The Arrogance of Silicon Valley

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Call it what you will. Arrogance is overbearing pride, the self-importance of being superior and a public display of haughtiness that knows no bounds. We have the overt showy pride right here in our own back yard in Silicon Valley. The arrogant bigots that have made a fast buck on a techy idea have forgotten first of all where they came from and secondly who made them rich big-shots. The wheel of fortune turns and those at the top come tumbling down, one day. The higher they get, the harder that fall is, as they come crashing to the ground. Trouble is along the way they have amassed so much that they have lost touch with the reality of society. They either want to go it alone in some fake, unreal world that has seceded from the United States or at the very least to keep the poor at bay and scrubbing their floors still. Silicon Valley is cronyism at its ultimate, arrogance at a peak and boundless meritocracy at its best stroke worst.

Poor at Bay

Greg Gopman of AngelHack fame wrote on his wall on Facebook that “the difference is in other cosmopolitan cities, the lower part of society keep to themselves. They sell small trinkets, beg coyly, stay quiet, and generally stay out of your way. They realize it’s a privilege to be in the civilized part of town and view themselves as guests. And that’s okay”.

It’s a shame that certain people seem to believe that money bestows on them the ability to be bigoted and self-righteous regarding the rights of other human beings. People live in a free society and their poverty has nothing to do with their right to walk along the sidewalk. It’s a shame that Mandela’s death taught him nothing about Apartheid in modern cities these days. It’s not based on just color and creed. But, it’s the money thing that pops out right in your face too today.

The rich get to save on average 15-25% of what they earn. But, they of course get the right to put away what the workers end up spending. Workers spend (that’s the 99% of the US), rather than saving these days.

A New World

There are billionaires that would like to see the construction of brave new worlds in which entrepreneurs have the space and the comfort to “peacefully test ideas for government” (The Seasteading Institute), floating cities, where there will be a “blueprint for a new way of life – one that is more equitable, tolerant ad entrepreneurial”.

That’s just as long as you are one of the rich few. Pure Hollywood motion picture becoming reality.

They want to be able to build societies, cities that float off the coast of the US. Just near enough to be dropped from the helicopters and the private jets; but just far away enough to see the poor masses swimming over if they need to take cover and protect themselves. Government doesn’t need the techies to think up new ideas to change the way they govern us. They are doing pretty well all on their own thinking of new ways to keep the people down.

The Jungle

Naturally, the poor people that Gopman wanted to see on the other side of town where those that live in The Jungle.

It’s the Silicon Valley eyesore; the place where people live in encampments.
The USA has seen its homeless figures fall by 17% over the past 2 years.
Silicon Valley increased by 8%.
There are 7, 600 people that are sleeping rough and homeless every night in the Valley.

Once upon a time it was the banksters that were reviled for their aloofness and towering over the poor people with their millions. Now, they have become so commonplace that it’s the techies that are getting the flack, assailed with abusive language. Trivializing the situation and the poverty of the majority will never get you very far.

The techies have turned their Silicon Valley into the Promised Land and they are the gods.

It’s the techsters now that are taking over from the banksters.

The United States has been divvied up between the grubby ideas of the political leaders already that have ensured that the poor and the people in the middle class get no look in on what is being decided. We know from research that Senators and Representatives see little effect on them brought about by the bottom third of the strata of society. There’s no surprise that people are demoralized by what’s going on in the country and disinterested in politics.

The politicians stopped listening to people many years ago. Now, the country pie is being cut up and doled out yet again by the handful of arrogant masters of Silicon Valley. Profiteers and privateers are the ruling class.