Philosophy Now Forum

I am one of the people who originally dismissed this as overblown conspiracy theorism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RpPTRcz1no
Shame on me, it was prescient.

The video description:
A look into how the tech leaders may be using the new administration to achieve their own agenda. Looking specifically at Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Marc Andressen, Ben Horotwitz, Brian Armstrong, and David Sacks as well as their relationship with figures like JD Vance, Balaji Srinivasan, and Curtis Yarvin. There is a focused discussion on how a shaping of the government might take place based on convergences between the ideas of Yarvin, who influences the tech libertarian right, and Project 2025, who have authored a playbook exclusively for President Trump to help with his transition to power.

In terms of political philosophy, it vaguely describes a philosophy of great men branching out to control new cities created without concern for democracy and run by tyrannical corporations for the common good. A weird notion that probably makes more sense if you have a doctor who prescribes you small doses of ketamine every day.

FlashDangerpants wrote: ↑Sat Feb 08, 2025 10:57 am I am one of the people who originally dismissed this as overblown conspiracy theorism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RpPTRcz1no
Shame on me, it was prescient.

The video description:
A look into how the tech leaders may be using the new administration to achieve their own agenda. Looking specifically at Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Marc Andressen, Ben Horotwitz, Brian Armstrong, and David Sacks as well as their relationship with figures like JD Vance, Balaji Srinivasan, and Curtis Yarvin. There is a focused discussion on how a shaping of the government might take place based on convergences between the ideas of Yarvin, who influences the tech libertarian right, and Project 2025, who have authored a playbook exclusively for President Trump to help with his transition to power.

In terms of political philosophy, it vaguely describes a philosophy of great men branching out to control new cities created without concern for democracy and run by tyrannical corporations for the common good. A weird notion that probably makes more sense if you have a doctor who prescribes you small doses of ketamine every day.

Oh NOOOOOOooooo, American Conservatives are getting rid of Far-Leftist money-laundering slush-funds, the "American Experiment" is officially over!! NOOOOOOOOOO

(That's what you sound like, D pants...)

Flash is wetting his dangerpants. He's beside himself. I never thought Trump Derangement Syndrome was a real thing before this

FlashDangerpants wrote: ↑Sat Feb 08, 2025 10:57 am I am one of the people who originally dismissed this as overblown conspiracy theorism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RpPTRcz1no
Shame on me, it was prescient.

The video description:
A look into how the tech leaders may be using the new administration to achieve their own agenda. Looking specifically at Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Marc Andressen, Ben Horotwitz, Brian Armstrong, and David Sacks as well as their relationship with figures like JD Vance, Balaji Srinivasan, and Curtis Yarvin. There is a focused discussion on how a shaping of the government might take place based on convergences between the ideas of Yarvin, who influences the tech libertarian right, and Project 2025, who have authored a playbook exclusively for President Trump to help with his transition to power.

In terms of political philosophy, it vaguely describes a philosophy of great men branching out to control new cities created without concern for democracy and run by tyrannical corporations for the common good. A weird notion that probably makes more sense if you have a doctor who prescribes you small doses of ketamine every day.

Sounds like a dystopia for the rest of us, or at least anyone who isn't buddying up with a billionaire. I guess the uber rich can always create their own countries if they're not happy with being regulated in the ones they're living in.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Feb 08, 2025 2:39 pm Sounds like a dystopia for the rest of us, or at least anyone who isn't buddying up with a billionaire. I guess the uber rich can always create their own countries if they're not happy with being regulated in the ones they're living in.

One of them makes a joke about rendering the poor for biodiesel, or perhaps locking them up in VR jails. The punchline is that he is probably joking about the biodiesel .

The entire notion is still batshit crazy and will end with Musk's own people hanging him from a lamppost. But as a rule I suggest anybody whose plans go step 1: collapse of western civilisation, step 2: build something better than western civilisation where the right people are finally in charge with the powers of emperor... should probably be kept at arms length from actual power.

FlashDangerpants wrote: ↑Sat Feb 08, 2025 3:08 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Feb 08, 2025 2:39 pm Sounds like a dystopia for the rest of us, or at least anyone who isn't buddying up with a billionaire. I guess the uber rich can always create their own countries if they're not happy with being regulated in the ones they're living in.

One of them makes a joke about rendering the poor for biodiesel, or perhaps locking them up in VR jails. The punchline is that he is probably joking about the biodiesel .

The entire notion is still batshit crazy and will end with Musk's own people hanging him from a lamppost. But as a rule I suggest anybody whose plans go step 1: collapse of western civilisation, step 2: build something better than western civilisation where the right people are finally in charge with the powers of emperor... should probably be kept at arms length from actual power.

The sad thing is that all this sounds possibly true and it would seem to be something that is being discussed behind the backs of many of us. This is the first time I've ever heard of this (if it truly is happening in fact and reality).

I suppose it's inevitable that advancements in AI would be used by its creators to consolidate their own freedom and control. The guy who joked about humans being used for biofuel is not someone who's "cyber country" I would want to join, even if he was joking. I don't like powerful people who deliberately yank our chains just to get a reaction out of us or to scare us. Trump does the same thing. When someone reaches a point where they feel impervious to social criticism, then I think we all should be worried. It means we have no ability to reason with them.

For those keeping score "Butterfly Revolution Step 3: Ignore the Courts" just happened.
https://abc7.com/post/trump-administrat ... /16034307/

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt meanwhile said "Federal courts generally have no jurisdiction over the President's conduct of foreign affairs, his authorities under the Alien Enemies Act, and his core Article II powers to remove foreign alien terrorists from U.S. soil and repel a declared invasion"

What takes place in the heads of tech billionaires and their acolytes isn't necessarily going to play out in reality.

What is reality is that some tech billionaires (obviously, Musk being the prime example) are very much embedded In the Trump administration for either ideological or commercial reasons, or both. And other tech billionaires are modifying their behaviour and that of their corporations to fit better with the Trump narratives, to avoid friction. So far, out of the mega-money-men, only Bill Gates seems to be conspicuously immune to that tendency. He's more focused on giving his billions away philanthropically these days so presumably sees no need to suck up to anyone.

As Tesla shares etc plummet, Musk may quite soon have to make a tough choice between his love of Trump and his love of his companies. What happens then? Trump will still be President, but Musk will be on the outside. Will there be a soft landing? Will Trump try to seize X? Will it play out like with the oligarchs in Russia in the 2000s? What do the Americans here predict?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Feb 08, 2025 3:13 pm

FlashDangerpants wrote: ↑Sat Feb 08, 2025 3:08 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Feb 08, 2025 2:39 pm Sounds like a dystopia for the rest of us, or at least anyone who isn't buddying up with a billionaire. I guess the uber rich can always create their own countries if they're not happy with being regulated in the ones they're living in.

One of them makes a joke about rendering the poor for biodiesel, or perhaps locking them up in VR jails. The punchline is that he is probably joking about the biodiesel .

The entire notion is still batshit crazy and will end with Musk's own people hanging him from a lamppost. But as a rule I suggest anybody whose plans go step 1: collapse of western civilisation, step 2: build something better than western civilisation where the right people are finally in charge with the powers of emperor... should probably be kept at arms length from actual power.

The sad thing is that all this sounds possibly true and it would seem to be something that is being discussed behind the backs of many of us. This is the first time I've ever heard of this (if it truly is happening in fact and reality).

turning the poor into biodiesel? too expensive...

Soylent Green feeds the world

-Imp

So far, out of the mega-money-men, only Bill Gates seems to be conspicuously immune to that tendency.

One smallish comment about Gates — just “by the way”. I do not remember where the reference came from but I do remember reading reports that indicated (I thought convincingly) that though Gates has given lots of money away that before and during the pandemic his investments and earnings increased substantially.

I have no idea where he stands politically; if he has become pro-MAGA in pursuit of his larger interests; or really stands on the sidelines.

But I do remember seeing figures that indicated that though his philanthropy is considerable, his businesses continue to flourish.
______________

Myself, and due to the conditions in the world today, I now feel the only real option for me — like Arthur Fleck — is to ‘pursue a career in stand-up comedy’ …

RickLewis wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 5:28 pm What takes place in the heads of tech billionaires and their acolytes isn't necessarily going to play out in reality.

What is reality is that some tech billionaires (obviously, Musk being the prime example) are very much embedded In the Trump administration for either ideological or commercial reasons, or both. And other tech billionaires are modifying their behaviour and that of their corporations to fit better with the Trump narratives, to avoid friction. So far, out of the mega-money-men, only Bill Gates seems to be conspicuously immune to that tendency. He's more focused on giving his billions away philanthropically these days so presumably sees no need to suck up to anyone.

As Tesla shares etc plummet, Musk may quite soon have to make a tough choice between his love of Trump and his love of his companies. What happens then? Trump will still be President, but Musk will be on the outside. Will there be a soft landing? Will Trump try to seize X? Will it play out like with the oligarchs in Russia in the 2000s? What do the Americans here predict?

I remember when Musk was the darling of the left for perfecting the electric car...

Trump is going to keep implementing what the American people put him in office to do...

the left wing wailing and gnashing of teeth will get louder

the wars in middle east will escalate... the "new axis" alliance of Iran, China and Russia will not hold

Trump doesn't need X- the propaganda machines are collapsing on the democrats

revolution? not likely...

then again...

-Imp

Meanwhile — while I fill my joke-book — I will dedicate myself to a serious pet project I have in mind: a “think-tank” of highly competent semi-geniuses (Flash, Gary, Age will be on the junta directiva) to — finally! — begin to make the world a better place.

"The entire notion is still batshit crazy and will end with Musk's own people hanging him from a lamppost"

That's exactly right. The Hegel-Vonhamsonshmidt thesis is that a natural balance is maintained throughout the dialectical unfolding of the economic history of property relations.

Even though the private capital owning class must exploit the wage earning class (or go broke), the degree of exploitation and its effects, if reaching a certain critical point, will tip the balance and jeopardize the dependency each class has on the other to exist. Enter revolution of some sort... big or small... whole coups or little reforms like minimum wage. Each is an expression of exploitation reaching a critical point.

At the same time, because a genuine revolution hasn't happened since the Bolsheviks under Lenin held power, and today the working class wouldn't know what to do or how to organize, it's easier not to have a revolution and avoid all the uncharted territory that would involve.

So Musk can push it, but only so far. And this is the cool part about the free market. No single company owner can be too much of a dick to his employees because they can easily find employment with other competitor companies.

Yeah though, in the future, there will be districts built and centered around specific industries. They'll be little cities that house the people who work in that industry. Think whatshername Catnip mocking jay chick. That's what we we'll need. A new working class hero to be sponsored by an underground Musk-resistence group who'll unite the people of all the districts.

I'm thinking fishpie or accelafine.

It's only bog-standard 'trickle-down' economics which has NEVER worked. The rich hang onto their money and want to grow it as much as they can. They don't trickle it over the poor. It's really not that unusual. All neolib govts. repeat that lie and people keep believing it. Everyone except the rich gets to be miserable. Americans clearly prefer it that way.
Americans seemed to think this was a marvellous thing under Reagan (another senile president).
Musk and Trump are just bizarre and no one has ever seen the like. The autistic, uncontrolled geek and the (I'm really at a loss for words to describe Trump. He's certainly eccentric). Politicians as a rule say what they are going to do after being elected BEFORE an election then never mention those things again until it comes to the next election at which time they hope that voters have forgotten that they made the same promises prior to the previous election (voters usually have). Trump appears to have ripped up the 'Politician's Handbook' and thrown it away.