Jan Wildeboer 😷:krulorange:
Listening to a 6 part (German) podcast on Peter Thiel. And something dawns on me. The „new“ Techbros seemingly all never switched to critical thinking but are stuck in their 14-18 year old thinking when they were impressed with Ayn Rand, Carl Schmitt, René Girard and buried themselves in the lonesome hero narrative. That they and only they can save the world. That states, taxes and compromises are evil. And they never grew out of that. Because they got rich, young.
1/2
Arbres
@jwildeboer Pay pal has always been evil.
fu
Jan Wildeboer 😷:krulorange:
Think of India, China and the cryptocurrency world. PayPal (where Musk and Thiel started) was just the beginning. And these new evil robber barons are getting better at staying in the background. Le sigh.
4/4
Jan Wildeboer 😷:krulorange:
Now in this also lies the recipe for their grand downfall. They think transactional, using (less powerful) others to advance their goals. This ultimately leads to the clash of titans and not the global conspiracy of the powerful. The Musk/Trump fallout is a first sign. Thiel will burn Musk because he doesn’t see him as equal. The obvious risk is that we all will suffer from that clash. And names are interchangeable. There are more, currently unknown, players in the billionaire club.
3/4
Jan Wildeboer 😷:krulorange:
This separates them from the „old“ gang of Techbros. Steve Jobs (Apple), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Andy von Bechtolsheim (SUN Microsystems). They grew out of that phase. Larry Ellison (Oracle) being the exception, but he also knew his limits. Peter Thiel is, IMHO (In My Humble Opinion), the executioner of what Ellison dreamed of. Total control, total surveillance, total obedience.
2/4
Arbres
@jwildeboer All that needs to happen is everyone agreeing to stop using all the technology.
It has proven to be destructive and worthless.
Social media and smart phones have eroded every democracy, every society, and are simply a new addiction.
analog>digital
landlines > smart phones
answering machines > voice mail
snail mail > email
film cameras
Kids should be able to grow up without their privacy being violated by smart phone videos.
Like most of us did.
fu
Jan Wildeboer 😷:krulorange:
Addendum: Now there is a way to take their power away. But that’s a very long term game. One that needs a generation to become common sense. That’s the project I’m working on since 15+ years and which will take another 5 years to be accepted and not fringe. But that’s a story for another thread.
RamenCatholic 🐢 🌈
@jwildeboer yes. @etchedpixels
The Penguin of Evil
@jwildeboer Whenever I read anything in Terry Pratchett involving the Patrtician I hear Larry Ellison's voice 8)
Jan Wildeboer 😷:krulorange:
@etchedpixels Maybe I should start to read Pratchett. I admit I never did.
Ben Hardill
@jwildeboer @etchedpixels "Ankh-Morpork had dallied with many forms of government and had ended up with that form of democracy known as One Man, One Vote. The Patrician was the Man; he had the Vote."
fu
Jan Wildeboer 😷:krulorange:
@dnkboston Absolutely. His foundation demanded that hospitals in Africa switched to Windows from their Linux based systems to be eligible to get funded.
Deb Nam-Krane
@jwildeboer Fair. But Gates' creepy "philanthropy" is an extension of his tax avoidance.
Deb Nam-Krane
@jwildeboer I wouldn't give Jobs and Gates that much credit.
Jan Wildeboer 😷:krulorange:
@dnkboston I don’t. I’m just saying they grew out of that phase. That doesn’t mean they became „good“ people.
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