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I think it's more that Alex Karp wants Silicon Valley to fight for control of America [0]. I realize I'm either on the edge or crossing the guidelines of HN bu

I think it's more that Alex Karp wants Silicon Valley to fight for control of America [0]. I realize I'm either on the edge or crossing the guidelines of HN but considering how SV, YC, A16Z and others are intertwined with the Trump administration, I don't know how these types of discussions can be avoided. [0] https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/palantir-alex-karp-trump-private-prisons-profiteers/ https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/palantir-alex-k...

mindslight 2y ago
These discussions cannot be avoided because America is not intended to be an autocracy, yet the neofascists keep on shrouding themselves in the flag. At this point the only sensible reading of "fight for America" means working to separate the current administration from the levers of power before they finish breaking down and selling off our entire country (ultimately to China).
senordevnyc 2y ago
Is it fair to lump YC in there as well? It might be, genuinely not sure.
- abetusk 2y ago
  Though no longer affiliated with YC, Sam Altman is stumping for Trump [0] [1]. Andreessen is also no longer affiliated with YC but has been a very vocal advocate for Trump lately [2] [3] [4]. I don't follow YC's current administration or board very closely but I would be surprised if the current lineup weren't in lock step with Altman, Andreessen, Thiel, Musk and others. Please let me know if I'm jumping to conclusions incorrectly. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargate_LLC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargate_LLC [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaZrLDMA56E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaZrLDMA56E [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHWnPOKh_S0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHWnPOKh_S0 [3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye8MOfxD5nU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye8MOfxD5nU [4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgTeZXw-ytQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgTeZXw-ytQ
  - senordevnyc 2y ago
    So the answer is no, it’s not fair to lump YC in there. You don’t have any evidence or knowledge at all, you’re just jumping to conclusions.
    - abetusk 2y ago
      "Garry Tan is hopeful about Trump" [0]. Donor lookup for Gustaf Alstromer [1]. Paul Buchheit "So good!" (video of RJK Jr. talk), reposting a tweet with the caption "they could have done it any time. They chose not too. Thats why ppl voted against them" on another tweet about illegal border crossings [3]. Jared Friedman "The young engineers going to DOGE remind me of the early days of the US Digital Service, when a bunch of SV engineers moved to DC to fix http://healthcare.gov http://healthcare.gov. It's the same energy, but now the mandate isn't to fix the government's tech, it's to fix the government." [4] Michael Seibel "Had an amazing talk about the US economy tonight. All kinds of feelings. Opportunities/ challenges abound. I choose to be optimistic." [5] It looks like there are a few board members that are either keeping silent about politics or are more vocally against Trump and some of his policies, but a large portion or the majority are actively supporting Trump. Considering the motivation of YC, the sentiment of many of the prominent figures and the brief amount of Googling, I would say that YC is much more in lock step than not. So it looks like, for the most part, I did jump to conclusions correctly. [0] https://punchbowl.news/article/tech/garry-tan-trump-ai-crypto-interview/ https://punchbowl.news/article/tech/garry-tan-trump-ai-crypt... [1] https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?cand=tech+for+campaigns&order=desc&sort=D https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?cand=tech+f... [2] https://x.com/paultoo/status/1890191142689632593 https://x.com/paultoo/status/1890191142689632593 [3] https://x.com/razibkhan/status/1890167090692387028 https://x.com/razibkhan/status/1890167090692387028 [4] https://x.com/snowmaker/status/1886672263216504853 https://x.com/snowmaker/status/1886672263216504853 [5] https://x.com/mwseibel/status/1888457501806653835 https://x.com/mwseibel/status/1888457501806653835
      - senordevnyc 2y ago
        This seems like very thin evidence to support your claim. But even if true, jumping to conclusions and maligning people and organizations without even doing a cursory amount of research is pretty shitty.
neilv 2y ago
Thanks; that's an alarming article. Remember when the most obviously questionable company to which new college grads flocked was Facebook? This one is giving off much more obviously bad vibes.
- mieses 2y ago
  Imagine a future without bad vibes.
  - neilv 2y ago
    With the current corporatist/oligarch/TPOS feeding frenzy, shamelessly out in the open, will there be any place with good vibes left? :)

mindslight 2y ago

These discussions cannot be avoided because America is not intended to be an autocracy, yet the neofascists keep on shrouding themselves in the flag. At this point the only sensible reading of "fight for America" means working to separate the current administration from the levers of power before they finish breaking down and selling off our entire country (ultimately to China).

senordevnyc 2y ago

Is it fair to lump YC in there as well? It might be, genuinely not sure.

abetusk 2y ago
Though no longer affiliated with YC, Sam Altman is stumping for Trump [0] [1]. Andreessen is also no longer affiliated with YC but has been a very vocal advocate for Trump lately [2] [3] [4]. I don't follow YC's current administration or board very closely but I would be surprised if the current lineup weren't in lock step with Altman, Andreessen, Thiel, Musk and others. Please let me know if I'm jumping to conclusions incorrectly. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargate_LLC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargate_LLC [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaZrLDMA56E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaZrLDMA56E [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHWnPOKh_S0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHWnPOKh_S0 [3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye8MOfxD5nU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye8MOfxD5nU [4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgTeZXw-ytQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgTeZXw-ytQ
- senordevnyc 2y ago
  So the answer is no, it’s not fair to lump YC in there. You don’t have any evidence or knowledge at all, you’re just jumping to conclusions.
  - abetusk 2y ago
    "Garry Tan is hopeful about Trump" [0]. Donor lookup for Gustaf Alstromer [1]. Paul Buchheit "So good!" (video of RJK Jr. talk), reposting a tweet with the caption "they could have done it any time. They chose not too. Thats why ppl voted against them" on another tweet about illegal border crossings [3]. Jared Friedman "The young engineers going to DOGE remind me of the early days of the US Digital Service, when a bunch of SV engineers moved to DC to fix http://healthcare.gov http://healthcare.gov. It's the same energy, but now the mandate isn't to fix the government's tech, it's to fix the government." [4] Michael Seibel "Had an amazing talk about the US economy tonight. All kinds of feelings. Opportunities/ challenges abound. I choose to be optimistic." [5] It looks like there are a few board members that are either keeping silent about politics or are more vocally against Trump and some of his policies, but a large portion or the majority are actively supporting Trump. Considering the motivation of YC, the sentiment of many of the prominent figures and the brief amount of Googling, I would say that YC is much more in lock step than not. So it looks like, for the most part, I did jump to conclusions correctly. [0] https://punchbowl.news/article/tech/garry-tan-trump-ai-crypto-interview/ https://punchbowl.news/article/tech/garry-tan-trump-ai-crypt... [1] https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?cand=tech+for+campaigns&order=desc&sort=D https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?cand=tech+f... [2] https://x.com/paultoo/status/1890191142689632593 https://x.com/paultoo/status/1890191142689632593 [3] https://x.com/razibkhan/status/1890167090692387028 https://x.com/razibkhan/status/1890167090692387028 [4] https://x.com/snowmaker/status/1886672263216504853 https://x.com/snowmaker/status/1886672263216504853 [5] https://x.com/mwseibel/status/1888457501806653835 https://x.com/mwseibel/status/1888457501806653835
    - senordevnyc 2y ago
      This seems like very thin evidence to support your claim. But even if true, jumping to conclusions and maligning people and organizations without even doing a cursory amount of research is pretty shitty.

neilv 2y ago

Thanks; that's an alarming article. Remember when the most obviously questionable company to which new college grads flocked was Facebook? This one is giving off much more obviously bad vibes.

mieses 2y ago
Imagine a future without bad vibes.
- neilv 2y ago
  With the current corporatist/oligarch/TPOS feeding frenzy, shamelessly out in the open, will there be any place with good vibes left? :)