**** Coming from a business background…this article is interesting. Regardless of background, the article is thought provoking. I agree with the sentiment that the tech industry has a profound impact upon the working class of America. It’s undeniable, for exactly the reason stated in the article: innovation is stripping many jobs (low-skilled, semi-skilled, and skilled) with automation while even more manufacturing jobs are outsourced internationally to unbelievably cheap labor a la capitalism.
**** I’ll be frank, I don’t think the problem (as stated in the article, I’m going to remain neutral on this) is the tech companies. The problem is capitalism. In our current economic, tax, and regulatory system business is THE driving factor and essentially controls our government. With absurdley large financial contributions allowed from the business sector in politics, this fact is even moreso undeniable.
**** When it comes to business influence in politics and empathy for the common man, the buck stops at the investor. If you want change, it’s not Mark Zuckerberg, Sergey Brin/Larry page, etc. that are going to change the direction of their companies (regardless of controlling interest in their respective juggernauts). It is going to be a calculated decision that the board has made with the those people [who are usually the CEO] and the CFO, and COO to generate MORE MONEY. If they decide to generate goodwill with the public it or bolster public image, it WILL come down to money in the end. Even if it doesn’t look like it, every single move is calculated for both short and long-term impact on finances.
**** That being said, is this profit-driven innovation entirely bad for our country? No way. I personally believe job dispair and histeria is overblown at this point. The standard of living is ABSURDLEY high compared to any point in the history of our species. Life is orders of magnitude easier than it has ever been for basically every single social group in our country. Does that mean things are perfect? No. Should people be willing to accept that it’s hard to change your life dynamics to cope with the changing nature of our world? Absolutely. Will people entrenched in their ways do that? Some may, many won’t.
**** To expound upon the statement suggesting “Silicon Valley will become villainous like Wall Street”…news flash. Silicon Valley and Wall Street have extremely little difference in terms of their actual “villainy”. Both are profit-driven juggernauts. Period. Whatever veneer S.V. thinks it has that makes it shine brighter than Wall-Street is absurd. They are cut from the same cloth.
***** Eventually, it’s the government that is going to have to step in and do something about it. While I do believe in many capitalist virtues and cautious, thought out regulation (although with a much heavier hand for the environment, because come on...this planet is important), I also believe we’re eventually going to have to head toward a more socialist state to compensate for innovation. Ironically, the people that voted for Trump likely would have benefited the most from a more socialist agenda (which I do find sad). When that will become dire and recognized by the common folk…who knows. As much as it’s nice to have these [for lack of a better term] “pie in the sky” ideas that profit-driven behemoths are going to do anything but be profit-driven without gov’t influence….it’s not a reality. If the change comes, it will come by the people, for the people, through government action one way or the other.
***** Solid, thought-provoking articles Mike...keep ‘em coming.