Spartans Lost In 371 BC. How This Shaped Elon Musk's New Party Strategy

Elon Musk, the world's richest man, is now going solo in politics after a brief stint in the administration of US President Donald Trump, the world's most powerful elected leader. He declared the formation of the 'America Party' early this morning after an online poll, dropping the announcement weeks after his fallout with Trump.

Behind the President and Musk's fallout was a massive package of spending and tax breaks that Trump had described as a "big, beautiful bill", while his former government efficiency chief had called it "utterly insane and destructive".

The idea of a new political party was always there, waiting for Trump to sign the bill into law. And as Trump signed the bill during the July 4 celebrations at the White House, Musk asked his supporters online whether he should go ahead with the new party.

With the poll in his favour, Musk declared, "By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party, and you shall have it."

Why A New Party?

Musk, who was once a "first buddy" to the Republican leader, aims to challenge the country's "one-party system". "When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste and graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom," he said in an online post. The term 'uniparty' refers to different political parties that function as one. 

The America Party also has plans to counter the uniparty system, which the tech billionaire described with an example of the defeat of Spartan warriors in the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC.

"The way we're going to crack the uniparty system is by using a variant of how Epaminondas shattered the myth of Spartan invincibility at Leuctra: Extremely concentrated force at a precise location on the battlefield," said Musk.

While not much detail is available on the new political party, Musk affirmed a user's query that the outfit be centrist, aim to reduce debt, modernise the military and be pro-technology that takes the US ahead in artificial intelligence.

The Rift That Mattered

Musk earlier led the US efforts to cut spending and federal jobs as the head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was introduced by Trump after his thumping victory in last year's elections.

The two echoed the need for cutting government spending, but Trump's spending bill deterred Musk from continuing this alliance. The bill would "destroy millions of jobs" and "cause immense strategic harm" to the US, Musk had said.

Musk quit the US administration in May end. Over a month later, he revealed his plan to launch a new alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty if the Senators went ahead with Trump's "big, beautiful bill".

"If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day. Our country needs an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE," he had said on July 1.