4 ms·

Alex Karp Wants Silicon Valley to Fight for America

21 points by makerdiety 2y ago

DLA 2y ago
Karp’s new book “The Technological Republic” https://www.amazon.com/Technological-Republic-Power-Belief-Future/dp/0593798694 https://www.amazon.com/Technological-Republic-Power-Belief-F...
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
inverted_flag 2y ago
He should ensure that we have an America worth fighting for, first.
- talldayo 2y ago
  Americans are appropriately disenfranchised with Silicon Valley thanks to efforts like Karp's.
  - austinwade 2y ago
    [flagged]
    - talldayo 2y ago
      His product and company can kiss my ass if it depends on surveillance to make money. Silicon Valley won't fight for a future where leaders like him get promoted. If you think I'm wrong, watch darlings like Palantir and Anduril become the next Oracle and Lockheed of the government contracting world. Silicon Valley is just a marketplace of ideas. And it's a marketplace where we've already lost to China.
      - austinwade 2y ago
        [flagged]
        talldayo 2y ago
        [flagged]
        austinwade 2y ago
        [flagged]
        talldayo 2y ago
        [flagged]
        dang 2y ago
        You've been breaking the site guidelines repeatedly lately. We ban accounts that do that. I'm not going to ban your account right now because we haven't warned you before, but if you keep posting abusively, we'll have to, so it would be good if you'd review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and fix this.
        tcoff91 2y ago
        These traitors in our government using private companies to make an end run around the 4th amendment can fuck off. Palantir needs to be abolished.
        talldayo 2y ago
        It is pathetic and authoritarian. Once America realizes that deregulation is not a global trade policy, we will be forced to reform some of our own perverted businesses by hook or by crook. Otherwise the economy enters a suicide spiral and it makes for a really entertaining chapter in future history books.
        2y ago
  - decimalenough 2y ago
    For others wondering who the hell Karp is, he's CEO and a co-founder of Palantir, Thiel's notorious big data/AI company for military and spooks. "Fighting for America" thus means joining outfits like his.
    - mgh2 2y ago
      They became "AI" after the hype, before they were just another data company - both during covid and now, they capitalize on retail investor euphoria.
- mieses 2y ago
  There are at least 2 ways to solve this problem of subjectivity. The process is sometimes called "politics".
quantified 2y ago
It'll feel a lot more worthwhile when so many of its citizens don't feel like America is fighting them.
abetusk 2y ago
I think it's more that Alex Karp wants Silicon Valley to fight for control of America [0]. I realize I'm either on the edge or crossing the guidelines of HN but considering how SV, YC, A16Z and others are intertwined with the Trump administration, I don't know how these types of discussions can be avoided. [0] https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/palantir-alex-karp-trump-private-prisons-profiteers/ https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/palantir-alex-k...
- mindslight 2y ago
  These discussions cannot be avoided because America is not intended to be an autocracy, yet the neofascists keep on shrouding themselves in the flag. At this point the only sensible reading of "fight for America" means working to separate the current administration from the levers of power before they finish breaking down and selling off our entire country (ultimately to China).
- senordevnyc 2y ago
  Is it fair to lump YC in there as well? It might be, genuinely not sure.
  - abetusk 2y ago
    Though no longer affiliated with YC, Sam Altman is stumping for Trump [0] [1]. Andreessen is also no longer affiliated with YC but has been a very vocal advocate for Trump lately [2] [3] [4]. I don't follow YC's current administration or board very closely but I would be surprised if the current lineup weren't in lock step with Altman, Andreessen, Thiel, Musk and others. Please let me know if I'm jumping to conclusions incorrectly. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargate_LLC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargate_LLC [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaZrLDMA56E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaZrLDMA56E [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHWnPOKh_S0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHWnPOKh_S0 [3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye8MOfxD5nU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye8MOfxD5nU [4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgTeZXw-ytQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgTeZXw-ytQ
    - 2y ago
FpUser 2y ago
>"Alex Karp Wants Silicon Valley to Fight for America" Translation: helping government and big businesses to turn people into cattle.
seneca 2y ago
Tech is rapidly polarizing, following the American public. There is very little middle ground anymore for Americans, and it seems our tech companies are doomed to follow that trend. There will be nationalist companies, and those that think nationalism is a dirty word, which is which will shift with administrations. This feels dangerous, as our largest geopolitical adversary, China, outright owns its companies. They have no choice but to be nationalistic. It's one of America's great contradictions that one of our greatest strengths, our right to believe as we wish and act accordingly, leaves us significantly weakened as our population becomes less and less aligned. It would be a massive failure to try to force Americans to go against their own conscience. So we're left forced to ask ourselves why so many Americans think fighting for their country is a bad thing, and what we can do about that.
- senordevnyc 2y ago
  I served in the military two decades ago, and I was proud to do so. I had mixed feelings on the GWOT, even though I was a conservative then. But the country’s political leadership felt at least somewhat stable, competent, and loyal to America. Things look different twenty years later. I wouldn’t be eager to fight for America now because it feels like I’d be fighting for Trump’s ego more than anything else.
- tcoff91 2y ago
  I think that having the richest guy in the world throw up 3 nazi salutes at the inauguration and basically be the puppet master of the new administration certainly isn’t helping Americans want to sign up to help the military industrial complex.
tcoff91 2y ago
It seems like people like Alex Karp and Thiel want to make Snow Crash a reality and chop America into corporate city states run by tech billionaires is more like it.
blackeyeblitzar 2y ago
Karp is exactly correct. America has ideals and values that are worth fighting for, such as free speech, civil rights, (mostly) free markets, and so on. We are seeing a revival of more substantial companies that can help uphold those values, after wasting two decades on social media or whatever. The comments here on HN are disappointingly shallow and suggest people aren’t reading the article or are taking the most uncharitable interpretations to support an attack on Karp or what he’s saying.
- Ozzie_osman 2y ago
  > America has ideals and values that are worth fighting for, such as free speech, civil rights, (mostly) free markets, and so on. "I say the whole world must learn of our peaceful ways... by force!"
  - inemesitaffia 2y ago
    Always fascinating that the people with anti-police politics never go into policing (even in areas that strongly share their political leanings) but expect different outcomes magically
    - soganess 2y ago
      magically = "group action driven by a shared understanding of the common good. Buttressed by clear through-line that connects what each individual has to give up in terms of time/freedom/autonomy to the benefit of themselves and their community." It's always fascinating when folks see the stick as the only vehicle for change. But hey, there is a weird honesty to it. The only way we can keep people 'in line' when their lot in life is all lemons ...is naked force.
      - inemesitaffia 2y ago
        Mao: Power and the Gun.
        2y ago
gremgoth 2y ago
In Tolkien's Silmarillion, the creator of the palantiri had a great foe, Morgoth. Join the resistance side of the Lord of the Rigs meme war at http://silmarils.tech http://silmarils.tech
rickydroll 2y ago
I'd be happy if the rest of America fought for America.
abctx 2y ago
https://archive.ph/Qn32E https://archive.ph/Qn32E

21 points by makerdiety 2y ago

DLA 2y ago

Karp’s new book “The Technological Republic” https://www.amazon.com/Technological-Republic-Power-Belief-Future/dp/0593798694 https://www.amazon.com/Technological-Republic-Power-Belief-F...

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

inverted_flag 2y ago

He should ensure that we have an America worth fighting for, first.

talldayo 2y ago
Americans are appropriately disenfranchised with Silicon Valley thanks to efforts like Karp's.
- austinwade 2y ago
  [flagged]
  - talldayo 2y ago
    His product and company can kiss my ass if it depends on surveillance to make money. Silicon Valley won't fight for a future where leaders like him get promoted. If you think I'm wrong, watch darlings like Palantir and Anduril become the next Oracle and Lockheed of the government contracting world. Silicon Valley is just a marketplace of ideas. And it's a marketplace where we've already lost to China.
    - austinwade 2y ago
      [flagged]
      - talldayo 2y ago
        [flagged]
        austinwade 2y ago
        [flagged]
        talldayo 2y ago
        [flagged]
        dang 2y ago
        You've been breaking the site guidelines repeatedly lately. We ban accounts that do that. I'm not going to ban your account right now because we haven't warned you before, but if you keep posting abusively, we'll have to, so it would be good if you'd review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and fix this.
        tcoff91 2y ago
        These traitors in our government using private companies to make an end run around the 4th amendment can fuck off. Palantir needs to be abolished.
        talldayo 2y ago
        It is pathetic and authoritarian. Once America realizes that deregulation is not a global trade policy, we will be forced to reform some of our own perverted businesses by hook or by crook. Otherwise the economy enters a suicide spiral and it makes for a really entertaining chapter in future history books.
        2y ago
- decimalenough 2y ago
  For others wondering who the hell Karp is, he's CEO and a co-founder of Palantir, Thiel's notorious big data/AI company for military and spooks. "Fighting for America" thus means joining outfits like his.
  - mgh2 2y ago
    They became "AI" after the hype, before they were just another data company - both during covid and now, they capitalize on retail investor euphoria.
mieses 2y ago
There are at least 2 ways to solve this problem of subjectivity. The process is sometimes called "politics".

quantified 2y ago

It'll feel a lot more worthwhile when so many of its citizens don't feel like America is fighting them.

abetusk 2y ago

I think it's more that Alex Karp wants Silicon Valley to fight for control of America [0]. I realize I'm either on the edge or crossing the guidelines of HN but considering how SV, YC, A16Z and others are intertwined with the Trump administration, I don't know how these types of discussions can be avoided. [0] https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/palantir-alex-karp-trump-private-prisons-profiteers/ https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/palantir-alex-k...

mindslight 2y ago
These discussions cannot be avoided because America is not intended to be an autocracy, yet the neofascists keep on shrouding themselves in the flag. At this point the only sensible reading of "fight for America" means working to separate the current administration from the levers of power before they finish breaking down and selling off our entire country (ultimately to China).
senordevnyc 2y ago
Is it fair to lump YC in there as well? It might be, genuinely not sure.
- abetusk 2y ago
  Though no longer affiliated with YC, Sam Altman is stumping for Trump [0] [1]. Andreessen is also no longer affiliated with YC but has been a very vocal advocate for Trump lately [2] [3] [4]. I don't follow YC's current administration or board very closely but I would be surprised if the current lineup weren't in lock step with Altman, Andreessen, Thiel, Musk and others. Please let me know if I'm jumping to conclusions incorrectly. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargate_LLC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargate_LLC [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaZrLDMA56E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaZrLDMA56E [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHWnPOKh_S0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHWnPOKh_S0 [3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye8MOfxD5nU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye8MOfxD5nU [4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgTeZXw-ytQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgTeZXw-ytQ
  - 2y ago

FpUser 2y ago

>"Alex Karp Wants Silicon Valley to Fight for America" Translation: helping government and big businesses to turn people into cattle.

seneca 2y ago

Tech is rapidly polarizing, following the American public. There is very little middle ground anymore for Americans, and it seems our tech companies are doomed to follow that trend. There will be nationalist companies, and those that think nationalism is a dirty word, which is which will shift with administrations. This feels dangerous, as our largest geopolitical adversary, China, outright owns its companies. They have no choice but to be nationalistic. It's one of America's great contradictions that one of our greatest strengths, our right to believe as we wish and act accordingly, leaves us significantly weakened as our population becomes less and less aligned. It would be a massive failure to try to force Americans to go against their own conscience. So we're left forced to ask ourselves why so many Americans think fighting for their country is a bad thing, and what we can do about that.

senordevnyc 2y ago
I served in the military two decades ago, and I was proud to do so. I had mixed feelings on the GWOT, even though I was a conservative then. But the country’s political leadership felt at least somewhat stable, competent, and loyal to America. Things look different twenty years later. I wouldn’t be eager to fight for America now because it feels like I’d be fighting for Trump’s ego more than anything else.
tcoff91 2y ago
I think that having the richest guy in the world throw up 3 nazi salutes at the inauguration and basically be the puppet master of the new administration certainly isn’t helping Americans want to sign up to help the military industrial complex.

tcoff91 2y ago

It seems like people like Alex Karp and Thiel want to make Snow Crash a reality and chop America into corporate city states run by tech billionaires is more like it.

blackeyeblitzar 2y ago

Karp is exactly correct. America has ideals and values that are worth fighting for, such as free speech, civil rights, (mostly) free markets, and so on. We are seeing a revival of more substantial companies that can help uphold those values, after wasting two decades on social media or whatever. The comments here on HN are disappointingly shallow and suggest people aren’t reading the article or are taking the most uncharitable interpretations to support an attack on Karp or what he’s saying.

Ozzie_osman 2y ago
> America has ideals and values that are worth fighting for, such as free speech, civil rights, (mostly) free markets, and so on. "I say the whole world must learn of our peaceful ways... by force!"
- inemesitaffia 2y ago
  Always fascinating that the people with anti-police politics never go into policing (even in areas that strongly share their political leanings) but expect different outcomes magically
  - soganess 2y ago
    magically = "group action driven by a shared understanding of the common good. Buttressed by clear through-line that connects what each individual has to give up in terms of time/freedom/autonomy to the benefit of themselves and their community." It's always fascinating when folks see the stick as the only vehicle for change. But hey, there is a weird honesty to it. The only way we can keep people 'in line' when their lot in life is all lemons ...is naked force.
    - inemesitaffia 2y ago
      Mao: Power and the Gun.
      - 2y ago

gremgoth 2y ago

In Tolkien's Silmarillion, the creator of the palantiri had a great foe, Morgoth. Join the resistance side of the Lord of the Rigs meme war at http://silmarils.tech http://silmarils.tech

rickydroll 2y ago

I'd be happy if the rest of America fought for America.

abctx 2y ago

https://archive.ph/Qn32E https://archive.ph/Qn32E