• About
  • Article PDF
  • White Papers
  • Listening Tours​
  • Contact
  • Support Us
  • Advertising & Sponsorships
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
Times Of Entrepreneurship
Growth and Equity for a Changing World
Times Of Entrepreneurship
No Result
View All Result

Google Lobbies in Many Ways

by Elizabeth Macbride
March 30, 2022
in Editor's Note
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Elizabeth Macbride
A note from our editor, Elizabeth MacBride: I wrote a few weeks ago that the military-industrial complex, having retreated from Afghanistan, would soon be looking for a new story to sell its wares. I predicted it would be China. Today, in the Wall Street Journal, we saw Eric Schmidt, the former chairman of Google, lobbying for the Pentagon to buy big tech companies’ systems to counter the rise of China. This makes me uneasy for two reasons: Any division between Silicon Valley and the Pentagon is a straw man; Silicon Valley was built on defense funding and the various arms of the government remain some of the Valley’s biggest clients. Big tech companies have more to gain from a cowed China than the military has from a tech infrastructure it is already deeply invested in. And second, tech leaders and Schmidt in particular are well-positioned to make the case, in the White House and the media, for the why and how of an aggressive stance against China. Here’s one connection I’ve had my eye on: Tom Kalil, the chief innovation officer of Schmidt Futures, the Schmidt family’s venture facility for public benefit, is also a consultant in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. It’s an unpaid role, a spokeswoman told me, and Kalil (who is by all accounts and in my experience well-respected and thoughtful) will recuse himself from matters related to Schmidt Futures. But cozy connections raise red flags for journalists. They turn into fait accomplis — and I wonder if a military-tech buildup against China has already been written by the Biden Administration’s stars. And if that’s the case, who benefits? Of course, there are real reasons to be uneasy about a world in which an authoritarian regime is the ascendant power. But I’m not crazy about one that’s run by and for tech giants, either. Originally published in Times of E’s weekly newsletter, Sept. 8, 2021


This story and others on Times of E are made possible by a sponsorship from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a private, nonpartisan foundation that provides access to opportunities that help people achieve financial stability, upward mobility, and economic prosperity – regardless of race, gender, or geography. The Kansas City, Mo.-based foundation uses its grantmaking, research, programs, and initiatives to support the start and growth of new businesses, a more prepared workforce, and stronger communities. For more information, visit www.kauffman.org and connect with www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn.

Tags: Editor's NoteElizabeth MacBrideEric SchmidtGoogleTom Kalil
Elizabeth Macbride

Elizabeth Macbride

A business journalist for 20 years, am the founder of Times of Entrepreneurship and the co-author of The New Builders.

Related Posts

Editor’s Note: We Are All Jacinda Now

Editor’s Note: Burnout World; Dark Web’s Criminal Minds; Small Biz Gets Stuck w George Santos

by Elizabeth MacBride
January 23, 2023
0

Jacinda Ardern, PM of New Zealand. Before the holidays, I wrote two pieces for CNBC about cybersecurity, which is a...

Editor’s Note: A Surprise Nuclear Buildup Is One Sign Of How Little We Know China

Editor’s Note: A Surprise Nuclear Buildup Is One Sign Of How Little We Know China

by Elizabeth Macbride
January 11, 2023
0

A note from our editor, Elizabeth MacBride I came back from the holiday break with tons of energy, and hope...

Editor’s Note: Is TikTok A Threat From China?

Editor’s Note: Dealing with Corporate Disinformation  

by Time of Entrepreneurship
December 19, 2022
0

A note from our editor, Elizabeth MacBride: This week, I wrote about one man’s rise out of poverty, and how...

Editor’s Note: Is TikTok A Threat From China?

Editor’s Note: The Likelihood of Another Pandemic

by Time of Entrepreneurship
December 5, 2022
0

The pandemic cost the United States an estimated $16 trillion, and the World Health Organization estimated in May that about...

Editor’s Note: Is TikTok A Threat From China?

Editor’s Note: Meta and the Wolves, $500K For Black Founders, Jimmy Page’s Guitars

by Time of Entrepreneurship
December 2, 2022
0

Memories of George Floyd's murder are fading, and so some of the promises made in the aftermath are evaporating. But...

Editor’s Note: Is TikTok A Threat From China?

Editor’s Note: Manufacturing May Come Back, After All

by Time of Entrepreneurship
November 7, 2022
0

A note from our editor, Elizabeth MacBride: This week, we launch a new reporting project: Deep Dives into Secondary Cities....

Subscribe to Times of E’s Free Weekly Newsletter

Learn about the emerging ecosystem of diverse founders

Popular

  • Modern Mexican Food Brands Give Old El Paso The Boot

    Modern Mexican Food Brands Give Old El Paso The Boot

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Venture Spotlight: Realist Ventures In Connecticut Focuses on Biotech, Healthcare

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Top 20 U.S. University Entrepreneurship Competitions

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Trailblazer: An Audacious Denver Entrepreneur Recruited An Xbox Creator To Develop Her Gaming Vision

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Venture Capital Returns Are More Skewed Than People Realize

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Recent

Homepage Header

Opportunities for Entrepreneurial Leaders: Miami, Pittsburgh, Virtual

January 27, 2023
Venture Spotlight: Realist Ventures In Connecticut Focuses on Biotech, Healthcare

Venture Spotlight: Realist Ventures In Connecticut Focuses on Biotech, Healthcare

January 26, 2023
Modern Mexican Food Brands Give Old El Paso The Boot

Modern Mexican Food Brands Give Old El Paso The Boot

January 25, 2023

Recommended

  • Health
  • Climate
  • Deep Tech
  • Finance
  • Education
  • Women Entrepreneurs
  • Mentorship
white man smiling in front of a wall

Commentary: University Entrepreneurship: Education or Venture Creation?

1 year ago
headshot of a broad-shouldered man wearing a black T shirt

2020 Success Story: The Pandemic Inspired A LatinX-Owned Alternative To Grubhub

2 years ago
  • About
  • Partner
  • Bespoke Research
  • Listening Tours​
  • Contact
  • Support Us
  • Privacy Policy

(703-966-7357)

© 2020 Mondial Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 
Facebook Twitter Linkedin
No Result
View All Result
  • Research
  • Finance
  • Women Entrepreneurs
  • New Builders
  • Ecosystem
  • Events
  • Newsletter
  • Editor’s Note

© 2022 Mondial Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Support Times of E

Times of E covers the emerging ecosystem of diverse founders.

With your support of our journalism, you will receive our weekly newsletter and one of these resources for free: 

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?