Sam Esmail: If I name the corporation in Mr. Robot “Evil Corp,” is that too on the nose?

Palantir: It depends, what are you naming the villain?

Today, a lot of people will be talking about the manifesto that Palantir released. In addition to pouring over what those words mean, I invite you to ground the conversation in what Palantir has already done.

Its work with Israel and ICE show us exactly what it stands for.

The difference between Palantir and the techno madman in a Bond movie is the average Bond villain is less insufferable.

Today, a lot of people will be talking about the manifesto that Palantir released. In addition to pouring over what those words mean, I invite you to ground the conversation in what Palantir has already done.

Its work with Israel and ICE show us exactly what it stands for.

Sam Esmail: If I name the corporation in Mr. Robot “Evil Corp,” is that too on the nose?

Palantir: It depends, what are you naming the villain?

The thing I distrust about Palantir is not that they deliver technology to our military. In the right context, this is a valuable and even noble role. My problem is that they sound like they have a positive hard-on about war, in the way people who have never and will never see combat sometimes do.

Every Cyberpunk author: In my book I invented the concept of the evil tech megacorp as a cautionary tale.

Palantir: At long last, we have created the evil tech megacorp from every classic cyberpunk novel.

THE TECHNOLOGICAL REPUBLIC THE TECHNOLOGICAL REPUBLIC

Peter Thiel's Palantir presents its blue print for a totalitarian surveillance state dominated by Peter Thiel and a handful of his chosen bros. Any country looking at a contract with Thiel needs to study this document very carefully to know what it's dealing with. techrepublicbook.com

That Palantir would do this is both shocking—not because this is some weird heel turn, but because it is a fully mask-off moment for tech bro fascisti—and also the least surprising thing from a company that has always been creepy as fuck.

aside from anything else in that thread, palantir must be denied government contracts because they obviously do not employ anyone who can write well

If you vote for, or provide rhetorical cover for, any politician that allows Palantir permission to even speak to your government, then that politician is a nazi and so are you. This is as true in Britain as it is in America.

'yup. we are every bit the nazis you think we are and the best part is your politicians dont care so you all just have to watch in horror as we take over everything!' - palantir

This is so incoherent that it only makes sense as a billionaires reactionary brain farts. Eg: public employees are not “priests” and are over compensated. Reality: they are underpaid and have been serially abused. Next point, people engaging in public life (read: DOGE, Palantir) deserve our grace.

Palantir put plans for techno-fascism in a document. Like a techno-fascist manifesto with themselves at the center. Features fascistic distortions of language and declarations of inherent superiority that should be acknowledged and made permanent, but driven by and with a more central role for tech.

the funny thing about palantir is that they’re literally just usg contractors that can use go and postgres.

I think the Palantir thing reflects that maybe we should stop calling a lot of companies tech companies. Palantir is a defense contractor in Silicon Valley clothing. Let's treat it like that.

The sheen of tech it allows them to say and do things they should not be able to get away with.

Palantir has been leaning into the "we are fascists" branding for a while now, they put up these recruiting ads at colleges last year.

21. Some cultures have produced vital advances; others remain dysfunctional and regressive. All cultures are now equal. Criticism and value judgments are forbidden. Yet this new dogma glosses over the fact that certain cultures and indeed subcultures ... have produced wonders. Others have proven middling, and worse, regressive and harmful. 22. We must resist the shallow temptation of a vacant and hollow pluralism. We, in America and more broadly the West, have for the past half century resisted defining national cultures in the name of inclusivity. But inclusion into what?

⚠️ Palantir released what it describes as a vision for “The Technological Republic” in which it argues AGAINST democratic and cultural pluralism and FOR militaristic supremacy enforced by a technocratic elite who produce AI weaponry.

These points stand out:

We should probably destroy Palantir

It's not just that Palantir believes "Western Civilisation" to be inherently superior, though they do.

It's that they're arrogant enough to believe they can order "the West" a la carte, selectively choosing the racist authoritarian bits they like and declaring them the civilisational secret sauce.

shout out to those guys at Palantir complaining that the company works with ICE and insisting that’s not what they signed up for

hope you’re having a good one

I don't feel hopeful about much, but Palantir's "Evacuate? In our moment of triumph?" energy makes me think we might get out of this mess.

If this Palantir statement thing js real then that will be the end of its participation in UK institutional projects.

#Palantir - “The Technological Republic” 👇