Noam Chomsky interviewed by Jegan Vincent de Paul | Compare and Contrast: Codes of Conduct

Noam Chomsky interviewed by Jegan Vincent de Paul | Compare and Contrast: Codes of Conduct

 Jegan Vincent de Paul (JVDP): I want to get at the underlying code by
which technological entities -- particularly those of Silicon Valley --
and political entities
-- particularly those of Washington, DC -- operate in relation to each
other.

And see if their codes of conduct are mutual or in contradiction, as far
as producing necessary change and progress within the United States.
The Stop Online Piracy Act and The PROTECT IP Act boycotts by Google,
Wikipedia and others, was a glimpse into the possibility of increased
conflicts.

Can you talk a little bit about the role of Silicon Valley technology
today in relation to Washington policy for a healthy and open democracy?

Noam Chomsky (NC): Of course there is a connection, Silicon Valley
wouldn't exist without massive government spending and in fact
initiative. Silicon Valley, after all, feeds off the existence of
computers, the internet, the IT systems, satellites, the whole of micro
electronics and so on, but a lot of that comes straight out of the state
sector of the economy. Silicon Valley developed, but they expanded and
turned it into commercial products and so on, but the innovation is on
the basis of fundamental technological development that took places in
places like this [MIT] on government funding, and that continues.
Silicon Valley benefits, as all of industry, from highly protectionist
policy -- patent policies and things like that -- which come out of the
government. That was part of what was involved in the SOPA conflict. So
there is an intimate relationship, but the cultures are completely
different.

Washington basically works for the corporate sector and Silicon Valley,
technically at least, is suppose to sponsor initiative in creativity,
whether it does or not is another question. 

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