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Do You Even Decarbonize, Bro?
- wolverine876 4y agoI posted it because I'm interested in how what is politically and socially optimal, not the optimal solution, is what drives our choices. In this case, I suspect their popularity (such as it is) depends on triangulating social trends: * Anti-liberalism, specifically anti- anything 'progressive' (another term is 'reactionary', but I think that carries other meanings). They are against the existing liberal/progressive environmentalism - which is very uncool right now. * Brazen self-interest rather than public interest or a motive "to promote the general welfare": Their 'bro' label, open appeal to self-interest, asserting profit-seeking won't conflict with the public interest. * Brazenness itself: Be loud, brazen, superconfident, like crypto bros, much of SV these days, etc. Fake it til you make it. Actively create a hype/adoption cycle, and profit on the upswing. (Are we really going to give that behavior the benefit of the doubt again?) More and more - especially as society becomes anti-enlightenment, and we ridicule reason, knowledge, and expertise, and embraces the 'brazenness itself' as the signal of the optimal decision - I think social and political trend triangulation is driving most decisions. I see it in people I know personally, who I never thought would walk away from their intellects. (Also interesting: This environmentalism-for-profit is not at all new to SV and HN. Just think of the fake meat companies, for example, who have gone through the entire hype cycle by now.)