[whyenot]

Whataboutism like this is a rhetorical tactic to deflect uncomfortable or difficult conversations. I'm not sure I agree with OP about software engineers and business executives being the "worst thing for the planet," but it does feel like there is a growing distrust of both groups. It's something to pay attention to, especially if AI begins to really take away people's jobs or cause social upheaval. There is already a lot of anger directed at some business executives right now.

[firesteelrain]

> there is a growing distrust of both groups

I am not sure what circles you operate but I have never heard anyone at the layman level state any sort of distrust of software engineers.

[bradlys]

Yeah, it’s weird. Software engineers are mostly just doing whatever gets them paid.

End of the day, they’re laborers and they have no choice on what is being built. It’s not like most people in software are making enough to own a home in SV on their own anyway. It’s still a dual (tech) income (or big windfall) market.

[bergie]

> Yeah, it’s weird. Software engineers are mostly just doing whatever gets them paid.

Which is by itself a moral (immoral?) stance, saying that you don't have problems doing all kinds of evil stuff as long as the money is good.

[bradlys]

We live in a world (especially in the US) that requires a job to afford basic necessities of life. If you'd like to starve to death, by all means - do it.

[latentcall]

You see God, I simply had no choice but to make 500k a year coding an AI weapons system to blow up brown people at incredible efficiency. Was I expected to STARVE?

[bradlys]

Blaming the individual rather than the government is typical capitalist worship.

[firesteelrain]

I’m not in SV so can’t really speak to the housing market. Owned my own home for over 20 years as a software engineer. But right, engineers are just code laborers.

[overfeed]

There's a growing, multi-faceted distrust in the tech industry as a whole, not just SWEs. This includes the tech billionaires, coastal elites, big tech companies, AI/automation, wealth disparities, crypto bros, VCs, the DOGE boys, and anyone who may have STEM-lord vibes.

[immibis]

It's not whataboutism. GGP said software engineers were worse than career politicians - without using the words "career politicians". GGP also said software engineers were worse than underwater basket weavers. And orb spiders. GP disagrees with one of these things GGP said.