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vgr's profile
Venkatesh Rao
Venkatesh Rao
Venkatesh Rao
@vgr

Tweets

Venkatesh Rao

@vgr

This is my conversational account. For my work follow @ribbonfarm, @breaking_smart, @artofgig. Tweets are 90% vacuous views, apathetically held. Mediocritopian.

Los Angeles, CA
venkateshrao.com
Joined August 2007

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    Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 22 May 2019
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    I don’t *really* grok the modern Moloch meme of Ginsberg/SSC provenance 🤔 I get it intellectually but it feels like there’s something I’m supposed to viscerally appreciate that I don’t. That makes me part of Moloch doesn’t it? Or just Moloch-blind?

    3:30 PM - 22 May 2019
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    • safe Moon satellite Juan Cricco Rhys Lindmark Santo Antonio likely voter ☤⃠ Josh Marshall Poor Yorick Bombadil Brin Tequehead
    14 replies 1 retweet 20 likes
      1. New conversation
      2. Noah Rosenberg‏ @nrose 22 May 2019
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        Replying to @vgr

        When we drive our cars and use coal-fired electricity, and doom other poor countries to permanent climate related catastrophe, and ourselves just enjoy a few more sunny days, that’s moloch.

        1 reply 0 retweets 3 likes
      3. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 22 May 2019
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        Replying to @nrose

        Yes I get all that I just don’t think there’s a there there It’s like you have to believe in a karmic calculus to be shocked at the discovery there isn’t one The concept is clear, the metaphysical premises seem like a matter of religious taste

        2 replies 0 retweets 8 likes
      4. 4 more replies
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      2. Priya‏ @Prigoose 22 May 2019
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        Replying to @vgr

        Is there a synonym for Moloch you prefer? The closest I can think of is 'incentives', but it's not a 1-to-1 mapping. So some of its value just comes from creating a useful shorthand, similar to 'premium mediocre'.

        2 replies 0 retweets 2 likes
      3. Venkatesh Rao‏ @vgr 22 May 2019
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        Replying to @Prigoose

        I never need to refer to whatever it is supposed to point at

        1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
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      2. Matt Guttman‏ @RealtimeAI 22 May 2019
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        Replying to @vgr

        I feel this way about most poetry.

        1 reply 0 retweets 2 likes
      3. Dan listens to the world changing‏ @danlistensto 22 May 2019
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        Replying to @RealtimeAI @vgr

        which poetry do you not feel this way about?

        1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
      4. 5 more replies
      1. New conversation
      2. James Baker‏ @jambarree 22 May 2019
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        Replying to @vgr

        In my view the visceral punch comes from losing the ability to blame people. Seeing the Moloch-ian systems means our villains aren't the answer, being faced with fighting system/god blows up our simple culture-war/outgroup ideals.

        2 replies 1 retweet 3 likes
      3. Sphinx Of Cement‏ @cementofsphinx 22 May 2019
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        Replying to @jambarree @vgr

        Those who are pulled by Moloch and those who follow willingly!

        0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
      4. End of conversation
      1. Simon de la Rouviere‏ @simondlr 22 May 2019
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        Replying to @vgr

        Coordinating out of coordination failures leads to more coordination failures. It's a memetic Chinese finger trap. Do you feel there's more to it?

        0 replies 0 retweets 8 likes
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      1. Jesse Thomas Alford‏ @EXPtext 23 May 2019
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        Replying to @vgr

        the thing I'm surprised I don't already see in your replies is that the visceral punch is the reality of what makes Moloch evil: anything you value more than/alongside winning/survival _can_ be sacrificed to improve your chances of winning/surviving.

        0 replies 1 retweet 3 likes
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