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Theses guys have no shame. Thiel is notoriously libertarian. He’s advocating for smaller and smaller government. Yet, the company he founded makes money by sel

by d--b 8y ago

Theses guys have no shame. Thiel is notoriously libertarian. He’s advocating for smaller and smaller government. Yet, the company he founded makes money by selling surveillance software to the government. Surveillance software that has some good use cases - in the fight against terrorism - but that inevitably empowers the government against its citizen. Palantir can be used to track terrorist, but it can be used to find anything. Political agitators, for instance. In the wrong hands, it’s a tool that is damaging to the American “social contract” these guys are so vehemently defending. If anyone at Palantir reads this: get your story straight. Be libertarians or pro government. If your pro government, stop financing political parties that cut massive tax breaks.

xiphias2 8y ago
Thiel doesn't have a moral high ground. Just look at how much he talks about the importance of making a monopoly for creating money. I respect him for not saying that he's making the world (or especially U.S.) a better place by going for government contracts.
cannabis_sam 8y ago
The profit motive does not give a single fuck about logical consistency. Quite the opposite, if everyone else is constrained by trying to be consistent, it means there a market opportunity available by breaking free of the constraints. Hence you get libertarians who build the surveillance state. It’s the inevitable consequence of right libertarianism (they disregard economic power); left libertarianism avoids this by consistently refusing to get any real power.
mips_avatar 8y ago
Libertarians believe in defense and national security spending, if not social programs. I think most people believe that our government should be competent, if the FBI can identify a terrorist/school shooter before they murder people that saves lives. Will these tools be used tyrannically? That’s up to our government, but luckily we get to elect them. If you want government agencies to change their mission or be reformed then get legislators elected who believe in this, don’t try to sabotage our government’s ability to do what it needs to do.

by d--b 8y ago

xiphias2 8y ago

Thiel doesn't have a moral high ground. Just look at how much he talks about the importance of making a monopoly for creating money. I respect him for not saying that he's making the world (or especially U.S.) a better place by going for government contracts.

cannabis_sam 8y ago

The profit motive does not give a single fuck about logical consistency. Quite the opposite, if everyone else is constrained by trying to be consistent, it means there a market opportunity available by breaking free of the constraints. Hence you get libertarians who build the surveillance state. It’s the inevitable consequence of right libertarianism (they disregard economic power); left libertarianism avoids this by consistently refusing to get any real power.

mips_avatar 8y ago

Libertarians believe in defense and national security spending, if not social programs. I think most people believe that our government should be competent, if the FBI can identify a terrorist/school shooter before they murder people that saves lives. Will these tools be used tyrannically? That’s up to our government, but luckily we get to elect them. If you want government agencies to change their mission or be reformed then get legislators elected who believe in this, don’t try to sabotage our government’s ability to do what it needs to do.