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Peter Thiel's Apocalyptic Worldview Is a Dangerous Fantasy

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Re: Peter Thiel's Apocalyptic Worldview Is a Dangerous Fantasy

#201

Post by Sammi »

LogicFailsMe wrote: post #128
mindslight wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Personally I find that quote tired and trite. But so-called "conservatives" could certainly stand to clear up the matter by articulating what their constructive political stances actually are these days - that is beyond merely vice signalling, performative cruelty, and a cult of personality around Dear Leader. As a libertarian, I certainly have my problems with the progressive orthodoxy. But every time I've tried to…

TBF Trump isn't a conservative. He's a populist that overthrew the Republican party without firing a single shot and the "conservatives" are all too busy running around in circles to do something about him.

The conservatives vote for trump. That's a pretty strong signal.

Re: Peter Thiel's Apocalyptic Worldview Is a Dangerous Fantasy

#202

Post by LogicFailsMe »

snapdeficit wrote: post #6
LogicFailsMe wrote: post #2

And here I thought he was just trying to wrap his techno libertoonian worldview in the Book of Revelations in the hopes that the religious right would get behind it. Did I miss something?

Odd for a gay man to court those who support Leviticus stoning of gays. Self hating? Or just savvy?

It's in the proud tradition of Roy Cohn, Grover Norquist and countless others that cause a huge surge in grindr usage whenever there's a Republican event anywhere.

Re: Peter Thiel's Apocalyptic Worldview Is a Dangerous Fantasy

#203

Post by smegger001 »

dpark wrote: post #184
baseballdork wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This is absurd to the point of being cartoonish. No one treats billionaires like supervillains. How many billionaires are in supermax prisons right now in New York? "Supervillains" are comic book entities who are rarely in prison

Because they escape or cannot be captured. Not because there’s no will to lock them up. But this is really not my point. Billionaires == Supervillains is not a commonly held view outside some echo chambers.

I dont know "billionaire realestate mogul and serial criminal gets elected president" is the quick bio of both Lex Luthor and Donald Trump. Larry Elision buying up Hawaiian islands sure looks like a Bond Villian if you squint a little.

Re: Peter Thiel's Apocalyptic Worldview Is a Dangerous Fantasy

#204

Post by Eddy_Viscosity2 »

jmathai wrote: post #13

Maybe slightly off topic to the article, but I don't really care what Peter Thiel has to say. I do think we need to collectively think about how to not give these people a microphone. It's one thing to have concentrated wealth. It's a very different thing to have concentrated wealth and people's attention. I think that's a much more interesting discussion :).

What matters most is what people with extreme wealth do with that wealth because the power means those actions can affect many many people. Listening to them can help you predict what those actions may be, either because they say outright what they are planning, or because the tone of their rants can indicate a mindset that would lead to some actions being much more probable than others.

I hate having to listen to rich people. To me its as bad as having to listen to politicians, but these people affect my life (whether I like it or not) so I have to listen to know what's coming.

Re: Peter Thiel's Apocalyptic Worldview Is a Dangerous Fantasy

#205

Post by dpark »

smegger001 wrote: post #203
dpark wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because they escape or cannot be captured. Not because there’s no will to lock them up. But this is really not my point. Billionaires == Supervillains is not a commonly held view outside some echo chambers.

I dont know "billionaire realestate mogul and serial criminal gets elected president" is the quick bio of both Lex Luthor and Donald Trump. Larry Elision buying up Hawaiian islands sure looks like a Bond Villian if you squint a little.

Being a billionaire seems to be a prerequisite for being a modern supervillain but most billionaires probably don’t qualify. There are 125 billionaires living in New York City alone.

Batman is a billionaire too in comic lore.

Re: Peter Thiel's Apocalyptic Worldview Is a Dangerous Fantasy

#206

Post by sjsdaiuasgdia »

stephenhuey wrote: post #65
sjsdaiuasgdia wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition...There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect."

I was wondering about the origin of this phrase, and it may not be what you think it is. https://slate.com/business/2022/06/wilhoits-law-conservative...

I'm quite aware of the origin, but I appreciate you posting the link for others' edification.

For one with less confusion about the speaker: "For my friends everything, for my enemies the law." --Oscar R. Benavides, President of Peru from 1933 to 1939

Re: Peter Thiel's Apocalyptic Worldview Is a Dangerous Fantasy

#207

Post by sjsdaiuasgdia »

Sammi wrote: post #201
LogicFailsMe wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

TBF Trump isn't a conservative. He's a populist that overthrew the Republican party without firing a single shot and the "conservatives" are all too busy running around in circles to do something about him.

The conservatives vote for trump. That's a pretty strong signal.

The secret is that their racism and bigotry is more important to them than their conservative "values".

See also: the success of the "Southern Strategy" in converting racists in the southern US from Democratic to Republican voters, taking advantage of the Democratic Party's focus on civil rights.

As long as Trump keeps hurting the people they don't like, they'll continue to support him.

Re: Peter Thiel's Apocalyptic Worldview Is a Dangerous Fantasy

#208

Post by tastyface »

snapdeficit wrote: post #6
LogicFailsMe wrote: post #2

And here I thought he was just trying to wrap his techno libertoonian worldview in the Book of Revelations in the hopes that the religious right would get behind it. Did I miss something?

Odd for a gay man to court those who support Leviticus stoning of gays. Self hating? Or just savvy?

Imagine you’re an elite billionaire in America. Half your peers have made a "party" trip to Epstein island. What difference does a little gay sex make in that context?

Re: Peter Thiel's Apocalyptic Worldview Is a Dangerous Fantasy

#209

Post by sifar »

jmathai wrote: post #13

Maybe slightly off topic to the article, but I don't really care what Peter Thiel has to say. I do think we need to collectively think about how to not give these people a microphone. It's one thing to have concentrated wealth. It's a very different thing to have concentrated wealth and people's attention. I think that's a much more interesting discussion :).

You and the article's position about not ignoring his views are both right.

One cannot ignore his views (for the reasons stated) and yet there needs to be a feedback loop to limit the spread of their views using their wealth and influence.

Re: Peter Thiel's Apocalyptic Worldview Is a Dangerous Fantasy

#210

Post by aeternum »

scythe wrote: post #102
aeternum wrote: post #75

[flagged]

George Soros is 95. Whatever direct influence he ever had as an individual is gone. The OSF marches on but there's just no way he has more than perfunctory control over it.

So nothing to worry about now that Alex Soros in control instead of George?
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