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Palantir loses legal challenge against Swiss investigative magazine

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Re: Palantir loses legal challenge against Swiss investigative magazine

#51

Post by pstuart »

BLKNSLVR wrote: post #33
timoth3y wrote: post #21

Palantir is clearly a mind-boggling on-the-nose, but terrible name to those familiar with the book. The Palantiri consistently provided their users technically accurate intelligence that lead to disastrous strategic decisions. Denethor committed suicide out of despair, after a palantir showed him the black fleet approaching, but he did not know that it was actually Aragorn who had captured the fleet and was coming wi…

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. Ther…

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-palanti...

Re: Palantir loses legal challenge against Swiss investigative magazine

#52

Post by anonymars »

themafia wrote: post #41
GolfPopper wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I honestly can't think of a worse name for a company that provides intel for strategic decision making. Yet the choice is very effective at telling those with eyes to see that the one who chose the name possesses only a surface-level understanding of what appears to be his favorite piece of literature.

Or he's broadcasting his intention to destroy world governments and institute a new global order under technocratic control. He's banking on a US General not understanding the deeper lore behind of the name.

He literally considers Saruman the good guy, Mordor the good place, and Gandalf the bad guy (holding back technological progress)

Discussed previously e.g. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45901389

Re: Palantir loses legal challenge against Swiss investigative magazine

#53

Post by pdonis »

timoth3y wrote: post #21

Palantir is clearly a mind-boggling on-the-nose, but terrible name to those familiar with the book. The Palantiri consistently provided their users technically accurate intelligence that lead to disastrous strategic decisions. Denethor committed suicide out of despair, after a palantir showed him the black fleet approaching, but he did not know that it was actually Aragorn who had captured the fleet and was coming wi…

Well, Aragorn used the information he got from the Palantir of Orthanc to make a correct and very important strategic decision, to take the Paths of the Dead so that he could stop the Corsairs in time to save Minas Tirith.

So the lesson is that you have to use the intel you get wisely, or else very bad things will happen. I'm not sure if that makes the name any better for the tool it's applied to, though.

Re: Palantir loses legal challenge against Swiss investigative magazine

#54

Post by BLKNSLVR »

holistio wrote: post #42
BLKNSLVR wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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. Ther…

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

Thanks, damn.

I usually look up that phrase so I can copy and paste it with the proper accents (and, uh, spelling).

Re: Palantir loses legal challenge against Swiss investigative magazine

#55

Post by SepiaSapient »

BLKNSLVR wrote: post #33
timoth3y wrote: post #21

Palantir is clearly a mind-boggling on-the-nose, but terrible name to those familiar with the book. The Palantiri consistently provided their users technically accurate intelligence that lead to disastrous strategic decisions. Denethor committed suicide out of despair, after a palantir showed him the black fleet approaching, but he did not know that it was actually Aragorn who had captured the fleet and was coming wi…

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. Ther…

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

Re: Palantir loses legal challenge against Swiss investigative magazine

#56

Post by jltsiren »

pdonis wrote: post #53
timoth3y wrote: post #21

Palantir is clearly a mind-boggling on-the-nose, but terrible name to those familiar with the book. The Palantiri consistently provided their users technically accurate intelligence that lead to disastrous strategic decisions. Denethor committed suicide out of despair, after a palantir showed him the black fleet approaching, but he did not know that it was actually Aragorn who had captured the fleet and was coming wi…

Well, Aragorn used the information he got from the Palantir of Orthanc to make a correct and very important strategic decision, to take the Paths of the Dead so that he could stop the Corsairs in time to save Minas Tirith. So the lesson is that you have to use the intel you get wisely, or else very bad things will happen. I'm not sure if that makes the name any better for the tool it's applied to, though.

The actual lesson was that you need to be the trueborn king who can claim the palantiri by birthright if you want to use them for good. Even then, it requires great effort. Bad things will happen if anyone else tries to use the palantiri, no matter how great and powerful they are.

Re: Palantir loses legal challenge against Swiss investigative magazine

#58

Post by bluefirebrand »

anonymars wrote: post #52
themafia wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or he's broadcasting his intention to destroy world governments and institute a new global order under technocratic control. He's banking on a US General not understanding the deeper lore behind of the name.

He literally considers Saruman the good guy, Mordor the good place, and Gandalf the bad guy (holding back technological progress) Discussed previously e.g. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45901389

Wait seriously?

I'm pretty sure Tolkien would be furious at the mere idea. He could not have written more thoroughly black and white morality if he tried...

Re: Palantir loses legal challenge against Swiss investigative magazine

#59

Post by [deleted] »

pstuart wrote: post #51
BLKNSLVR wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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. Ther…

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-palanti...

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