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Silicon Valley Stays Quiet As Washington Implodes
dcblogs writes "In a better time, circa 1998, Cypress Semiconductor founder and CEO T.J. Rodgers gave a provocative speech, titled 'Why Silicon Valley Should Not Normalize Relations with Washington D.C.' This speech is still important to understanding the conflict that tech leaders have with Congress, and their relative silence during the shutdown. 'The metric that differentiates Silicon Valley from Washington does not fall along conventional political lines: Republican versus Democrat, conservative versus liberal, right versus left,' Rogers said. 'It falls between freedom and control. It is a metric that separates individual freedom to speak from tap-ready telephones; local reinvestment of profit from taxes that go to Washington; encryption to protect privacy from government eavesdropping; success in the marketplace from government subsidies; and a free, untaxed Internet from a regulated, overtaxed Internet.'"
The only difference is which rich assholes get richer.
The tech companies want to be given the ability to do anything to make a profit. The government wants to be given the ability to do anything to spy on us.
It's douchebags on both sides fighting for their piece of the pie -- we all get fucked over in the end.
It's an interesting attitude that I wish more companies would take. I think many of our laws would be better designed to protect "we the people".
StarTrekPhase2 - The Five Year Mission Continues!
Stay strong apathetic non-voters. Don't bother. It's cool. Or whatever.
I find that most people can agree on what goals we admire and hope for. What they tend to disagree upon, particularly politically, is how to achieve them. When it comes to protecting freedoms and liberties, the goals generally necesitate preventing the government from getting a foot in the door in the first place. Once the government is in, they refuse to get out.
In SOVIET RUSSIA... erm...NSA AMERICA, the Internet logs onto YOU!
Stay strong, zero-information voters. Kim Kardashian, Beyonce, and Lady Gaga will do your bothering for you.
#naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
You know why the NSA was able to search social graphs and emails so easily? Because all of those pro-freedom Silicon Valley companies (Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Microsoft, and so on) had already built infrastructure for doing so for the purpose of selling adverts. The NSA just piggybacked on existing system to look for other information. If Silicon Valley had really cared about individual freedom, Google would have been pushing federated, decentralised services with no single point where you can insert a tap. Instead, what has happened since we've learned about the NSA's involvement? Google has replaced federated XMPP in GTalk with non-federated XMPP in Google Hangouts.
I am TheRaven on Soylent News
But the folks in Silicon Valley have the means to at least complain about how bad things are. The rest of the country can't or won't speak up.
I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
The marketplace of ideas is enriched by every additional voice no matter the background, as long as that additional voice doesn't silence another voice. If they're saying "let them eat cake" type nonsense, then everyone will ignore them and the effect will be the same. If people take their dumb ideas to heart, they're probably not making good moves in the absence of nerds talking. If what the nerds are saying is better than what the alternatives are saying, like religious organizations, organizations dedicated to ignorance, or corporations interested in nothing more than money, then it will be a good thing that they talked.
Alternatively, everyone else should shut up too and give all power to a benevolent saintly king who will rule fairly. Oh, we don't have one of those? Well then, how about everyone gives their opinion and we don't resort to ad-homenim attacks.
They'll stay silent until America's reputation, and the NSA spying specifically, starts to impact sales. Until then, Silicon Valley's lobbying policy seems to be "pray they don't affect us".
Since TFS doesn't list it, here's Why Silicon Valley Should Not Normalize Relations With Washington, D.C. from the libertarian think tank Cato Institute.
yeah I like jail too
There is no such thing as what "silicon valley wants". It's not even a valley and it is definitely not made of silicon. But, that's beside the point. He basically makes it sound as if everybody there is libertarian without mentioning the word, but it is far from the truth. People who matter are involved with the government up to their necks, including all the things he says silicon valley is against: eavesdropping, subsidies, protectionism, non-free internet. All major tech companies maintain nice and expensive lobbyists in Washington. Not that I blame them, they have to live in real world and deal with the biggest and most powerful gorilla in the jungle and that is the government. And it's getting bigger.
Negative moral value of force outweighs the positive value of good intentions.
Our Federal government has a expiration date.
We're in the coffin corner now, printing our own debt, as predicted. Buying votes with bennies always ends badly. The EBT glitch showed us, once again, what sort of people we're made of now.
American Exceptionalism is a genuine phenomena. We're about to prove it again by imploding ourselves. It won't be like Europe; angry protesters briefly painting signs and throwing rocks while the adults finally impose reality. We've bred millions of hate filled, feral animals and they're going to get hungry fast.
Just about the time the Chinese get their new Panama locks working to flood the East Coast with container ships they'll find the ports on fire.
This shutdown has been a long time coming lets face it. Congress has been mostly broken for years. It seems someone is always ready to throw a wrench into the gears no matter what the issue is (Except war and surveillance, because hey no one wants to be that guy that gets blamed for a terrorist attack). Its good that things have come to a head because the whole world needs to see that the US government is broken.
We've seen it over and over again. Once a few large successful companies develop an entrenched market position, they drop all of their pretenses of ideals and form a sort of symbiosis with the government.
The difference between now and 1998 is probably that internet companies at the time saw government control of the net as an impediment to their growth, where now they see it as an opportunity to make more money and protect their position from competitors.
There are those who have fallen for the false, artificially created dichotomy of Republican-Democrat and those who have realized that the real problem is politics as an industry.
What really needs to be done is to wipe out the concept of two parties both of which are so ossified in untenable positions that the combination is destroying the Republic.
1. Term limits for Congress. 12 years.
2. Campaign Finance Limits. 100 dollars per candidate/person.
3. Eliminate Gerrymandering. Districts must be drawn that are representative of the state's demographics.
4. Eliminate the electoral college.
Stage management. Drama. Theatrics.
In the end? The powerful will be more so - you will pay more, and get less.
Mission accomplished, and your expectations diminished, as planned.
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
I see the Ayn Rand science fiction book club are quite busy today.
Yawn. As always. Nothing to see here. Move on.
.
There is no such thing as what "silicon valley wants". .
This is true. Also, technology is generally a party neutral topic, and technology companies want to keep it that way. They must retain the ability to lobby both sides. Plus, these days, company leaders that express political opinions are often crucified in the press, calls for boycotts and such often follow.
Actually, I'm sure that silicon makes up about 30% of the land in Silicon Valley (just like it does everywhere else), and San Francisco Bay was a valley until the end of the last ice age (when it filled up with ocean).
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
Given how overwhelmingly the entire counties of San Mateo, Alameda, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara - not just San Francisco - vote Democrat in every election, thereby making the entire state of CA a 'blue' state, it's ridiculous to claim that Silicon Valley wants the sort of things that Libertarians or even Conservatives champion. TJ, Scott McNealy, John Chambers are really exceptions in an industry that leans overwhelmingly LEFT.
You just need lotsa untraceable lobby money to hear them.
-Congress
Join the Slashcott! Feb 10 thru Feb 17!
"Liberty", Individualism are all tenents of Libertarianism or simple Right wing ideology, so it is no surprise that Silicon Valley is against (or indiferent) to the Government or the State.
There is this idea, that there are choices that go beyond "left or right", choices that are not subjective but objective and universal.
Anytime that someone tells me that he has "no ideology" or "no political stance" I suspect he is a closeted right winger.
The only difference is which rich assholes get richer....It's douchebags on both sides fighting for their piece of the pie -- we all get fucked over in the end.
I sympathize with your frustration but, no you're wrong.
Look at *policy*...Dem's and Repub's are very, very different. One party has a coordinated effort to end all abortion (including fertitlity tests in Louisiana) and teach young-earth creationism.
That's Repbublicans, that's "libertarians"...don't kid yourself....you want to criticize money in politics? welcome to the fucking club...the rich get richer **in any situation** fact is, even the best case scenario, with two functional, representative parties, money in politics will still be just as much of a problem...
no....the fact that humans can be corrupt does not validate your argument
In the end, the defeatist "Bah...it's all bullshit...meh" is immature and reductive. It's not an intellectual conclusion....it's the opposite...the refusal to engage a complex situation...something that requires mental effort to dig below the rhetoric.
Your position reminds me of Dr. Zeus in Planet of the Apes...covering his ears and screaming so he doesn't hear the human speak.
Democrats are the only people trying to do anything resembling professional governance right now. **accept and deal with that fact** if you think about it, the Chinese idea of 'crisis/opportunity' applies...
I'm surprised at Republicans...for 'free market' people their party is remarkable bereft of any new ideas.
trolls: if you want to express your hate for what I've said, please use blockquote to specify which part of my post you are criticizing
Thank you Dave Raggett
Intelligent educated people have a duty to speak, especially about science and technology issues. It's this whole "democracy" idea that only works when people participate.
Apparently Steve Jobs , HP and Microsoft didn't get the memo.
Never let a lack of data get in the way of a good rant.
Would you like a Palantir with your Siri, or just plain Narus and Amdocs?
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
So Silicon Valley and DC politicians do have some common ground.
Why do you keep electing a privileged elite to represent you in DC, but you shy away from a privileged tech elite that have a track record for economic growth?
Something doesn't add up here, and I suspect it's your own personal bias. Try take a more anti-establishment stance, at least when the world is crumbling around us.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
As long as people continue this mentality of my guy is better than yours we're screwed.
Welcome to the human race?
Look, Obama isn't involved here. Congress is the legislative body(s). Until they pass a bill and send it to the White House, they haven't done their job.
If Obama is vetoing bill after bill, and Congress can't override, then it's time for the Congress and the White House to confer and compromise. That's not the case right now. If the Congress was doing their job, Obama would be just another asshole with an opinion (although, surely, an asshole with a "bully pulpit"). Placing responsibility for this mess on the President is simply another tactic by the lunatic fringe to deflect blame from their actions.
And the worms ate into his brain.
Boy, do IAWTP.
Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
Rumor has it, Miley and Justin are breeding the first generation of NEGATIVE-information voters. . . .
A few points.
1) It was written 15 years ago. Since then we've had 9/11, the Patriot Act, Wikileaks and the NSA invasion of privacy just to mention a few interesting events. So many actors have changed their stripes (Google seems to be a prime example) since this was written. Yet his points are still relevant! If we had paid attention to Dr. Rodgers points then maybe we wouldn't be in the mess we are today.
2) It IS a valley idiot. I stand outside and see two mountain ranges, one on either side... a valley!
3) Since the 1960s this place has been the center of the Semiconductor industry. In the last decade the place has lost most of its manufacturing. Yet calling Silicon Valley 15 years ago was an accurate portrayal.
Have you compiled your kernel today??
What's currently happening in Washington doesn't fundamentally impact most people day to day....The fact that certain high profile programs have seen funding cut is nothing but a political ploy to make citizens feel some of the pain. We're supposed to believe that the sky....
Nope, the programs affected by the shutdown are discretionary spending, that means nice to have, but not essential. So if we open national parks, memorials, museums, etc. What would you suggest we close in its place? The military?
trying not to freak out here...but you *did* make a coherent point and used blockquotes as requested...so here goes:
this is Ayn Rand revisionism...Paul Ryan type stuff...people who understand economic theory through the lense of **ONE** theorist only...that's your mistake.
the 'free market' is a heuristic of human behavior....it is independent of political/social systems (ex: the huge black market in Soviet Russia, street vendors, etc)
the 'free market' applied to government means a competition of ideas...
**competition of ideas**
my point was/is, that of the two, the Repubs and their supporters talk often and loudly about their love of the 'free market'
if you apply 'free market' ideas to politics, logically you would expect a lively debate of new ideas and old ideas adapted in interesting ways...
also, what is the difference if Robert Oppenheimer makes the A-bomb for Boening or for the DoD? does it really matter who signed his paycheck? he went in and did his work...
the 'free market' isn't any better or worse than the 'government' at doing any one project...that's comparing apples and oranges...b/c the 'free market' isn't an economic system its a heuristic of human behavior
that is a drastically reductive idea of what government does...based on Ayn Rand...a bad reading of Rand even...
The US Constitution spells out why our government exists, and it makes alot of sense.
I certainly agree that **YES** you are right, one function of government (of many, many functions) is to protect the 'idea people' from unfair competition!!!
I really want you to know that you're right on there...but I think your premise is wrong...
Thank you Dave Raggett
Fascism has always been a flavor of socialism. We know you're all in denial. Doesn't change history.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
We've got your back. Don't negotiate with the Republican terrorists.
Stay Strong Conservatives, don't negotiate with the libtard fascists.
Yes, everyone just "stay strong" (a weird choice of speech, because you have to actually be strong in order to stay strong) and never negotiate! We don't need to negotiate! Negotiation accomplishes nothing!
I think the American people need to stay strong and kick out everyone in Washington who would rather hold the country hostage by refusing to negotiate instead of doing their actual jobs. Their job, by the way, is to negotiate.
"Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
Dissent is patriotic - Hillary Clinton
Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
Sure it is. As long as you're on the right side. Otherwise you're a terrorist.
In common usage, yes they sure as hell are ;) this is measurable...
However I agree that using proper definitions, yes Libertarian ideas are wholly independent (and in conflict with) most of what Republicans do.
I always liked the Political Compass
It identifies 'authoritarian/libertarian' and 'left/right' dichotomies on a two axis scale (instead of just a binary)
Sure it has its weaknesses, but its a great converstation fixer when things go off the rails over definitions...
I'm a 'left-leaning libertarian' according to academic definitions...
Your problem: You have bought into Republican/Tea Party propaganda that to be "libertarian" means to oppose whatever Democrats do
All libertarians...except strongly totalitarian leaning...should logically support the Democrats right now on a ***POLICY basis***
policy basis...look at what the GOP actually proposes as law...go ahead...on virtually every issue voted upon, the Democrat side is the more rational side of the two
I would love to reclaim the word "libertarian" from the maw of the GOP/Fox brainwash machine...
Thank you Dave Raggett
Ted Kennedy already had his health care reform heyday back in the 70s. The dreaded HMOs were supposed to be the answer to healthcare back then, so Ted Kennedy introduced and pushed through the Health Maintenance Organization Act.
By the 2000s his main push for "healthcare reform" consisted of condemning the very creature he created.
Sounds good to me. The US had a tiny military until WWII.
putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
It's not even a valley and it is definitely not made of silicon.
Huh? There are mountain ranges east and west of me, a big chunk of flat land running north/south in the middle. Ground mostly made of silicon dioxide (with bonus toxins from the closed silicon fabs). Have you ever actually been here? Do come, it's lovely.
The problem with that argument is that nothing convinces me the GOP is packed with nuts faster than watching Fox News. Even when they put their best face forward the nuts show through.
That's not to say that I'm thrilled with the Democrats either. Just that Democrat brand (TM, pat pending) nutsery is less likely to starve people out and will take longer to blow our society apart.
I'd still prefer a 3rd party to have an actual chance of winning.
Today Christians ... stand at the head of [this country]... I pledge that I never will tie myself to parties who want to destroy Christianity .. We want to fill our culture again with the Christian spirit ... We want to burn out all the recent immoral developments in literature, in the theater, and in the press - in short, we want to burn out the poison of immorality which has entered into our whole life and culture as a result of liberal excess during the past ... (few) years. "
- Adolf Hitler, quoted in: The Speeches of Adolf Hitler, 1922-1939, Vol. 1 (London, Oxford University Press, 1942), pg. 871-872
He has a lot of other quotes like that. If you actually read his writings and speeches, he sounds very close to a modern American Republican (of the more religious variety).
How about the NSA's domestic programs? Those aren't even nice to have.
We're in the coffin corner now, printing our own debt, as predicted. Buying votes with bennies always ends badly. The EBT glitch showed us, once again, what sort of people we're made of now.
American Exceptionalism is a genuine phenomena. We're about to prove it again by imploding ourselves. It won't be like Europe; angry protesters briefly painting signs and throwing rocks while the adults finally impose reality. We've bred millions of hate filled, feral animals and they're going to get hungry fast.
Before anyone starts getting scared by the Wal-Mart riot, look again at the "people of Wal-Mart". If they went on a rampage they'd make it, what, 30 yards before being too out of breath to continue? Just head up the nearest flight of stairs, you'll be fine.
I believe the current government shutdown is a sign of the "end times": beyond planning to help my parents out when the SS checks stop coming regularly (or stop being worth much: same outcome), I doubt I'll see any effect except on the news when either the federal government or the dollar (could go either way) collapses for a few years. And then it will be back, with no lessons learned.
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
You just lost your bet. The Democrats aren't exactly batting 1000 in my book either. They seem less batshit insane than the GOP and less hateful but I wouldn't call them brilliant or resolute. Some of them are pretty damned nutty as well, especially in California where even the warning labels need warning labels. UI am certainly not happy that the Dems have completely failed to do away with gitmo and NSA spying and I find Obamacare a far cry from a proper healthcare system.
It is amusing watching your batshit insane attack on the person you imagined me to be just because I said there are nuts in the GOP.
Personally, I prefer the Daily Show to MSNBC. It may lack journalistic integrity (or, indeed any pretense of being actual journalism) but it is far more likely to tell things like they are.
Wisconsin, that's where the governor (AKA the grinch) is actually ordering the arrest of anyone who dares to sing around the capitol building? That's where a deal is a deal unless a peon stands to benefit and then we just tear the contract up after they did their part? Hint: pensions are NOT entitlements, they're part of your pay when you're employed. Not paying the pension is no different than retroactively demanding a dollar an hour back from your employees.
California seems to be doing OKish (though I think they go way overboard on a lot of things) now that the deregulation related blackouts have stopped.
According to the world's oldest profession, pussy can be worth quite a bit.
Yeah, Chris rock said it's like Visa, accepted everywhere. However, I don't think you can pay your taxes with either.
Science advances one funeral at a time- Max Planck
If you think that you are a slave, then by all means. Fight it. However, I think that few Americans will see themselves as slaves, except to the idiots that are running CONgress. Not the gov, but CONgress. Right there, is our problem. I know that my representative, Mark Coffman (R), takes a ton of money from a company that is 100% owned by the Chinese gov. Who does he listen to? Not us lowly voters. He listens to what the communist in China tells him to.
But, please, go ahead. Do not pay your taxes. Tell it to the judge. I think that you will help us all out. Heck, I have no issue paying for your keeping for the next 20 years. That will free up our society to move forward.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
Acutally, you CAN pay with VISA in the USA.
And with CONgress being what it is, I suspect that if you approach the right type of congressmen (vitter, Duke Cunningham, Mark Foley, Larry Craig, Spitzer, Springer, Tom Evans, Newt Gingrich, etc), you can use hookers to get out of paying taxes.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
Before anyone starts getting scared by the Wal-Mart riot, look again at the "people of Wal-Mart". If they went on a rampage they'd make it, what, 30 yards before being too out of breath to continue? Just head up the nearest flight of stairs, you'll be fine.
So Walmartians are actually Daleks?
Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
we probably only need one tenth the military to protect the homeland. projecting power and waging wars of choice is very expensive and gets hundreds of thousands of innocents killed. enough of that crap
Awesome, you might be on to something. Start with the fat scooter, add armor and a sink plunger, hmmm, it does all make sense!
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
If it all comes down to "freedom vs. Control", well, TJ Rodgers is a huge control freak - just ask anyone who has ever worked at Cypress Semiconductor.
Well sir, I stand corrected. Only in America.
Science advances one funeral at a time- Max Planck
I think you're hung up on this point, but whatever...you seem like you have a good head on your shoulders so let's just agree to disagree on this point?
Thank you Dave Raggett
trolling is a form of bullying...IMHO, for reasons I stated, I believe 'libertarians' (read: GOP'ers) are purposefully sabotaging our system...they 'bully' anyone who wants to make a constructive point...("it's all bullshit"..."privacy is dead"...."both parties suck")
I wasn't being smug...I was being **mean**
I'm trying to (within the bounds of /.'s norms) shake some cognitive dissonance into this psycological moebius strip of a discussion!!!!
Thank you Dave Raggett
I guess that depends on who you talk to. The people in the South probably think their region will be the stronger, and the people in other regions probably think their region will be stronger.
Sadly, I suspect that at least 1/2 of it is true for ALL nations. Heck, supposedly Palin and Bachman were playing the field with male lobbyists, which is prostitution in the best sense of the word. And that would indicate that it is true for both sexes, as well.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
right
if you check my original comment about the Political Compass, I said it is "has its problems" but is useful...
the answer to your question is not A or B because the Politcal Compass isn't calibrated properly. specifically, it was calibrated for US politics using **International** political norms...
the language is mind-numbingly confusing, for example: the 'conservative' analog of the Republican party in England supports things like abortion that the US conservatives would kill themselves over...
so, that's why IMHO the Political Compass is a bit skewed for US politicians
when I took it I was strongly libertarian and weakly 'left' (but well over the line)
I felt like I should have landed squarely in the 'strongly left, strongly libertarian' quadrant
I haven't answered your question, but I hope this explanation helps
Again, plz don't let the fact that the Political Compass is a nice, **quantifiable** graph for politics lead you into using it as a "Rosetta Stone" for each issue...it is virtually impossilbe to calibrate haha!
More to your point, having personally worked long ago in the military and in GOP politics (briefly as a staffer in DC) and now of course, 'leftist-libertarian' is how I define myself...so I've seen some changes...
'Democrats' are flawed but there is a core of people (probably 1/3-40% of the electorate) that are essentially like Gene Roddenberry types!
Honestly!
They are reasonable, patriotic to a point, willing to share, support the free market, not afraid of 'big business' when proper checks are in place, socially liberal (legal pot, gay marriage), pro net-neutrality...
Seriously...that's what the **people** who make up the Democratic party are like...they are the good guys.
The DNC and Washington politicians are, of course, not exactly the same...but many are trying....and there is an active effort in the Democratic party machine to weed out old-school out of touch people (like Pelosi)
Lastly, look at GOP obstructionism...historic!...if the GOP wasn't such sore losers Obama's policies wouldn't have had do endure so much bargaining. Ex: We'd have a 'public option' for Obamacare at least...that'd change things
So that's a long answer to a short question...
tl;dr you're confusing 'democrats' as in the citizenry who support that side with the way the current elected leaders are behaving
Thank you Dave Raggett
here's the crux of your issue, IMHO:
voting for the best of two options doesn't mean you approve of **everything** the option you chose does, nor does it mean that you are 'one of them'...no politician out there thinks that everyone who voted for them agrees with them on everything...
you're being naive and you need to stop....just stop forever and change
you just can't accept that in politics, depending on how you look at it, YOU ARE ALWAYS PICKING THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS
you are never, ever, ever ever ever ever going to get any candidate or party that lines up w/ what you want
you're being naive to expect it
Thank you Dave Raggett
if this was about 3rd parties, then you'd have said that 5 comments ago...
there are two parties in the US...the other ones **caucus** with one side or the other
look at Bernie Sanders from Vermont...he's an 'independent' but is a total Democrat by voting record
Thank you Dave Raggett