The Tug of War: Big Tech Firms vs States Ft. Daniel Immer Wahr

Full Episode Link: https://youtu.be/7CL_8jnKBRk?si=S3dgqoeCM6-8ef-p In this engaging conversation, Anirudh and Daniel explore the historical and contemporary tug of war between governments and big tech firms across the globe. They draw parallels with the past, such as the rivalry between the crown and the East India Company, to question if big tech could surpass government power. The discussion spans examples from various countries including the U.S., China, and Russia, highlighting the shift in power dynamics. They debate the potential for tech firms to take over traditional state functions like security and the implications for democracy and citizen rights. Reflecting on historical outcomes, Anirudh posits that governments tend to triumph eventually, but Daniel expresses skepticism, noting the weakening state authority and the rising influence of corporate power in areas like space exploration and security. They conclude by pondering the future of democracy and state functions in the face of expanding corporate influence. 00:00 Opening Thoughts: The Tug of War Between States and Corporations 00:03 Historical Context and the Inevitable Victory of the State 02:47 Skepticism and the Changing Dynamics of State vs. Corporate Power 04:46 The Expanding Role of Corporations in Traditional State Functions 06:40 The Democratic Dilemma: Accountability and Sovereignty in the Age of Big Tech 07:43 The Future of State Sovereignty and Democratic Governance Book Links: AnirudhSuri: The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri : https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My How to Hide an Empire: https://amzn.eu/d/hssq9QF About Daniel Immerwahr: Daniel Immerwahr (Ph.D., Berkeley, 2011) is Bergen Evans Professor in the Humanities. His first book, Thinking Small (Harvard, 2015), offers a critical account of grassroots development campaigns launched by the United States at home and abroad. It won the Merle Curti Award in Intellectual History from the Organization of American Historians and the Society for U.S. Intellectual History's annual book award. His second book, How to Hide an Empire (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019), is a narrative history of the United States that brings its overseas territory into the story. It was a national bestseller, a New York Times critic's choice for one of the best books of 2019, and the winner of the Robert H. Ferrell Prize from the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations. Immerwahr's writings have appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, the Washington Post, Harper's, The New Republic, The Nation, and the New York Review of Books, among other places. More information and many of Immerwahr's writings are available at his website (https://history.northwestern.edu/people/faculty/core-faculty/daniel-immerwahr.html) #TugOfWar #BigTech #GovernmentControl #CorporateInfluence #TechVsGovernment #StatePower #HistoricalDebate #GlobalDynamics #PowerStruggles #DigitalGovernance #BalanceOfPower #TechGiants #CorporateVsState #DigitalAge #TechRevolution #PoliticalEconomy #Globalization #CyberSecurity #StateLegitimacy #DemocracyDebate