I read *Technological Republic* (by Alexander C. Karp and Nicholas W. Zamiska; published by Nikkei Inc.). The authors are executives—including the CEO—of Palantir Technologies, a Silicon Valley-based company that develops software for military and other applications.
The writing is impassioned, evoking the vigorous American spirit of the past. From another perspective, the text reads almost like a manifesto—something quite uncharacteristic of Silicon Valley. I found it an intriguing read, struck by the realization that there are engineers in Silicon Valley with such a “samurai-like” mindset.
While “Technological Republic” implies a nation built on technology, the book delivers a scathing critique of how the United States—and Silicon Valley in particular—currently operates in this regard. The authors are especially critical of the world-class engineers flocking to Silicon Valley who turn their backs on government and military projects, instead devoting themselves to innocuous, consumer-facing “quick-fix innovations.”
In short, they argue that Silicon Valley’s elite engineers ought to be more deeply involved in U.S. national projects. The book emphasizes that this is the best path toward improving the nation and society through technology and elevating the standard of living for the public. It is true that consumer-facing innovations—such as social media—are subject to rapid boom-and-bust cycles; as the book points out, many vanish within a decade, and frankly, they often amount to little more than toys. It does seem like a waste for the world’s top elite engineers to pour their energy into “toy-level” innovations. At the same time, however, such innovations generate immense wealth, so it seems unlikely that the mindset in Silicon Valley will change easily.
Japan, too, aspires to be a technology-driven nation. Perhaps it is time to clearly define a “Japan Model”—one that rivals Silicon Valley by focusing on using technology to improve the country and society while raising the standard of living for its citizens. (Kei Kitajima)

※Translating Japanese articles into English with AI