Hey, maybe we should think about how the tech industry could work the political system to protect its interests. Just like the NRA does, according to this Washington Post article.
For instance, my brother-in-law told me why so many semiconductor companies moved fabs up to Portland, Oregon: water. That means lots of jobs for Portland. Politics decides on who gets the cheap water.
Google moved nearby for both water and good access to low-cost power (a nearby trainline brings coal, and Columbia river brings hydro-electric power). We’re worried that network neutrality is going to be thrown out the window.
In America lots of high tech types are worried that jobs are going overseas.
Note how the NRA gets its way: they pick one political party to back. They make noise even when there’s no reason to make noise. They raise lots of money and hand it out to the right folks who’ll vote their way. And even when they lose they look for a way to get their way.
Who is looking out for US in Washington D.C.? Microsoft? Google? Yahoo? I know Microsoft and other big tech companies have political action committees and lobbyists, but really, are they thinking about the industry at large? I doubt it.
Is there a good place for a geek to get politically involved?
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Robert Scoble is the founder of the Scobleizer blog. He works as PodTech.net’s Vice President of Media Development.
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