been mulling about these fuckers over the weekend and it’s absolutely wild how far they are wilful participants. self-identified chosen fuckwits, even if a number of them are (or at least, start out as) weaponised useful idiots
I think their brains have just been thoroughly microwaved by social media feedback loops. I remarked elsewhere that I’m not sure these people are or can be earnest about this (cf. the fact that the billionaires they’re celebrating are laser-focused on the tech they claim might doom the world); they’re simply too conditioned towards creating outrage content for Twitter. To me, this is more akin to LARPing “Leave Britney alone!” than it is serious political activism.
I mean I’d like to think that if someone was going to pull the paid protestor bit that they wouldn’t fail quite so embarrassingly, but then I think about our current crop of people in power and how fucking cooked they are and they can absolutely see them thinking “what does a mass protest cost, like $500?”
Do you reckon it was a net negaive for them? It’s heartening (to me) that it was such a damp squib, and it’s always entertaining to witness the civillians’ reaction to their first taste of TPOT.
Seeing these dingdongs in the sunlight helps observers get over the “It cant be that stupid” barrier, in my experience.
I don’t have enough of a handle on current on-the-ground social dynamics of the bay area so I can’t guess about net negative, but other than that I agree with your take
been mulling about these fuckers over the weekend and it’s absolutely wild how far they are wilful participants. self-identified chosen fuckwits, even if a number of them are (or at least, start out as) weaponised useful idiots
incredibly frustrating
But maybe a billionaire will notice them, and be pleased. That makes it all worthwhile.
the rationalists are still not over thiel getting sick of them
I think their brains have just been thoroughly microwaved by social media feedback loops. I remarked elsewhere that I’m not sure these people are or can be earnest about this (cf. the fact that the billionaires they’re celebrating are laser-focused on the tech they claim might doom the world); they’re simply too conditioned towards creating outrage content for Twitter. To me, this is more akin to LARPing “Leave Britney alone!” than it is serious political activism.
I wouldn’t be too sure about that. Don’t forget that monarchists are still a thing
From another perspective, royalty gossip is the progenitor, and now the semi-vestigial rump, of the modern celebrity gossip industry
I will be 0% surprised to learn that aella et co got paid 5+ figures for this shit
I mean I’d like to think that if someone was going to pull the paid protestor bit that they wouldn’t fail quite so embarrassingly, but then I think about our current crop of people in power and how fucking cooked they are and they can absolutely see them thinking “what does a mass protest cost, like $500?”
Do you reckon it was a net negaive for them? It’s heartening (to me) that it was such a damp squib, and it’s always entertaining to witness the civillians’ reaction to their first taste of TPOT.
Seeing these dingdongs in the sunlight helps observers get over the “It cant be that stupid” barrier, in my experience.
I don’t have enough of a handle on current on-the-ground social dynamics of the bay area so I can’t guess about net negative, but other than that I agree with your take