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I still can't figure out if he was always a charlatan or something happened that turned him into one.

nielsbot 1y ago
I theorize people who “make it” start circulating in super rich social circles where people believe whatever racist idiocy he’s spouting. They certainly no longer spend time with anyone living an average lifestyle.
- em500 1y ago
  How could they? People living an average lifestyle need to work full time, transport the kids around, cook, do their household chores, file their taxes, queue everywhere. That's why people who no longer need to work for living mostly spend time with others who no longer need to work for living.
  - potato3732842 1y ago
    Likewise, the blue collar classes rightfully ridicule the crap out of the HN class for sticking their dick in all sorts of issues that don't even deem worth the time of day.
    - cindyllm 1y ago
      [dead]
- grafmax 1y ago
  Billionaires have so much power that they 1) start asking themselves questions like “how can I change society?” and 2) are surrounded by sycophants waiting for crumbs. Besides that they are free to effectively decide the fates of others without their own skin in the game - think Alex Karp vs the immigrants being rounded up in concentration camps. What we have is a potent cocktail that engenders anti-human policies with no brakes whatsoever.
- Loughla 1y ago
  I think the biggest problem for those that make it is being surrounded by people who just say yes, and not realizing when that transition happens. If you come from middle- to upper-middle-class and become 1% of the 1%, this switch has to be subtle, I would imagine. When you're worth billions, it's easy to see how correct you were about business (or just assume you were correct, whether it was luck, inheritance, or whatever). And weirdly, the people in your life tend to agree with you about everything else outside of business (because they want access to that billionaire lifestyle, or are also so disconnected from average life that they naturally share your views already). You never hear a dissenting opinion, unless it's from some weirdo on the internet who is plainly just jealous of your wealth. Jesters need to be a thing again. Somebody that follows around the wealthy and powerful and just absolutely blasts their bullshit every chance they get. Someone to say 'no' when all of the hangers-on say nothing but 'yes'.
lazzlazzlazz 1y ago
The honest truth is that you (like many; I say this blamelessly) have been swept left, whereas Marc has not. He has remained utterly loyal to technological progress, which is under assault right now politically. Ask yourself honestly if you are still as optimistic about technology and the intellectual freedom (and chaos, "unfettered conversations") as you may have been in the past. I have asked many friends this and the answer is "no".
- austinjp 1y ago
  Can you define some terms? Without unambiguous definition this isn't very clear. What is "technological progress"? And how does right-leaning politics support it? What do you mean by "unfettered conversations"?
  - BoredPositron 1y ago
    [flagged]
potamic 1y ago
I've come to believe that people rarely change through their life. I can't think of many people neither in personal nor in public life, where I've seen a fundamental change in value system. But people are really good at putting up a persona that they want others to see. It takes a long time to really understand someone and who they really are.

I theorize people who “make it” start circulating in super rich social circles where people believe whatever racist idiocy he’s spouting. They certainly no longer spend time with anyone living an average lifestyle.

em500 1y ago
How could they? People living an average lifestyle need to work full time, transport the kids around, cook, do their household chores, file their taxes, queue everywhere. That's why people who no longer need to work for living mostly spend time with others who no longer need to work for living.
- potato3732842 1y ago
  Likewise, the blue collar classes rightfully ridicule the crap out of the HN class for sticking their dick in all sorts of issues that don't even deem worth the time of day.
  - cindyllm 1y ago
    [dead]
grafmax 1y ago
Billionaires have so much power that they 1) start asking themselves questions like “how can I change society?” and 2) are surrounded by sycophants waiting for crumbs. Besides that they are free to effectively decide the fates of others without their own skin in the game - think Alex Karp vs the immigrants being rounded up in concentration camps. What we have is a potent cocktail that engenders anti-human policies with no brakes whatsoever.
Loughla 1y ago
I think the biggest problem for those that make it is being surrounded by people who just say yes, and not realizing when that transition happens. If you come from middle- to upper-middle-class and become 1% of the 1%, this switch has to be subtle, I would imagine. When you're worth billions, it's easy to see how correct you were about business (or just assume you were correct, whether it was luck, inheritance, or whatever). And weirdly, the people in your life tend to agree with you about everything else outside of business (because they want access to that billionaire lifestyle, or are also so disconnected from average life that they naturally share your views already). You never hear a dissenting opinion, unless it's from some weirdo on the internet who is plainly just jealous of your wealth. Jesters need to be a thing again. Somebody that follows around the wealthy and powerful and just absolutely blasts their bullshit every chance they get. Someone to say 'no' when all of the hangers-on say nothing but 'yes'.

lazzlazzlazz 1y ago

The honest truth is that you (like many; I say this blamelessly) have been swept left, whereas Marc has not. He has remained utterly loyal to technological progress, which is under assault right now politically. Ask yourself honestly if you are still as optimistic about technology and the intellectual freedom (and chaos, "unfettered conversations") as you may have been in the past. I have asked many friends this and the answer is "no".

austinjp 1y ago
Can you define some terms? Without unambiguous definition this isn't very clear. What is "technological progress"? And how does right-leaning politics support it? What do you mean by "unfettered conversations"?
- BoredPositron 1y ago
  [flagged]

potamic 1y ago

I've come to believe that people rarely change through their life. I can't think of many people neither in personal nor in public life, where I've seen a fundamental change in value system. But people are really good at putting up a persona that they want others to see. It takes a long time to really understand someone and who they really are.