"Today’s tech oligarchs are worse than the robber barons"
What do you all think?
Quote:
There is a rising tide of concern, including from such progressive icons as former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, about the extraordinary market, political, and culture power of the tech oligarchy. But so far, the oligarchs have played a brilliant double game. They have bought off the progressives with contributions and by endorsing their social liberal and environmental agenda. As for the establishment right, they are too accustomed to genuflecting at mammon to push back against anyone with a 10-digit net worth. This has left much of the opposition at the extremes of right and left, greatly weakening it.
Yet over time grassroots Americans may lose their childish awe of the tech establishment. They could recognize that, without some restrictions, they are signing away control of their culture, politics, and economic prospects to the empowered “tools.” They might understand that technology itself is no panacea; it is either a tool to be used to benefit society, increase opportunity, and expand human freedom, or it is nothing more than a new means of oppression.
"Today’s tech oligarchs are worse than the robber barons"
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Applejack
That's just my point: if you are suspicious of tech companies (as the author of that piece is) you should be even more suspicious of giving them the power to pick and choose which content gets throttled. The premise of you and author you cite are orthagonal to the conclusion that we should allow ISPs to pick winners and losers.
Maybe. I'm undecided on the issue still. I don't like what's happened with Facebook, Google and Amazon, and I don't want ISPs running our lives, but I don't know what the solution is. Maybe good old anti-trust law? That problem is what this thread is about.