In "Shadow Elite: How the World’s New Power Brokers Undermine Democracy, Government, and the Free Market," Janine Wedel exposes the rise of a new class of influential operators she calls "flexians" – individuals who blur the lines between government, business and media to wield unchecked power. These figures, often consultants, think-tankers or pundits, exploit overlapping roles to advance personal and ideological agendas while evading accountability. Wedel traces their emergence in post-communist Eastern Europe and their expansion into global arenas, particularly the U.S., where they form self-serving networks ("flex nets") that bypass democratic processes. Through case studies like retired General Barry McCaffrey – who leveraged Pentagon access while posing as an impartial analyst – Wedel reveals how flexians manipulate information, privatize influence and undermine institutions. The book warns of a "truthiness society" where appearances trump accountability, urging greater transparency and public vigilance to counter this corrosive shift in power dynamics.

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