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agileAlligator | 2 years ago

Yes, that is what he said. Welfare beneficiaries and women are two groups libertarians find are tough constituencies to appeal to, and both of these groups have increased in size since 1920.

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fmbb|2 years ago

The quote says “capitalist democracy” is an oxymoron. If Thiel is pro-capitalism he thinks democracy is a problem. If he is pro-democracy he thinks capitalism is a problem.

somedude895|2 years ago

He doesn't say either of those things. Considering the context of a pro-libertarian text, what it means is that the capitalism part of "capitalist democracy" is losing significance as the US is moving more towards a EU-style social democracy.

But we all choose to believe what we want to believe. He certainly never said he opposed women's suffrage, as the original commenter claimed.

lupusreal|2 years ago

There is a leap between "X is bad for me" and "X should be banned". Some people make that leap automatically without even realizing it and assume that everybody else makes that leap too. So for instance, if I say "Soda rots teeth" some people will become indignant, "So you want soda banned?? People have a right to drink what they want you tyrant!"

The trouble is that generally people don't make this leap automatically, and simply noting a problem doesn't come with an implied "therefore ban it." Generally the people who do automatically make this leap have authoritarian mindsets, for whom personal preferences and public policy are nigh inseparable. Watch out for these kind of people, they would likely impose their preferences on you if they ever gain power over you, without even thinking about it. The emperor doesn't care for pre-tattered jeans, therefore he bans them for everybody else too; not a good sort of man to have in charge.

Now, the pertinent question is which of these sorts is Peter Thiel? When this self-espoused libertarian says "X is bad for me" does that necessarily imply that it should be banned for everybody else as well? Is there evidence for him behaving in a way that betrays this kind of authoritarian mindset?

kazen44|2 years ago

which is true in the sense that capitalism (so far in history) has disenfranchised those who do the actual labor which generated the capital.

How can society be democratic if the workplace is not?

gmadsen|2 years ago

in what way? I think we collectively figured out democracy doesn't work a few thousand years ago. That's why we have a democratic republic.

NilMostChill|2 years ago

i care little for whatever is going on here but you seem to be purposely ignoring the last part of the sentence.

extra welfare + women voting, (both difficult for libertarians blah blah), have rendered the notion of “capitalist democracy” into an oxymoron.

edit:

downvote all you like, it doesn't magically make a quarter of a sentence not exist.

agileAlligator|2 years ago

He means that welfare beneficiaries and women vote in way that is against his image of what a capitalist democracy should be.

zilti|2 years ago

You really need to train your reading comprehension