Marc Andreessen Pro-Colonialism Tweet Riles India Tech World • Hacker News Board

Re: Marc Andreessen Pro-Colonialism Tweet Riles India Tech World

#21

Post by vowelless » Wed, Feb 10, 2016, 2:08 PM UTC

tosseraccount wrote: post #13

factorialboy wrote: post #4

Extremely stupid tweet by Andreessen. He probably doesn't even realize that, like most ignorant people. FYI it was socialism that held back the Indian economy during the 70s and 80s. And it was colonialism that drained the country's wealth for over two hundred years. Here, Mr. Andreessen, educate yourself: https://www.google.com/search?q=bengal+famine

Mughal Empire , sectarianism and caste system crippled India, not Britain.

Were the mughals invaders and colonisers like the British? Did they "leave" after their demise? I thought they basically became part of India, especially with their artistic and religious influence on the people.

Re: Marc Andreessen Pro-Colonialism Tweet Riles India Tech World

#22

Post by ericzawo » Wed, Feb 10, 2016, 2:09 PM UTC

While I admire Mr. Andreessen a lot for his work as an entrepreneur and investor, we're witnessing a very real amplification of the consequences behind the expression "don't meet your heroes." The difference here is that Marc is abnormally outspoken. It would be dubious to assume that similarly ignorant opinions about large swaths of the world are not also shared by some of the biggest minds in tech.

Re: Marc Andreessen Pro-Colonialism Tweet Riles India Tech World

#23

Post by jccc » Wed, Feb 10, 2016, 2:09 PM UTC

factorialboy wrote: post #4

Extremely stupid tweet by Andreessen. He probably doesn't even realize that, like most ignorant people. FYI it was socialism that held back the Indian economy during the 70s and 80s. And it was colonialism that drained the country's wealth for over two hundred years. Here, Mr. Andreessen, educate yourself: https://www.google.com/search?q=bengal+famine

FYI it was socialism that held back the Indian economy during the 70s and 80s.

Which is exactly what he says he meant:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11072752

Re: Marc Andreessen Pro-Colonialism Tweet Riles India Tech World

#24

Post by jacquesm » Wed, Feb 10, 2016, 2:10 PM UTC

Damage control stations!

Really, what on earth was he thinking when he wrote those tweets. And it's not the first time he pulls a gaffe like this either.

Re: Marc Andreessen Pro-Colonialism Tweet Riles India Tech World

#25

Post by nileshtrivedi » Wed, Feb 10, 2016, 2:10 PM UTC

geomark wrote: post #8

So Free Basics has been in India for about a year already. Are any of the grand claims about it supported by the data ? I like data.

Facebook has never shared data. This is what one can figure out from bits and pieces from PR releases: https://medium.com/@sumanthr/a-data-driven-argument-on-why-m...

Re: Marc Andreessen Pro-Colonialism Tweet Riles India Tech World

#26

Post by tosseraccount » Wed, Feb 10, 2016, 2:12 PM UTC

vowelless wrote: post #21

tosseraccount wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mughal Empire , sectarianism and caste system crippled India, not Britain.

Were the mughals invaders and colonisers like the British? Did they "leave" after their demise? I thought they basically became part of India, especially with their artistic and religious influence on the people.

Mughals were the Mongols who converted to Islam and invaded India.

Re: Marc Andreessen Pro-Colonialism Tweet Riles India Tech World

#27

Post by nileshtrivedi » Wed, Feb 10, 2016, 2:12 PM UTC

tosseraccount wrote: post #13

factorialboy wrote: post #4

Extremely stupid tweet by Andreessen. He probably doesn't even realize that, like most ignorant people. FYI it was socialism that held back the Indian economy during the 70s and 80s. And it was colonialism that drained the country's wealth for over two hundred years. Here, Mr. Andreessen, educate yourself: https://www.google.com/search?q=bengal+famine

Mughal Empire , sectarianism and caste system crippled India, not Britain.

You should find out what India's share of world GDP and trade was when the british arrived.

Re: Marc Andreessen Pro-Colonialism Tweet Riles India Tech World

#28

Post by SpeakMouthWords » Wed, Feb 10, 2016, 2:12 PM UTC

azzafazza wrote: post #5

Finally he gets caught out for saying stupid shit. Every thing this man says is self serving (which is fine) but he tries to disguise it as profound knowledge. Ben Evans is 10x worse however, he is one idiotic twat.

One of Evans' favourite debate tactics is to tweet something brimming with subtext, then when someone calls him out on it, takes a literal approach to what he said. It's infuriating.

Re: Marc Andreessen Pro-Colonialism Tweet Riles India Tech World

#29

Post by hackerboos » Wed, Feb 10, 2016, 2:12 PM UTC

factorialboy wrote: post #4

Extremely stupid tweet by Andreessen. He probably doesn't even realize that, like most ignorant people. FYI it was socialism that held back the Indian economy during the 70s and 80s. And it was colonialism that drained the country's wealth for over two hundred years. Here, Mr. Andreessen, educate yourself: https://www.google.com/search?q=bengal+famine

It wasn't socialism, more protectionism. Investment in defunct industry and lack of investment in new technology for fear that it would overshadow the old craftmanship.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fHDWoQuUZo

Re: Marc Andreessen Pro-Colonialism Tweet Riles India Tech World

#30

Post by fwn » Wed, Feb 10, 2016, 2:13 PM UTC

k-mcgrady wrote: post #19

yalogin wrote: post #6

Knowing the sentiment in tech about keeping internet free from external interests, I don't know how he could support Facebook's plan like this. On top of that he was condescending towards India by bringing up "poor" and "morality" when instead he should have commended India for not falling for the trap. He is entitled to his opinions about colonialism. People that care about it will respond.

>> "Knowing the sentiment in tech about keeping internet free from external interests, I don't know how he could support Facebook's plan like this." He's a pretty big investor in Facebook. That's why he's willing to ignore the net neutrality implications - because it benefits him.

Because everyone with a different opinion on the most beneficial infrastructural policy is driven by pure self-interest.

..basically the pop culture version of a regulatory debate.