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A Strange Loop (about Curtis Yarvin Being Kicked Out of Strange Loop)

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Re: A Strange Loop (about Curtis Yarvin Being Kicked Out of Strange Loop)

#2
This is sad to hear, especially with how crazy this same crowd goes over things like NSA surveillance and Internet censorship. Such hypocrisy.

Yeah I know it's a private conference, but it says something that people can't tolerate views they disagree with.

Re: A Strange Loop (about Curtis Yarvin Being Kicked Out of Strange Loop)

#3
post #2

This is sad to hear, especially with how crazy this same crowd goes over things like NSA surveillance and Internet censorship. Such hypocrisy. Yeah I know it's a private conference, but it says something that people can't tolerate views they disagree with.

And presumably they would bar a SNP or sinn fein activist on the grounds that that party's political aim is the break up of the UK?

Re: A Strange Loop (about Curtis Yarvin Being Kicked Out of Strange Loop)

#4
post #2

This is sad to hear, especially with how crazy this same crowd goes over things like NSA surveillance and Internet censorship. Such hypocrisy. Yeah I know it's a private conference, but it says something that people can't tolerate views they disagree with.

Free expression is a cultural value. The value is way more important than the Constitution and laws that embody it.

Funny way for this to finally make the front page. I'm not sure I buy that this is the work of Marxists or the connection to Donglegate. But very curious to hear how HN sees the situation.

Unfortunately, one side effect of this kind of "no platforming" is that it legitimately leads to concern about whether people feel free to openly assert their opinions.

EDIT: Well, I guess I won't be able to hear about it, since this post has been flag-killed. Really strange that HN seems determined not to discuss this. As I said in an earlier post that got buried, this should be in our wheelhouse. urbit has been actively and approvingly discussed here previously, with Yarvin's participation. Should those posts have been flag-killed?

Re: A Strange Loop (about Curtis Yarvin Being Kicked Out of Strange Loop)

#5
Huh, strange that the article to get traction on HN should be written by a neoreactionary. I'm not one, but the author isn't wrong: the people who got Yarvin kicked are hard-Left. Which is significant to me personally, because of the following:

I'm a Zionist. That is to say, I'm a Jewish nationalist, who immigrated to Israel about four years ago from personal conviction. As many will be aware, there is a strong current of Left thought that calls Zionism a racist ideology. This led to U.N. resolution 3379 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly...) - later revoked as a condition of Israel agreeing to a crucial stage of the peace process.

But I would be very surprised if at least some of those who demanded that Yarvin be kicked for racism, did not also think that I was a racist on account of my Zionist beliefs; the phrase "progressive except Palestine" exists for a reason.

Now yes, Miller has every right to choose who comes to his conference, and the attendees have every right to ask that he kick people out for any reason they deem sufficient. But it seems to me that if there is a social norm of letting people veto speakers on grounds unconnected to the subject of their talks, then we're in a very parlous state - even if those grounds are things like racism.

Miller can't be blamed for uninviting Yarvin, there's too much money hanging on it. But this should not be something that passes without concerned comment.

Re: A Strange Loop (about Curtis Yarvin Being Kicked Out of Strange Loop)

#6
I wondered when this nonsense would show up here, and indeed am utterly unsurprised to see an article spinning conspiracy out of the disinvitation of a virulent racist and fascist popping up at #1.

For a less sensationalized counterpoint, try this: https://al3x.net/2015/06/04/wouldn't-censorship-be-exciting....

Re: A Strange Loop (about Curtis Yarvin Being Kicked Out of Strange Loop)

#7
Quite sober-minded and unpolemically written, in contrast to the many non-passivistic articles produced in response to this case of politics eating the world. The clear acknowledgement of the independence of tactics from ideology is refreshing - the weapons of rhetoric and other forms of social technology are as innocent of harm as more corporeal arms.

Re: A Strange Loop (about Curtis Yarvin Being Kicked Out of Strange Loop)

#9
Do we really need this kind of culture war nonsense? I don't agree with anyone being barred from speaking at technical conferences for their political views, but then bringing Steve Klabnik's politics into it doesn't feel like a classy move either (and I say that as someone who does not share his politics). It seems that posts like this are designed to get people more riled up and create another round of polarising outrage, rather than encourage the people who mobilised to bar Yarvin from the event to consider the possibility that they might have been wrong to do so.

Re: A Strange Loop (about Curtis Yarvin Being Kicked Out of Strange Loop)

#10
post #5

Huh, strange that the article to get traction on HN should be written by a neoreactionary. I'm not one, but the author isn't wrong: the people who got Yarvin kicked are hard-Left. Which is significant to me personally, because of the following: I'm a Zionist. That is to say, I'm a Jewish nationalist, who immigrated to Israel about four years ago from personal conviction. As many will be aware, there is a strong curre…

Miller can't be blamed for uninviting Yarvin, there's too much money hanging on it.

Agree with everything in your comment except this. I think he must take responsibility / blame for his decision. And the money's not all on one side. I've wanted to attend Strange Loop for a couple of years but certainly won't, now.

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