For ZeroHedge readers unfamiliar with the comedian, cultural critic, and Internet impresario Sam Hyde, the best introduction to him might be his infamous TEDx talk, "2070 Paradigm Shift".
In that video, Hyde mocked the whole pretentious idea of TEDx talks while extrapolating current trends to their insane future endpoints (e.g., "state-enforced homosexuality"). If you haven't watched it, you will probably enjoy it. It's very funny.
A Message For Elon Musk
Yesterday, Hyde posted the video below on X, addressed to Elon Musk. As of this writing, it already has 7 million views.
Here's a summary of the transcript via ChatGPT4o, for those of you who want the facts without the humor:
Key Themes and Points
- Personal Appeal and Context: Sam Hyde begins with a playful, self-aware tone, addressing Elon directly while humorously referencing internet communities and other prominent figures like MoistCr1TiKaL and Asmongold.
- Criticism of Musk’s Leadership on Free Speech: Sam highlights Musk’s portrayal as a "free speech champion" but criticizes actions like banning accounts over controversial opinions, particularly surrounding H1-B visa policies.
- The Role of “Great Men” in Society: Musk is positioned alongside figures like Trump and Joe Rogan, viewed as imperfect symbols of cultural aspiration.
- H1-B Visa Program and Immigration Policies: A significant portion of the video critiques the H1-B visa system, accusing it of prioritizing cheap labor over meritocracy.
- Identity and American Values: Sam Hyde opposes defining America as merely a "collection of ideas," arguing instead for a deeper cultural and historical identity rooted in its people.
If you want to jump to a part of the video, here are the time signatures.
- 0:00 - Elon's Eyes Only
- 1:58 - Why This Video
- 5:48 - Not About Hate for Indians
- 7:36 - It's Not About Exceptional Indians
- 9:56 - Human Beings Are Interchangeable Economic Units
- 13:50 - Same Argument for Hispanics
- 15:29 - Competing with China
- 22:06 - "Winning"
- 30:31 - What is a Nation
- 33:24 - Americans Aren't Good Enough
- 37:02 - People Will Forgive You
- 38:22 - Ultimately
In Case You Missed It
In our previous post, we wrote about our final top names trade for 2024. The stock didn't move much today, so you can still get in on this trade next year (on Thursday).
And if you want to add some downside protection to begin the New Year, you can download our optimal hedging app by aiming your iPhone camera at the QR code below (or by tapping here, if you're reading this on your phone).
Happy New Year, everyone.
If you'd like to stay in touch, you can scan for optimal hedges for individual securities, find our current top ten names, and create hedged portfolios on our website. You can also follow Portfolio Armor on X here, or become a free subscriber to our trading Substack using the link below (we're using that for our occasional emails now).
