4 ms·

When people succeed over a number of decades in widely varying domains, you should presume them to be quite intelligent, no matter how much you may dislike them

When people succeed over a number of decades in widely varying domains, you should presume them to be quite intelligent, no matter how much you may dislike them.

mmooss 2y ago
Where has he succeeded, other than enriching and empowering himself? His money seems to come from his parents and then corruption and fraud, though I don't at all know the numbers. How has Trump contributed to society? Musk, at least, has provided value to society - which does not at all outweigh his spread of violence, hatred, criminality, and taking away freedom.
ben_w 2y ago
"Intelligent" does not mandate "friendly". Why is Musk banned by the constitution of the US from becoming the president of the US, and why does similar logic not also apply to being in charge of major government processes? Especially given that the same administration that is happy with Musk doing all this is unhappy with migrants (a category that includes Musk) and even their children born in the US? Even at their best, both Musk and Trump are lax with the rules.
- mmooss 2y ago
  > Why is Musk banned by the constitution of the US from becoming the president of the US, and why does similar logic not also apply to being in charge of major government processes? Are you saying that nobody born outside the US can be "in charge of major government processes"? Why not? Are people born in the US inherently more capable or loyal? Should our nation of 'all are created equal' give them more rights?
  - ben_w 2y ago
    I'm saying Musk can't be president and asking why the logic that made that ban happen doesn't also apply to DOGE. This is not a judgement call, it's noticing hypocrisy (and broader incoherence) and suggesting why neither Musk nor Trump can fully trust the other. (The same rule would also preclude me from becoming president of the US, but as I live several time zones away from the nearest part of the US, and have no desire to change this, and don't want that kind of job, it matters less).
    - mmooss 2y ago
      The native-born qualification for the presidency is in the Constitution. The US Consitution is a spare document that doesn't even mention agencies, much less agency directors. It doesn't even name major government departments or secretaries, such as Defense, Justice, etc. Congress could pass a law about it, but I'm not sure why they would. I'm not sure what the authors of the Constitution were thinking, but that was a very different situation. For example, the US had just separated from the UK; perhaps, having just rid themselves of a British king, the authors didn't want someone born in the UK as president.

When people succeed over a number of decades in widely varying domains, you should presume them to be quite intelligent, no matter how much you may dislike them.

mmooss 2y ago

Where has he succeeded, other than enriching and empowering himself? His money seems to come from his parents and then corruption and fraud, though I don't at all know the numbers. How has Trump contributed to society? Musk, at least, has provided value to society - which does not at all outweigh his spread of violence, hatred, criminality, and taking away freedom.

ben_w 2y ago

"Intelligent" does not mandate "friendly". Why is Musk banned by the constitution of the US from becoming the president of the US, and why does similar logic not also apply to being in charge of major government processes? Especially given that the same administration that is happy with Musk doing all this is unhappy with migrants (a category that includes Musk) and even their children born in the US? Even at their best, both Musk and Trump are lax with the rules.

mmooss 2y ago
> Why is Musk banned by the constitution of the US from becoming the president of the US, and why does similar logic not also apply to being in charge of major government processes? Are you saying that nobody born outside the US can be "in charge of major government processes"? Why not? Are people born in the US inherently more capable or loyal? Should our nation of 'all are created equal' give them more rights?
- ben_w 2y ago
  I'm saying Musk can't be president and asking why the logic that made that ban happen doesn't also apply to DOGE. This is not a judgement call, it's noticing hypocrisy (and broader incoherence) and suggesting why neither Musk nor Trump can fully trust the other. (The same rule would also preclude me from becoming president of the US, but as I live several time zones away from the nearest part of the US, and have no desire to change this, and don't want that kind of job, it matters less).
  - mmooss 2y ago
    The native-born qualification for the presidency is in the Constitution. The US Consitution is a spare document that doesn't even mention agencies, much less agency directors. It doesn't even name major government departments or secretaries, such as Defense, Justice, etc. Congress could pass a law about it, but I'm not sure why they would. I'm not sure what the authors of the Constitution were thinking, but that was a very different situation. For example, the US had just separated from the UK; perhaps, having just rid themselves of a British king, the authors didn't want someone born in the UK as president.