"The Californian Ideology" is a 1995 essay by English media theorists Richard Barbrook and Andy Cameron of the University of Westminster. Barbrook describes it as a "critique of dotcom neoliberalism".[1] In the essay, Barbrook and Cameron argue that the rise of networking technologies in Silicon Valley in the 1990s was linked to American neoliberalism and a paradoxical hybridization of beliefs from the political left and right in the form of hopeful technological determinism.
The original essay was published in Mute magazine[2] in 1995 and later appeared on the nettime Internet mailing list for debate. A final version was published in Science as Culture in 1996. The critique has since been revised in several different versions and languages.[1]
Andrew Leonard of Salon called Barbrook & Cameron's work "one of the most penetrating critiques of neo-conservative digital hypesterism yet published."[3]
"This new faith has emerged from a bizarre fusion of the cultural bohemianism of San Francisco with the hi-tech industries of Silicon Valley...the Californian Ideology promiscuously combines the free-wheeling spirit of the hippies and the entrepreneurial zeal of the yuppies."
Critics contend that the Californian Ideology has strengthened the power of corporations over the individual and has increased social stratification, and remains distinctly Americentric. Barbrook argues that members of the digerati who adhere to the Californian Ideology, embrace a form of reactionary modernism. According to Barbrook, "American neo-liberalism seems to have successfully achieved the contradictory aims of reactionary modernism: economic progress and social immobility. Because the long-term goal of liberating everyone will never be reached, the short-term rule of the digerati can last forever."[7]
Influences
According to Fred Turner, sociologist Thomas Streeter of the University of Vermont notes that the Californian Ideology appeared as part of a pattern of Romantic individualism with Stewart Brand as a key influence.[8]Adam Curtis connects the origins of the Californian Ideology to the Objectivist philosophy of Ayn Rand.[9]
Reception
While in general agreement with Barbrook & Cameron's central thesis, David Hudson of Rewired takes issue with their portrayal of Wired magazine's position as representative of every viewpoint in the industry. "What Barbrook is saying between the lines is that the people with their hands on the reins of power in all of the wired world...are guided by an utterly skewed philosophical construct." Hudson maintains that there is not one, but a multitude of different ideologies at work.[10]
Andrew Leonard of Salon calls the essay "a lucid lambasting of right-wing libertarian digerati domination of the Internet" and "one of the most penetrating critiques of neo-conservative digital hypesterism yet published." Leonard also notes the "vitriolic" response from Louis Rossetto, former editor and publisher of Wired magazine.[3] Rossetto's rebuttal, also published in Mute, criticized it as showing "a profound ignorance of economics".[11]
Gary Kamiya, also of Salon, recognized the validity of the main points in the essay, but like Rossetto, Kamiya attacked Barbrook & Cameron's "ludicrous academic-Marxist claim that high-tech libertarianism somehow represents a recrudescence of racism."[12]
Architecture historian Kazys Varnelis of Columbia University found that in spite of the privatization advocated by the Californian Ideology, the economic growth of Silicon Valley and California were "made possible only due to exploitation of the immigrant poor and defense funding...government subsidies for corporations and exploitation of non-citizen poor: a model for future administrations."[13]
The original promise of the Californian Ideology, was that the computers would liberate us from all the old forms of political control, and we would become Randian heroes, in control of our own destiny. Instead, today, we feel the opposite—that we are helpless components in a global system—a system that is controlled by a rigid logic that we are powerless to challenge or to change.[9]
Hudson, David. (June 24, 1996). "". Rewired: Journal of a Strained Net.
Kamiya, Gary. (January 20, 1997). "". Salon.com.
Leonard, Andrew. (September 10, 1999). "The Cybercommunist Manifesto". Salon.com.
May, Christopher. (2002). The Information Society: A Sceptical View. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN0745626858.
Ouellet, Maxime. (2010). "Cybernetic capitalism and the global information society: From the global panopticon to a 'brand' new world". In Jacqueline Best and Matthew Paterson, Cultural Political Economy. 10. Taylor & Francis. ISBN0-415-48932-6.
Rossetto, Louis. (1996). "19th Century Nostrums are not Solutions to 21st Century Problems". Mute. 1 (4).
Streeter, Thomas. (1999). 'That Deep Romantic Chasm': Libertarianism, Neoliberalism, and the Computer Culture. In Andrew Calabrese and Jean-Claude Burgelman, eds., Communication, Citizenship, and Social Policy: Re-Thinking the Limits of the Welfare State. Rowman & Littlefield, 49–64.
Turner, Fred. (2006). From Counterculture to Cyberculture: Stewart Brand, the Whole Earth Network, and the Rise of Digital Utopianism. University Of Chicago Press. ISBN0-226-81741-5.
Varnelis, Kazys. (2009). "Complexity and Contradiction in Infrastructure 2017-04-09 at the Wayback Machine". Ph.D. Lecture Series. Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation.
Further reading
Barbrook, Richard. (2007). Imaginary Futures: From Thinking Machines to the Global Village. Pluto. ISBN0-7453-2660-9.
Flew, Terry. (2002). "The 'New Empirics' in Internet Studies and Comparative Internet Policy". In Fibreculture Conference, 5–8 December, 5–8 December. Melbourne.
Gere, Charlie. (2002). Digital Culture. Reaktion Books. ISBN1861891431.
Halberstadt, Mitchell. (January 20, 1997). "". Rewired: Journal of a Strained Net.
Lovink, Geert. (2009) [2002]. Dynamics of Critical Internet Culture (1994-2001). Amsterdam: Institute of Network Cultures. ISBN978-90-78146-07-0.
Pearce, Celia. (1996). The California Ideology: An Insider's View. Mute. 1 (4).
External links
Wikiquote has quotations related to The Californian Ideology.
The Californian Ideology at the Hypermedia Research Centre
The Californian Ideology revised SaC version
February 28, 2023
californian, ideology, 1995, essay, english, media, theorists, richard, barbrook, andy, cameron, university, westminster, barbrook, describes, critique, dotcom, neoliberalism, essay, barbrook, cameron, argue, that, rise, networking, technologies, silicon, vall. The Californian Ideology is a 1995 essay by English media theorists Richard Barbrook and Andy Cameron of the University of Westminster Barbrook describes it as a critique of dotcom neoliberalism 1 In the essay Barbrook and Cameron argue that the rise of networking technologies in Silicon Valley in the 1990s was linked to American neoliberalism and a paradoxical hybridization of beliefs from the political left and right in the form of hopeful technological determinism The original essay was published in Mute magazine 2 in 1995 and later appeared on the nettime Internet mailing list for debate A final version was published in Science as Culture in 1996 The critique has since been revised in several different versions and languages 1 Andrew Leonard of Salon called Barbrook amp Cameron s work one of the most penetrating critiques of neo conservative digital hypesterism yet published 3 Contents 1 Critique 2 Influences 3 Reception 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksCritique Edit This new faith has emerged from a bizarre fusion of the cultural bohemianism of San Francisco with the hi tech industries of Silicon Valley the Californian Ideology promiscuously combines the free wheeling spirit of the hippies and the entrepreneurial zeal of the yuppies Richard Barbrook and Andy Cameron 4 During the 1990s members of the entrepreneurial class in the information technology industry in Silicon Valley vocally promoted an ideology that combined the ideas of Marshall McLuhan with elements of radical individualism libertarianism and neoliberal economics using publications like Wired magazine to promulgate their ideas This ideology mixed New Left and New Right beliefs together based on their shared interest in anti statism the counterculture of the 1960s and techno utopianism 5 Proponents believed that in a post industrial post capitalist knowledge based economy the exploitation of information and knowledge would drive growth and wealth creation while diminishing the older power structures of the state in favor of connected individuals in virtual communities 6 Critics contend that the Californian Ideology has strengthened the power of corporations over the individual and has increased social stratification and remains distinctly Americentric Barbrook argues that members of the digerati who adhere to the Californian Ideology embrace a form of reactionary modernism According to Barbrook American neo liberalism seems to have successfully achieved the contradictory aims of reactionary modernism economic progress and social immobility Because the long term goal of liberating everyone will never be reached the short term rule of the digerati can last forever 7 Influences EditAccording to Fred Turner sociologist Thomas Streeter of the University of Vermont notes that the Californian Ideology appeared as part of a pattern of Romantic individualism with Stewart Brand as a key influence 8 Adam Curtis connects the origins of the Californian Ideology to the Objectivist philosophy of Ayn Rand 9 Reception EditWhile in general agreement with Barbrook amp Cameron s central thesis David Hudson of Rewired takes issue with their portrayal of Wired magazine s position as representative of every viewpoint in the industry What Barbrook is saying between the lines is that the people with their hands on the reins of power in all of the wired world are guided by an utterly skewed philosophical construct Hudson maintains that there is not one but a multitude of different ideologies at work 10 Andrew Leonard of Salon calls the essay a lucid lambasting of right wing libertarian digerati domination of the Internet and one of the most penetrating critiques of neo conservative digital hypesterism yet published Leonard also notes the vitriolic response from Louis Rossetto former editor and publisher of Wired magazine 3 Rossetto s rebuttal also published in Mute criticized it as showing a profound ignorance of economics 11 Gary Kamiya also of Salon recognized the validity of the main points in the essay but like Rossetto Kamiya attacked Barbrook amp Cameron s ludicrous academic Marxist claim that high tech libertarianism somehow represents a recrudescence of racism 12 Architecture historian Kazys Varnelis of Columbia University found that in spite of the privatization advocated by the Californian Ideology the economic growth of Silicon Valley and California were made possible only due to exploitation of the immigrant poor and defense funding government subsidies for corporations and exploitation of non citizen poor a model for future administrations 13 In the 2011 documentary All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace Curtis concludes that the Californian Ideology failed to live up to its claims The original promise of the Californian Ideology was that the computers would liberate us from all the old forms of political control and we would become Randian heroes in control of our own destiny Instead today we feel the opposite that we are helpless components in a global system a system that is controlled by a rigid logic that we are powerless to challenge or to change 9 See also EditCarmen Hermosillo Corporatocracy Cyber utopianism Dark Enlightenment Dot com company Intellectual property Libertarian transhumanism Surveillance capitalism Technocracy Technocapitalism Technolibertarianism The Venus ProjectNotes Edit a b Barbrook 2007 Imaginary Futures Other Works The Californian Ideology Barbrook Cameron 1995 09 Mute Vol 1 3 CODE ISSN 1356 7748 Mute London http www metamute org editorial articles californian ideology a b Leonard Andrew 1999 09 10 The Cybercommunist Manifesto Salon com retrieved 2012 11 01 Barbrook amp Cameron Revised SaC Version Borsook 2000 p 173 Ouellet 2010 May 2002 May 2002 Barbrook 1999 Turner 2006 p 285 a b Curtis 2011 Hudson 1996 Rossetto Louis 1996 Response to the Californian Ideology archived from the original on 1997 06 14 a href Template Citation html title Template Citation citation a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link Kamiya 1997 Varnelis 2009References EditBarbrook Richard Andy Cameron 1996 1995 The Californian Ideology Science as Culture 6 1 1996 44 72 Barbrook Richard Andy Cameron 1995 Basic Banalities Barbrook Richard May 15 1996 Global Algorithm 1 5 Hypermedia Freedom CTheory Archived from the original on February 11 2006 Barbrook Richard 2000 1999 Cyber Communism How The Americans Are Superseding Capitalism In Cyberspace Science as Culture 9 1 5 40 Barbrook Richard 2006 The Class of the New paperback ed London OpenMute ISBN 0 9550664 7 6 Borsook Paulina 2000 Cyberselfish A Critical Romp Through the Terribly Libertarian Culture of High Tech PublicAffairs ISBN 1 891620 78 9 Curtis Adam 2011 Love and Power All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace BBC Hudson David June 24 1996 The Other Californians Rewired Journal of a Strained Net Kamiya Gary January 20 1997 Smashing the state The strange rise of libertarianism Salon com Leonard Andrew September 10 1999 The Cybercommunist Manifesto Salon com May Christopher 2002 The Information Society A Sceptical View Wiley Blackwell ISBN 0745626858 Ouellet Maxime 2010 Cybernetic capitalism and the global information society From the global panopticon to a brand new world In Jacqueline Best and Matthew Paterson Cultural Political Economy 10 Taylor amp Francis ISBN 0 415 48932 6 Rossetto Louis 1996 19th Century Nostrums are not Solutions to 21st Century Problems Mute 1 4 Streeter Thomas 1999 That Deep Romantic Chasm Libertarianism Neoliberalism and the Computer Culture In Andrew Calabrese and Jean Claude Burgelman eds Communication Citizenship and Social Policy Re Thinking the Limits of the Welfare State Rowman amp Littlefield 49 64 Turner Fred 2006 From Counterculture to Cyberculture Stewart Brand the Whole Earth Network and the Rise of Digital Utopianism University Of Chicago Press ISBN 0 226 81741 5 Varnelis Kazys 2009 Complexity and Contradiction in Infrastructure Archived 2017 04 09 at the Wayback Machine Ph D Lecture Series Columbia Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation Further reading EditBarbrook Richard 2007 Imaginary Futures From Thinking Machines to the Global Village Pluto ISBN 0 7453 2660 9 Dyson Esther George Gilder George Keyworth Alvin Toffler 1994 Cyberspace and the American Dream A Magna Carta for the Knowledge Age Future Insight Progress amp Freedom Foundation Flew Terry 2002 The New Empirics in Internet Studies and Comparative Internet Policy In Fibreculture Conference 5 8 December 5 8 December Melbourne Gere Charlie 2002 Digital Culture Reaktion Books ISBN 1861891431 Halberstadt Mitchell January 20 1997 Beyond California Rewired Journal of a Strained Net Hudson David 1997 Rewired Macmillan Technical Pub ISBN 1 57870 003 5 Lovink Geert 2009 2002 Dynamics of Critical Internet Culture 1994 2001 Amsterdam Institute of Network Cultures ISBN 978 90 78146 07 0 Pearce Celia 1996 The California Ideology An Insider s View Mute 1 4 External links Edit Wikiquote has quotations related to The Californian Ideology The Californian Ideology at the Hypermedia Research Centre The Californian Ideology revised SaC version Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Californian Ideology amp oldid 1127539885, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
