Comment by epistasis
3 days ago
I think that the creepiness of the tech CEOs that show up in media has a ton to do with this too, as they seem like cartoonish villians.
Alex Karp, in particular, has some of the most absolutely horrifying clips of his TV appearances circulating all over video social media. But Musk has broader reach, and is even more oblivious and has tied himself to someone who he himself accused of pedophilia.
Andreesen, Thiel, Sam Altman, and the above are great at raising valuations for investors but they are doing it incredibly stupidly in a way that leads to massive backlash. California is voting for a billionaire tax this year, and I think that these tech CEOs only have themselves to blame for the backlash they are causing.
It might not be your intention, but your comment seems to imply that the problem here is more image than substance.
The problem isn't that these people are simply inarticulate and incapable of expressing their views in ways that appeal to people. It's that their views are unappealing (if not downright objectionable) to most people.
Right on.
It's a sign of how disempowered the populace is that these selfish ghouls don't even feel the need to pretend to be decent functioning adults anymore. Because, why bother? What is anyone gonna do about it?
I agree fully with your second paragraph. But regardless of what the core ideas are, they way they have been presented has been abominable, and the politics is judged on the presentation, because the US media largely presents these words unfiltered and without context and completely along the lines of the message that the US tech CEOs want to present.
It's both. A view people do not like, but are unaware of, is one they are not mad about.
I think you are both right. It is true that people only hate these people because of their actual views, but also it doesn't help that they made themselves celebrities and go on social media for attention.
I bet you there are people equally repulsive and influential but face little public backlash because they never show up in front of a camera.
They're all cryptofascists who have become so powerful they can start to reveal themselves more clearly.