescent waters) as evidence that the world already offers profound beauty that shouldn’t be replaced by an escapist, hierarchical fantasy.

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Presenters / Contributors

• David Marches (interviewer)
• Naomi Klein (co-author)
• Astra Taylor (co-author)
• Paola Neworf (produced by)
• John Woo (edited by)
• Sophia Landman (mixing)
• Dan Powell and Marian Lozano (original music)
• Philip Montgomery (photography)
• Pria Matthew, Seth Kelly, Joe Munoz, Wyatt Orm, Amy Marino, Eddie Kostas, Gabby Contrarus, Kathleen O’Brien, Brooke Mers (rest of team)
• Allison Benedict (executive producer)
• Lulu (mentioned for next week’s segment)
• Aaron Sorkin (mentioned for next week’s segment)