back to article Tech Trump: Silicon Valley steps into the valley of unhappiness

The biggest question facing millions of Americans this Wednesday is: just how much of what Donald Trump said on the campaign does he intend to actually try to make happen. And in that respect, few are more fearful than Silicon Valley. As we've already noted, Trump has backed a number of positions that go directly against the …

  1. 404

    Hmmm

    I actually feel better about the idea that Google etc won't be visiting the White House every week. Maybe he'll slap Microsoft down over Windows 10 MaaS... wouldn't that be nice?

    Hell, maybe Trump will will unban me over the various social networks now... >;)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Hmmm

      Are you sure? Don't underestimate the capabilities of companies like Google to find make friends when needed...

  2. noh1bvisas

    Dang. They might have to hire Americans.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Trump has repeatedly demonstrated his willingness to go after people and companies that he feels have wronged him, and publicly stated a number of times – including in his victory speech – that he will target those he have been critics of his bid.

    Okay, so I read the transcript of that speech, but apparently I missed the bit where he made threats, or even said anything negative about anyone or anything. It was all about cooperation, hugs, and thanks as far as I could tell.

    Could you be more specific?

    1. 404

      Is that selective hearing syndrome? - Only hear every third word and only then if it's threatening somehow?

      I'll need two counselors, one young, one old, to consider this in my safe space*.

      *Pillow Fort

    2. Geoffrey W

      "For those who have chosen not to support me in the past, of which there were a few people, I'm reaching out to you" [Sly Wink and sinister inflection] "for your " [Wink] "guidance " he didn't say who would be doing the guidance or "Where" he was going to guide them but we all know what he meant, don't we. Forest Trump is a master of language and subtle implication.

      1. Geoffrey W

        Oh, and I'm copyrighting the term "Forest Trump" and adding it to such refined satiricisms as Micro$haft, Repuglican and...Oh, you know what they are...

        1. Queasy Rider

          copyrighting the term "Forest Trump

          ... and I want to copyright the term "Il Douche(bag) Trumpolini".

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The Trump name

    He rates his branding very highly (the word Trump is apparently supposed to be worth 3bn) and he has a penchant for naming things after himself. Given this, his first act after swearing in should be to rename the country to Trumpton.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: The Trump name

      He is going to have a lot of fires to put out, so needs to call in Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble & Grub.

    2. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

      Re: The Trump name / rename country

      How about Trumpistan ?

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: The Trump name

      Hehe... The nearby village of Trumpington is in deep sh***

    4. Alister

      Re: The Trump name

      He rates his branding very highly (the word Trump is apparently supposed to be worth 3bn) and he has a penchant for naming things after himself.

      Surely, surely he knows what the word "Trump" is mostly associated with in the UK?

      There's no way that he will ever be able to change that.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: The Trump name

        Oh, I don't know. I grabbed my wife the other day and declared "you've been trumped".

        (OK, so I didn't - she would punch me probably).

    5. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: The Trump name

      He rates his branding very highly (the word Trump is apparently supposed to be worth 3bn) and he has a penchant for naming things after himself.

      Interesting then that they launched the "Scion" hotel chain.

      That may indicate that he's irreparably damaged his brand.

      I mean, do you really want to stay at "Racist Hotel?"

      He thinks he has taste and class, but any photos of his home will show you he's more interested in being a French Monarch.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Trump's love of gold leaf

        His home is very Louis XIV. I shudder to think what horrible classless decor he'll inflict on the White House, and how much all that gold will cost. Somehow I bet all those republicans who complained about Obama's rather spartan updates when he took office will ignore it when Trump's end up costing 10x as much.

        His taste seems very similar to the low class denizens of Real Housewives of New Jersey, except he can afford having everything in real gold, while most of theirs is fake.

  5. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

    "Trump has proposed allowing US companies to repatriate the billions of dollars they have stashed overseas by paying just 10 per cent in tax. That would bring a lot of money into the country"

    Alternatively it could pay for them to move corporate HQs outside the US to somewhere which would be a little more corporate friendly and still have a nice climate. Say somewhere around the Caribbean. They'd still face taxes selling into the US assuming he raises tariff barriers but they wouldn't, in Apple's case for instance, have interference such as demands for back doors that would cause them problems in the rest of the world.

    1. Spudley

      but they wouldn't, in Apple's case for instance, have interference such as demands for back doors that would cause them problems in the rest of the world.

      Oh, rest assured, they certainly would still have to deal with it. In fact, being off-shore might make it easier force them to meet those demands. It would be a lot easier to block imports from a foreign company until they comply than it would a US-based one, for example.

    2. Missing Semicolon Silver badge
      Mushroom

      Tax holiday for big people

      That's the one thing he would do that would really grind my gears.

      I really loathe the cynicism implied in a) keeping offshore profits offshore, and b) borrowing against those profits to pay dividends, in the certain knowledge that every 8 years a Republican President will give them a free pass to bring the money home.

      It's so well-known that this is how it happens that the Markets don't price offshore profits at a discount. They assume that they will get repatriated at a nominal rate.

      1. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

        Re: Tax holiday for big people

        They employ a shedload of people, paying income taxes and sales taxes, don't they?

        They reinvest most of the profit (in due time) to make the company stronger.

        Some gets payed out in dividends to people, who then buy things and pay sales taxes, or reinvest the money into various labour intense projects (building work, for example).

        Money goes around, and giving large amounts of it to government to burn is usually not the best way to make everyone richer. I thought that was one of the Republican standing mottos?

        For Apple to have any chance of competing with Samsung or up-and-coming Chinese companies, they better be filthy rich with a massive bank balance.

        1. Missing Semicolon Silver badge
          Unhappy

          Re: Tax holiday for big people

          That's just a general argument against taxation.

          Companies can exist because of the services provided by the State. They should be paying for it.

          It is also anticompetitive that a local business has to pay all it's taxes, but a "global" (pah!) business gets to skip a load.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The Silicon Valley titan who bet big and won?

    Peter Theil. He gets a seat at the head of the table.

    I don't care at all for Trump, but I think that it was a pretty easy call that he was going to win. He targeted the blue-collar "Reagan Democrat" voters that Clinton needed to hang onto in order to win, and he pandered to them flawlessly. Meanwhile, the left has been dumping opprobrium on this block for years now, and it's no surprise that they put him over the top in swing states. Well, at least no surprise to anyone not blinded by the various political cult philosophies being sold.

    Anyway, I'm off to my archery lessons. Have to start getting ready for the First Annual Hunger Games...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: The Silicon Valley titan who bet big and won?

      At least he should be able to solve the US energy problem. All he needs to do is attach a generator to Reagans corpse, he is going to be spinning in his grave so fast at what has happened to the GOP.

    2. Mr Booth
      Childcatcher

      Re: The Silicon Valley titan who bet big and won?

      Speaking of the Hunger Games, who would have thought that The Purge would become a documentary on the future of the US.

      Class 4 weapons and below kiddies!

  7. redpawn

    The Bull in the China Shop

    Angry voters elected this turd with little understanding that a Bull in a China Shop fixes nothing. They imagine that by tearing down others and institutions Jesus will magically make things better. Only broken stuff and BS will come of this.

    1. a_yank_lurker

      Re: The Bull in the China Shop

      The other choice is an unindicted felon and grifter who is best at selling her services.

      1. Mark 85

        Re: The Bull in the China Shop

        I tend to agree.. With her, you know what you were getting. With Trump, who really knows? I am of an age to know that campaign rhetoric is just that... "tell the voters what they want to hear", etc.

        1. tekHedd

          They knew

          "With her, you know what you were getting."

          Yeah. That's why Trump won.

    2. Queasy Rider

      Re: The Bull in the China Shop

      I had a(late, self-declared redneck) friend who had a stock answer for people complaining about their bitchy other-halfs. Referring to his third wife and her teenage daughter he would reply, "I have two bitches, but," and he would pause for effect, "they're my bitches" with emphasis on the "my".

      I genuinely believe a similar sentiment held back any wavering Republican from seriously considering the "evil Hillary". After all, the right has been vilifying her for over two decades. Maybe a few of them could have voted for good guy Bernie over bad boy Trump, but never, ever Hillary. And that was the Democrat establishment's fatal mistake, pushing her onto the voting public.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: The Bull in the China Shop

        After all, the right has been vilifying her for over two decades.

        And there's something to remember.

        During the first Obama term, the Republicans in congress made their sole objective "to make sure obama is not re-elected." Not to fix things with the country, not to try to compromise, but to obstruct at any cost.

        Hillary ran for president in 2008. It was obvious she was going to run again, so the GOP spent millions of taxpayer money (e.g. Benghazi witch-hunts) to try and make sure she wasn't elected.

        Of course, the joke's really on the GOP, because they ended up with Trump.

        1. mosw

          Re: The Bull in the China Shop

          "Of course, the joke's really on the GOP, because they ended up with Trump."

          Unfortunately, the joke is on us all.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      @redpawn - Re: The Bull in the China Shop

      How about desperate fed-up voters who're trying to find food for their children while Silicon Valley tech employees are stressed about their smart phone not being able to control their light bulb accurately. For your information there are two Americas in one whether you like it or not.

      I don't think the new president will solve their problems but those voters knew the Democrats had nothing to offer.

  8. SeanC4S

    I blame the contraceptive pill for shifting the gene pool around. I'd say the bell curve has been lobbed off at the top.

    1. LaeMing
      Boffin

      The "top" already had plenty of other options. The Pill is just more convenient.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Facepalm

    Definition of "Uncomprehending"

    "If you’re not fucking pissed right now, what is wrong with you?" he yelled at attendees - most of whom don't live in the US.

    Maybe, like me, they were Americans who looked at both candidates as bad options, and were indifferent to the outcome between them. Maybe they were Trump supporters. However, most of them were not U.S. citizens and might be a little concerned or fearful, but hardly mad at the results.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Big Brother

    One other thing that is a big concern...

    Digital snooping by the United States. Obama at least made some small moves towards greater transparency and less surveillance. Trump and his team are pretty much all "Have to break some civil liberties eggs to make the counter-terrorism omelet" guys though. So I am waiting for the NSA to get permission to once more operate with complete impunity, instead of near-impunity.

    1. joed

      Re: One other thing that is a big concern...

      Really. I've been having impression that our current president sided with agencies and let the business as usual continue (if not strengthen their position).

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: One other thing that is a big concern...

      One other thing that is a big concern...

      Digital snooping by the United States. Obama at least made some small moves towards greater transparency and less surveillance. Trump and his team are pretty much all "Have to break some civil liberties eggs to make the counter-terrorism omelet" guys though. So I am waiting for the NSA to get permission to once more operate with complete impunity, instead of near-impunity.

      Expect some big problems there for the US next year. You heard it here first.

      1. Jeffrey Nonken

        Re: One other thing that is a big concern...

        "Expect some big problems there for the US next year. You heard it here first."

        Not really, I'm a regular Techdirt reader.

    3. Naselus

      Re: One other thing that is a big concern...

      "Obama at least made some small moves towards greater transparency and less surveillance."

      He really, really didn't.

      Obama's image as the Messiah of Hope and all-round nice guy is pretty much marketing - in fact, he won an award for it. A lot of those voters saw his campaign and actually bought into the Hope and Change stuff... only for Obama to turn out to be a standard-issue social democrat who's agenda was very much 'let's get back to business as usual ASAP'.

      That's pretty much why Trump won. The Dems promised FDR2 and then gave the public Bill Clinton's third and fourth terms, immediately after the whole economic model Bill had built collapsed. The Republicans were even worse, of course; McCain and Romney both tried to offer G W Bush again and ran into a brick wall, and even in victory the party is ideologically adrift. Many of Trump's policies are absolutely at odds with the agenda of his own party in Congress - Ryan and McConnell are free-market, small government, open borders movement conservatives. Trump wants tariffs, immigration controls, a trillion-dollar infrastructure bill, and has pretty much just stuck a stake through William F Buckley Jnr's corpse.

      Republicans may have a unified government at the moment, but they don't have a unified party.

      1. Sam 15

        Re: One other thing that is a big concern...

        " Many of Trump's policies are absolutely at odds with the agenda of his own party in Congress"

        and

        "Republicans may have a unified government at the moment, but they don't have a unified party."

        Since no-one really knows exactly what Trump will actually do in office (his campaign rhetoric was all over the map) it may turn out to be misleading to describe Trump as a Republican.

  11. Hero Protagonist

    Fame

    "Trump has found fame as a successful businessman"

    Trrump has a horrible track record as a businessman. But his track record as a con artist is unmatched.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Fame

      his track record as a con artist is unmatched

      He'll definitely do well in Washington then ..

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Only 2 % of print media supported Trump in the States. Think about that. 98% blind support of anything positive for Clinton, 98% promotion of anything negative related to Trump.

    I believe the impression most people have of Trump and what he said is so distorted you can't believe anything anyone says about him.

    1. ArrZarr Silver badge

      What about the comments Trump himself makes?

    2. Alister

      I believe the impression most people have of Trump and what he said is so distorted you can't believe anything anyone says about him.

      Are you trying to suggest that the live broadcasts of his insane rantings have been manipulated by the media, then?

    3. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

      "I believe the impression most people have of Trump and what he said is so distorted you can't believe anything anyone says about him."

      And Hitler was touchy-feely as well. He loved his dogs, for example.

      And, although he only had one testicle, he liked, sort of, Eva Braun.

      He was an artist (postcard style), and really into architecture.

      People just get the wrong impression from the public persona, that's all.

  13. Sirius Lee

    Slashing the corporation tax rate

    I suspect they will get over any misgiving when he slashes corporation tax. Companies like Apple will be able to repatriate $billions currently held offshore. Some economists estimate there is as much as $2trillion sloshing around waiting to be able to home. Just a small percent of that will allow a company like Apple to provide a few more jobs in the US and provide the cover needed to avoid Trump's sanctions.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "wary of", surely?

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "If you’re not fucking pissed right now, what is wrong with you?"

    * Most of big tech these days is about Cloud hype/fraud (according to Peter Thiel), or something that involves monetization (Privacy-Raping to you or me)..

    * So nice to see tech valley take a hit after 8 years of lawlessly doing whatever they want, and corps like Google having direct access to No.10 & the White House....

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    No more freeloading on H1-B visas for your cheap foreign workers, tech oligarchs.

    That's a good thing. Finally someone has risen up to put you in your place.

    Here's a video clip of Billy G lobbying in the US Congress for H1-B visas.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg0wCam2oDc

    No more. Enough is enough.

    1. Tom Paine

      Re: No more freeloading on H1-B visas for your cheap foreign workers, tech oligarchs.

      As with the Brexit -- populations who don't understand that immigration is a huge net positive for a country's economy and culture will have to have it demonstrated to them in real life over the next few decades.

      Sadly, by the time those decades have passed, climate refugees (including refugees from climate-driven resource wars, like Syria) will probably have lead to populist politicians taking the Trump approach. Hey ho.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: No more freeloading on H1-B visas for your cheap foreign workers, tech oligarchs.

        Depends on the immigration type. A relatively low level of immigration of highly/good skilled people from a comparable country usually can be good. A huge level of immigration with little of no control of people raised outside Western ethical values, and little or no skills, is dangerous.

        The former will help to create more value quickly. The latter, some will be exploited for some low-level jobs paying lower wages (often by the same who complain about all those immigrants), many others will be just a huge cost to assist them - and not a little percentage of those who can't find a job matching their wishes may also turn criminals.

  17. druck Silver badge
    Happy

    ¡Bong!

    I'd love to see a Steve ¡Bong! vs Donald Trump showdown.

    1. druck Silver badge
  18. tekHedd

    Bad for investors maybe. But is it even worse than now?

    Yes, from an *investor* perspective, these things are bad. Speaking as a tech worker, as an engineering cog in the machine, "meh." When anybody says "the labor pool is too small" what they really mean is "this job sucks; how can we cut the cost of labor?"

    I don't know if you remember this, but the FBI sued Apple. Whistleblowers are pursued, literally, to the ends of the earth. It's not like the current Democratic attitudes and policies are a whole lot different. They're just a lot better at dodging the issues. A lot of what makes Trump scary is that he's *exactly the same* as the government we've had for years, except that it's visible.

    I mean, yeah, using every resource available to crush anyone who he feels has insulted him, that's simply bad. If you're going to worry about something, I'd start there.

    1. nerdbert
      Pint

      Re: Bad for investors maybe. But is it even worse than now?

      Using every resource to crush someone who has insulted you is SOP right now, just ask Lois Lerner.

      One good thing about Trump being President is that all of a sudden there are a lot of people who will worry about too much government power and be a lot more interested in exposing government abuses.

      1. midcapwarrior

        Re: Bad for investors maybe. But is it even worse than now?

        "a lot more interested in exposing government abuses"

        As long as they don't look to WikiLeaks as a tool for exposure. assange went all in for trump.

        Even his Peruvian housemates had to crack down on him.

  19. AbeSapian

    Never to Fear

    Business will do what business has always done: Move to another country where they can get what they want at the price they want.

  20. AbeSapian

    The Big Loser

    As Silicon Valley begins the exodus to friendlier countries, the big loser will be all the towns that built all that infrastructure to support the soon to be empty homes and facilities of SV. SV will be a big shiny ghost town without even a Walmart to blame.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: The Big Loser

      As Silicon Valley begins the exodus to friendlier countries, the big loser will be all the towns that built all that infrastructure to support the soon to be empty homes and facilities of SV. SV will be a big shiny ghost town without even a Walmart to blame.

      And that's just fine with Republicans - haven't you noticed that California tends to vote Democrat?

  21. Spanky60

    Coming soon - Trumps version of "The Purge"

    Or worse, Trump and the Republican controlled House and Senate will pass a new law. Now just like during hunting season instead of getting tags for deer, elk.. etc..etc one will be able to get tags for liberals and those that wronged him..One 24 hour period it will be open hunting season on them pesky varmit liberals and democrats that wronged him... scary thought :(

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