Like many in the technology industry, Jeremy Leon used to think of himself as a relatively political man.
The only time he participated in a demonstration before it was on the opening daysDonald TrumpThe first presidential period, when he joined his colleague Google Workers leave the company’s Silicon Valley campus to protest against immigration restrictions. They were joined by the co -founder of Google and CEO.
Last weekend was the second Lyons, and also against Trump, but had a completely different feeling.
The man who directs thousands of demonstrators with Polhorn in the center of San Jose on April 5 was another technical worker who would not give his full name for fear of being identified by Trump supporters. The marches were urged to harass the drivers Timing Vehicles, which have moved from a symbol of the Silicon Environmental Future to a pro -Trump icon. There were no technology executives anywhere to be seen, just months laterTrump joinedIn his inauguration in January.
For Leon, 54, the change says a lot about What happened to Silicon Valley Over the past quarter, as in the atmosphere of fear surrounding many of Trump’s critics at the present time.
“One of the things that I saw during that time is the transformation of the Nerody Utopia to money first, move quickly and break things.”
The political gap that was seen between technology leaders and their workforce
Political technology industry loyaltiesIt remains divided. But when some began at the highest levels of the Silicon Valley to turn the right politically, many ordinary workers in the liberal technology industry – but also increasing tension and disappointment. Their mood in a blatant contradiction with prominent technology leaders who adopted a conservative popular ideology.
“I think you are seeing a real gap between the elite of leadership here in the Silicon Valley and their workforce,” said Ann Skate, Director of Leadership Ethics at the Ethics Institute at the University of Santa Clara and who has long been observed in this industry.
“The shift was not many people,” said Lenne Segel, the mayor of Mountain Vio and the liberal activist for a long time in the valley. “It is a handful of people who caught the attention.”
An example of this isElon MuskThe richest person and executive of the world’s most famous electric car company that played a prominent role in reducing federal agencies in the Trump administration. MUSK joined many technical billionaires, including the investor, David Sacks, who helped collect donations for Trump’s campaign and became artificial intelligence in the White House and encrypted currency, and investment capitalism capitalism Mark Androns. Google Sundar Pichai CEO and CEO Dead CEO Mark Zuckerberg also attended Trump’s inauguration in Washington.
ZuckerbergStartTrump’s praiseAfter the candidate at the time, he angered the money that Zuckerberg directed towards local election offices in some states in 2020 during the Korona virus pandemic.He threatened last summer with prison. Zuckerberg also1 million dollars donatedTo the President’s inauguration fund andParticipate in hosting the opening ceremonyThe billionaire has republican donors.
Trump has filled a number of his administration publicationsWith billionairesAnd his support from the wealthy technology leaders led the Democratic President Joe BidenTo warnThat the United States risk becoming a fewIt is governed by elites. During the first period of Trump, the valley and its leaders were the occurrence of resistance to the Republic, especially on immigration, given that the industry attracts its workforce from all over the world.
Against that background, thousands of people attended the last gathering in the center of San Jose Park to protest the Trump and Musk actions.
Even as the technology industry changes, the Democratic Silicon Valley bent over
Santa Clara province, which includes most of Silicon Valley, swooped 8 percentage points towards Trump in the November elections against Democrat Kamala Harris, identical to the transformation throughout California. Even with this swing, the province voted by 68 % to 28 % for the head of the footnote at the time and is still a democratic stronghold.
“We are still in the belly of the monster,” said Dave Johnson, the new CEO Clara, the Republican Party, who said that the party had gained some new members in the province but a few technology industry. “If the lake is frozen, there is little insight on top. I will not say that there are cracks in the ice.”
The valley has long been curbed democratic, but with an unusual political mix: a general hatred of intense participation in Washington’s actions, along with a contradictory mix of liberal individuality, the activity of the Gulf region and the belief in the ability of science to solve the problems of the world.
This continued until the technology industry changed.
The technical boom was fueled by startups that meet the dreams of their workers in changing the world for the better. The Google logo was “not evil”, a phrase removed from the Code of Her Conduct by 2018, when she and other companies like Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, have grown to a multinational giant. The companies witnessedDemobilizationIn recent years, a shock of an industry has not seen a long time ready for unlimited growth.
Jean Engeish Luke, a professor of San Jose State University, has been studying the culture of Silicon Valley for more than 20 years, said that entrepreneurs have once dreamed of building startup companies that change the world.
She said, “Now, if you are part of a startup, you hope it will be absorbed in a profitable way.”
Resentment among some in the technology industry about where you are heading
Even before some prominent technology leaders turned towards Trump, there was increased resentment between some in the industry during its direction. IDAROSE Syllvestter runs works for the Silicon Valley Wadi approach to project owners in other countries.
She said, “I feel sick from my stomach now.”
Sylvester was already frustrated with increased inequality in the valley and the environmental cost of all the energy needed to operate encryption centers, AI and data. She participated in protests against Trump in 2017, but she felt that the energy was fading as soon as he lost the 2020 elections against Biden.
“I have seen a lot of people get out of politics as soon as Biden won. There was a feeling that everything was fine,” said Sylvester. “Not everything was fine.”
She said it’s worse now. It helped organize one of many demonstrations across the valley at the end of last week during a national day of protests against the new administration.
At first glance, it could have been in the center of San Jose, a typical protest to combat Trump anywhere. A large crowd of middle age and the elderly carried out signs against the president and the musk while chanting against the few.
But it was clear that among the silicon crowds, one of them still reeling not only Trump’s challenges in the country’s checks and balances in the country, but also from the actions of senior executives in the valley.
“The money turns into a richest, and this scares me,” said Diane Wood, who works for an emerging company. “Unfortunately, I got Zuckerbergs and Elon Musks from the world who take it.”
Wood added: “Just come here, everyone says he is stopping the face recognition on your phone,” Wood added. “We are all afraid.”
Kamal Ali, who works for Amnesty International, said he was betrayed because of this transformation.
“Confidence is broken. Many employees are very dissatisfied with what is going on,” he said. “It will be different forever.”
This story was originally shown on Fortune.com
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