First off, it's a great show. I watched the season two opener and thought the writing was even better than before--sharper, funnier, more knowing about the subject it's lampooning, and with better plot twists. I also like the increased focus on some of the secondary characters, who, especially in the case of Erlich, are actually more interesting than the protagonist, Richard. Richard is really only defined by his body ticks and anxiety, more a type than a real character, and let's face it, we all know he's going to end up falling in love with Monica (another weak character).
But what the show is most notable for is its reminder that the tech industry, for all the hype that surronds it, is no different than any other capitalist enterprise. Everyone is in it for the money. There's backstabbing and double-crossing galore. Yet, as the show shows, there's all this bulshitty rhetoric about making the world a better place, empowering average people, and bettering humanity. Some technology certainly does this, but do we really believe uber, Facebook, and Snapchat are about anything other than generating profits?
I wouldn't be making this point--who doesn't know businesses are out to earn a quick buck??--except that so much positive gets said about the tech industry, as if it's some kind of grand humanitarian undertaking.
Fifty years ago, the intelligentsia, especially the left, railed against techology. They recognized it for the dehumanizing, exploitative market force it is. Now our supposed best and brightest get positively giddy with the release of every new gadget. We are served up never-ending commentary and analysis on how the latest gizmo is going to change our lives, upend an industry, or spread health and happiness around the globe.
Conservative intellectuals decried technology too. It was a disrupting force in communities. It smashed to pieces traditional values.
I'm actually quite fond of Google. I like gmail. I like the fact that they've made Android and other software open-source. But then you get a sense of how Europe views the company and suddenly you see it in a different light. It's a rapacious monopoly crushing everything that stands in its way:
The European Union’s antitrustchief on Wednesday formally accused Google of abusing its dominance in web searches, bringing charges that could limit the giant American tech company’s moneymaking prowess.
In fact, Europe seems pretty on the ball when it comes to regulating technology in general:
Europe’s antitrust officials are reviewing low-tax arrangements granted to Apple in Ireland and Amazon in Luxembourg, and privacy watchdogs are looking into how securely companies like Facebook are protecting people’s online data.
Policy makers are investigating whether American Internet platforms like Amazon have too much control over how Europeans gain access to online services.
I'm hoping it's only a matter of time before America follows in Europe's footsteps.