I have been listening to some pro-Trump podcasts to better understand the views of his supporters. One of these is “All In“, a freewheeling discussion between four entrepreneurs in tech and finance, with roots in Silicon Valley. These so-called “Tech Bros” are hard-headed realists. Their innate skepticism should protect them from enchantment by the cult of personality that animates much of MAGA-world . But on most political and economic issues, they are enthusiastically pro-Trump. Why?
Why they love him…
Their podcast has enlightened mt to several synergies between the Tech Bro world view and that of Trumpism:
- Derision of all things “woke”. This includes opposing any hiring that is not based purely on merit, mocking the concept of diversity as a legimate end in itself, and anger over speech codes designed to strip language of its capacity to offend anyone (and thus restricting their freedom of expression).
- They believe the business world is over-regulated and over-taxed, especially in California, a state from which several of the Bros have decamped in disgust.
- The Bros love that the Silicon Valley ethos of “creative destruction” is at last being applied to government – especially by their friend Elon.
I can understand these viewpoints and even partially sympathize. But to push back: While the excesses of “wokism” are real and disturbing (see my post E Pluribus Unum), The Bros’ concept of the control of wokism in university and corporate culture is exaggerated. Their frequent bitter commentary on this suggests “DEI derangement syndrome” – an irrational state of hatred of a bogeyman less powerful than they think. On creative destruction: Yes, federal programs do need regular reform and this has been lacking. But when Tech Bros destroy something in the business world, they do so by quickly replacing it with a better product. Can they say the same for the Trump administration?
And why their love is weird
There also obvious dys-synergies between the business culture of Silicon Valley and that of the Trump White House, but I haven’t heard the podcast discuss these at all. I want to go on the podcast and ask the Bros:
- In your high tech world- do you generally find that persons of poor character turn into good leaders? Consider the example of Elizabeth Holmes and the tech start-up Theranos (Hint: she is now in prison).
- Does your company or investment firm work better when its management accepts reality as a guidepost? Or can managers just invent whatever facts they want?
- How do the best tech leaders get sound advice? By forcing all around them to be adoring sycophants, or by encouraging intelligent dissent?
Since the Bros are anti-authoritarian by nature, I’ve also been listening for any sign of concern about a regime that lacks respect for the Constitution. Why are they not troubled by this? One explanation, as discussed in a prior post, is that they see the Democratic party as more authoritarian than Trump. A recent “All In” podcast did mention the administration’s scorn for “due process”, which is the stepwise and systematic application of law to achieve a just society. One Bro commented that sending persons to foreign prison camps without due process “looks bad”. Do they perceive that it looks bad, because it actually is bad?
Got values?
A moral order is foundational for a rules-based society, which in turn is the basis for civilization. The Tech Bros of “All In”, several of whom are immigrants, have succeeded in the USA precisely because of its rule of law and relative lack of corruption. I’ve never heard this theme discussed on their podcast. Maybe some Tech Bros consider the moral concept of “right and wrong” as one of those squishy, impractical ideals that leftists try to impose on others. The world view represented in “All In” reveals the underlying philosophical synergy between the Tech Bros and Trump: They all imagine that they, and the nation, can thrive in an amoral, entirely transactional universe. Can they? See my prior post on this topic. Pure transactionalism is a recipe for poor leadership, and for personal, as well as national, unhappiness.
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