[aorth]

Ah, Worldcoin has set up booths at many shopping malls here in Kenya. The first time I saw them a few months ago I was reminded of the "OneCoin" pyramid scam that was big in East Africa a few years ago. https://www.theregister.com/2022/12/20/crypto_ponzi_scheme_c...

Worldcoin gives off really similar vibes. The footer of their website reads:

> Worldcoin tokens are not intended to be available to people or companies who are residents of, or are located, incorporated or have a registered agent in, the United States or other restricted territories.

That doesn't sound very good! And then there's this critical review of Worldcoin's operations in Indonesia https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/04/06/1048981/worldcoi...

I really don't get good vibes from this whole thing...

[hdivider]

>I really don't get good vibes from this whole thing...

Trust your instincts here. This thing is hardly a democratic technology -- it seems like it's by the Silicon Valley Elite, of the Silicon Valley Elite, for the Silicon Valley Elite.

[50]

It makes me think of that astonishing line by Susan Sontag: "The [_____] race is the cancer of human history; it is the [_____] race and it alone—its ideologies and inventions—which eradicates autonomous civilizations wherever it spreads, which has upset the ecological balance of the planet, which now threatens the very existence of life itself."

But also Emil Cioran: "What makes bad [technologists] worse is that they [are steeped only in tech-centric thought] (just as bad philosophers read only philosophers), whereas they would benefit much more from a book of botany or geology. We are enriched [and gain a sensible sense of ethics] only by frequenting disciplines remote from our own. This is true, of course, only for realms where the ego is rampant."

[germinalphrase]

Why censor Sontag’s statement? However people feel about her statement, she chose those words.

[jimkleiber]

I don't think they were censoring but more so generalizing the statement to more types of races.

[pessimizer]

Your instincts are wrong. HN has been a safe place as far as I've ever known (imo you're modded for being unreasonable or irrelevant here - even dumb is fine), but it's not safe to assume that you can say things bluntly in any forum just because they're true and said in good faith. It may read as bravery, but it's really just hubris. They'll delete you and tell other people to delete you. They'll report you to police. They'll ask your friends and family members why they're bad people for not shunning you.

Magical incantations and bad words are also the easiest things to avoid while still being very aggressive. Adhering to arbitrary pieties in form is actually a nice shield against people who are allergic to substance.

[mandmandam]

Was recently banned for saying true and important things here.

It's not hubris - it's called having a spine.

[dang]

Why not let people decide for themselves why you were banned?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34852986

[mandmandam]

Getting a little passive aggressive there dang.

I hope people do read that, and the context. There's nothing banworthy there, at least from me. Not unless you're a big fan of tptacek running roughshod over people, as you yourself admit he often does.

You also claimed to have "asked me to stop" - which you didn't.

And when I asked you where you said that you didn't reply.

And when I emailed to ask nicely to be unbanned, as you requested, you ignored it.

So... Yeah.

[ChatGTP]

But also Emil Cioran: "What makes bad [technologists] worse is that they [are steeped only in tech-centric thought]“

An absolutely beautiful truth there.

[meowface]

I am going to quote this flagged/removed reply that I think only certain HN users can see, because I think it's important to address:

>Since you did not want to quote the whole thing, I will do it for you: >The white race is the cancer of human history; it is the white race and it alone—its ideologies and inventions—which eradicates autonomous civilizations wherever it spreads, which has upset the ecological balance of the planet, which now threatens the very existence of life itself.

>And I will point out the obvious thing: yes, she's jewish. Most of the things against the so-called "white race" come from jewish people. Don't trust me, just verify this: every time you see something about "white people blah blah", check the author. 9 out of 10 times it's a jewish person and/or has jewish background. I won't elaborate on the causes, you're free to research yourself.

>Then on one side there are no races because we all are the human race. On the other side, there may be races, but we're all equal - well, except if we talk about the "white race", then we can say all kinds of truly trashy things because it's about whites and therefore it's all good.

>I wish this would stop already.

Hundreds of thousands or perhaps millions of white nationalists and neo-Nazis react this way to such things. I'm not going to respond to it myself (it's total bullshit in many different ways), but just know that there are a lot of people out there who think this way. (And, of course, you don't want to know what this poster is writing on places like 4chan compared to the PR-friendly thing they wrote here.)

[rajin444]

Is that full quote supposed to be better?

I’m not sure what’s being addressed here, but that you feel comfortable reiterating that an entire race is cancerous is concerning to say the least. What is the end goal of this rhetoric?

[meowface]

I'm not endorsing Sontag's quote at all. I disagree with her and think it's wrong and immoral to exhibit bigotry towards any race or to cast any sort of group judgment like that in general. Plus if any other race had been in the same position they'd very likely be just as rapacious towards the Earth. I think what she describes is a human problem and not a racial problem.

I had just wanted to provide the preceding sentences to give it full context. The part I was disagreeing with is the stuff about Jews and what I wanted to address is the specific ways people react to these things.

But, you're right. It's totally besides the point and is irrelevant; racism is racism. I removed the full quote.

[ChatGTP]

White race ?