Peter Thiel

Peter Thiel on the Tech Curse. (I'm not posting the video because it just seems so wrong to me.)

I don't see what people see in this guy.

He's a terrible speaker but even the idea of the Tech Curse, the arguments, and layout/outline of the presentation were bad. It's a cluster-fuck of a presentation.  

I watched the video a couple times because I felt like I must have missed something. Nope ... there's just not much there.

I mean ...

He thinks California having/leading the tech boom is similar to an oil-exporting state like Saudi Arabia? 

Maybe but convince me.

He shows the California economy is great. Better than Texas (a real oil state) and Florida (a tourist state). The 5th largest in the world. pressing Germany for the #4 spot. (screen captures below show his numbers)

Can't argue with that.

He shows that the US market cap is dominated by tech companies many based or started in California.

Can't argue with that.

Then he cherry picks a few social stats that make California look a little worse than Texas/Florida and blames it on the Tech Curse?

He argues California government workers are paid too much? Calls them parasites. It is the 5th largest economy in the world. Maybe Florida and Texas are paid too little?  What about the rest of the states? How about a comparison to Germany or Japan?

He bitches about their schools, which don't seem much different than Florida/Texas and real estate prices which are out of control but...  you have the 5th best economy in the world with many the global tech leaders there, a great climate, Hollywood, etc. People want to live there. you know, supply and demand. 

(The Homeless counts are the only stat that stands out but again supply and demand.)

Claims the California economy killed the middle class but doesn't offer much of an argument. Just makes the claim.

Claims tech can't scale to fit the US but again doesn't offer much (any) of an argument. I don't see anyone claiming this anyway. The US has many areas with their own specialties. Tech will work where it works. Manufacturing where it works. Energy where it works, Tourism where it works.

Then he runs through the Democrat 2024 presidential candidates slamming them as best he can. Writing off the California duo because, you know, tech doesn't scale and he didn't like how they acted at a party years ago

Bitches about the increase in value of his multi-million dollar mansion in Florida. I thought we were bitching about California?

Ends with a warning to Republicans that maybe they should try to offer something other than grievances to entice voters in the future. This is about the only thing that made sense in the whole presentation.

This would have been at best a "C-" presentation in any class I've ever had but coming from a person who's throwing millions to political candidates and is held as one the top libertarian/conservative thinkers out there, it's damned scary.