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Whilst at the same time endorsing coups because that country's interests didn't align with his private interests. Elon Musk is not a net positive for humanity.

Whilst at the same time endorsing coups because that country's interests didn't align with his private interests. Elon Musk is not a net positive for humanity. https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/elon-musk-confesses-to-lithium-coup-in-bolivia-20200725-0010.html https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/elon-musk-confesses-to-l...

ben_w 5y ago
I don’t like the endorsement of coups. I’ve seen plenty of other boring ordinary people also endorse coups and other political violence in much the same way as that tweet did, so (sadly) that isn’t a differentiator. (That said, while I’d like to be part of the first wave of Mars colonists, my concern with his politics make me not want it if he’s in charge of much more than the logistics).
- cassianoleal 5y ago
  > plenty of other boring ordinary people also endorse coups and other political violence in much the same way as that tweet did Do these people have the same amount of power and influence as Musk? If they don't that's very much a differentiator.
  - ben_w 5y ago
    His influence is a multiplier for his attitude, the good-bad-ness of the attitude matches baseline humanity so it makes no difference in that regard. His power is a multiplier for his actions, which are better than average, and so in that regard makes him a net positive. If it turns out I’m being overly pessimistic about human attitudes, the result can be inverted.
    - cassianoleal 5y ago
      I do believe that most people don't endorse coups. In fact, I suspect most people actively condemn them, or at least most people who actually have an opinion on the matter. His words have the power to swing this in the other direction. Regardless, even if the proportions are inverted, his words have the power to strengthen the pro-coup numbers, which is not the same as keeping baseline humanity numbers and certainly makes a difference. In any case, by condemning an entire country of roughly 11 million people to live under the rule of a foreign-backed government against the people's will is always going to be a net negative, regardless of other endeavours. Since this is a matter of opinion (what's positive, what's negative, how much weight each action has on either direction, etc. is very much subjective), it seems like we simply disagree.

ben_w 5y ago

I don’t like the endorsement of coups. I’ve seen plenty of other boring ordinary people also endorse coups and other political violence in much the same way as that tweet did, so (sadly) that isn’t a differentiator. (That said, while I’d like to be part of the first wave of Mars colonists, my concern with his politics make me not want it if he’s in charge of much more than the logistics).

cassianoleal 5y ago
> plenty of other boring ordinary people also endorse coups and other political violence in much the same way as that tweet did Do these people have the same amount of power and influence as Musk? If they don't that's very much a differentiator.
- ben_w 5y ago
  His influence is a multiplier for his attitude, the good-bad-ness of the attitude matches baseline humanity so it makes no difference in that regard. His power is a multiplier for his actions, which are better than average, and so in that regard makes him a net positive. If it turns out I’m being overly pessimistic about human attitudes, the result can be inverted.
  - cassianoleal 5y ago
    I do believe that most people don't endorse coups. In fact, I suspect most people actively condemn them, or at least most people who actually have an opinion on the matter. His words have the power to swing this in the other direction. Regardless, even if the proportions are inverted, his words have the power to strengthen the pro-coup numbers, which is not the same as keeping baseline humanity numbers and certainly makes a difference. In any case, by condemning an entire country of roughly 11 million people to live under the rule of a foreign-backed government against the people's will is always going to be a net negative, regardless of other endeavours. Since this is a matter of opinion (what's positive, what's negative, how much weight each action has on either direction, etc. is very much subjective), it seems like we simply disagree.