why the tech sector is much more liberal than other "big business" in history?

[Matty]

Why is the tech sector so much more willing to support progressive causes, especially on the economiy, than other historical examples of big business in American history. The gilded age giants were mostly in favor of laisez faire and supported the republican party. Someone like William Jennings Bryan was despised by giants of business.

In the modern world, someone like bernie sanders is beloved in places like silicon valley, where so much wealth exists and profit margins are so high.

Or is it because social issues are more important in the tech giant world than they were in the big world of steel and manufacturing?

[Santander]

Brain damage.

[Beet]

Because they've seen firsthand how immigrants contribute to the economy.

[Matty]

Because they've seen firsthand how immigrants contribute to the economy.

But the tech industry was very liberal even in the 70s and 80s when the GOP wasn't seen as anti immgirant as they are now.

Mondale won what is now silicon valley by something like 35 points n 1984.

[Beet]

Because they've seen firsthand how immigrants contribute to the economy.

Yeah, they're terrific gardeners.

Don't worry bruh, I'm sure Pichai and Nadella are getting ready to get down on their knees for your hero Steve "too many Indian CEOs" Bannon at any moment now

[mvd10]

Probably because they massively benefit from immigration and government investment in infrastructure and R&D. I wonder how a centre-right more technocratic and less market fundamentalist GOP would do with the tech sector. But if they already were solidly Democratic in the 70s (when infrastructure investment still was bipartisan) I don't know.

[Santander]

Because they've seen firsthand how immigrants contribute to the economy.

But the tech industry was very liberal even in the 70s and 80s when the GOP wasn't seen as anti immgirant as they are now.

Mondale won what is now silicon valley by something like 35 points n 1984.

The modern American tech industry was created by baby boomers who grew up in a culture of Woodstock, prosperity, and moral relativism. They ignored the cultural and business norms of the pre-war generation, and were largely not institutionally bound to. The second generation are even more iconoclastic than the first.

This is part of the reason why they do not pay deference to traditional American values like individual liberty and puritanical aversion to debt.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

You really believe that there's something novel about self-assured tycoons-turned-philanthropists spending billions toward the realization of wacky utopian schemes?

I have no idea what you're referring to.

And then I think this is an unfair point; the sort of projects that sort of industrialist were keen on were generally far more worthwhile than the bilge advocated by techtopians and almost certainly left more tangible legacies (i.e. Bournville remains a thoroughly charming suburb with a very high proportion of social housing and as such is a real asset to Birmingham for multiple reasons).

[OSR stands with Israel]

If it was Marco Rubio vs Bernie Sanders I bet most of the tech ceo's and tech business owners  vote for Rubio.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

It isn't.

[The_Doctor]

Might have to do with the HB-1 visa, the culture of Silicon Valley, and the alliance between Clinton Democrats and the tech sector (which dates to 1992). They're also culturally incompatible with the evangelical movement that dominates the Republican Party.

Not to say there isn't areas of agreement, but by and large, for the same reason oil and natural gas goes GOP, tech sectors go Dem.

[RaphaelDLG]

Don't conflate "more liberal" with more Democratic.

[Person Man]

Because they've seen firsthand how immigrants contribute to the economy.

But the tech industry was very liberal even in the 70s and 80s when the GOP wasn't seen as anti immgirant as they are now.

Mondale won what is now silicon valley by something like 35 points n 1984.

The modern American tech industry was created by baby boomers who grew up in a culture of Woodstock, prosperity, and moral relativism. They ignored the cultural and business norms of the pre-war generation, and were largely not institutionally bound to. The second generation are even more iconoclastic than the first.

This is part of the reason why they do not pay deference to traditional American values like individual liberty and puritanical aversion to debt.

So technology people are just a bunch of stoner losers the sam way oil and coal guys are Alabama and Florida Man?

And what about wikileaks, gamergate, and Pepe?

[Associate Justice PiT]

Because they've seen firsthand how immigrants contribute to the economy.

But the tech industry was very liberal even in the 70s and 80s when the GOP wasn't seen as anti immgirant as they are now.

Mondale won what is now silicon valley by something like 35 points n 1984.

The modern American tech industry was created by baby boomers who grew up in a culture of Woodstock, prosperity, and moral relativism. They ignored the cultural and business norms of the pre-war generation, and were largely not institutionally bound to. The second generation are even more iconoclastic than the first.

This is part of the reason why they do not pay deference to traditional American values like individual liberty and puritanical aversion to debt.

So technology people are just a bunch of stoner losers the sam way oil and coal guys are Alabama and Florida Man?

And what about wikileaks, gamergate, and Pepe?

     What do these things have exactly to do with the tech sector? Hackers and gamers are tangential offshoots that differ in pretty fundamental ways from tech as an industry.

[MasterJedi]

They rely heavily on talent from Asia that works its ass off to get an education, skills and come to the US to better themselves. On average they'll work much harder than the people who scream against them all day and night long.

[RFayette]

A few things:

1. Much of the 'open source' software community dates back to the hippie/counterculture movement, and this individualist and socially liberal ethos has been part of the tech culture since.  This is well-documented in Walter Isaacson's book, The Innovators

2. As other mentioned, immigration:  while there is evidence of some tech workers being negatively impacted by H1B visas, the culture of Silicon Valley is decidedly pro-immigration.

3. Similarly to the shift of college-educated whites to the Dems since 1992, there is a sense that the GOP is anti-intellectual, which hurts the party in Silicon Valley - issues like the environment certainly tend to be big deals amongst tech companies. Furthermore, levels of agnosticism and atheism are doubtless higher amongst those in the tech industry than the general population as a  whole (I don't have the data off hand, but I do recall seeing a source a while back breaking down religion by occupation, with computer science being one of the lowest amongst various fields).

[Shadows]

A clown like Rubio has 0 chance against Sanders. For one the techies are socially very (VERY) liberal. Tim Cook is gay, Gates is funding huge research & investment in eradicating poverty & solar energy.

If the GOP can find a staunchly pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, marijuana smoking, anti-war, pro-government investment in infra & R&D, super pro in immigration, anti-racism/Bannon, anti-fossil fuels then they have a chance of doing better.

I guess, they you can argue about Big tax cuts for the rich & cutting wheels on meals & you may be able to find some support among techies, but not with so many disastrous policies. The Tech industry will continue to be the most anti-GOP industry there is !

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

The tech industry is fairly liberal, though that is more a function of the age distribution within the industry than anything else, but it is neither left-wing nor supportive of redistribution. Remember, the support for a UBI stems from the belief that their innovations will transform society, granting them immense power and wealth, to the extent that mass unemployment is generated. They support the UBI because they fear the working class. They are the only true Utopians left but their Utopia is not left-wing, it is decidedly Randian, ego-driven, masturbatory, promoting a vision of society where individual tycoons with scientific insights and industrial know-how usurp governments and the public. In practice, and I think this is very interesting, Musk, Thiel, Zuckerberg, and Bezos come closer to being 19th Century industrialists than anything else. They are open about pursuing market power. The Gigafactory gives Musk control of upstream production, creating a massive integrated supply chain. This is not Normal.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

You really believe that there's something novel about self-assured tycoons-turned-philanthropists spending billions toward the realization of wacky utopian schemes?

I have no idea what you're referring to.

And then I think this is an unfair point; the sort of projects that sort of industrialist were keen on were generally far more worthwhile than the bilge advocated by techtopians and almost certainly left more tangible legacies (i.e. Bournville remains a thoroughly charming suburb with a very high proportion of social housing and as such is a real asset to Birmingham for multiple reasons).

You might disagree but I think that was a function of the fact that the period in which these men lived was anything but conservative, in both a political and cultural sense. A different world was being built and there was something practical rather than utopian about these schemes. The present has few of these characteristics.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

You might disagree but I think that was a function of the fact that the period in which these men lived was anything but conservative, in both a political and cultural sense. A different world was being built and there was something practical rather than utopian about these schemes. The present has few of these characteristics.

No, I agree entirely. 1800 was unfamiliar to someone in 1900 in a way that 1900 wasn't to someone in 2000.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Tech ceos voting Bernie over Rubio is laughable, Rubio is way way more pro business then Bernie and at the end of the day their is no way they vote for a socialist over an establishment republican . Lastly Rubio is more pro H1B then Bernie

[Shadows]

Tech ceos voting Bernie over Rubio is laughable, Rubio is way way more pro business then Bernie and at the end of the day their is no way they vote for a socialist over an establishment republican . Lastly Rubio is more pro H1B then Bernie

Another ridiculous post. Marco Rubio's party is against immigration reform & more likely to oppose H1B than Sanders or Dems. Rubio himself has spoken out against H1B issues in the GOP debate something which Bernie never did. There are broader issues as well, it is never only Rubio vs Bernie.

Bill Gates has pledged to give away most of his wealth to eradicating poverty & for renewable power. How can he vote for a climate change denying party? Tim Cook is gay & why would he vote for a Republican president who may install a SC judge who could over-turn gay marriage. Pichai & Nadella are overwhelming anti-Evangelical, anti-Racism, anti-immigrant hatred, anti- social conservative faction of the Republican party. Warren Buffet himself advocated for the Buffet rule, 30% odd minimum tax from high earning individuals & is uber liberal in social issues.

People totally fail to realize how big these issues are - Bill Maher, Colbert etc earns huge money as do many of these CNN or NBC anchors - Why do they not vote Republican? They have gay friends, they are staunchly anti-war, believe in global warming, etc. These CEO's are overwhelmingly liberal, anti-guns, pro-abortion, pro-marijuana etc. Everyone of these CEO's will gladly pay 5-10% more in taxes if it means abortion, gay marriage, climate change etc are not touched by a mad GOP.

Taxes are least important when you feel the survival of the society is at stake !

[All Along The Watchtower]

So brave of (some) rich people to vote and donate to (certain) Democrats. Real sacrifice that they're making there imo.

[All Along The Watchtower]

You really believe that there's something novel about self-assured tycoons-turned-philanthropists spending billions toward the realization of wacky utopian schemes?

I have no idea what you're referring to.

And then I think this is an unfair point; the sort of projects that sort of industrialist were keen on were generally far more worthwhile than the bilge advocated by techtopians and almost certainly left more tangible legacies (i.e. Bournville remains a thoroughly charming suburb with a very high proportion of social housing and as such is a real asset to Birmingham for multiple reasons).

You might disagree but I think that was a function of the fact that the period in which these men lived was anything but conservative, in both a political and cultural sense. A different world was being built and there was something practical rather than utopian about these schemes. The present has few of these characteristics.

What about the Internet/social media tho. And the Sharing* Economy!

_{*RIP George Orwell. If ye had only known!}

[OSR stands with Israel]

Tech ceos voting Bernie over Rubio is laughable, Rubio is way way more pro business then Bernie and at the end of the day their is no way they vote for a socialist over an establishment republican . Lastly Rubio is more pro H1B then Bernie

Another ridiculous post. Marco Rubio's party is against immigration reform & more likely to oppose H1B than Sanders or Dems. Rubio himself has spoken out against H1B issues in the GOP debate something which Bernie never did. There are broader issues as well, it is never only Rubio vs Bernie.

Bill Gates has pledged to give away most of his wealth to eradicating poverty & for renewable power. How can he vote for a climate change denying party? Tim Cook is gay & why would he vote for a Republican president who may install a SC judge who could over-turn gay marriage. Pichai & Nadella are overwhelming anti-Evangelical, anti-Racism, anti-immigrant hatred, anti- social conservative faction of the Republican party. Warren Buffet himself advocated for the Buffet rule, 30% odd minimum tax from high earning individuals & is uber liberal in social issues.

People totally fail to realize how big these issues are - Bill Maher, Colbert etc earns huge money as do many of these CNN or NBC anchors - Why do they not vote Republican? They have gay friends, they are staunchly anti-war, believe in global warming, etc. These CEO's are overwhelmingly liberal, anti-guns, pro-abortion, pro-marijuana etc. Everyone of these CEO's will gladly pay 5-10% more in taxes if it means abortion, gay marriage, climate change etc are not touched by a mad GOP.

Taxes are least important when you feel the survival of the society is at stake !

Marco Rubio supported H1B increase while Bernie opposed them . That's a fact , and most of the establishment GOP supported them to before trump, and with Rubio as president immigration reform happens . The fact is most of those buisness owners support establishment politicians no matter who's in power.

Bernie spoke out against it :
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/wonk/wp/2013/05/25/this-is-a-massive-effort-to-attract-cheap-labor-why-sen-bernie-sanders-is-skeptical-of-guest-workers/


Taxes under Bernie would nearly  double for most CEO, and he would regulate the heck out of Buisness. LOL at mad GOP establishment republicans have always been great for these type of
People and Rubio is not racist anti immigrant either . Obama was actually tightened up h1b visas as well: https://medium.com/@Ezvsa/evolution-of-h-1b-visa-under-different-presidents-e300eb38084c