The thesis here, let's say unproved, still taking evidence, is that USA PR has become too thin a gruel, as in insufficiently nutritious, when it comes to fueling a world's imagination with hopeful visions about the future. In the past, a one word synopsis for the American Dream was "promising", especially if one subtracted the Affluenza and bipolar (pathological) "USA versus USSR" dimensions (both ongoing themes (memetic streams) to this day).
A symptom of this paucity: embracing driverless cars over a world without death by starvation, as a Silicon Valley priority. AI in general has a cruel side, which may be shaped and tempered, especially when left in the hands of Malthusians.
Of course the banks will retort that SV is not an epicenter of bioengineering i.e. other centers have taken on the data science (GIS / GPS intensive) of feeding humanity (is that Bayer's job? Cargill's?). I still think SV failed to think globally enough in creating its profile / reputation. There's room for a makeover.
The problem with the driverless car (vs a people mover) is over duplication of relevant technologies. The waste-filled suburban living template, wherein everyone has the same well-appointed kitchen, gadgets, garage full of toys, means zero cooperation is necessary. Neighborly relations stay undeveloped in bedroom communities, commuter villages, because everyone has and does the same things. There's no pooled funding for shared meals until you get to senior living facilities and through a few churches serving the most needy.
If the individual carriers (cars) have a common brain, and run on perhaps invisible tracks (radio guided), and are sufficiently shielded from pedestrian walkways (we call them road beds), then each car needn't have such fancy sensing equipment when going into driverless mode. Automated guided vehicles (AGV).
We've seen such systems in the big warehouses and fulfillment centers. But to achieve integration at that level, we would want a large campus, base or megastructure, with all cars under the same AI (plus some I) management.
USA PR is not entirely dependent on Big Tech, nor is Big Tech synonymous with dreams of autonomous driverlessness (an oxymoron?). But then DC has been as glitchy as SV, falling into too many pitfalls, getting caught up in too many outward wars since its own Civil War, meaning insufficient healing.
The darker dirtier covert operator class started asserting behind-the-scenes dominance over Congress etc. during the war against Nicaraguan insurgents, the ones who won (Sandinistas etc.). Citizens learned of a secret government or deep state, populated with Ollie North / Admiral Poindexter type characters seeking "total information awareness" (not such a terrible goal) atop of special privileges to play by a different rulebook than any published, for those with access to public funds.
I've made the claim that the Silicon Forest is distinct from both SV and DC and has its own blend of PR that could be working in the USA's favor at this time. Some curious bystanders have been looking into it, as to whether my claim has any substance. What are my sources and who are my influencers and why should anyone care? That's the kind of thing I talk about in my blogs, among other topics.
