Silicon Faith

Tech companies say that we need personal computers, iPads and smartphones. But maybe we need something else, too.

Since the late 1970s, we have been putting our faith in silicon.

As in Silicon Valley.

According to Wired Magazine (March 2014), we have actually dreamed in silicon. From "the personal computer to the MP3, from the Internet to the smartphone, a seemingly unending stream of computer-based innovations has kept Silicon Valley aloft not just in profits but in the public imagination."

We love this stuff ... the music on our iPods or iPads ... Facebook selfies ... Instagram photos on our smartphones.

But now the dream is turning into a bit of a nightmare.

For example: A year ago, protesters smashed a window of a Google commuter bus. Why? They were angry that the National Security Agency (NSA) had snooped around in the data centers of technology giants.

For example: Many people are angry that a new Internet-based car service called Uber is charging customers seven or eight times the normal rate during peak hours.

We've always believed that Silicon Valley would help us, not hurt us. We have trusted...