Comment on Palantir Exposed: The New Deep State [27:27 | JUN 10 2025 | Glenn Greenwald]

blargle@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

• jimmydoreisalefty@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

  It seems the divide and conquer strategy still works really well.

  Glenn Greenwald is not a perfect person, but we cannot deny his great work as a journalist, his work with Snowden, and his continued integrity with his show, System Update.

  Is the problem with him political tribalism, maybe due to him not supporting your preferred party (duopoly, blue or red team), or the distractions from the oligarchy (culture wars and identity politics, instead of focusing on addressing our society’s systematic economic issues)?

  I think he is worth uniting with.

  “I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.” – Frederick Douglass

  ---

  Anyway, thanks for the link. I have heard of them, but I am not familiar.

  Quick info. about video:

  Part One: How Peter Thiel Became the Gravedigger of Democracy [01:11:59 | OCT 30 2025 | Behind the Bastards]

  Generated Summary:

  Main Topic:

  The video, “Part One: How Peter Thiel Became the Gravedigger of Democracy,” explores the early life and formative experiences of Peter Thiel, aiming to understand the origins of his controversial political views and actions.

  Key Points:

  • Peter Thiel’s Background: The hosts discuss Thiel’s upbringing, including his birth in Germany, his family’s move to Cleveland due to his father’s work in the oil and gas industry, and a subsequent move to Namibia (Southwest Africa) where his father worked at a uranium mine during the apartheid era.
  • Family Influences: The video touches on the differing accounts of Thiel’s parents’ political leanings (Republican vs. Christian conservatives) and the impact of a specific childhood conversation about death.
  • Early Personality and Interests: Thiel is portrayed as an intelligent but somewhat isolated child who excelled academically, enjoyed chess, and was deeply immersed in fantasy literature like “The Lord of the Rings” and Dungeons and Dragons.
  • Libertarianism and Anti-Communism: The video highlights Thiel’s development of libertarian and anti-communist views, influenced by Ayn Rand and the political climate of Silicon Valley.
  • Experiences with Bullying: The hosts discuss how Thiel was bullied as a child, which may have contributed to his misanthropic views.
  • Emphasis on Education: The video emphasizes the pressure Thiel felt to succeed academically and attend a prestigious university.

  Highlights:

  • The discussion of Thiel’s father’s involvement with a uranium mine in Namibia during apartheid, drawing a parallel between Thiel’s childhood and a "supervillain origin story."
  • The anecdote about Thiel’s intense reaction to losing a chess match, even a scrimmage, suggesting a deep-seated need to win.
  • The characterization of Thiel as a “wizard” figure by his peers, someone who was admired but also seen as fundamentally separate and unknowable.
  • The mention of Thiel’s later-in-life interest in anti-aging research and technologies.

  source