I think it's funny that the author used such flowery language, yet seems to be of the opinion that "criticism" and "critique" mean "opposition", a common but in

I think it's funny that the author used such flowery language, yet seems to be of the opinion that "criticism" and "critique" mean "opposition", a common but incorrect belief. The author isn't talking about people who oppose technology, he's talking about people who evaluate it's evolution, which is in line with criticism in the sense of "film criticism". The people being cited here are clearly not against technology on the whole. Then again, the author also thinks that 'Silicon Valley' is synonymous with 'technology'. It's called synecdoche. The US Government isn't relegated to Washington, DC either.