Clueless Bernie Sanders stumped at Stanford Union, pushes data center pause

Newsletters Morning Report 12:30 Report Evening Report Business Defense Health Care Technology Newsletter Energy & Environment Whole Hog Politics The Gavel The Movement

Technology Newsletter

NEWS Senate House Administration Courts Future America Media Campaign News Education In The Know Latino LGBTQ DC News Race & Politics State Watch Print Edition People in the News

POLICY Defense Health Care Energy & Environment Technology Transportation International Cybersecurity National Security Space Sustainability

BUSINESS Budget Taxes Personal Finance Lobbying

OPINION Columnists Congress Blog All Contributors Opinions – Campaign Opinions – Civil Rights Opinions – Criminal Justice Opinions – Cybersecurity Opinions – Education Opinions – Energy and Environment Opinions – Finance Opinions – Healthcare Opinions – Immigration Opinions – International Opinions – Judiciary Opinions – National Security Opinions – Technology Opinions – White House Submit Opinion Content

All Contributors Opinions – Campaign Opinions – Civil Rights Opinions – Criminal Justice Opinions – Cybersecurity Opinions – Education Opinions – Energy and Environment Opinions – Finance Opinions – Healthcare Opinions – Immigration Opinions – International Opinions – Judiciary Opinions – National Security Opinions – Technology Opinions – White House

Opinions – Civil Rights

Opinions – Criminal Justice

Opinions – Cybersecurity

Opinions – Energy and Environment

Opinions – Healthcare

Opinions – Immigration

Opinions – International

Opinions – National Security

Opinions – Technology

Opinions – White House

Submit Opinion Content

EVENTS Upcoming Events About

Live updates: DHS shutdown

Content from Google Cloud

Federal court rejects GOP bid to block new House map in Utah Court Battles | 1 minute ago

Opinion Trump tariffs struck down by Supreme Court — agenda in jeopardy? Opinions - Lindsey's Lens | 17 minutes ago

US military blows up drug boat in Caribbean, raising death toll to 150 ‘narco-terrorists’ killed Defense | 19 minutes ago

CDC No. 2 steps down amid HHS shake-up News | 21 minutes ago

Epstein files investigated as possible motive of armed man fatally shot at Mar-a-Lago Administration | 26 minutes ago

Opinion Clueless Bernie Sanders stumped at Stanford Union, pushes data center pause Opinions - Robby's Radar | 31 minutes ago

Watch live: Democrats hear from ICE whistleblower National Security | 32 minutes ago

Johnson: Gonzales must address affair allegations in ‘appropriate way’ House | 40 minutes ago

Clueless Bernie Sanders stumped at Stanford Union, pushes data center pause

Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders has been quite busy. He joined Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna for a tour of Silicon Valley, meeting with tech industry leaders who they claim are about to be responsible for “the most dangerous moment in the modern history of the world.” And that’s a direct quote.

You see, Sanders — and to an extent, Khanna — want to slow the pace of technological development in the U.S. because they think AI is bad, and they think people making money off AI is bad. For Sanders, all the gains of increased technology are going to come at the expense of working people.

That’s the Marxist socialist viewpoint: Technological innovation hurts the little guys. It’s also completely wrong.

Actually, we know that technological innovation improves living standards and makes everyone wealthier — not just the richest 1 percent, but all of us. Yes, the tech CEOs are about to make a lot of money off AI. But we’re also going to get self-driving cars, cheaper electronic goods, renewable energy sources, more accurate medical diagnoses and advances in care, sustainable food sources, and on and on. The future is now — unless we regulate ourselves so that we fall behind enemy nations like China, that would use tech to harm us.

As part of his tour of Silicon Valley, Sanders made an appearance at Stanford University, where he fielded a very perceptive question from a student. Why is it, the student asked, that the U.S. is responsible for so much more technological innovation than Europe? Here’s how Sanders responded.

In other words, Sanders went right back to his same old shtick.

Look, Europe definitely has some advantages — the weather sure is nice in Sicily in the summer — but just because they have universal healthcare coverage just not make the medical care good. Just because they provide tuition does not mean their colleges are good. Yes, in Europe, the government gives you a lot of things for free (though “free” just means paid for by extremely, extremely high taxes, which are 60 percent or more in some European countries) and so the trade-off is, people don’t want to work as much. They certainly don’t want to get rich creating new and exciting technologies, when the government is just going to confiscate half their income anyway. Moreover, the regulatory environment there is brutally punishing. Tech people know they have to go elsewhere — to the U.S. — to make things work at all.

Sanders said that “we” should have a degree of control over what the tech CEOs are building. And that sounds nice, but let’s be clear on something — who is “we”? Is it we the people, or is it we the bureaucrats? Because again, in Europe, we the government tells tech what to do, which is why there is no Silicon Valley in Europe and never could be. It’s why tech people like Elon Musk and Pavel Durov are at odds with the governments of Europe, which have taken legal action to stop their companies from flourishing.

Even if you don’t fully trust Mark Zuckerberg or Sam Altman, the relevant question is: Do you trust government bureaucrats more? Do you trust them to strike the balance correctly? To regulate without stifling? I sure don’t.

I don’t think we can even trust Bernie Sanders on this. Sanders has called for a moratorium on new data centers, which we desperately need if we’re going to stay competitive on AI. But Sanders thinks, ‘you know what, sounds too risky, let’s shut it all down.’

But falling behind China means taking an even bigger risk. It means we risk becoming like Europe, where tech goes to die. Not even Khanna supports a data center moratorium, if you want to know just how nutty that particular idea is.

I salute that Stanford student for asking Sanders the question he won’t answer: Why is Silicon Valley in the U.S., and not in Europe? It’s government regulatory policy, and if he gets his way, he’ll drive tech across the sea, just as assuredly as California’s insane new tax policies are exiling tech folks to Florida.

Robby Soave is co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising” and a senior editor for Reason Magazine. This column is an edited transcription of his daily commentary.

More Opinions - Robby's Radar News

2024 Election Results

2024 Election Forecast

Regulation - Administration

Energy & Environment Video Clips

Health Care Video Clips

Technology Video Clips

Transportation Video Clips

International Video Clips

Cybersecurity Video Clips

National Security Video Clips

Contributors to The Hill

Submit Opinion Content

Advertise with Nexstar

Journalistic Integrity

THE HILL 400 N CAPITOL STREET NW, SUITE 650 WASHINGTON DC 20002

Provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc.

By clicking on any of the sign up options below, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use, which includes a jury trial waiver and class action waiver, and that you have read our Privacy Policy detailing our collection, use and sharing of your personal information.

The Hill is provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and uses the My Nexstar sign-in, which works across our media network.

Learn more at nexstar.tv/privacy-policy.

The Hill is provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and uses the My Nexstar sign-in, which works across our media network.

Nexstar Media Group, Inc. is a leading, diversified media company that produces and distributes engaging local and national news, sports, and entertainment content across its television and digital platforms. The My Nexstar sign-in works across the Nexstar network—including The CW, NewsNation, The Hill, and more. Learn more at nexstar.tv/privacy-policy.

Provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc.

Check your email inbox

Provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc.

Thanks for registering!

Provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc.

Are you sure you want to log out?

© The Hill

visit website