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Comment by jonathankoren | Hacker News Reader

I fail to see how someone's accident of birth impinges their actions.

This is a textbook ad hominem.

Making climate change protestors and, by extension, the concept of climate change seem crazy is directly beneficial to someone standing to inherit an oil fortune.

Whether or not that's actually what is happening here is a different story.

Aileen Getty inherited a fortune that was made from oil.

But given that she is a climate change philanthropist, I strongly doubt she has any active investments in the oil industry, and would not benefit from "making climate change seem crazy".

Maybe you doubt it, but it isn’t bigotry to question your motives because of your birth.

Especially when your birth is a great fortune

No, it's just lazy speculation and dismissal.

Well of course someone with your parentage would say that.

I hope this is supposed to be a joke.

> Whether or not that's actually what is happening here is a different story.

So you agree. The actions and not the birth are what matter.

Most people model themselves from their parents and the environment surrounding their youth. Most people are a product of social reproduction. Someone born in a circle is likely to identify with it and remain there.

Yes, there are exceptions. What you call "accident of birth". Statistically, they are uncommon.

So the Marquis de Lafayette isn't democratic patriot in two countries because he was born into the aristocracy?

Statistics part literally doesn't matter. You judge the person by their actions.

Judging an individual by statistics of their group is pure discrimination.

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