I agree that the “confidence game” framing, and particularly the comparison to a ponzi scheme seemed to me like surprisingly charged language, and not the kind of thing you would do if you wanted a productive dialogue with someone.
I’m not sure whether Benquo means for it to come across that way or not. (Pro: maybe he has in fact given up on direct communication with OpenPhil, and thinks his only method of influence is riling up their base. Con: maybe he just thought it was an apt metaphor and didn’t model it as a slap-in-the-face, like I did. Or maybe something else I’m missing.)
Just to add another datapoint, I read it as strongly hostile, more like aiming at delegitimizing the target in the eyes of others than at starting a constructive discussion with them.
I agree that the “confidence game” framing, and particularly the comparison to a ponzi scheme seemed to me like surprisingly charged language, and not the kind of thing you would do if you wanted a productive dialogue with someone.
I’m not sure whether Benquo means for it to come across that way or not. (Pro: maybe he has in fact given up on direct communication with OpenPhil, and thinks his only method of influence is riling up their base. Con: maybe he just thought it was an apt metaphor and didn’t model it as a slap-in-the-face, like I did. Or maybe something else I’m missing.)
Just to add another datapoint, I read it as strongly hostile, more like aiming at delegitimizing the target in the eyes of others than at starting a constructive discussion with them.