Homophobia, racism and the Kochs: San Francisco’s tech-libertarian “Reboot” conference is a cesspool

[Starry Messenger]

http://pando.com/2014/07/18/homophobia-racism-and-the-kochs-san-franciscos-tech-libertarian-reboot-conference-is-a-cesspool/

<snip>

Running the GOP operations in Silicon Valley is a former senior Facebook engineering manager named Andrew Barkett, who now works as CTO of the Republican National Committee and partners in a privately held GOP data-mining firm based in San Mateo called Data Trust. Barkett explained how Lincoln Labs helps recruit new GOP foot soldiers:

<snip>

To recruit, Lincoln has set up events like Hackathons and “open government” get-togethers at tech venues like Microsoft and StumbledUpon, and bring in celebrities like Rand Paul, who appeals to progressives ignorant about Paul’s lesser-known reactionary beliefs and far-right past.

To avoid scaring away the local talent, Lincoln Labs’ Ginn confided to the New York Times that he masks his politics:

“I avoid saying ‘Republican’ so people don’t think I’m part of crazy right-wing stuff.”

It’s funny that he says that, because in the 1970s, Reason magazine published articles arguing that the best way to recruit liberals like those Lincoln Lab faces in the Bay Area is to lie to them — “you can use tricks — and you better, if you really want libertarianism to have a fighting chance,” Reason advised. One article laid out some “simple facts” about tricking others into accepting libertarianism, and it means hiding things like the movement’s adoration of apartheid and instead over-emphasizing their opposition to the NSA and the war on drugs. Reason advised:

“ To sell libertarianism, you must sell it under a formula which corresponds to the basic convictions of the guy to whom you sell it.”

<snip>

[AndyTiedye]

1. I'd Ask Them What is Libertarian about Banning Abortion and Birth Control

If I run into any of them, but I rarely do, and the few "Libertarians" I have met aren't "techies".

The Mighty Slime Machine has been trying to push the notion that "techies" are going Libertarian, but I don't buy it.
The examples they come up with are always upper management types. Engineers tend to be Democrats.

[cprise]

2. If you spent any time on techie sites in the 90s and 2000s

or worked in a corporate IT department for a few years, you'd realize that techies used to lean heavily toward libertarianism. Mostly, it was a way for white geeks to justify greed, racism and sexism that they felt was justified once they got up a rung or two on the economic ladder.

When these guys made friends with you, you got a "political correctness" litmus test.

[bemildred]

3. Yep. The liberty they talk of is mostly the liberty to exploit other people

and to to be unethical or immoral in ones dealings with them, and the liberty to have a class system in which they (no surprise) are among the better classes, which get to control those in their "care".

[cprise]

5. Good summary of the mindset. n/t

[Starry Messenger]

4. A lot of the guys on the Lincoln Labs website do look like upper management.

I'm not sure how popular this movement will be in the Bay Area. I thought it was interesting that they are pretty direct about trying to turn liberals into PaulBots.

Also the pro-apartheid stances from the early years, and teh Koch brother connections. It was a long and well-researched piece.

[blkmusclmachine]

6. ,

,