Pepe Escobar at the Global Digital Forum: On Fact-Checking, the New Techno-Class, and “Siberianization”

The Global Digital Forum, held on June 5–6 in Nizhny Novgorod, drew the attention of international journalists and became a platform not only for discussing technology but also global geopolitics. One of the most striking publications was a column by Pepe Escobar, in which he reflects on Russia’s role in the emerging digital order — and raises uncomfortable questions for the West.

Pepe Escobar, a journalist from Brazil, attended the Global Digital Forum in Russia and shared his impressions in a recent column. One topic that particularly caught his attention was fact-checking: the Forum presented an international fact-checking network established by TASS, Dialogue Regions, and the New Media Workshop. The session addressed fake news — including disinformation spread by official government structures.

Escobar noted the remarks of Maria Zakharova, who emphasized the importance of fighting for truth. He recalled a quote from Nietzsche — “There are no facts, only interpretations” — and connected it to contemporary challenges. In his words, deviating from the official narrative in Europe today may lead to sanctions, including frozen bank accounts.

The journalist also focused on the visit of Elon Musk’s father to the Future 2050 Forum, where he described Moscow as the new capital of the world. Escobar suggests this could reflect an attempt by Silicon Valley to strengthen ties with Russia. He points out that behind such gestures stand figures like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel — investors who shape the future of AI, finance, and digital control.

His column also touches on the U.S. deep state, from Palantir and its government contracts in AI to what he calls the Trump–Musk axis, which, in the author’s view, benefits from technological permissiveness. He writes that the 10-year moratorium on AI regulation in the United States opens the door to manipulation and a distortion of reality.

Against this backdrop, he poses the question: how can we resist techno-feudalism, where IT corporations govern information, politics, and capital? His answer lies in Russia. Escobar refers to an interview with Sergey Karaganov, who speaks about the cultural roots of Eurasia — from the Scythians and Byzantium to the legacy of the Mongol Empire.

According to Karaganov, Russia can resist techno-barbarism through “Siberianization” — a strategic turn to the East and the strengthening of its own civilizational foundations. It is here, Escobar believes, that an alternative to the global techno-oligarchy may emerge.

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