Mason  🏃‍♂️ ✂️

@pmarca asks why America isn't building what needs to be built - masks, ventilators, universities, carbon-neutral energy, apartment buildings, et al. We aren't building because we don't have a political lobby demanding competent state capacity and governance.https://twitter.com/pmarca/status/1251634412334141440 …

"We need to demand more of our political leaders, of our CEOs, our entrepreneurs, our investors" - I agree! Marc, will you commit to support advocacy efforts to get America building what needs to get built?

I can tell you right now that "committing" "to support" "advocacy efforts" "to get America building what needs to get built" isn't what Marc is talking about, isn't going to interest him, and frankly sounds like the same scam most bulky non-profits are running.

I understand the ostensible purpose of the lobbying layer, I understand that it's tremendously expensive to lobby the SFBA or CA broadly to do *anything,* I like your stated mission. But god damn I'm tired of seeing this article purposely misread in this fashion.

I agree that Marc is unlikely to support such advocacy efforts, which is why I think he will fail. Extra mask manufacturing capacity would not have made up for the lack of competent state capacity to address a public health crisis. The main problems are cultural and political.

"The main problems are cultural and political." This is a "build something or shut up" piece. It wasn't written for you, which is why I think it's both disingenuous to pretend that it was and naive to think you could possibly have any leverage with this line of argumentation.

If your intention was just to preach to your choir, fine. But I just unfollowed and I'm frankly increasingly soured. A little intellectual honestly would be lovely these days.

I don't understand why you are fixated on Marc's intent in writing his piece, rather than what we can learn from it. I don't think his intent is particularly important in elucidating how to realize the society Marc's piece calls for.