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Oculus Founder Palmer Luckey Is Secretly Funding Trump's Meme Machine (thedailybeast.com)
The founder of Oculus, Palmer Luckey, has backed a pro-Trump political organization called Nimble America that is dedicated to "shitposting" and spreading inflammatory memes about Hillary Clinton. In 2014, Luckey's virtual-reality company, Oculus, was acquired by Facebook for $2 billion. Forbes estimates his current net worth to be $700 million. The Daily Beast reports: "The 24-year-old told The Daily Beast that he had used the pseudonym "NimbleRichMan" on Reddit with a password given to him by the organization's founders. Nimble America says it's dedicated to providing that "shitposting is powerful and meme magic is real," according to the company's introductory statement, and has taken credit for a billboard its founders say was posted outside of Pittsburgh with a cartoonishly large image of Clinton's face alongside the words "Too Big to Jail." "We conquered Reddit and drive narrative on social media, conquered the [mainstream media], now it's time to get our most delicious memes in front of Americans whether they like it or not," a representative for the group wrote in an introductory post on Reddit. Potential donors from Donald Trump's biggest online community -- Reddit's r/The_Donald, where one of the rules is "no dissenters" -- turned on the organization this weekend, refusing to believe "NimbleRichMan" was the anonymous "near-billionaire" he claimed to be and causing a rift on one of the alt-right's most powerful organizational tools. Luckey insists he's just the group's money man -- a wealthy booster who thought the meddlesome idea was funny. But he is also listed as the vice-president of the group on its website. In another post written under Luckey's Reddit pseudonym, Luckey echoes Peter Thiel, the tech billionaire who used his wealth to secretly bankroll Hulk Hogan's lawsuit against Gawker. The Daily Beast adds: "'The American Revolution was funded by wealthy individuals," NimbleRichMan wrote on Saturday. Luckey confirmed to The Daily Beast he penned the posts under his Reddit pseudonym. 'The same has been true of many movements for freedom in history. You can't fight the American elite without serious firepower. They will outspend you and destroy you by any and all means.'"
We complain about lobbyists... but this is so much worse
There are a LOT of good reasons to be against Hillary without being for Trump.
A big one is this - after what she and the DNC did to Sanders, you all plan to reward her by voting for Hillary? Do you think the DNC will become more, or less corrupt if Hillary wins.
In the end it will not make that vast a difference in Trump or Clinton wins, two arms springing from the same body politic. So don't vote to destroy whatever shred of goodness was left of the DNC by rewarding corruption and massive corporate backroom deals which will be rewarded lavishly during her time in office (just as they were while she was secretary of state).
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Trump may be the president America deserves.
putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
We complain about lobbyists... but this is so much worse
I'm curious why you think this is.
We've just had an article about lobbyists that prevent Tesla from selling in Michigan without going through dealerships (which are universally hated), another recent article where lobbyists caused a town to lose it's working gigibit fibre internet.
For contrast, note that the democrats put up a billboard of Trump kissing Cruz, and naked statues of Trump in several cities.
Question 1: Why is this worse than what Democrats do, and
Question 2: Why is this worse than lobbyists who actually screw us over and make our lives miserable?
Really. I honestly want to know. Why should this be of any concern to anyone?
That's ignorance talking, making a leap from Trump is loud and obnoxious to he would fire nukes. Trump is a nationalist and doesn't want to be engaged outside of what directly confronts US interests. In that he's like Obama, who was extremely cautions about intervening for humanitarian or idealistic reasons. Hillary on the other side is an old-school interventionist.
Want more confirmation besides her track record? She pressured Obama into intervening in Libya. She even prevented the US' military from negotiating peace with Gaddhafi through the channel they established in secrecy from her. Check it out on Washington Times, all the records are there. Libya for all practical purposes doesn't exist anymore. When Obama saw how it turned out he refused to go into Syria. And then 51 neocon "diplomats" in a leaked cable urged Obama to strike at Assad, who is a Russian ally. Almost all of them support Hillary.
So who's more likely to start a nuclear war?
The American Revolution was funded by wealthy individuals
On the one hand, the American Revolution was also lead by philosophers, scientists, judges, generals, etc. These guys had some ideas about how to create a better system than what they inherited.
On the other hand, you have Donald Trump. His philosophical concept of government is that "Only I can fix it" and "All you need to know is that I'll take care of it. Don't worry about." "There's going to be so much winning." etc. Luckey and Thiel should be so proud.
Play Command HQ online
Critical thinking is a challenge for some. Clinton is far more likely to plunge us into another war (she's a well known hawk), she's also far more likely to fuck the poor (just look at who's bankrolling her campaign, if you think they're doing this out of the kindness of their hearts, you're beyond naive). The only thing Clinton has going for her is that she's far more likely to die early into her presidency, but then you get Kaine, who, according to her own words from a few years ago, is "a terrible choice".
The headline implies that he's been funding people to write memes. In fact, within an hour of his post showing up on The_Donald (asking for fucking money, lol), everyone shut him down. The quoted part "we did X Y Z" is from the perspective of the subreddit- that's the "we". Nimble America hasn't (to my knowledge) done anything yet... except ask for money.
Palmer Luckey: "You can't fight the American elite without serious firepower. They will outspend you and destroy you by any and all means."
Gee, with a net worth of $700M, you yourself are in danger of being a member of the elite you profess to despise but secretly long to join.
It must truly suck to be a member of the 'nouveau nouveau riche', when the 'nouveau riche' won't even give you the time of day, let alone take you seriously, and I feel for you - NOT. The fact that you have to resort to shitposting to gain any audience at all probably has nothing to do with the newness of your wealth. I'm sure it has everything to do with the fact that you're an ignorant, whiny, petulant brat who can afford a seat at the 'grownup table' but who can't act or talk like an adult. (Come to think of it, that makes you the PERFECT Trump shill). If you ever grow up to the point where trolling, bitching, and crowing give way to reasoned, thoughtful discourse, (but I'm not holding my breath), then maybe you'll be taken seriously. Until then, STFU - adults are trying to have a conversation, and we don't need mini-Trump butting in when Big Trump is already making rude noises and sticking his tongue out at us.
'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
Berlusconi didn't cause me to hear anything negative about Italy, so I wonder.
Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
And maybe what both parties need to get out of the trench warfare that they currently have as well.
He's not really a good alternative, but neither is Hillary. The difference is that Trump don't have many followers from either party while Hillary has a lot of Democrat followers and a few Republican.
Both have a luggage of questionable actions throughout history but the stuff Hillary has seems to stink worst when you dig. Trump luggage is what you expect from a person in his position.
If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
When posts on /. were intelligent and the users replied with equal intelligence. Now it's no better than comment sections on any other website on the internet.
You can't leave the border wide open.
You're new here.
My ancestors founded this country.
We didn't have immigration laws until the 1920s, and those were due to the same drivel (anti-Chinese/Irish) you're now spouting. Did you happen to pass the Statue of Liberty on your way to your big shot interview?
Maybe you and the Scots Irish want immigration to stop, but the founders and their children don't.
You may be naturalized, but you're no American.
Don't let your 6 figure ass get hit by the door on your back way out.
Everyone who claims what Trump would do as a president is lying. Including Trump.
It doesn't work that way. The US's economy and actions are intrinsically tied to most of the world nowadays, we live in a global economy for better or worse. Whether it is his protectionist economic views or his stance on world politics or the withdrawal from that stage it will have a massive effect on the rest of the world. The Large economies of the world cannot do anything of significance at home or abroad without affecting others.
Are you serious? Trump has stated 1) he wouldn't necessarily honor NATO commitments and 2) he is a "big fan" of the leader of the country NATO was created to resist. You better believe the rest of the world is acutely interested in the results of this election.
Besides, it sounds like you are an American - and the typical American who makes broad assumptions about the rest of the world without actually ENGAGING with it. Pretty much every non-American friend I have is interested - sometimes literally fascinated - with what's going on right now in American politics.
by giving power to Trump. Words fail me.
Quattuor res in hoc mundo sanctae sunt: libri, liberi, libertas et liberalitas.
Tell that to Georgia and Ukraine. You are delusional if you really think that.
I think most US citizens are going to get fucking upset when they suddenly find most of the items they use on a day to day basis become unavailable or cost 10 times more. I always find it amusing the ignorance of the people that push the protectionist or disentanglement view, when the reality of that view kicks in and they realise it means a lower standard of living for themselves they quickly change their mind. The people of the U.K. are only just now starting to realise the consequences of brexit and are pretty upset, many voted thinking it would just be about supporting their own economy and controlling their borders and would not listen to the people explaining what they would have to give up with imports, exports, visas, travel etc etc. now the reality is being explained to them they are pissed.
That is the whole point. Neither would have happened would the USSR still exist. Besides, while what happens in the Ukraine is unquestionably Russia being a dick, Georgians only got what they deserved. In fact, their former president had to flee the country in fear of criminal persecution. What makes it even more funny is that he is currently the major of a major ukrainian city.
"It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
"Start proxy wars with Russia"? How about Russia not starting proxy wars with the West? Russia invades and seizes part of Ukraine just when they decide they want to be more pro EU. It even currently enjoys a "civil war" that wouldnt have lasted a week without Russian arms and soldiers. They control a tiny portion of the country but somehow are capable of withstanding the rest of the country's army not to mention performing large offensive pushed early in the war? Clearly all of those photos of Russian military equipment Ukraine never owned from within Ukraine show something is going on, right?
Or maybe Syria is the "proxy war" you speak of? Was all of the Arab spring started by the US or just the Syria part? Is our extensive campaign against ISIS, where ever they may be, a secret move against Russia?
Or maybe the proxy war was those evil Georgians that got invaded by Russia right when entering into NATO might have been a possibility?
Please. Tell me. What are these terrible evils the US visits on Russia?
I ignore Anonymous Coward posts. If you want to discuss something, that's awesome. Log in.
Guess there's a reason why when you're an ideologue you believe all the shit put before you as fact. Remember Hillary's "pepe the frog is a symbol of white supremacy" bit that you swallowed hook line and sinker? Yeah, published by the same rag that claims this to be fact, and has yet to publish a correction stating that they were trolled into believing that. If you're trusting the daily beast to be factual, then you likely trust media matters not to take things out of context to create political talking points and carry agendas.
Om, nomnomnom...
Clinton is a typical exaggerating and cherry picking politician. Trump's pants have achieved stable nuclear fission.
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SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
Exactly what "piece of shit" things has she done?
Libya, Syria, Yemen (by selling weapons to the people who are bombarding them)
I'm increasingly convinced that the Donald's secret plan for quickly defeating Daesh involves nuclear weapons
According to him, it's to bomb the oil fields and to cut the money that they get from "US allies" (in reality Hillary's allies [ibtimes.com], as they are donating for her).
Stays.
when have American war crimes ever mattered much to the USA?
Oh, I see, you don't care about war crimes.
Arguable, so I do apologize. You said that American war crimes doesn't matter to the USA, not to yourself. And you worried about a nuclear attack, that proves me wrong.
But it is strange when you ignore Libya, Syria and Yemen, her threats against Iran and Russia, and then say "pretty unlikely she will do anything terrible", and also "I don't think a highly limited nuclear strike is such a terrible thing in the big picture", that's were my (apparently wrong) assumption that you don't care about war crimes came from.
Did my apologies get it right? Or there was some other misinterpretation (English is not my native language)? I realize you said that global warming might be the largest risk, but I don't see how that could relate to the points on how "piece of shit" she is. Also, it is unlikely that four years of Trump will be enough to impede "the survival of your own descendents" on the global warming side of things. Just because he is mindless, doesn't mean the rest of the world is too (including good portion of the US). We can hope he will have some opposition and some decent technical advisors.
BTW, I'm not in power to vote for him, foreigner. My survival is more likely to be ended by an American drone (for posting links from wikileaks on extremist sites like slashdot) than by American global warming.
That might be because Trump is unapologetic in his avocation for prioritizing American interests over those of the world at large - in foreign trade, in overseas military action and in diplomacy. Naturally this will annoy denizens of European nations that've drastically under-spent on their armed forces for decades, preferring to freeload off the guaranteed protection of US/UK forces. Even former defense secretary Robert Gates - who's gotten snippy with Trump's foreign policy statements - himself said that NATO was becoming a "two-tier" alliance of fighters and freeloaders. It's taken repeated and persistent Russian aggression to finally reverse that trend, and it might already be too little, too late. Someone rattling Europe's cage to stimulate defense spending is exactly what they've needed - a little more rattling can only produce more spending.
Some Americans have a strange fascination with the opinions of foreigners on our politics - the American left wing holds them in particularly high regard - for reasons I cannot fathom. Said people often cite said opinions as if they're significant to our internal discourse as American citizens.
When these foreigners pay taxes to the American government, then I'll care about their opinion. Until then, they can take a flying fuck at a rolling donut.
Problem: The idiots are voting because they think they DO know that.
No, the real issue is this:
The vast majority of people are idiots. The problem is they're too stupid to realize it.
We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
You really want to pay more for your groceries, for your deliveries, for your repairs, for ... well, pretty much anything?
Aside from the moral issue of uprooting established illegals that have made a life for themselves over the last 10 year, to answer your question economically, YES YES and YES! When you import cheap labor, not only are you leaving Americans without an opportunity to earn a living, you now drive wages into the ground and force all those effected into taking more government assistance. That assistance is payed for by the tax payer. And who shoulders the cost? The broad numbers of the middle-class. As such, the disparity between the rich and poo/middle class is growing exponentially!
Pay now, or pay dearly later, but we all WILL PAY in the end.
Life is not for the lazy.
The original poster is correct. We shouldn't be using illegal labor to justify low prices. I don't have a problem with immigrants. I have a problem with illegal immigrants not paying their fare share in taxes. Most of the money they make gets sent back to Mexico anyhow.
Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard