Tech CEOs Praise Donald Trump at White House Dinner

The scene opens confusingly. The camera zooms too close to the president’s face; the table at which the tech executives are seated seems far too long. Mark Zuckerberg is there, and Bill Gates and Tim Cook and Satya Nadella and Sam Altman and on and on, a baker’s dozen or so of Silicon Valley’s most powerful people—cutthroat competitors all—united here to pledge allegiance to Donald Trump.

I much prefer Something I Can Never Have.

Think i’m going to puke.

Is Bill Gates still important in the tech company space?

I was under the impression that he was not active for over a decade. Having left Microsoft, and focusing on more humanitarian efforts. Does he have any influence, or does tech-company-space activity still?

Sure, but what play is being performed here? These men are more than powerful enough to go against Trump, yet every single one of them is playing the part of the obedient subject to the mighty king. The message of this bizarre play is that Trump is in charge, that he demands, in return of leaving you and your business alone, acts of what can only be described as public debasement.

That’s unsettling for a long list of reasons.

The scene opens confusingly. The camera zooms too close to the president’s face; the table at which the tech executives are seated seems far too long. Mark Zuckerberg is there, and Bill Gates and Tim Cook and Satya Nadella and Sam Altman and on and on, a baker’s dozen or so of Silicon Valley’s most powerful people—cutthroat competitors all—united here to pledge allegiance to Donald Trump.

Alternative Title: Donald Trump has a praise kink

He’s busy sucking Trump’s Toes.

Apparently dismantling USAID and undoing all of his humanitarian efforts doesn’t bother him enough to not be important in the room.

These men are more than powerful enough to go against Trump

Was just discussing this with my wife last night — are they?

This time around, there is zero oversight, no checks and balances worth mentioning. Donald Quixote has pretty much carte blanche, complete power. If they went against him, he could fine them (their companies), levy crazy taxes or tariffs, kill government contracts and subsidies, and nobody could stop him. Even if a non-evil judge halts an executive order, it will eventually get to the Subpreme Court, get overturned, basically no more than a delay.

I understand that they could still Do The Right Thing, throw themselves in their sword in protest, but they’re all publicly traded, must have Boards. Most (?) of these men can just be fired if they go against the shareholders.

Could they really do anything that would be more than a symbolic gesture?