The Billionaires Are Abandoning Humanity
11 days ago
- #Post-humanism
- #Stagnation
- #Billionaires
- Peter Thiel and other billionaires believe Western civilization has been stagnant since the 1970s, with slower economic growth, fewer scientific breakthroughs, and cultural malaise.
- Thiel supported Donald Trump in 2016, hoping for a radical shake-up to break stagnation, though he admits this was a 'preposterous fantasy.'
- Silicon Valley elites, influenced by Thiel, have shifted from supporting mainstream Democrats to embracing aspects of Trump's agenda.
- Thiel blames stagnation on 1960s counterculture and the environmental movement, even calling Greta Thunberg the 'Antichrist.'
- Despite political victories (Reagan, Thatcher, Trump), stagnation persists, leading billionaires to explore post-human solutions like cryonics, AI, and Mars colonization.
- Thiel hesitates when asked if humanity should survive, reflecting a broader billionaire disillusionment with society.
- Billionaires like Zuckerberg and Bezos are withdrawing from philanthropy, focusing instead on personal technological and libertarian utopias.
- The article critiques billionaires' detachment and suggests letting them leave for Mars to rid humanity of their influence.
- The Nation calls for progressive opposition to Trump and oligarchic power, advocating for democratic equality.