Apple's Individualism vs. Google's Collectivism

Apple's CEO Steve Jobs is wise to publicly debunk Google's claim that: Google defines "openness" (aka -- good), and Apple defines "closedness" (aka -- evil).

• As Google CEO Eric Schmidt said: Google's concept of "openness" is "much easier to understand by opposition" so he defined Google's approach as the "inverse" of Apple's.

Google is right that they are the inverse/opposite of Apple, but not in the way that Google claims -- being open/neutral vs. being closed.

• If one thing is settled, it is that Apple is the epitome of American individualism.
  • More than probably any business leader in modern history, Apple's CEO Steve Jobs individual leadership has defined Apple's design, focus, innovation, and business model, and made Apple one of the most successful and influential companies on the planet.
• Another thing that is settled is that Google is the epitome of modern-day collectivism.
  • Google's well-known collectivist mission is to "organize all the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful."
  • Google's well-known collectivist approach makes most all of its products and services, including its Android mobile operating system, free to the masses, while at the same time opposing any concept of individual customer service.
  • Google CEO Eric Schmidt also has clearly declared Google's collectivist purpose: "The goal of the company is not to monetize anything, the goal is to change the world."

In sum, Apple represents the essence of American individualism, freedom and excellence, and in keeping with that ideology Apple has strong respect for individuals' privacy, property and safety.

• In stark contrast, Google represents the essence of modern-day collectivism, and in keeping with that ideology, "openness" supplants individuals' privacy, "sharing" supplants individuals' property ownership, and "innovation without permission" supplants individuals' security and safety.

Google should be very careful about emphasizing how different Google is from companies like Apple which at core respect an individual's privacy, property and safety...

• ...people will begin to catch on that Google's open collectivism represents the opposite, the inverse of American individualism...