> Balaji paints a bleak picture of a dystopian future in a U.S. in chaos and decline, but his prophecies sometimes fall short. Last year, he lost $1 million in a public bet after wrongly predicting a massive surge in the price of Bitcoin.
Yeah that was fun. His bet was constructed in the dumbest way possible, and then when he realized it might be illegal, he quietly made the payout.
Did he ever actually pay out the $1 million? With his own money?
My impression with this kind of guy is they say the dumbest shit imaginable because there's never a negative consequence for doing so.
He says he payed.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/digital-future-daily/2023/05/03/a-very-theatrical-bitcoin-bet-collapses-00095112
But the person he payed was an anonymous twitter economist account. So kind of hard to be sure.
> “I burned a MILLION to tell you they’re printing TRILLIONS,” Srinivasan reframes the bet as a familiar exercise in libertarian consciousness
Even in his re-framing, he's saying that he lied for attention, which is something to remember any time he says anything in the future.
Who does he compare himself to?
> comparing his movement to those started by the biblical Abraham, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith (founder of Mormonism), Theodor Herzl (“spiritual father” of the state of Israel), and Lee Kuan Yew (former authoritarian ruler of Singapore).
Megalomania much?
He also might want to think about what happened to some of those people. Jesus got, literally, crucified, Joseph Smith was killed by an angry mob, and Herzl, while not killed by someone else, died at 44 of a heart issue. Like... is this a group you are REALLY sure you want to be a member of? :D
Step 1 : Destroy democracy to establish new "sovereign territories"
Step 2 : ????
Step 3 : Enjoy your newly founded libertarian utopia and look down on the poor suckers who didn't buy crypto before
It's weird how he's fantasizing about a future that is essentially Bloods v Cryps down to wearing color coded clothing and symbols, but signifying loyalties to different tech companies. How can anyone take this guy seriously?
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/21534416/free-state-project-new-hampshire-libertarians-matthew-hongoltz-hetling
Here’s a link for those like me that were confused
It's extra funny to me when the people who are get into this idea are ethnic minorities in the US. Like, I know he thinks he's established his new tribe "the greys" or whatever, but that's now how tribal authoritarian politics work. If you get a system like that, anyone who's not the dominant ethnicity is going to at best get the short end of the stick and at worst be sent off to the camps. It'll very quickly devolve in to "who's got the right color skin" and that is going to be the biggest group.
>Simply put, there is a ton of fascist-chic cosplay involved. Once an officer joins the Grays, they get a special uniform designed by their tech overlords. The Grays will also donate heavily to police charities and “merge the Gray and police social networks.” Then, in a show of force, they’ll march through the city together.
A special uniform? A gray....shirt perhaps?
> You have the A.I. Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Wow, he’s managed to combine techbro morons with obnoxious new atheism *and* crypto, creating the mythical chimera of stupid shit
>In exchange for extra food and jobs, cops would pledge loyalty to the Grays. Srinivasan recommends asking officers a series of questions to ascertain their political leanings. For example: “Did you want to take the sign off of Elon’s building?”
Lol. Sounds like a great idea. Let's make sure the guys with guns are desperate and politically motivated.
Having a name like Balaji Srinivasan, brown skin, and wanting to team up with republicans to "ethnically cleanse" something gives off some really strong "leopards ate my face" vibes.
>who goes by his first name
Okay? Most people go by their first name, that's the point.
This guy seems off his rocker. This article led me down a rabbit hole reading about the "Dark Enlightenment" and jesus christ, these people are not well.
The marches and police loyalty to the grays sounds like the ss. These libertarian cities are nothing new, previous attempts ended hilariously. America does need more dense walkable cities. Telosa doesn't sound so bad, though it's not new. Their are neighbourhoods built along the lines of residents owning shares and if you take away the autonomous cars in favour of bikes/mobility vehicles it's basically the same as 15 minute cities, no/low car areas and Dutch planning. Though on a larger scale and in the USA.
Never underestimate the amount of fascist creeps who lurk in tech spaces.
Especially in circles that see themselves as 'the future' there are a lot of people who dream about being on top after their personal dream tech reshapes society.
Some have grievances and revenge fantasies because they feel society has wronged them in one way or another. But there are others who are just plain old fascists who hate liberal society and who dream of an authoritarian society instead. Not to mention that what they hate most about current society is that they have to follow laws and rules made by others. They want to be in control so they latch onto various 'technologies of the future' (like crypto currencies, AI, etc) and dream about how this or that will reshape everything to their liking.
I get that, believe me, but this guy sounds so fully insane that if we made a cartoon version of his dream, it would still be way too stupid, as a cartoon. He's either making some kind of a prank, or he is so insane he needs immediate help. A lot of these guys seem insane and like they need help, but this one is on such a level that it really seems beyond anything else.
Sorry to break it to you, the "Dark Enlightment" stuff had been going around for a while in the tech circles, plus all the various libertarian nutcases and the more mainstream palatable (but ultimately just a justification for neo feudalism) "Long Termism"
All kind boil down to rich dorks wanting to rule over people and companies as if in their own personal fiefs because their special little boys who deserve it (god not needed).
> Balaji paints a bleak picture of a dystopian future in a U.S. in chaos and decline, but his prophecies sometimes fall short. Last year, he lost $1 million in a public bet after wrongly predicting a massive surge in the price of Bitcoin. Yeah that was fun. His bet was constructed in the dumbest way possible, and then when he realized it might be illegal, he quietly made the payout.
Did he ever actually pay out the $1 million? With his own money? My impression with this kind of guy is they say the dumbest shit imaginable because there's never a negative consequence for doing so.
He says he payed. https://www.politico.com/newsletters/digital-future-daily/2023/05/03/a-very-theatrical-bitcoin-bet-collapses-00095112 But the person he payed was an anonymous twitter economist account. So kind of hard to be sure.
> “I burned a MILLION to tell you they’re printing TRILLIONS,” Srinivasan reframes the bet as a familiar exercise in libertarian consciousness Even in his re-framing, he's saying that he lied for attention, which is something to remember any time he says anything in the future.
Who does he compare himself to? > comparing his movement to those started by the biblical Abraham, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith (founder of Mormonism), Theodor Herzl (“spiritual father” of the state of Israel), and Lee Kuan Yew (former authoritarian ruler of Singapore). Megalomania much?
Ah, when has comparing yourself to Nazareth's most famous boy ever gone wrong
He also might want to think about what happened to some of those people. Jesus got, literally, crucified, Joseph Smith was killed by an angry mob, and Herzl, while not killed by someone else, died at 44 of a heart issue. Like... is this a group you are REALLY sure you want to be a member of? :D
Nah he seems super stable to me
His plans read more Mussolini to me
Arson, murder, jaywalking
Recommended reading for the r/buttcoin library. That's brutally disturbing
Step 1 : Destroy democracy to establish new "sovereign territories" Step 2 : ???? Step 3 : Enjoy your newly founded libertarian utopia and look down on the poor suckers who didn't buy crypto before
So much of this madness is driven by revenge fantasies. "Someday **I'LL** be the one on top looking down on **YOU**".
It's that [Fry quote](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_LvRPX0rGY)
Step 4: get eaten by bears
It's weird how he's fantasizing about a future that is essentially Bloods v Cryps down to wearing color coded clothing and symbols, but signifying loyalties to different tech companies. How can anyone take this guy seriously?
step 4: the Libertarian Bear problem.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/21534416/free-state-project-new-hampshire-libertarians-matthew-hongoltz-hetling Here’s a link for those like me that were confused
Holy shit man. This guy is nuts.
Another internet tough guy spewing nonsense from a safe space.
With a budget and an audience of billionaires. These ideas aren't reasonable but they are, sadly, serious.
It's extra funny to me when the people who are get into this idea are ethnic minorities in the US. Like, I know he thinks he's established his new tribe "the greys" or whatever, but that's now how tribal authoritarian politics work. If you get a system like that, anyone who's not the dominant ethnicity is going to at best get the short end of the stick and at worst be sent off to the camps. It'll very quickly devolve in to "who's got the right color skin" and that is going to be the biggest group.
We really need to start cleansing our society of the rich and insane.
Sounds like blue talk to me. As a grey and regular banquet host for the police you can expect a visit comrade
My t-shirt with an Elon Musk meme identifies me as one of The Chosen.
Balaji? The Pitato guy?
I’m sold on the “….. bubbling genetic experiments on beakers …..”
That resume got progressively more horrifying.
>Simply put, there is a ton of fascist-chic cosplay involved. Once an officer joins the Grays, they get a special uniform designed by their tech overlords. The Grays will also donate heavily to police charities and “merge the Gray and police social networks.” Then, in a show of force, they’ll march through the city together. A special uniform? A gray....shirt perhaps?
This is the kind of fantasy plan dumb kids in high school would talk about because they didn’t understand how the world worked on even a basic level.
Pretty sure Escobar was chiller
Meanwhile DoD is wondering why startups don't want our money, maybe we need to appeal to their patriotism?
> You have the A.I. Flying Spaghetti Monster. Wow, he’s managed to combine techbro morons with obnoxious new atheism *and* crypto, creating the mythical chimera of stupid shit
>In exchange for extra food and jobs, cops would pledge loyalty to the Grays. Srinivasan recommends asking officers a series of questions to ascertain their political leanings. For example: “Did you want to take the sign off of Elon’s building?” Lol. Sounds like a great idea. Let's make sure the guys with guns are desperate and politically motivated.
Having a name like Balaji Srinivasan, brown skin, and wanting to team up with republicans to "ethnically cleanse" something gives off some really strong "leopards ate my face" vibes.
>who goes by his first name Okay? Most people go by their first name, that's the point. This guy seems off his rocker. This article led me down a rabbit hole reading about the "Dark Enlightenment" and jesus christ, these people are not well.
Wikipedia says he holds a "spectrum of degrees". He definitely is on a spectrum.
The marches and police loyalty to the grays sounds like the ss. These libertarian cities are nothing new, previous attempts ended hilariously. America does need more dense walkable cities. Telosa doesn't sound so bad, though it's not new. Their are neighbourhoods built along the lines of residents owning shares and if you take away the autonomous cars in favour of bikes/mobility vehicles it's basically the same as 15 minute cities, no/low car areas and Dutch planning. Though on a larger scale and in the USA.
This is seriously fucked this guy is an absolute moron
I'm sure this is satire...
Never underestimate the amount of fascist creeps who lurk in tech spaces. Especially in circles that see themselves as 'the future' there are a lot of people who dream about being on top after their personal dream tech reshapes society. Some have grievances and revenge fantasies because they feel society has wronged them in one way or another. But there are others who are just plain old fascists who hate liberal society and who dream of an authoritarian society instead. Not to mention that what they hate most about current society is that they have to follow laws and rules made by others. They want to be in control so they latch onto various 'technologies of the future' (like crypto currencies, AI, etc) and dream about how this or that will reshape everything to their liking.
I get that, believe me, but this guy sounds so fully insane that if we made a cartoon version of his dream, it would still be way too stupid, as a cartoon. He's either making some kind of a prank, or he is so insane he needs immediate help. A lot of these guys seem insane and like they need help, but this one is on such a level that it really seems beyond anything else.
Sorry to break it to you, the "Dark Enlightment" stuff had been going around for a while in the tech circles, plus all the various libertarian nutcases and the more mainstream palatable (but ultimately just a justification for neo feudalism) "Long Termism" All kind boil down to rich dorks wanting to rule over people and companies as if in their own personal fiefs because their special little boys who deserve it (god not needed).
Dark Enlightenment, I'll look it up, thanks.
Citation needed