Hey, remember this guy? Among critics of Silicon Valley's virulent arrogance, you wouldn't expect Steve Case, whose own hubris ran alongside the implosion of AOL-Time Warner. But here we are in 2014, and the former CEO is a clarion voice of reason.

In an interview with the Silicon Valley Business Journal, AOL's co-founder proves an unexpected antidote to his peers.

Steve Case thinks tech needs an ego check:

"Some statements that people have made, suggesting that Silicon Valley is the center of the universe and governments don't matter, are neither accurate nor appropriate nor helpful."

"We can't come off looking like we think technology is the answer to every question. Technology is part of the answer but people are obviously part of the answer, as well."

Steve Case thinks regulation is not the enemy:

"Not all policies are great. There are obviously a lot of bad policies. But they are usually put in place for good reasons.

"There are reasons why we have quality control in restaurants to make sure people don't eat food that is going to make them sick or kill them.

"There are rules around taxis because they want to make sure people have some capability of being able to drive people around.

Nor is the federal government:

"Being respectful of policy will become more important. Government is going to play a role. It is a regulator and a principle buyer of services. To thumb your nose at the government is unwise when you are trying to disrupt key aspects of our economy that have a key connection with the government."

Wow! A prominent industry figure who isn't saying WordPress should replace the Department of Education, or advocating for secession. Someone should give this guy a shot at running an enormous, influential tech company.