PrintMarch 29, 2011
Tim Wu: The Man Who is Destroying the Tech Industry
Tim Wu, the coiner of the term "network neutrality", and a senior adviser to the FTC, has an interesting solution to solve the non-existent problems plaguing the tech industry. As The Chronicle of Higher Education reports:
"In the class at MIT, Wu floats some hypothetical ways you could fight abuse... "something like term limits for monopolists. In theory, the government could say, 'Well, this company has clearly shown it's corrupt. ... So let's just nationalize their source code.'"
The monopolists, Mr. Wu is referring to, are the productive dynamos like Google, Facebook and Apple.
Apple in particular has earned Mr. Wu's ire. Wu, in a New York Times interview, says that he "fears" Apple. Why? Because of Steve Job's "vision" and because of its "undeniable appeal."
Partly because of Apple and its founder's much earned rise in the tech industry, Wu says that he seeks to "reinvigorate the role of a public counterforce to private power." This means stricter antitrust enforcement, and more controls on America's freest and most dynamic industry.
Apple, and companies like it, is not forcing anyone to buy its product. The relationship Apple has with its customers is one of mutual exchange to mutual benefit. Tim Wu wishes to harass Apple, not because it's done anything wrong, but precisely because it has done good. It is being targeted because of its productivity.
If we want to keep seeing the constant and magnificent innovation in the tech industry, we must condemn and stop this statist encroachment on the tech industry. And praise with moral certitude the heroic nature of entrepreneurs and businessmen in the tech industry.
