ACFM ACFM Microdose: Californian Capitalism w/ Malcolm Harris
Aug 2, 2023
Malcolm Harris, author of Kids These Days, discusses the unique political history of Palo Alto, connecting the founding of California, Stanford University's eugenicist agenda, and the emergence of Silicon Valley and the military-industrial complex. Is personal computing and the internet tainted by this history?
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Stanford Jr.'s Death Shapes Legacy
- The death of Leyland Stanford Jr., the sole heir of the Stanford fortune, led to the founding of Stanford University as a legacy project.
- Herbert Hoover, a mining engineer from Stanford's first class, embodied the future aspirations of this settler capitalist class.
Capitalism as Impersonal Forces
- Capitalism is a system of impersonal forces that drive historical outcomes beyond individual intentions.
- Even CEOs say that if one fails, others will continue their economic role, showing the forces operate beyond men.
Class Struggle Shapes Palo Alto
- Early Californian class struggle involved working men confronting capitalist owners directly, including demands against Chinese labor.
- Palo Alto’s origins are shaped by these clashes, linking local development to global socialist movements.