FINAL WORD
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The titans of Silicon Valley are not seeking converts, they're hunting political heretics.
First off, Google is one of the most valuable public companies on Earth. Technically, Google is a subsidiary of its parent company Alphabet , which now oversees a host of projects, including self-driving cars (a project called “X”) and Google Fiber (the super- fast Internet of the future). Bottom line: it’s a company with vast ambitions, and the bankroll to make almost anything seem like a realistic goal. It’s also arguably the most influential platform on the planet in the marketplace of ideas. To “google” has been a verb for many years now, indicating its dominance in the search- engine category, but Google also serves as the internet’s primary gatekeeper. Its front-page search results can make or break a company... or an individual. When you google a person’s name, the first results are essentially that person’s online reputation. Google is a company with the power to shape and disseminate ideas. It exceeds anything since Gutenberg finally mastered that movable type in his printing press in the mid- 15th century. That’s why Google’s suppression of ideas is so troubling. Google makes global perception. It determines what news sites you are most likely to see, what products most suit your needs, and what information is the easiest to access. As this digital behemoth embraces the cult of political correctness, there will be ramifications well beyond Mountain View, California. The hypersensitive office culture
Damore’s argument. A few female employees at Google were so upset about a memo that claimed women were on average more emotional than men, they had to stay home from work because they felt unsafe. You can’t make this stuff up. Before we can move past this as another case of progressive overreach at a corporation headquartered in a bastion of undiluted liberalism, it’s worth noting that Google is different. It’s a big deal, not just in Silicon Valley, but around the world.
Gary Varvel Editorial Cartoon used with the permission of Gary Varvel and Creators Syndicate. All rights reserved.
104 | August 2017
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