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Comment by canaus | Hacker News Reader

I wasn't familiar with Curtis Yarvin, but in looking him up, you can't be serious, right?

>Yarvin's online writings, many under his pseudonym Mencius Moldbug, convey blatantly racist views. He expresses the belief that white people are genetically endowed with higher IQs than black people. He has suggested race may determine whether individuals are better suited for slavery, and his writing has been interpreted as supportive of the institution of slavery.

https://www.inc.com/tess-townsend/why-it-matters-that-an-obs...

You're upset that a Eugenics-lite writer was almost banned from a conference?

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I am completely serious.

Curtis Yarvin is a bellwether - the sort of person that any group that starts excluding people for ideological disagreements, would probably exclude first precisely because his position is so problematic. So any group that accepts his technical contribution can obviously be trusted to tolerate any less-severe ideological disagreement. Conversely, any group that doesn't, especially when they have to make up nonexistent concerns to do it because their rules didn't cover this "obvious" reason to kick someone out and couldn't be hastily adjusted, must be viewed with caution.

I personally don't hold any beliefs nearly as objectionable as that. But I do hold objectionable beliefs - as I believe any halfway interesting person does. And those who don't, probably will eventually. Just stand by your convictions and give it time.

See also LambdaConf's conclusion on why they should allow him to participate anyway: https://degoes.net/articles/lambdaconf-inclusion I agree with this article fully.

I just disagree that standing in his presence is a matter of safety for anyone. It's possible to hold abhorrent views and still be a useful contributor.

It is hyperbole

Not evil, an exaggeration but still: would you want to be in the presence of some body so bigoted? Who thought you inferior because because because?

Yes? They might have other useful ideas or opinions that I may benefit from being exposed to. People are multidimensional.

If there is a conference being organized about some technology, I'd like to see speakers who have the most to contribute, on that merit only. I couldn't care less if they march around with armbands on in their spare time. I'm suggesting that more people learn to compartmentalize.

To me, if they can keep it to themselves, they can believe whatever they want. Up to and including that I shouldn't have been born, though I may draw a line at believing I should be killed, depending on how mentally stable I believe them to be.

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