Why did tech become so popular (and then unpopular) with elites over the last decade?
Here's one narrative 👇
Here's one narrative 👇
SV tech folks could take the moral high ground against big bad corporations and people who were anti-open source.
Startup culture became a self-confident ideological movement which created a ton of wealth and led to rise of things like YC, "The Social Network", and so on.
Startup culture became a self-confident ideological movement which created a ton of wealth and led to rise of things like YC, "The Social Network", and so on.
Most of tech's opponents were on the broad implicit right — Republicans, mega corporations, military dictators that Twitter overthrew, etc.
Like Netflix to the studios, at first tech helped the left (e.g. helped Obama rise to power, led to Arab Spring, etc)
Like Netflix to the studios, at first tech helped the left (e.g. helped Obama rise to power, led to Arab Spring, etc)
But after Jobs’ death in 2011 and Obama’s election in 2012, though, other parts of the Democratic Party started to look at tech not just as a ready source of $ and talent, but as a possible threat.
For the left, they'd outlived their usefulness, overstayed their welcome.
For the left, they'd outlived their usefulness, overstayed their welcome.
Tech had gone so far left it had ended up on the right.
China/Russia did this but in a different way. Went so far with communism they ended up on the nationalist right.
China/Russia did this but in a different way. Went so far with communism they ended up on the nationalist right.
In 2011, tech stopped becoming beloved to the left (& started threatening their existence) for the following reasons.
- Economically attacking traditional American left power centers (NYT, Hollywood, Academia)
- Undercutting prestige & influence (e.g. fake news)
- Economically attacking traditional American left power centers (NYT, Hollywood, Academia)
- Undercutting prestige & influence (e.g. fake news)
- Pulling away top talent to tech companies
- Becoming a more powerful global culture exporter
- Building a network of super-wealthy people w/ an alternative network and path to power (Instead of become president, become CEO).
- The outcome of 2016 election.
- Becoming a more powerful global culture exporter
- Building a network of super-wealthy people w/ an alternative network and path to power (Instead of become president, become CEO).
- The outcome of 2016 election.
One thing they implicitly mean by “threat to democracy” is that tech is disruptive to how they work:
Harvard does a study, NYT reports it, US gov’t enacts it
What do they want? Power. Protect their existing institutions (NYT, Harvard, Big Gov't)
Software ate too much for them
Harvard does a study, NYT reports it, US gov’t enacts it
What do they want? Power. Protect their existing institutions (NYT, Harvard, Big Gov't)
Software ate too much for them
