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I Met Paul Graham Once

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Re: I Met Paul Graham Once

#271

Post by giraffe_lady »

dunnlo wrote: post #229
diffxx wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This does not feel like at all a good faith reading of the situation. Hardcore anti trans-activists on the right would like to make life so miserable for transpeople as to essentially eliminate them from public life entirely. That is the context in which these supposedly hysterical responses emerge. I say supposedly hysterical because transgender people of all ages do commit suicide at a higher rate than other groups…

It's not considered a public health emergency because the suicide claim is bullshit and is only trotted out by activists to try to manipulate others into accepting their demands. Anyway it's better to listen to gender critical feminists on the left, rather than anti-trans reactionaries on the right, because the former have a principled and humane opposition to the ideology of trans, that is based on women's rights an…

> Anyway it's better to listen to gender critical feminists on the left, rather than anti-trans reactionaries on the right, because the former have a principled and humane opposition to the ideology of trans, that is based on women's rights and safeguarding of children.

They don't and it isn't. On this issue terfs share policy goals with the far right almost exactly, to the point where self-identified white nationalists keep showing up to support them at their actions. They used to experience or feign discomfort about this but since 2022 or so they are openly allied in some regions, especially the UK.

Re: I Met Paul Graham Once

#272

Post by skyyler »

coderc wrote: post #246
skyyler wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I feel this way often times as a white male in tech Wait, you feel like you face structural oppression as a white man in tech? Could you explain what challenges you face as a result of your gender identity and race?

The person you're replying to mentioned it in the post you quoted: > "they would rather hire literally anyone else if they can add some much desired "diversity"" He feels like his applications are automatically deprioritized in favor of minorities.

I'm pretty sure the hiring numbers still show white men have it easier than all other groups. Even with "DEI" policies.

I'd be interested to see data that suggests otherwise.

Re: I Met Paul Graham Once

#273

Post by snowfarthing »

gedpeck wrote: post #245
snowfarthing wrote: post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you realize the exact same things can be said about the President we had for the last four years? It's really hard to worry about your own guy being a scumbag, when the opposition supports a scumbag too (and then lies about it).

Biden hasn’t been convicted of felonies. He’s not an adjudicated rapist. He doesn’t refer to his daughter as a nice piece of ass. He isn’t banned from running a charity. He hasn’t bribed any porn stars. He hasn’t accepted $30 billion in bribes. He hasn’t taken secret documents to illegally keep in his bathroom. He hasn’t met with Putin alone without an interpreter or any other U.S. official present. He hasn’t made fu…

"If you want to discuss Biden then start another thread. This one is about Donald Trump."

You cannot talk about Trump without putting him in context. The fact is, the reason why we have Trump for President again, is because the person who replaced him was so horrible, that Trump looked better in comparison.

And what's more, conisdering what I said -- and what you are responding to -- I have to bring up Biden, because my entire point is "both sides do it". If you want to bring back honor and decency to the White House, you have to do it with an honorable and decent person. Neither Biden nor Harris fit that bill.

Re: I Met Paul Graham Once

#274

Post by crimsoneer »

subarctic wrote: post #91

I have to say that this is a very well written piece. The story in the first half does a good job of showing the author's personality and making him seem very relatable, at least if you are a typical HN reader. And it's a good story and didn't have me thinking "get to the point", especially since the title doesn't make you expect anything more than a good story. Then halfway down, he drops the words "I'm transgender…

Hard agree, the writing here is exceptional.

Re: I Met Paul Graham Once

#275

Post by yread »

sbarre wrote: post #268
beardedwizard wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Very underrated comment. Right and wrong are largely a function of culture, not universal law.

I dunno man.. When someone advocates for treating another person as "not human" or wants to deny them basic human rights, that's universally wrong in my book.

dehumanization of the other side is one of the most used tools of war propaganda of all sides. Just look at people in the west joking about orcs

Re: I Met Paul Graham Once

#276

Post by paulddraper »

afavour wrote: post #9

In the long run I think realizations like the authors are healthy ones. PG is not a hero. He's just a guy. A guy who entered into business transactions with a number of people, many of whom benefitted greatly (as did Paul himself). I'm not saying any of that as a negative! Just that we have a habit of attributing superhuman characteristics to folks (Obama getting the Nobel Peace Prize comes to mind) and ending up dis…

> Obama getting the Nobel Peace Prize comes to mind

Ha well that a particular bad joke.

Most are not so egregious.

Re: I Met Paul Graham Once

#277

Post by crimsoneer »

afavour wrote: post #25
bobosha wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>My only consolation is knowing that I'm seeing the world more accurately than I used to. also known as growing older ;-)

For sure. I almost included something in my comment about "I guess this is what getting old is like", losing your idealism as you age. But equally, maybe not. If I'd grown up in, I dunno the 60s? I would have witnessed enormous leaps in technological possibility and enormous increases in standards of living, personal freedoms, yadda yadda. In my youth it felt like there was a viable future where tech enabled radical…

Yeah. I'm clinging to the hope the hacker revolution might not be over just yet :P

Re: I Met Paul Graham Once

#278

Post by otde »

marcusverus wrote: post #155
skywhopper wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The mere fact that pg takes the word “woke” seriously tells me he’s fallen for the right-wing doublespeak where they take a word vaguely related to left-wing ideals, pretend it means something else, apply to anyone center-right or leftward, and get the mainstream media and self-conscious centrists like Paul to accept their intentional distortions at face value. This pattern happens again and again with words and phra…

It might be reasonable to disregard Mr. Graham if he were somehow abusing the term "woke", but it seems wrongheaded to disregard him due to "the mere fact that [he] takes the word "woke" seriously".

The point OP is making (and it ‘s one that I agree with) is that Graham’s particular usage of the word “woke” as written in his essay functions as a shibboleth for a collection of reactionary beliefs and impulses — not merely that he uses the word, but that he does so in a poorly-defined and pejorative way that is characteristic of the word’s usage in various right-leaning circles.

Re: I Met Paul Graham Once

#279

Post by caycep »

afavour wrote: post #9

In the long run I think realizations like the authors are healthy ones. PG is not a hero. He's just a guy. A guy who entered into business transactions with a number of people, many of whom benefitted greatly (as did Paul himself). I'm not saying any of that as a negative! Just that we have a habit of attributing superhuman characteristics to folks (Obama getting the Nobel Peace Prize comes to mind) and ending up dis…

sclerosis happens with time

Re: I Met Paul Graham Once

#280

Post by mantas »

gopher_space wrote: post #147
beardedwizard wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Very underrated comment. Right and wrong are largely a function of culture, not universal law.

> Right and wrong are largely a function of culture, not universal law. Sure, but then you're handwaving away questions about why cultures align along similar axioms.

Do they? Different cultures have widely different axioms. E.g. compare Islam and Christianity. Not to begin with cultures far away geographically from each other.
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