The Internet and the Neoliberal Project

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The internet has always been this way for freedom and democracy to transcend national borders. People believe it was this new and natural way for liberal democracies to counter authoritarian regimes. In 20 13, mark zuckeberg doubled down on this idea, claiming that the internet was this international human right. But what many people don't see is the flip side of this story, which is that this particular vision of a free and open, emancipatory internet dove tilt with globilization and the neo liberal project.

Paris Marx is joined by JS Tan to discuss the internet’s connection with neoliberalism, China’s protectionist measures to develop its own tech industry, and how the new tensions between the United States and China are leading Silicon Valley to embrace nationalism.

JS Tan is a former tech worker and writer. He also started Collective Actions in Tech. He recently wrote articles about the tech angle on the Cold War for Foreign Policy and Trump’s attempted TikTok ban for Jacobin. Follow JS on Twitter as @organizejs.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.

Find out more about Harbinger Media Network and follow it on Twitter as @harbingertweets. You can also find Kino Lefter on Twitter.

Also mentioned in this episode:

The solidarity between tech workers in the United States and China
Key insights into tech worker activism from the Collective Actions in Tech database
Mark Zuckerberg’s speech at Georgetown University
Peter Thiel’s tech nationalism op-ed in the New York Times
Eric Schmidt’s tech nationalism op-ed in the New York Times

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