“You guys aren’t gonna use AI for bad stuff, right?”

Tech oligarchs: whaaaaaat no we actually want to be regulated because of how dangerous this technology is!! Also tech oligarchs:

Reminds me of this

https://youtu.be/zhf1pIl007o

I’ll see myself out

Hey, just a few thoughts I wanted to share in response to this:

First, citing the CIA to praise Stalin is… an odd move. Second, it’s important to recognize that liberals and neoliberals aren’t the same thing. The terms get conflated a lot, but they refer to different ideological frameworks, especially in terms of economics and state intervention. Neoliberalism is basically a rebranding of laissez-faire capitalism whereas liberalism favors more of a welfare-state capitalist system.

Third, I’d encourage reading the full context of the document in question. Here are a few excerpts that stood out:

There will not be a dramatic purge.

This might seem like a neutral observation, but it’s actually referring to a change after Stalin’s death. The implication is that dramatic purges did happen under him, and they’re noting that the new leadership wouldn’t continue that pattern.

Inasmuch as the MVD has already been cleaned up.

Again, this is post-Stalin. The MVD (Interior Ministry, which ran the secret police) being “cleaned up” suggests reform following abuses that were, again, tied to Stalin’s regime.

There is now no organized opposition inside the Party in the Soviet Union.

This kind of political consolidation didn’t happen in a vacuum. It reflects the legacy of Stalin’s crackdowns on dissent and internal opposition.

Since the death of Stalin and the blow which was given to the power of the secret police…

That’s a pretty direct reference to Stalin’s reliance on the secret police to maintain control. Again, the document frames the aftermath of his death as a shift away from that.

No improvement in the food situation can be expected.

This points to long-standing issues in agricultural production and distribution under the USSR, including during Stalin’s time. Whether or not the shortages were intentional, they’re part of the broader legacy of how poorly the Soviet agricultural system was managed. They were pretty much just experimenting with ways to grow food while failing to produce enough for their own population. I’m all for agricultural research, but only after the people are fed.

In short, this isn’t a glowing report of Stalin’s achievements. It’s describing a system trying to recover from the kind of authoritarian control he enforced.

If you’re interested in more critical perspectives from the time, I really recommend My Disillusionment in Russia and My Further Disillusionment in Russia by Emma Goldman. They were written in the early 1920s (just as Stalin was rising to power) and they offer a fascinating, firsthand account of someone who initially supported the revolution (Emma Goldman was an American anarchist exiled to Russia for her beliefs) but became deeply disillusioned with how it played out.

We really don’t need to dig up dead guys to give them accolades. We can think of a better system that the USSR or USA.

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Could always be a leftist and experience splintering without victory.

A local grocery store had self check out lanes and removed them and replaced them with 5 express check outs. I feel conflicted about it.

Apparently if you want to do that you have to buy Twitter

This isn’t just limited to the game. Tech Bros seem either incapable of interpreting the nuance, subtlety, or context and any of the cautionary tales of science fiction.

My favorite example is how Elon Musk often cites Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series as a major influence on his worldview, especially regarding the way in which he uses his wealth to promote his own beliefs about what the long-term goals for humanity should be. It seem like he hasn’t actually finished the series, or at the very least, didn’t understand its message. While the first 2 books set up the idea of saving civilization through authoritarian rational planning and scientific foresight, the rest of the series explicitly challenges and ultimately rejects the idea that one person (or system, for that matter) should guide humanity’s destiny.

The series does not end with an endorsement of Elon’s belief in central planning or empire-building, but with a clear message that we should move toward a more collective society. It directly contrasts and critiques the manipulative tactics of the first two books. The final conclusion couldn’t be a more clear rebuke of top-down technocracy and the idea that a singular genius can or should steer the course of civilization.

When Musk points to Foundation as a model for how he wants to guide humanity, he is missing the point (based on his actions, at least). The series ends with the realization that societies dominated by control and order are ultimately limited and dangerous. The series isn’t meant to be a roadmap for becoming a galactic engineer of society (building the torment Nexus), but a cautionary tale warning humanity against one person or system guiding all of humanity.

If Musk stopped reading after the first or second book, then his actions make sense. However, if he DID finish the series and STILL walked away with his shitty takeaway, then it’s hard not to believe that he didn’t get it or didn’t read the other books. I feel that, just as with his actions surrounding The Age of Exile, he’s more interested in promoting his own brand of genius than the burden of actually understanding the philosophical message of the series.

Fluorine ain’t nothin to fuck with. Shit will set asbestos on fire. Shit will set water on fire. Shit will set anything on fire.

Lol eat shit loser. Should have thought of that before you got in bed with a fascist.

I guess I knew academically that capitalism sews the seeds of its own destruction, but living through it is a different experience.

Lmao so he’s both the first AND second worst president of all time. He’s more racist than Woodrow Wilson, dumber that George W. and more corrupt than Warren G. Harding.

I wish we wasn’t a narcissist so he could feel the deep shame that he should about that.

So we’re fixing the division along gender lines by becoming… more divided?

Feels like the insinuation here is that, as a woman, it’s acceptable to base your personality on men as long as you believe all men base their personalities on hating women.

Maybe just accept that humans are complicated and nuanced and you can’t judge an entire gender based on the actions of the worst members of that gender.

Well it’s not how I imagined capitalism and wester hegemonic global dominance ending, but it seems fitting doesn’t it? Done in by an overzealous businessman incapable of rationally assessing any decision he makes. Very American way to go.

Facts don’t care about your feelings, but your feeling really care about facts.

In other words, people respond to good stories that they identify with, not boring lists of facts or salient logic.

A lot of people in the west are accustomed to the kind you install under your toilet seat, but I was surprised to see the kitchen sink thing everywhere when I was in SE Asia.

Oh, you’re just a troll, or a very poorly written bot.

This is way too obnoxious, out of touch, and ignorant to be a real person.

You can’t block everyone, but everyone can block you.

rude people who talk over others just need to be ignored. if they continue, put them in their place with a look, a raised eyebrow, roll the eyes and then go back to the person you were actually addressing. it’s childish and should be pointed out if it continues.

Sounds like you need to be ignored and put in your place.

Too late

1. Not everyone can afford an electric car 2. Harassing individuals has been identified as counter productive over and over again. Maybe try to help the climate crisis by holding the corporations actually responsible for the issue accountable instead of alienating potential allies and giving the movement an overall insufferable vibe.