Why the world fell out of love with Silicon Valley
If this were a movie, Silicon Valley would start out as one of the Good Guys.
A noble exception in a world of big bad corporations, tolerating capitalism for the greater good of humanity. Making trillions, yes — but only to make the world a better place.
Silicon Valley was the cooler, better-looking, more humane alternative to banks and multinationals. The Robin Hood of business; the darling of the elite, the media, and digital natives.
The public rooted for big technology firms, and to oppose their slight slipperiness or disregard for privacy was to resist progress.
Once, tech companies consistently dominated lists of the world’s most admired brands, and why shouldn’t they? There was so much to admire.
They stood for openness, innovation, and creativity. They converted likes, clicks, and scrolls into political correctness.
At the height of its popularity, Silicon Valley epitomized the American Dream: anyone with a garage, a brilliant idea and a ton of determination could make it big.
