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I got a much clearer sense of the deeply Ayn Rand political sensibilities of HN and much of startup world. I naively expected a mix of sort of normal California
by ForrestN 6y ago
I got a much clearer sense of the deeply Ayn Rand political sensibilities of HN and much of startup world. I naively expected a mix of sort of normal California liberalism with utopic, egalitarian aspirations. But in fact the dominant ideas seem to be a kind of just-got-to-college paused-philosophical social Darwinism, I’m special so regulation is just a hindrance, social issues and justice are just a distraction kind of vibe. Getting a deep feel for that here transformed my relationship to startup culture in an important way, and I’m grateful for that.
- Bakary 6y agoThere is the crypto-Rand crowd as you've described it, but there's also the neoliberal technocratic mindset that everything can be condescendingly fixed with technology or scientific/bro-scientific inquiry. In this case, the technocratic ideology is considered as standing outside of the realm of ideology and culture, and as a natural result of enlightened thought that manages to transcend bias. By this framework, "normal" people must be manipulated for their own good.