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Malcolm Harris is the author of a new book called Palo Alto, a history of California, capitalism and the world. Parris Marks: I think this is a really fascinating book because it gives us a different picture of Silicon Valley than certainly the one that we're often kind of conventionally presented. And knowing that history can be very instructive then to how we react to what is actually going on in the present as these tech figures take a more conservative turn.

Paris Marx is joined by Malcolm Harris to discuss the sordid history of Silicon Valley, including the long influence of eugenics at Stanford, how Silicon Valley profited from the United States’ wars throughout the 20th century, and why the libertarian narrative of tech hide a much darker reality.

Malcolm Harris is the author of Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World. You can follow Malcolm on Twitter at @BigMeanInternet.

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, and support the show on Patreon.

The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.

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