Update: Since deleting his tweet, Andreessen has posted an apology for any offence caused by the original statement, albeit with a curious emoticon capping it off.
I apologize for any offense caused by my earlier tweet about Indian history and politics. I admire India and the Indian people enormously. 😀
— Marc Andreessen (@pmarca) February 10, 2016
India is an amazing country with amazing people. Indian companies and people have had profoundly positive effect on the Internet and world!
— Marc Andreessen (@pmarca) February 10, 2016
New York, meet the world’s tech scene
5,000 Tech leaders are coming to NYC this November to learn and do business. This is your chance to join them.
I now withdraw from all future discussions of Indian economics and politics, and leave them to people with more knowledge and experience!
— Marc Andreessen (@pmarca) February 10, 2016
A Facebook spokesperson said, “We certainly don’t agree with and did not endorse Mr. Andreessen’s comments, and are glad that he has apologized.”
A statement to USA Today exhibited more condemning language: “We strongly reject the sentiments expressed by Marc Andreessen last night regarding India.”
Update 2: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has chimed in as well.
The original story follows.
It isn’t surprising to learn that Marc Andreessen, one of Silicon Valley’s foremost venture capitalists and a member of Facebook’s board of directors, is disappointed that Free Basics didn’t fly in India.
What is shocking though, is that the founder of celebrated VC firm Andreessen Horowitz (A16Z) thinks that the country would be basking in a brighter economic reality if it remained under British rule and didn’t bother with ‘anti-colonialist’ ideas like net neutrality.
Looks like @pmarca has deleted his ‘anti-colonialism has been economically catastrophic for India’ tweet. Hope he is regretting. Apologies?
— Raju (@rajupp) February 10, 2016
For context, India was under control of the British for nearly 200 years. The economic catastrophe that Andreessen is referring to is the 30-odd years after the country gained independence in 1947, during which its growth rate was woefully low because of anti-free market policies.
Andreessen’s notion of what is best for India is misguided and ill-informed, to say the least. Equally worrying is the fact that he believes India’s poorest don’t deserve the same open internet that he built his fortune on.
Twitter clearly wasn’t amused by Andreessen’s remark.
If ANYONE in Silicon Valley cares about @pmarca come and get your boy bc he's abt to yell "We gave those ungrateful natives the railroads!"
— Caille Millner (@caillemillner) February 10, 2016
yup @pmarca and @facebook clearly see themselves as the new East India Co colonial saviours to poor brown India https://t.co/DG29aAyn2r
— Gayatri Jayaraman (@Gayatri__J) February 10, 2016
Now @facebook Board Director @pmarca suggests being colonized was good for India & we should've let Fb do so:) pic.twitter.com/kq7ZsNTQGl
— Mahesh Murthy (@maheshmurthy) February 10, 2016
After deleting his tweet, Andreessen has attempted to walk away from the train wreck of a discussion he fired up.
I hereby withdraw from all future discussions of Indian economics or politics. 😀 Carry on…
— Marc Andreessen (@pmarca) February 10, 2016
Unfortunately, it’s a little harder to erase those thoughts from people’s minds than merely clicking on a trash can.
@BenedictEvans @aghoshal @pmarca @lemonandice Subtext: Colonialism would any day be better economically. Natives should learn to take help.
— sayeed anjum (@asanjum) February 10, 2016
:
