In a symbolic example of the total defeat of the lib-left effective altruism people in DC, I went to an event on AI in the public sector where they served all omnivorous food and I had to ask for exceptions as the 1 vegan. EA people used to be so powerful that basically any tech event was all-vegan - ThreadSky

josephpolitano.bsky.social • 100 days ago

In a symbolic example of the total defeat of the lib-left effective altruism people in DC, I went to an event on AI in the public sector where they served all omnivorous food and I had to ask for exceptions as the 1 vegan. EA people used to be so powerful that basically any tech event was all-vegan

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hikoukihikouki9.bsky.social•100 days ago

Tbh the whole EA ethos of picking issues that were solvable and under served didn’t really jive with the anti-animal agriculture stuff. Which it’s 1000% correct as a position but also you’re coming at the entire farm lobby and also like, long held cultural practices and attachments

consensusconstruct.bsky.social•97 days ago

The ITN framework isn't meant to always be completely applied for cause selection; farmed animal welfare makes up for not always be very tractable by being especially neglected and important. Same with x-risks.

tokengay.bsky.social•100 days ago

jenonymous.bsky.social•100 days ago

Didn’t we learn that at least some chunk of them weren’t actually even vegan at all?

(Not sure how many were actually lib-left either, now that I think about it)

josephpolitano.bsky.social•100 days ago

Ah this was another good story I had. Did a bag lunch type event with 10 tech policy EA people. Catered vegan. Was chatting with the person next to me who revealed they weren't vegan and were embarrassed to bring it up. Resulted in slowly 9/10 people at the table revealing they also weren't vegan

josephpolitano.bsky.social•100 days ago

big gap between the international development policy health and welfare EA types (complimentary) and the tech policy longtermist xrisk AI geo-conflict EA types (derogatory), they never made sense together and have partially severed in a way I am actually thankful for

jenonymous.bsky.social•100 days ago

lol, I was thinking of SBF and figured it was a safe guess there were more— 9 in 10 is still even higher than my deeply cynical brain would have guessed.

I am increasingly convinced that tech/longtermist/multiplanetary EA is just a permission structure to excuse abusing existing humans for profit.

ashieldofmeat.bsky.social•100 days ago

I wish the latter people would choose a different name. Really annoying they seemed to have captured the public perception of what "EA" is.

jenonymous.bsky.social•99 days ago

Unfortunately, effective authoritarianism doesn’t have that same ring to it.

mandatorytopic.bsky.social•100 days ago

the longtermist people are good, actually.

mandatorytopic.bsky.social•100 days ago

This is good tho, they knew the right thing to do and did it when it groups. Good on them, better than the alternative

cheshire-menace.bsky.social•96 days ago

Never knew the movement was large enough to have a general impact, even in DC. Were there other cities like that? And what happened?

stevecampbell.bsky.social•100 days ago

that's really awesome you're a vegan. It is a great thing to do for the climate.

hotrollhottakes.bsky.social•100 days ago

I switched to like 99% vegan (not bothered by honey and a fascinating case can be made for some bivalves like mussels/oysters) in South TX - unfriendly territory - around 2020 before moving to MPLS. I bet in my life there will be many rises and falls in public sentiment and how it's socially coded

hotrollhottakes.bsky.social•100 days ago

I deeply dislike Singer, but the view that animal suffering should be avoided if within our reasonable capabilities has always felt so rationally firm, its counterarguments so weak. It's a marvel of modernity that I can be healthy and full of food variety while doing so - so long as I can afford it.

josephpolitano.bsky.social•100 days ago

It's funny to me that I was totally persuaded before encountering any of the philosophical arguments in the space, just enough exposure to crunchy DC lib types and a couple factory farm videos had me going "yknow they're on to something". All the philosophy of it came after I had made the switch

josephpolitano.bsky.social•100 days ago

Just passed 5 years now!

hotrollhottakes.bsky.social•100 days ago

Yeah, my youngest sister was vegan first after seeing documentaries on Netflix etc. I sympathize with emotional motivations, but it was my interest in ethical philosophy and my respect for her sticking to it in such a meat-heavy culture that persuaded me, first to vegetarianism, and then further

hotrollhottakes.bsky.social•100 days ago

Though veganism as a lifestyle brand/culture has always bothered me. Avoiding animal products shouldn't be like a religion with strictures. Non-separate fryers won't send me to Vegan Hell; It's not shameful if I *accidentally* buy bread with dairy in it.

hotrollhottakes.bsky.social•100 days ago

The Good Place covers the aspirational approach really well. Our everyday actions are bound in inescapable suffering - but we're remiss if we don't try to relieve what we can with what we have, keeping in mind our own dignity and health. It can often be beyond our comfort zone - but not by too much.

dialupready.com•100 days ago

lmaoooooo shouldn’t have sold all their values to Bankman-Fried and then to Altman

wonder if they’re cooking up a worse Sam in the rationalist labs

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