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Like Peter Thiel, Tech Workers Feel Alienated by Silicon Valley ‘Echo Chamber’

(www.wsj.com)
370 points sillypuddy | 10 comments | 18 Feb 18 16:50 UTC | HN request time: 1.783s | source | bottom
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sho ◴[18 Feb 18 19:32 UTC] No.16407784[source]▶
What is crazy about the the situation in SF is that even 5 or so years ago if you asked me what the "echo chamber" there was echoing I would have said libertarianism and some kind of techno-utopianism. The takeover by the proscriptive far-left has been astonishingly rapid, and it is absolutely real. I also know people who have left, and many more who absolutely keep their political and even philosophical views to themselves, especially after Damore.

It's been an extraordinarily fast takeover and I'd really like to know exactly what happened those 5 or so years ago to precipitate this seismic shift.

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gameswithgo ◴[18 Feb 18 19:39 UTC] No.16407829[source]▶
I have no idea what SF is like, so in these discussions I never can tell if there really is an influx of insane, insufferable far left crazies, or if people who insist on remaining racist and keeping gays in the closet are mad that nobody is having that anymore. The latter is what I see in my own circle of humans but I live in Texas.

I can say though that I've moved further to the left as I've gotten older, from a libertarian tech-stereotype when I was younger, and in large part it has been from seeing the conservative half of american slide slowly further into insanity and horribleness, seemingly driven by fox news, at least among family.

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friedman23[dead post] ◴[18 Feb 18 20:57 UTC] No.16408569[source]▶
> I have no idea what SF is like, so in these discussions I never can tell if there really is an influx of insane, insufferable far left crazies

I'm not a Trump supporter by any means but I remember clearly the morning after the election and seeing people walking through the street in SF on their way to work in tears.

If that doesn't point to a presence of insane, insufferable far left (or at least leftist) crazies I don't know what does.

It was very difficult not laugh.

frgtpsswrdlame ◴[18 Feb 18 21:05 UTC] No.16408637[source]▶
>If that doesn't point to a presence of insane, insufferable far left (or at least leftist) crazies I don't know what does.

I think you're mistaking how extreme their political beliefs are with how extremely devoted to their political beliefs they are. Most of these people aren't 'far left' they're just very, very committed to their center/center-left politics.

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1. frgtpsswrdlame ◴[18 Feb 18 21:13 UTC] No.16408704[source]▶
Well no... they were just very devoted to the election but it's also missing the point. Many people who shed tears over Trump's win are not far left, they're just normal centrist or center-left.
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2. frgtpsswrdlame ◴[18 Feb 18 21:31 UTC] No.16408827[source]▶
Huh? I mean you realize elections have real-world consequences right? It's not exactly like their team lost the superbowl. What about the dreamers, surely they're allowed to cry because of Trump's win right? What about trans people? What about those who would benefit from medical marijuana? What about those who have insurance because of 'Obamacare'? What about those with family members in 'muslim countries'? Maybe you didn't have too much at stake in recent election but many, many people do and they're perfectly justified in their tears.

>This simplistic tribalistic nonsense is not how you run a society.

Ironically it seems like you two are being just as tribalistic as the people you complain about. Maybe something to think about.

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3. sho ◴[18 Feb 18 21:47 UTC] No.16408920{3}[source]▶
> you two are being just as tribalistic as the people you complain about

You might be right. I just don't know what to do about political discussion these days. The punchline is, in case you didn't see any other posts by me, is that I've never not been on the left.

In my defence I'll address a few points. The cannabis and DACA issues were not contemporaneous with the president's election, so exclude those. Trump promised, disingenuously, "bigger, better" healthcare. The Muslim thing was not known at the time. Actually, none of your points stick.

But I'll concede anyway. Yes, elections have real-world consequences. But the vibe I got from the comment I replied to - of valley girls crying into their pumpkin spice lattes - was valid. They were mourning their team losing. This is a deathly trap we fall into these days politics-wise. It's a team sport and you will never forsake "your" team. I picked up a few traces of that loyalty from your examples, btw.

> It's not exactly like their team lost the superbowl

I'd counter that it is exactly like their team lost, or won, the superbowl

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4. _xzxj ◴[18 Feb 18 21:48 UTC] No.16408928[source]▶
During the election Trump was promising things like a muslim ban, and increased deportations of illegal immigrants. Regardless of how you feel about these issues politically the plain fact is that they impact the lives of real people, and not just the people who may be deported or not allowed back in the country. These are people with families, children, friends, property, lives. And those things may just disappear one day at the whim of a politician. In the case of the muslim ban it was particularly severe because impacted people were in the USA legally, and had permanent residency.

Going through all that's required to get a green card and then have the government take that away from me as if it's nothing, and for such a stupid reason? I would cry too.

5. dragonwriter ◴[18 Feb 18 21:55 UTC] No.16408959{4}[source]▶
> The cannabis and DACA issues were not contemporaneous with the president's election,

Trump, during the campaign, said he would immediately terminate DACA if elected, and also (by the end) had reversed his earlier position of leaving marijuana legalization up to the states, in favor of reinforcing prohibition. So, both were active issues in the election.

> Trump promised, disingenuously, "bigger, better" healthcare.

With no actual content except the repeal of the ACA.

> The Muslim thing was not known at the time

The Muslim ban was one of the earliest and most frequently repeated campaign promises, though the exact wording changed over time. It was not a policy preference that was out of the public awareness at the time of the election.

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6. sho ◴[18 Feb 18 22:05 UTC] No.16409031{5}[source]▶
Ok. This is definitely going "into the weeds" as they say.

I'm not a US citizen and probably didn't follow all of this stuff as closely as you. Maybe Trump getting elected was literally worth crying over. I'll concede the issue.

7. dabbledash ◴[18 Feb 18 22:08 UTC] No.16409053[source]▶
I don’t think this follows. Trump has very little in common with traditional “team red” politicians, and much more in common with European ethno-nationalist populism. I had no problem with Mitt Romney or John McCain, but consider the fact that so many Americans would vote for Trump to be profoundly disappointing.
8. anigbrowl ◴[18 Feb 18 22:12 UTC] No.16409086[source]▶
I know a lot of first generation immigrants who shed tears when he was elected because they're worried about the security of their families. I don't think your characterization of politics as a tribal affair like sports contests is well grounded in reality.
9. anigbrowl ◴[18 Feb 18 22:28 UTC] No.16409195{4}[source]▶
The punchline is, in case you didn't see any other posts by me, is that I've never not been on the left.

I'm having a really hard time taking this at face value.

valley girls crying into their pumpkin spice lattes

'Valley girls' refers to the San Fernando valley in Southern California, as (stereotypically) depicted on TV shows like 'The OC' - shallow fashionistas primarily concerned with gossip and social status. It's specifically a Southern California Thing and has never ever been associated with Silicon Valley.

Perhaps your social observation skills aren't as keen as you imagine them to be?

10. astura ◴[19 Feb 18 02:51 UTC] No.16410410[source]▶
Or even center-right. Many of my family, who are definitely right leaning, mildly racist, God fearing, Church attending Christians, we're absolutely devastated at Trump's victory.

I fail to understand how "crying Donald J Trump is the president of the United States" equals being an "insane insufferable far left crazy." Even if you mostly agree with him politically, you may still be very upset about someone who boasted about sexually assaulting women representing you/your political beliefs. That's just one example.