4 ms·

I've pointed this out before, but there's an interview clip of Alex Karp saying that Trump won the election in a landslide[0]. If you look at the actual number

I've pointed this out before, but there's an interview clip of Alex Karp saying that Trump won the election in a landslide[0]. If you look at the actual numbers, no one, with any idea of mathematics or statistics or even just basic analysis skills, would call Trump's election victory a landslide. It calls into question the fundamental raisin d'etre of Palantir. It makes Palantir look like a pure propaganda tool. Therefore, also entirely useless for strategic decision making. Interesting analysis of Palantir and Alex Karp: Part 1, Palantir: https://youtu.be/PpEg0XIeFtA https://youtu.be/PpEg0XIeFtA Part 2, Alex Karp: https://youtu.be/6YWFDhOps6I https://youtu.be/6YWFDhOps6I [0]https://youtu.be/6YWFDhOps6I&t=1119s https://youtu.be/6YWFDhOps6I&t=1119s

holistio 5mo ago
It's _raison_, but "raisin d'être" would make an excellent name for a haute cuisine dessert.
- BLKNSLVR 5mo ago
  Thanks, damn. I usually look up that phrase so I can copy and paste it with the proper accents (and, uh, spelling).
  - holistio 5mo ago
    To quote a classic: "Knowledge is power, France is bacon." (look it up if you're unfamiliar, it's something that makes me giggle every time I think of it)
    - psd1 4mo ago
      Time flies like an arrow Fruit flies like a banana
- delis-thumbs-7e 5mo ago
  Well you could just say ”purpose” rather than ”reason of existence” in French. Some expression of course only exist in French - about 70% of English language - but the purpose of this francoism I never quite understood. And yes, I’m fully aware I am annoying.
  - BLKNSLVR 5mo ago
    Purpose doesn't have the gravitas of raison d'être: the very reason for its existence; the thing without which it would have no reason to exist. I can't be too annoyed, for I can also be annoying and appreciate some level of pedantry. Words mean things!
- jjgreen 5mo ago
  ... or a minor work by Sartre
pstuart 5mo ago
Alex Karp's transformation from progressive to MAGA is fascinating; more so knowing that his father was jewish and his mother was black. I can understand a zeal to "protect the country", but FFS, to be the brains of the secret police is a bit much. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/opinion/alex-karp-palantir-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=1.p1A.LAuX.GjBlPn4mMKVZ&smid=url-share https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/opinion/alex-karp-palanti...
- deleted 5mo ago
  [deleted]
- KingOfCoders 5mo ago
  Some Jews in Germany thought that the EK medal from WW1 would safe them from the Nazis.
- close04 5mo ago
  It’s easy to explain once you realize the real ideology of these people is money. Even if they have other internal beliefs they’ll get buried under the desire to make more money.
  - mindslight 5mo ago
    Money is just a metric. I'd say their real ideology is power. It's the classic authoritarian delusion that has fueled every "web 2.0" startup, now writ large - it's okay if we centralize power, because we will only ever use the power for good. Of course this completely ignores how power agglomerates in the real world, especially in the presence of the strong Moloch attractor accelerator that is state-orchestrated capitalism (why it's tempting to focus critiques on money). And ironically (or not), this overarching dynamic is exactly the core lesson of the One Ring! It's like their main takeaway from the books was "having that ring would be awesome!!1!". Maybe the facile fascination with Tolkien comes from having read them too early in life, before they were able to understand adult concepts like burden ? If you think of Frodo as merely having to do some chore that The Adults are making him do, then at least he gets to play with some pretty awesome toys and see some pretty cool stuff. And this would seem to be the level of moral development underpinning the contemporary neofascist movement (or "autocratic authoritarian", for those who are triggered by the F-word).
SepiaSapient 5mo ago
I would argue that it just shows Karp understands that the US is transitioning to a hybrid regime.
port11 5mo ago
I don’t know why we keep platforming these people. Go interview a normal person with normal thoughts. Karp is one of the most vile, insensitive, and immoral people in charge of anything tech. Just ignore him and his antics.

holistio 5mo ago

It's _raison_, but "raisin d'être" would make an excellent name for a haute cuisine dessert.

BLKNSLVR 5mo ago
Thanks, damn. I usually look up that phrase so I can copy and paste it with the proper accents (and, uh, spelling).
- holistio 5mo ago
  To quote a classic: "Knowledge is power, France is bacon." (look it up if you're unfamiliar, it's something that makes me giggle every time I think of it)
  - psd1 4mo ago
    Time flies like an arrow Fruit flies like a banana
delis-thumbs-7e 5mo ago
Well you could just say ”purpose” rather than ”reason of existence” in French. Some expression of course only exist in French - about 70% of English language - but the purpose of this francoism I never quite understood. And yes, I’m fully aware I am annoying.
- BLKNSLVR 5mo ago
  Purpose doesn't have the gravitas of raison d'être: the very reason for its existence; the thing without which it would have no reason to exist. I can't be too annoyed, for I can also be annoying and appreciate some level of pedantry. Words mean things!
jjgreen 5mo ago
... or a minor work by Sartre

pstuart 5mo ago

Alex Karp's transformation from progressive to MAGA is fascinating; more so knowing that his father was jewish and his mother was black. I can understand a zeal to "protect the country", but FFS, to be the brains of the secret police is a bit much. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/opinion/alex-karp-palantir-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=1.p1A.LAuX.GjBlPn4mMKVZ&smid=url-share https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/opinion/alex-karp-palanti...

deleted 5mo ago
[deleted]
KingOfCoders 5mo ago
Some Jews in Germany thought that the EK medal from WW1 would safe them from the Nazis.
close04 5mo ago
It’s easy to explain once you realize the real ideology of these people is money. Even if they have other internal beliefs they’ll get buried under the desire to make more money.
- mindslight 5mo ago
  Money is just a metric. I'd say their real ideology is power. It's the classic authoritarian delusion that has fueled every "web 2.0" startup, now writ large - it's okay if we centralize power, because we will only ever use the power for good. Of course this completely ignores how power agglomerates in the real world, especially in the presence of the strong Moloch attractor accelerator that is state-orchestrated capitalism (why it's tempting to focus critiques on money). And ironically (or not), this overarching dynamic is exactly the core lesson of the One Ring! It's like their main takeaway from the books was "having that ring would be awesome!!1!". Maybe the facile fascination with Tolkien comes from having read them too early in life, before they were able to understand adult concepts like burden ? If you think of Frodo as merely having to do some chore that The Adults are making him do, then at least he gets to play with some pretty awesome toys and see some pretty cool stuff. And this would seem to be the level of moral development underpinning the contemporary neofascist movement (or "autocratic authoritarian", for those who are triggered by the F-word).

SepiaSapient 5mo ago

I would argue that it just shows Karp understands that the US is transitioning to a hybrid regime.

port11 5mo ago

I don’t know why we keep platforming these people. Go interview a normal person with normal thoughts. Karp is one of the most vile, insensitive, and immoral people in charge of anything tech. Just ignore him and his antics.