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To you what are some concrete examples of smart people with good intentions creating extreme damage?
by hasbot 3y ago
To you what are some concrete examples of smart people with good intentions creating extreme damage?
- coldtea 3y agoEugenics (Galton, and then advocated by almost every "smart" person back in the day in well respected circles). Chamberlain's policy of appeasing Hitler by giving him what he wants and wasting time. Robert McNamara setting up the disastrous Vietnam War. Malthus's population control scare and their influence on policy. Larry Summers/Alan Greenspan and other luminaries deregulating the financial sector (including mortgages). All the way to modern day tech moguls and thinkers, with examples ranging from the Californian Ideology and Effective Altruism, to stuff like "let's bomb countries with advanced AI" from Eliezer and co.