Shame on Y Combinator
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Shame on Y Combinator
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Re: Shame on Y Combinator
#2This is a tricky situation. While many universally agree Trump is dangerous in his opinions and viewpoints on many issues, you can't just severe ties with an investor because of their political affiliation. Thiel might be supporting a candidate with racist and bigotry views, but this is his choice. When it comes to business, you should never make things personal and I think worrying about someone's political affiliation is definitely making it personal.
Might not be the most popular opinion, but I think Sam made the right call here.
Re: Shame on Y Combinator
#3Wouldn't this sort of behavior play into Trump's view of 'the system' being rigged against him? Shouldn't individuals have a right to have terrible opinions?
Re: Shame on Y Combinator
#4This is a tricky situation. While many universally agree Trump is dangerous in his opinions and viewpoints on many issues, you can't just severe ties with an investor because of their political affiliation. Thiel might be supporting a candidate with racist and bigotry views, but this is his choice. When it comes to business, you should never make things personal and I think worrying about someone's political affiliat…
I agree, Digital. I think Sam's comment, "We shouldn’t start purging people for supporting the wrong political candidate. That’s not how things are done in this country" hits the issue spot on. If anything, maybe Mr. Thiel and Mr. Altman ought to have a serious conversation on the issue, but Thiel has undoubtedly contributed significantly to ycom.
Re: Shame on Y Combinator
#5Wouldn't this sort of behavior play into Trump's view of 'the system' being rigged against him? Shouldn't individuals have a right to have terrible opinions?
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Re: Shame on Y Combinator
#6In this thread and others I've seen this:
Shouldn't individuals have a right to have terrible opinions?
Of course they do. But a surprising number of “free speech” and “free market” people don’t seem to understand how either works.
Individuals have a right to support white nationalists.
Individuals also have a right not to do business with those who support white nationalists.
Individuals also have the right to organize protests against those who support white nationalists.
Let's be clear: defending the right to support a white nationalist while denouncing the right to protest against one isn’t courage, it’s sophistry.
Re: Shame on Y Combinator
#7This is a tricky situation. While many universally agree Trump is dangerous in his opinions and viewpoints on many issues, you can't just severe ties with an investor because of their political affiliation. Thiel might be supporting a candidate with racist and bigotry views, but this is his choice. When it comes to business, you should never make things personal and I think worrying about someone's political affiliat…
By Altman's own argument, there's a line Thiel could cross that would make YC sever ties with him. All it would take is for Thiel to repeat some of the things Trump said.
So having a YC partner fund hate speech is okay, as long as it's by proxy. This is a baffling stance.
Re: Shame on Y Combinator
#8Wouldn't this sort of behavior play into Trump's view of 'the system' being rigged against him? Shouldn't individuals have a right to have terrible opinions?
David Duke probably thinks "the system" is rigged against him too... and if you include private institutions in your definition of 'the system' it is and should be. If you hold reprehensible views (though technically legal), then society punishes you. As it has every right to. Trump will complain no matter what, that has zero weight. When someone who cries wolf like Trump isn't complaining, then something is terribly wrong.
> Shouldn't individuals have a right to have terrible opinions?
Yes. And society at large has every right to punish and socially ostracize these who hold abhorrent views.
I feel like technically minded people get mixed up between "we withhold from the government - the institution in our lives with absolute power - the right to silence citizens" and "we expect the private companies/organizations we support to use their influence to better society, not ruin it."
Re: Shame on Y Combinator
#9Conservatives have a right to their own set of values, like anti-abortion, faith-based education issues, smaller government, reduced taxes, etc., and they have a right to back whatever candidate aligns with their values. I'm a liberal but it is amazing to me to read these types of articles, from other liberals with zero tolerance for the alternative viewpoint. There should not even be a decision to be made here. It takes all kinds of people or else it would not be America. It is not acceptable to persecute people based on their political choices.
Re: Shame on Y Combinator
#10Conservatives have a right to their own set of values, like anti-abortion, faith-based education issues, smaller government, reduced taxes, etc., and they have a right to back whatever candidate aligns with their values. I'm a liberal but it is amazing to me to read these types of articles, from other liberals with zero tolerance for the alternative viewpoint. There should not even be a decision to be made here. It t…
Of course they have that right. Others have the right to criticize them for exercising it.
The issue here is also not Trump's supposed conservatism (which I, frankly, doubt heavily), but that he brags about sexual assault and is advocating for some pretty fascist shit.
YC states Trump's words would get him kicked out of YC. Color me baffled as to why spending over a million dollars to support those words isn't considered similarly bad (if not worse).