I agree that a sufficiently general optimizer can optimize its environment for a wide range of values, the vast majority of which aren't mine, and a significant number of which are opposed to mine. As you say, an optimizer-in-general is as good at paperclips as it is at anything else (though of course a human optimizer is not, because humans are the result of a lot of evolutionary fine-tuning for specific functions).

I would say that a sufficiently general rationalist can do exactly the same thing. That is, a rationalist-in-general (at least, as the term is frequently used here) is as good at paperclips as it is at anything else (though of course a human rationalist is not, as above).

I would also say that the symmetry is not a coincidence.

I agree that if this is what Nesov meant, then I completely misunderstood his comment. I'm somewhat skeptical that this is what Nesov meant.