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The Poverty of Entrepreneurship: The Silicon Valley Theory of History
- chippy 9y agoInteresting essay I thought. And whilst I think that it's as okay to view history through a well, venture capitalist lens as it is through a Marxist lens, the following stood out for me: "Theirs are also visions of history that are basically uncurious about the past—that is, they are indifferent to the idea that people in other times and places may have thought and felt differently about the world than we do"
- sharemywin 9y agoOf the Spanish arrival in Hispaniola, he writes: They introduced Christianity, forced labour in mines, murder, rape, bloodhounds, strange diseases, and artificial famine…These and other requirements of the higher civilization reduced the native population from an estimated half-a-million, perhaps a million, to 60,000 in 15 years. Obviously it sounds nicer when you call it “innovation” and “collective learning.” --Interesting way to frame it.
- sharemywin 9y agoThe French plantation regime, he claims, bred a “culture” of “ignorance and superstition,” “no long-term planning,” and “low loyalty”—factors that impeded successful slave insurgencies. Yet at the same time, he notes that such a culture can be transformed, almost in an instant, by a charismatic and creative leader. Kinda make you wonder how important leaders are? It would be my assumption that on some things a leader is nothing more than right time right place. But, you have to wonder about people like Einstein would his theory have been thought up by someone else at the time? or a group of people? Obviously without a time machine no one can answer that but still something to think about.