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I think you're succumbing to a distortion brought about by Thiel's wealth and status. Ordinary people make blanket oversimplified statements all the time but be

by api 8y ago

I think you're succumbing to a distortion brought about by Thiel's wealth and status. Ordinary people make blanket oversimplified statements all the time but because these people don't have such elevated status those statements are not taken as seriously. As a result they don't sound quite so glib. As a general rule the higher your perceived status the more criticism you get. Another example would be Elon's Twitter spat. Some random dude on the Internet gets into it with another random dude on the Internet and calls him some bad names and nobody cares and nobody takes it seriously, but when it's two high-profile people it's an international story.

salawat 8y ago
"Noblesse oblige". Or if you prefer the more modern version, "With great power comes great responsibility." It isn't just a "distortion" or quirk. It's a social obligation that goes a long way back. The new American billionaire would do well to remember that their state of privilege comes with a whole new set of do's and don'ts that if they were smart they would pay a good deal more attention to. The fact that many of the founding father's abhorred the idea of an aristocratic class developing is beside the point. If these magnates wish not to live under the microscope, them mayhaps they should look into actually doing something about the positive feedback loops they have exploited to get to the point they are at. I'm sure the labor force would appreciate the wage growth, and an end to under the table non-compete clauses, and forced arbitration clauses.
- api 8y ago
  Yes, that's what I mean, but here's the thing. Elon (for example) is nuevo riche. People who are brought up in elite families are usually taught noblesse oblige as part of their upbringing.
notahacker 8y ago
I think most people talk about politics most of the time in glib generalization, but the ego bit isn't just that he (reasonably) can expect people to take his dismissal of Europe seriously, but that he dismisses it by specifically lamenting its lack of opportunities for people like him and expressing contempt for its provision of opportunities for people that are not like him. Admittedly, he was responding to some pretty leading questions. More than anything else though, you have to admire the sheer chutzpah of someone dismissing the millions who do not share his politics as "establishment" in the middle of a discussion about his donations and advice to the President...

by api 8y ago

salawat 8y ago

"Noblesse oblige". Or if you prefer the more modern version, "With great power comes great responsibility." It isn't just a "distortion" or quirk. It's a social obligation that goes a long way back. The new American billionaire would do well to remember that their state of privilege comes with a whole new set of do's and don'ts that if they were smart they would pay a good deal more attention to. The fact that many of the founding father's abhorred the idea of an aristocratic class developing is beside the point. If these magnates wish not to live under the microscope, them mayhaps they should look into actually doing something about the positive feedback loops they have exploited to get to the point they are at. I'm sure the labor force would appreciate the wage growth, and an end to under the table non-compete clauses, and forced arbitration clauses.

api 8y ago
Yes, that's what I mean, but here's the thing. Elon (for example) is nuevo riche. People who are brought up in elite families are usually taught noblesse oblige as part of their upbringing.

notahacker 8y ago

I think most people talk about politics most of the time in glib generalization, but the ego bit isn't just that he (reasonably) can expect people to take his dismissal of Europe seriously, but that he dismisses it by specifically lamenting its lack of opportunities for people like him and expressing contempt for its provision of opportunities for people that are not like him. Admittedly, he was responding to some pretty leading questions. More than anything else though, you have to admire the sheer chutzpah of someone dismissing the millions who do not share his politics as "establishment" in the middle of a discussion about his donations and advice to the President...