The Neo-Millsian Economy: Business at the Nexus of State, Military, and Corporate Power
C. Wright Mills warned us about the "Power Elite" in 1956. Today, that elite has digitized. We are witnessing the fusion of state authority and corporate profit—and it is creating the most lucrative business verticals in history.
The "Military-Industrial Complex" has metastasized. It is now the "Security-Industrial-Cognitive Complex." The modern elite doesn't just build tanks; they build the operating system of the state.
Inspiration: Reading C. Wright Mills’s The Power Elite and realizing that his "Triangle of Power" (Military, Corporate, Political) has evolved into a single, seamless organism.
In 1956, C. Wright Mills argued that the US was ruled by a centralized "triangle of power": the political executive, the military establishment, and the corporate elite.
Seventy years later, the geometry is the same, but the materials have changed.
The "military-industrial complex" doesn't just make steel and munitions anymore. It makes intelligence, consensus, biological security, and the digital infrastructure of the state.
We are witnessing the Neo-Millsian Economy. Here are the business verticals defining this new era.
I. The "Sherpa" Industry (Access as an Asset Class)
In the old days, you retired from the government to play golf. Today, you monetize your clearance.
Firms like WestExec Advisors (founded by Antony Blinken) represent the industrialization of the revolving door. They don't sell products; they sell "Commercial Diplomacy."
They help tech companies navigate the Pentagon. They help defense primes navigate the State Department.
The Insight: "National Security" is now a market fundamental. Private Equity firms like Pine Island Capital place former generals on their investment committees. They buy companies based on their alignment with future defense budgets. It is a closed loop of doctrine and capital.
II. The Privatized Panopticon (Data & Surveillance)
Mills warned of centralized information. Today, surveillance is privatized.
Data Brokerage (The Loophole): The Fourth Amendment protects you from the government searching your phone. But it doesn't stop the government from buying your data from a private company. Firms like Fog Data Science buy location data from weather apps and sell it to the police. It is "Compliance-Free Surveillance."
Private Intelligence Agencies (PIAs): Firms like Black Cube or Kroll employ ex-Mossad and ex-CIA agents to conduct corporate espionage. They operate in the "grey zone," offering state-level tradecraft to private clients.
III. The "Dual-Use" Alibi (Silicon Valley Goes to War)
The term "Dual-Use" is the semantic shield for the militarization of the civilian economy.
By framing AI and Space tech as "Dual-Use," startups can access massive defense subsidies while keeping a "progressive" civilian image.
SpaceX and Palantir proved this model. They aren't just vendors; they are strategic partners. The US cannot fight a modern war without Palantir’s software or Starlink’s satellites. The state has "hollowed out"—it retains the authority to govern, but rents the capacity to do so from the private sector.
IV. Future Verticals (2030-2040)
Where does this go next?
1. Cognitive Sovereignty: As Brain-Computer Interfaces (Neuralink) arrive, the brain becomes a contested domain. We will see a market for "Neural Firewalls" to protect high-value individuals from cognitive surveillance. Conversely, the state will contract firms to monitor the "cognitive stability" of nuclear operators.
2. Sovereign Resilience (Bunkerization): As instability rises, the elite demand total independence. We will see vertically integrated "Survival Services"—private power grids (micro-nuclear), private water, and private security armies—effectively creating feudal enclaves where corporate law supersedes constitutional law.
3. The "Reality" Verification Market: In an era of deepfakes, "Truth" becomes a luxury good. Access to the "Verified Internet" (where banking and voting happen) will be a tiered privilege, managed by a consortium of tech giants and intelligence agencies.
Conclusion: The New Interlocking Directorate
The "Interlocking Directorate" is no longer just about board seats. It is about shared databases, interoperable cloud architectures, and the revolving door of personnel who manage the interface between capital and coercion.
My Prediction: The most profitable vertical of the next decade is the maintenance of the state itself. The ultimate product is the preservation of the elite order against the chaos of mass society.
