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Palantir has hired more than 30 senior UK Government officials

thenational.scot

21–30 of 87 posts

Re: Palantir has hired more than 30 senior UK Government officials

#21
post #17
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes I would and without question. If by "do" you mean remove myself from the absolute evil that these establishments are, and shame them for it then yes. I can approve of just about any job unless it's about murdering people because some politician(s) want it.

How many steps removed do you draw the line? Obviously, it's one thing to be a commander ordering an attack, vs a soldier firing the weapon, vs starting the company to make the weapon, vs being a supplier to the weapons company, vs being an employee at the manufacturer, etc. What about working for a president who is going to inevitably order hundreds if not thousands murdered? Or voting for said president? What about…

Working on "killy" stuff is bad. That's my whole point. I is l stupid and counterproductive to what we as humanity are supposed to be doing.

Re: Palantir has hired more than 30 senior UK Government officials

#22
post #17
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes I would and without question. If by "do" you mean remove myself from the absolute evil that these establishments are, and shame them for it then yes. I can approve of just about any job unless it's about murdering people because some politician(s) want it.

How many steps removed do you draw the line? Obviously, it's one thing to be a commander ordering an attack, vs a soldier firing the weapon, vs starting the company to make the weapon, vs being a supplier to the weapons company, vs being an employee at the manufacturer, etc. What about working for a president who is going to inevitably order hundreds if not thousands murdered? Or voting for said president? What about…

I'm not GP but I could've written a similar comment. Personally I don't draw the line based on "proximity to war", but on the choices being made. I think poorly of someone who freely chooses "job directly contributing to war" over "job mostly unrelated to war".

Re: Palantir has hired more than 30 senior UK Government officials

#23
post #9

A friend of mine recently got headhunted by a "defense" company called, and I won't even post the link, it's a website which sounds a bit like Van Helsing with some AI thrown in as a twist. He got an offer of 50k EUR more than his current already ridiculous salary. I had to say that it's up to you, but don't expect me to still be your friend and still talk to you if you go for that. "defense"

I wonder what opinions and values you hold which someone could make a convincing argument for cutting you off about. Or who would find your job offensive.

Re: Palantir has hired more than 30 senior UK Government officials

#24
The problem with the article cited as the source is that it's unclear as to how many are former public servants or serving ones. Of course, Peers hold their seat in the Lords by virtue of appointment and title, and unless they quit, the implication is that at least some of these are basically side gigs and hence, not a revolving door (that would be how regulatory capture happens in the US and the mere fact that one can straight up a member of the Upper House, however broadly powerless it nowadays, is frankly, asking for the appearance of impropriety). Also 18 people still work there and the PR firm might have screwed up by making a statement that needlessly bring up the question of whether those who no longer work for companies and the veterans mentioned overlap in part or whole. The list of names don't add up to to 30, but 26.

But it'd be really helpful if this obvious moral hazard is explicitly enumerated in the law somehow. Look, the Commons runs the country, and the PM can't violate the constitution (not that there is one and I don't think it's a coincidence that countries have tended to write theirs down, apologies of Bagehot). Why does the Lords still exist when they are basically a rump branch anyway? If the lower house can simply legislate every aspect of it, it's a liability and not that great of a look from afar, whether some sort of influence peddling actually occurred or not. In the US the standard is appearance of impropriety in addition to actual bias and conflict of interest (as in, more than appearance) because this kind of relationship erodes public trust. At some point, it can't be worth the potential PR problem to keep around a rump branch of the government. There's almost 1000 years worth of sunk cost so gotta know when to let go. Are the OBEs and CBEs and all that honours list stuff not good enough? I'm with David Bowie on this one.

Re: Palantir has hired more than 30 senior UK Government officials

#25
post #9

A friend of mine recently got headhunted by a "defense" company called, and I won't even post the link, it's a website which sounds a bit like Van Helsing with some AI thrown in as a twist. He got an offer of 50k EUR more than his current already ridiculous salary. I had to say that it's up to you, but don't expect me to still be your friend and still talk to you if you go for that. "defense"

> He got an offer of 50k EUR more than his current already ridiculous salary.

Out of curiosity, what's considered an "already ridiculous salary"?

Re: Palantir has hired more than 30 senior UK Government officials

#26
post #9

A friend of mine recently got headhunted by a "defense" company called, and I won't even post the link, it's a website which sounds a bit like Van Helsing with some AI thrown in as a twist. He got an offer of 50k EUR more than his current already ridiculous salary. I had to say that it's up to you, but don't expect me to still be your friend and still talk to you if you go for that. "defense"

Wait until you learn about the history of the internet on which you're communicating now.

Re: Palantir has hired more than 30 senior UK Government officials

#28
post #9

A friend of mine recently got headhunted by a "defense" company called, and I won't even post the link, it's a website which sounds a bit like Van Helsing with some AI thrown in as a twist. He got an offer of 50k EUR more than his current already ridiculous salary. I had to say that it's up to you, but don't expect me to still be your friend and still talk to you if you go for that. "defense"

I wonder what opinions and values you hold which someone could make a convincing argument for cutting you off about. Or who would find your job offensive.

Worrying about what other people think is the biggest waste of energy. I'm glad a lot of people wouldn't be friends with me because of some of my ideals. I don't want to be liked by everyone. Why would you?

Re: Palantir has hired more than 30 senior UK Government officials

#29
post #14
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Out of curiosity, would you do this to family members accepting a job you don’t approve of too, or just friends?

Yes I would and without question. If by "do" you mean remove myself from the absolute evil that these establishments are, and shame them for it then yes. I can approve of just about any job unless it's about murdering people because some politician(s) want it.

Interesting worldview!

Re: Palantir has hired more than 30 senior UK Government officials

#30
post #9

A friend of mine recently got headhunted by a "defense" company called, and I won't even post the link, it's a website which sounds a bit like Van Helsing with some AI thrown in as a twist. He got an offer of 50k EUR more than his current already ridiculous salary. I had to say that it's up to you, but don't expect me to still be your friend and still talk to you if you go for that. "defense"

I wonder what opinions and values you hold which someone could make a convincing argument for cutting you off about. Or who would find your job offensive.

My job doesn't involve murdering people. It does not contribute to the death of people nor animals. It is somewhat insignificant.

My job does pay my bills and put food on the table but is certainly less glamorous than something which changes the lives of millions of people (though in some way it might). It is definitively inoffensive.

Adding a line of code to a killing machine. That is something else my friend.

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