Palmer Luckey got fired from Meta for backing the wrong candidate—now he's the hero saving American defense, and that shift tells you everything about how fast the ground moved beneath Silicon Valley's feet. For decades, tech and defense were allies, then came 15 years of hostility so visceral that Google employees revolted over a Pentagon AI contract, and when leadership caved, only three people showed up to hear what border security actually involves. But something broke: COVID exposed our inability to make things, Ukraine revealed wars now iterate in days not decades, and suddenly the Harvard dorm room generation realized the people building satellites and drones weren't just necessary—they were the future, while legacy defense contractors still operate on Soviet-style five-year plans that guarantee cost overruns and obsolescence. Now the question isn't whether Silicon Valley returns to its Cold War roots, but whether America wins by becoming more like China's centralized system or doubles down on the chaotic creativity that built nine of the world's ten most valuable companies in 25 years—and the founders flooding into defense, energy, mining, and manufacturing suggest the second American century is just getting started.Resources:Follow Ben on X:<a href="https://x.com/bhorowitz"> https://x.com/bhorowitz</a>Follow Marc on X:<a href="https://x.com/pmarca"> https://x.com/pmarca</a>Follow Katherine on X:<a href="https://x.com/KTmBoyle"> https://x.com/KTmBoyle</a>Follow David on X:<a href="https://x.com/davidu"> https://x.com/davidu</a>Follow Erik on X:<a href="https://x.com/eriktorenberg"> https://x.com/eriktorenberg</a>Stay Updated:If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!Find a16z on X:<a href="https://x.com/a16z"> https://x.com/a16z</a>Find a16z on LinkedIn:<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z"> https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z</a>Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify:<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX"> https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX</a>Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts:<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711"> https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711</a>Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see<a href="http://a16z.com/disclosures"> a16z.com/disclosures</a>. 
Stay Updated:Find a16z on <a href="https://x.com/a16z">X</a>Find a16z on<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z"> LinkedIn</a>Listen to the a16z Podcast on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX?si=3E8B3qT9TyiwAHJ7JnaKbg">Spotify</a>Listen to the a16z Podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711">Apple Podcasts</a>Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg&nbsp;Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Ben Horowitz & Marc Andreessen: Why Silicon Valley Turned Against Defense (And How We’re Fixing It)

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