Why Silicon Valley Is Seeing the Virtues of Nationalism
If the alternative is to be broken up, companies like Google and Facebook will claim they are key to American security against rivals like China.
“There’s also a concern in the United States with the size and power of Chinese companies, and the realization that those companies are not going to be broken up,” said Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg.
Photographer: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Would Silicon Valley, with its mantra to “make the world a better place,” ever embrace nationalism? It makes about as much sense as Uber employees hailing taxis to work. And yet, nationalism may the most compelling argument that large technology companies have against regulation and breakups. The Googles and the Facebooks can say that they represent important American assets in an emerging fight with China for technological supremacy.
Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg raised the China issue in an interview last week, pointing out that China won't be breaking up its large technology companies – the implication being that to break up Facebook would be to weaken the U.S. in its technological rivalry with China.