Comment by ser_tyrion

That sentence does seem out of place compared to the rest of the essay. If anything the thugs destroyed the thugs. His biggest contention is that "technologism" is a cultural infatuation with newness, and both digital music stores and record stores both used "newness" when advertising. And I guess that is what makes them "thugs" for reinforcing that view, as well as "nothing innovative about pandering for the sake of a profit".