“The fundamental weakness is empathy,” Musk recently told radio podcast host Joe Rogan. “There is a bug, which is the empathy response.”
As Musk has established himself as at least the second most powerful person in an administration seeking a wholesale remaking of institutions, rules and norms, what he said matters, because it encapsulates a political plan. What the Project 2025 report set out in over 900 turgid pages, Musk’s remark captures in a simple pithy mantra for the social media age.
‘Ideological neo parasite’ is just another way of saying thought crime which is pretty funny coming from Mr ‘ethos of freedom’.
My issue is the framing of those who disagree with the opposing in-group as sub-human or a disease. It sounds a lot like Agent Smith in the first Matrix wanting to get rid of the last of humanity so the tech can run rampant.
I have yet to hear an “anti-woke” argument that amounts to anything other than “I think I’m superior and I need society to reflect that.”
The argument of caring for others can lead you to getting screwed over happens. I’ve gone out of my way for people who have not returned the favor, lent people money they never repaid, or had people try to get one over on me for no reason. I’m sure we all have. But if the way to avoid that is to have every relationship be transactional, I’m not interested. To say society is literally in danger by people caring to much is such a sociopathic idea.
Up until recent events, I felt it was rare to see anyone of a progressive nature calling for things like extrajudicial violence, or any kind of differential treatment of those that disagreed with them. Most of us just want to see right wingers act like decent human beings. But the alt-right types have never once stopped calling for segregation, discrimination, and immediate violence or removal of people they disagree with. We’re an unrepairable threat to them.
Musk and Saad can dress up what they’re saying in better language than Trump and your common red hatter, but it’s the same message. It’s anti-intellectualism and hate dressed up in fancy clothes. Treating people equally and with respect is not something to look down on, even if you don’t come out ahead every time. “Winning” isn’t the goal, equality is. People that treat humanity as a zero sum game are the ones with the problem, not the rest of us.