I've watched movies and TV shows. I've read science fiction. And I've read some fantasy. And I'll begrudging admit that I once read an Ayn Rand novel. But, for the life of me, I have no freaking idea where these tech bro billionaires are getting their ideas. Nobody needing jobs? Millions of people working high-paying jobs in space? No need for doctors? Or teachers?
Is it drugs? Licking too much lead paint? Stanford? It's drugs isn't it?
@dabeaz some mix of:
- Ray Kurzweil as digested and regurgitated through a chain of half a dozen other dim minds
- the Frankfurt School and it's attendant "think"-tanks who may or may not be open about their fascism
- and, yes, drugs. ayahuasca is one of the latest crazes, but they rotate the drug of choice regularly
Reading anything at all (or god forbid, understanding it) is a serious faux pas in these circles.
@SnoopJ @dabeaz TESCREAL, with echoes of eugenics/dysgenics, which yes, can also be traced back to Stanford.
Some of this covered in my upcoming #NBPy talk:
The historical roots of the current-day tech sector is infected with eugenic ideals, misogyny, and fascism. It's not hard to trace a line from William Shockley, inventor of the transistor, to current powerhouses such as Peter Thiel, Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and others—each espousing subtle or not-so-subtle visions of a techno-utopian future devoid of "low IQ" citizens. Whether purposefully or not (maybe a bit of both), technology has aided and abetted in the creation of an environment that favors the wealthy and privileged and preys on the disadvantaged. Open software provides an avenue to tip the scales from a ruthless market toward an economy of empathy. We must emerge from the grasp of our troubled past, not by ignoring it, but by reckoning and repairing the broken pieces.
David Beazley
SnoopJ
Mario Munoz