No Gods, no Founder CEOs
Why it feels terrible to see tech leaders congratulating Trump
Well, here we are again. Trump winning this time feels similar to 2016 and yet uncannily different, huh?
My more thorough thoughts on social media and US elections are here if you’re interested, but I wanted to share a quick observation: these notes of congratulation from Big Tech CEOs really suck, and maybe not just for the reasons you think.
It’s obviously gross to see Meta’s CEO so giddy and solicitous a few years after kicking Trump off Facebook (temporarily) for using it to “incite a violent insurrection.” The normalization of Trump’s behavior and ideology, and the prioritization of profits above people, are depressing.
These men have no history, no genuine values or beliefs. Apple ostensibly cares about the climate change, but here’s CEO Tim Cook sharing well wishes on “victory!” They’re clearly desperate to make peace with Trump and prove to conservatives that they aren’t biased. Some of them may be genuinely happy — Trump’s tax cut was hugely lucrative for them, and Biden has been far more aggressive with antitrust action. And hey, they love democracy, right? Boy if this isn’t democracy, what is?
Yet I think these messages bother me for another reason: these CEOs and Chairmen are assuming authority that doesn’t belong to them. They are playing at being leaders of sovereign nations:
It’s richly ironic and hypocritical for these newfangled robber barons of the internet age to celebrate the victor of our democratic election. No one elected them. Yet they use the internet — built by our government — to shape our politics, economy, information ecosystem, and future to their benefit. They have captured congress and made regulating tech impossible. Going forward, it’s not like there will be a ballot initiative on AGI — they’re going to do it as fast as they can, no matter the risks or cost.
So, now what? Bezos sucks, but should you cancel your subscription to The Washington Post? That’s personal, and in my opinion, besides the point. You can leave, and sometimes that does work, or you can use your voice. Personally, I’m exhausted by boycotts, and this time around, I want to try something else. I value the Post, because like it or not, it’s my hometown paper. Their investigative reporting is, and always has been, vital. I’m rooting for them.
And if these faux world leaders from Silicon Valley really are like robber barons, I’m hopeful history will repeat itself. We’re due for another progressive era: expanding voting and fighting corruption, beginning at the local level. Might be a minute, but stranger things have happened already in my lifetime.
–Josh