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Like Peter Thiel, Tech Workers Feel Alienated by Silicon Valley ‘Echo Chamber’

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Re: Like Peter Thiel, Tech Workers Feel Alienated by Silicon Valley ‘Echo Chamber’

#251

Post by twblalock »

T2_t2 wrote: post #249
_skel wrote: post #169

I don't get it. I grew up in Silicon Valley and I work in tech, and so do many other people I know. They run the gamut from far-left socialists to libertarians to own a bunch of guns. They have all kinds of ethnic backgrounds and religious views. Some of my most libertarian/pro-gun friends have not been shy about their political views and it hasn't hurt their tech careers at all. They are far more welcome here than l…

Isn't the rebuttal your post the heart of the whole current, I'm not even sure how to describe it, "listen" movement: your experience won't be the same as anyone else's? I wonder why that doesn't extend to a white, male, gay, conservative? I also think it is odd that we can see the flaws in everyone everywhere else, but the flaws in our own environ seem so hard to spot. I'm reminded of this in these times: http://www…

Thiel has a larger platform for his views than most people, and his success in Silicon Valley is ironically the reason he gets such a platform. He gets blowback because people are listening, and don't like what he says. Everyone's right to free speech is maximized when he says what he thinks and people who disagree with him say what they think.

Re: Like Peter Thiel, Tech Workers Feel Alienated by Silicon Valley ‘Echo Chamber’

#252

Post by sho »

frgtpsswrdlame wrote: post #230
sho wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> if you shed tears because Trump won the election you are mentally unstable Upvoting you to counter your ridiculous downvotes. What the hell people. If you shed tears because Trump won then you are actually part of the problem. You are on "Team Blue" and crying because "Team Red" won. This simplistic tribalistic nonsense is not how you run a society. update for the downvoters: unless you view Team Red as intrinsical…

Huh? I mean you realize elections have real-world consequences right? It's not exactly like their team lost the superbowl. What about the dreamers, surely they're allowed to cry because of Trump's win right? What about trans people? What about those who would benefit from medical marijuana? What about those who have insurance because of 'Obamacare'? What about those with family members in 'muslim countries'? Maybe yo…

> you two are being just as tribalistic as the people you complain about

You might be right. I just don't know what to do about political discussion these days. The punchline is, in case you didn't see any other posts by me, is that I've never not been on the left.

In my defence I'll address a few points. The cannabis and DACA issues were not contemporaneous with the president's election, so exclude those. Trump promised, disingenuously, "bigger, better" healthcare. The Muslim thing was not known at the time. Actually, none of your points stick.

But I'll concede anyway. Yes, elections have real-world consequences. But the vibe I got from the comment I replied to - of valley girls crying into their pumpkin spice lattes - was valid. They were mourning their team losing. This is a deathly trap we fall into these days politics-wise. It's a team sport and you will never forsake "your" team. I picked up a few traces of that loyalty from your examples, btw.

> It's not exactly like their team lost the superbowl

I'd counter that it is exactly like their team lost, or won, the superbowl

Re: Like Peter Thiel, Tech Workers Feel Alienated by Silicon Valley ‘Echo Chamber’

#253

Post by _xzxj »

sho wrote: post #207
friedman23 wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let me tell you, if you shed tears because Trump won the election you are mentally unstable.

> if you shed tears because Trump won the election you are mentally unstable Upvoting you to counter your ridiculous downvotes. What the hell people. If you shed tears because Trump won then you are actually part of the problem. You are on "Team Blue" and crying because "Team Red" won. This simplistic tribalistic nonsense is not how you run a society. update for the downvoters: unless you view Team Red as intrinsical…

During the election Trump was promising things like a muslim ban, and increased deportations of illegal immigrants. Regardless of how you feel about these issues politically the plain fact is that they impact the lives of real people, and not just the people who may be deported or not allowed back in the country. These are people with families, children, friends, property, lives. And those things may just disappear one day at the whim of a politician. In the case of the muslim ban it was particularly severe because impacted people were in the USA legally, and had permanent residency.

Going through all that's required to get a green card and then have the government take that away from me as if it's nothing, and for such a stupid reason? I would cry too.

Re: Like Peter Thiel, Tech Workers Feel Alienated by Silicon Valley ‘Echo Chamber’

#254

Post by stevenwoo »

ryanwaggoner wrote: post #126
BenSahar wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that people just don't care enough about those places. No one cares about Huntsville, AL and most high-profile people would not reside there, so no one hears about any of this bubble behavior from the other side. The most important cities (culturally and economically) are, at least, left-leaning. So, you'll only hear about conservatives being rejected by the "liberals" in {…

Agreed. It’s bizarre to see this argument from people in places that have historically (and even currently) been epicenters of open hostility, harassment, and violence against “the other”, that the real injustice in our society is that too many people in liberal enclaves have disdain for conservative values.

It may be bizarre but it's now a standard tactic - to claim victimhood in order to justify all manner of behavior, ala Fox News and the supposed war on Christmas to support the viewpoint that Christians are under siege in the USA, or that being outed if one wants to discriminate based on gender/sexuality (because of one's religious beliefs like that county clerk who refused to recognize same sex marriage) is unfairly targeting the religious.

Re: Like Peter Thiel, Tech Workers Feel Alienated by Silicon Valley ‘Echo Chamber’

#255

Post by HumanDrivenDev »

nabla9 wrote: post #244
downandout wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is that among this crowd, simply saying "I voted for Trump" or "I hated Hillary so I just didn't vote" is considered "controversial" and worthy of personal and professional backlash.

How is "I voted for Trump" (and I don't regret it) not controversial? I understand that there are many people who voted for Trump, but that does not mean that the opinion is something that should be considered being in line with the norms of the free society and far past conservative viewpoint. (Not in the sense that you have no right to your opinion, in the sense that person having that opinion loses the respect of…

How can something half the US voters did be controversial?

The norms you mention are obviously not where you think they are. I think you may be out of touch.

Re: Like Peter Thiel, Tech Workers Feel Alienated by Silicon Valley ‘Echo Chamber’

#256

Post by adventured »

tempz wrote: post #188

There is a linguistic sleight of hand at work here: 'libertarian' and 'left' is not what is happening in SV. These terms have been hijacked by the identity politics cartel. The SV political and ideological climate is all about pidgeonholing you into 0.01-0.3% segment ('left-handed bisexual javascript expert'), then maintaining these segments and manipulating the fractured society into neoliberal directions. It is obv…

That's not quite correct. There are very obvious, very large common intellectual & political interests in Silicon Valley:

Equal representation of women and minorities in tech. Wage gap as a result of discrimination. Unlimited low skill immigration; immigration amnesty. Environmentalism, global climate change. Gay rights. Drug legalization, ending policies of mass incarceration.

Those topics all have overwhelming support in SV.

Re: Like Peter Thiel, Tech Workers Feel Alienated by Silicon Valley ‘Echo Chamber’

#258

Post by downandout »

nabla9 wrote: post #244
downandout wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is that among this crowd, simply saying "I voted for Trump" or "I hated Hillary so I just didn't vote" is considered "controversial" and worthy of personal and professional backlash.

How is "I voted for Trump" (and I don't regret it) not controversial? I understand that there are many people who voted for Trump, but that does not mean that the opinion is something that should be considered being in line with the norms of the free society and far past conservative viewpoint. (Not in the sense that you have no right to your opinion, in the sense that person having that opinion loses the respect of…

Again, this is a perfect example of the absurd overreaction that Valley liberals have to the idea that someone might have some conservative views. You sound like you voted for Hillary...do you endorse every single thing she has ever done and said? Did that "I'm with her" shirt you probably bought apply to the Clinton Foundation scandal and the use of an unsecured private email server for classified emails? Probably not.

It's the same with Trump. Some voters - many millions of them - overlooked his many flaws and voted for him, for any of a variety of reasons. That doesn't automatically make them racists, bigots, sexists, idiots, or any of the other labels that liberals like to put on Trump voters. I'm not even endorsing a specific viewpoint here - I'm just saying that instantly ostracizing someone from their workplace social scene (if not their job altogether) based on one data point that by itself means next to nothing is wrong.

Re: Like Peter Thiel, Tech Workers Feel Alienated by Silicon Valley ‘Echo Chamber’

#259

Post by sho »

wz1000 wrote: post #219
sho wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting, especially since I am not American and I think I have a pretty good idea of what "far-left" means. Care to explain what you think it means? I use it to describe any political ideology focussed on equality of outcome and legitimacy through elimination of self-judged "oppression", which is IMO as good a definition as any as the communist disasters of the 20th century.

Most "far-leftists" tend to view liberal identity politics as a distraction, or a way for the ruling classes to promote infighting and discord, occasionally handing out scraps to keep the proles occupied. Leftists aren't really bothered about whether the CEO or President is black or white or male or female or transgender, but by the fact that any single person is allowed the wield the power that a CEO or President ca…

I have no idea what you just said.

Care to provide me with your promised definition of what "far-left" means?

Re: Like Peter Thiel, Tech Workers Feel Alienated by Silicon Valley ‘Echo Chamber’

#260

Post by mlloyd »

downandout wrote: post #227
webkike wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Voting for an openly sexist person is extremely controversial. I don't find "I hated Hillary so I just didn't vote" controversial at all.

Your comment is a perfect example of the Valley's intense hatred of any remotely conservative viewpoint that the article is referring to. People have all kinds of reasons for voting for a particular candidate. It doesn't mean they endorse all of their actions or views. In this last election, I suspect that many Trump votes were made simply because they didn't like Hillary, and there were only two choices.

When you vote for a sexist and racist, don't be surprised when you're thought to be a sexist and racist.

It's 2018, polite society has moved on from polite silence in the face of such backwards and discriminatory viewpoints. In a lot of circles anyway.

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