We need to talk about Big Tech's role in Fascism [video] | Hacker News Reader

We need to talk about Big Tech's role in Fascism [video]

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24 pointsSwoerd1238 comments

Databases, facial recognition, video synthesis (creating unreality), Pattern recognition, …. There’s a whole lot of techniques and technology going back to Operations Research in WW II that is useful to those in charge. Yes, tools are neutral, but some are more, erm, useful than others in this. Hackers hack, pocket the cash where available but don’t often consider the larger implications of their hack.

But then societies seem to be going well until they’re not. Boiling frogs I guess. And nobody reads the history as it’s all been done before and the clues are just there written down.

Technology has two sides in the recent right shifts across countries. It increases the power gap to overcome in revolutions, which is why i think modern dictatorships are so stable, but it also provides realtime insight and records of the stupidity, detachment and insanity of elites and the gullible masses.

After nazi germany fell, many nazis were able to go into hiding, to flee or wait and eventually even regain positions of power. When the internet and personal computation doesnt get pruned, it will be harder for all those individuals to hide. Maybe thats a bad thing in all those dynamics. Maybe thats a psychological lock-in, which makes them hold on to their destructive way forward.

After seeing the 180 of people like Chamath and Sacks I feel like historians and people who are curious to understand what went through the heads of apical figures at Siemens, VW, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Bayer etc during the rise of Hitler...well the ideal would be to get a time machine but the closest thing to that is to tune in their All_in podcast weekly

All the others starting from Zuck and Musk too of course but their media apps are more scattered and tweets don't have the same impact as a weekly podcast.

For me the weirdest capitulation comes from Tim Cook, who for years cosplayed as an LGBTQ inclusion proponent but now actively undermines these values by brown-nosing the Trump regime. First, by personally gifting Trump one million dollars for his inauguration; then the grift with the golden statue; and very recently, by attending the Melania movie premiere.

"The time has come, I can no longer remain silent. The current US administration is perpetrating a fascist takeover of our democracy, and Big Tech CEOs and companies are complicit. It's time to reckon with the inextricable ties between the companies we turn to for innovation and excitement and the government's horrific actions. If this video alienates you because you support this administration, good. You are not welcome here. Please unsubscribe. Everyone else, let's keep these things in mind as we go forward. Never forget the gross violations of civil liberties, baldfaced corruption, and gross acts of evil being perpetrated."

The CEOs are probably rehearsing a version of 'I was only obeying orders". It is their job to act on behalf of shareholders, which, it grieves me to say, arguably is what they are doing.

Their German predecessors were confident they could control or dispose of a “Bavarian corporal” whenever they chose. Didn’t quite work out that way. Political power > money…. Ask Elon.

>The lines between what I do professionally and where we are politically are blurring.

>In just the last 12 months, the links between the US government and AI, crypto, and big tech has deepened so greatly that well, let's just take stock of where we are

>Over the past 3 weeks especially, I have found it nearly impossible to sit down and make a video about some MacBook that I bought off eBay

>I almost felt like I was lying to you guys by talking about, you know, normal tech stuff while this is all happening.

For the most pure-tech focused and politically reluctant it's still possible to be overwhelmed by such stupid shit that it makes all your tech look pretty insignificant no matter the upside. Normally stupid shit comes about randomly from all directions naturally without anybody working against anybody else at all. But it can be really hard to ignore when the dark side "gangs up" and starts taking prisoners, and it can happen so quick it makes peoples' heads spin.

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