People keep telling me Thiel is some sort of visionary, but his ideas- and modern neoreactionaries he supports like Curtis Yarvin and JD Vance in general seem to me to be just old fashioned bigotry and fascism bundled with some new but ultimately empty rationalizations. They seem to be coming from people that aren’t scientists and engineers themselves, who don’t understand that authoritarianism is at odds with creativity and innovation, and therefore ultimately with economic growth. And just like any bigots, they seem motivated by fear of losing elevated social status, and think they can arrest that by installing themselves as a protected aristocratic class due to some false claims that they’re better suited to drive technology and business than “inferiors.” What am I missing here (genuine question)?
I really do honestly think that many of their supporters simply see themselves in these kinds of characters. Whether outright physically (likely) or 'spiritually' (less likely).
They too wish to be part of this protected aristocratic class and eat this "ideology" up a lá 'temporarily embarrassed millionaires' syndrome.
I read a lot of Curtis Yarvin and have encountered no reasons for suspecting he is racist or bigoted.
He believed (and might still believe) that Americans would probably be better off if American democratic government were replaced by corporate ownership of the entire country, which is certainly an extreme position, but not all non-Leftist extremists are bigots.
"We have only one problem. The problem is: our billionaires are n—ers. They may be rich. But they're n—er rich. The nature and function of their wealth is profoundly negrous. You can probably name exceptions. I can too. But in every way, the exceptions prove the rule"
Yes, that totally sounds like something a normal non-racist would say. WTF.
(I also recall him saying something like "you know who was perfectly bred to work in the fields?" in response to someone saying that there's no replacement for immigrant farm labor. But I can't find the citation right now.)
I have heard him talk casually on far right podcasts and he is one of the most vile racists I have ever heard speak. He talked about how mixed race people are only fit to be slaves and should be forced to wear uniforms… and his regular casual speech is filled with racial slurs and anecdotes about how people of other races he encounters day to day are disgusting and inferior to him. Take a listen if you have a strong stomach, I felt like vomiting when listening to it. https://glycineputler.libsyn.com/caribbean-rhythms-with-bap-...
Moreover, if you understand his philosophy and ideas, it is clear that his underlying motives are racial hatred and fear. He is trying to solve “problems” that only exist in the mind of a person full of racial hate and fear, and proposes solutions that show a profound lack of empathy- and it’s terrifying because his ideas work, and are working.
