Over the past several weeks, an uncertainty has existed in the United States, and even the world, as to how the new US President – Donald Trump, will affect the tech industry and Silicon Valley. In a recent Newsweek article (Maney, 2017), Kevin Maney keyed in on five major sectors targeted by the Trump Campaign rhetoric, that if followed through on by the new administration, could stifle growth and innovation. The areas discussed included “Humle the Technology Industry”, “Dismiss Alternative Energy”, “Derail Health Care”, “Ignore Russian Hacking”, and “Shift resources from Cities to small Towns and Rural areas”.
I see the next four years in two views. The first will be in alignment with the negative actions described by Maney as to the effects of Trump’s promised policies, but I also envision a second outlook, not mentioned by Maney. This overlooked observation would include an uprising, powered by immigrants and the same technology that Trump’s action is predicted to suppress, that would overcome his actions, and in the end, keep the Valley on track producing some of the most innovative tech companies in the world.
Maney, K. (2017, January 27). DIGITAL DIVID AND CONQUER- Trump has a brilliant plan to turn Silicon Valley into a desert. Newsweek, pp. 46-47.