5 ms·
"the machine"? What is "the machine", the economy?
by dcgudeman 2y ago
"the machine"? What is "the machine", the economy?
- mehulashah 2y agoI meant the financial-industrial complex that dictates our economy.
- wood_spirit 2y agoOther principles that he famously stood for against the machine was opposing the Vietnam war when he was a cryptographer for the US government machine.
- danielmarkbruce 2y agoHe wasn't really dictating anything. He was just in the casino playing a better game of poker (I don't mean that in a bad way).
- yau8edq12i 2y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Simons_(mathematician)#Political_and_economic_views https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Simons_(mathematician)#Pol... > Since 1990, Renaissance Technologies has contributed $59,081,152 to federal campaigns and since 2001, and has spent $3,730,000 on lobbying as of 2016. Let's not kid ourselves, people at this level of wealth and power can very much make their voice heard by the people who make policy. He's definitely not the only one in this position, but to frame him as a "better casino player" who is "not really dictating anything" is naive at best.
- lotsofpulp 2y agoSimon’s business partner, Mercer, bet big on Trump in 2016: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/27/the-reclusive-hedge-fund-tycoon-behind-the-trump-presidency https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/27/the-reclusive-... I am under the impression this might have been a bad look for RenTech hence Mercer leaving the firm.
- danielmarkbruce 2y agoThat's just rich people being rich. Rentech had people donating to both sides based on their personal ideology. The "financial industrial complex" generally refers to large financial institutions systematically driving regulation and/or PE controlling a large chunk of economic activity. Rentech is a bunch of gamblers gambling and spending their money no different to any other rich people.