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Is Trump mulling Peter Thiel for a top intelligence advisory post?

vanityfair.com

11–20 of 172 posts

Re: Is Trump mulling Peter Thiel for a top intelligence advisory post?

#11
> “Peter has indicated that if he takes the P.I.A.B. position he intends to take a comprehensive look at the U.S. intelligence community’s information-technology architecture. He is super-concerned about Amazon and Google”—and Facebook, less so.

Is that because he invested in Facebook early on?

Re: Is Trump mulling Peter Thiel for a top intelligence advisory post?

#12

> Thiel reportedly doubled-down and immediately donated $1.25 million to Trump’s campaign Can someone describe corruption and help me understand how it differs from this situation?

Proper corruption typically includes:

* Lack of transparency. It's tough to be corrupt in plain sight.

* Payment to someone who currently possesses power -- not a public contribution to a political candidate seeking a new office of power.

Re: Is Trump mulling Peter Thiel for a top intelligence advisory post?

#13

> “Peter has indicated that if he takes the P.I.A.B. position he intends to take a comprehensive look at the U.S. intelligence community’s information-technology architecture. He is super-concerned about Amazon and Google”—and Facebook, less so. Is that because he invested in Facebook early on?

Any mention of massive conflicts of interest with Palantir?

Re: Is Trump mulling Peter Thiel for a top intelligence advisory post?

#14

> “Peter has indicated that if he takes the P.I.A.B. position he intends to take a comprehensive look at the U.S. intelligence community’s information-technology architecture. He is super-concerned about Amazon and Google”—and Facebook, less so. Is that because he invested in Facebook early on?

He's on the board.

Re: Is Trump mulling Peter Thiel for a top intelligence advisory post?

#15
post #7

Rumours of Theils maleavolence are greatly exaggerated. His bio better resembles a modern day Ross Perot, libertarian and all. Network analysis and data mining inteilligence toolsets were used in the intel comminity lkng before Palantir, same as mercenaries were vighting foreign wars ling before Blackwater. A real problem in government is lack of domain expetise in oversight. Heres a chance to have some of that if th…

He's definitely a libertarian although his definition of libertarian is completely malleable.

Re: Is Trump mulling Peter Thiel for a top intelligence advisory post?

#16

> Thiel reportedly doubled-down and immediately donated $1.25 million to Trump’s campaign Can someone describe corruption and help me understand how it differs from this situation?

Personally, I find an explicit campaign contribution to be considerably less sleazy than paying a politician hundreds of thousands of dollars for "making a speech" (a very popular ruse with the Clintons, and now Obama). Less sleazy in that campaign funds have to be accounted for (i.e., actually spent on the campaign, or retained for a future campaign) while "speaking fees" can be spent any way you want.

Re: Is Trump mulling Peter Thiel for a top intelligence advisory post?

#17
post #7

Rumours of Theils maleavolence are greatly exaggerated. His bio better resembles a modern day Ross Perot, libertarian and all. Network analysis and data mining inteilligence toolsets were used in the intel comminity lkng before Palantir, same as mercenaries were vighting foreign wars ling before Blackwater. A real problem in government is lack of domain expetise in oversight. Heres a chance to have some of that if th…

I think I agree in part, though the framing of it in the Gizmodo piece that he seems "less" worried about Facebook is concerning. Google I get, Amazon sure, but why not Facebook? That seems like the most massive surveillance vector to ever exist and a company which might have a penchant for what's not too different from mind control. Edit: after reading the Vanity Fair essay (which is much better than this Gizmodo th…

> but why not Facebook?

Early investor, made him untold millions, tight with zucc, who's sacrificed personal capital to keep him on the board (despite his far-right politics).

Re: Is Trump mulling Peter Thiel for a top intelligence advisory post?

#18
post #5

Here is the Vanity Fair article this piece references and recommends ("You can read the whole, absurd story here. Highly recommended.") > "here" --> https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/09/donald-trump-peter-t...

Yep, mods should consider changing to this URL, IMO.

Re: Is Trump mulling Peter Thiel for a top intelligence advisory post?

#20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think I agree in part, though the framing of it in the Gizmodo piece that he seems "less" worried about Facebook is concerning. Google I get, Amazon sure, but why not Facebook? That seems like the most massive surveillance vector to ever exist and a company which might have a penchant for what's not too different from mind control. Edit: after reading the Vanity Fair essay (which is much better than this Gizmodo th…

> but why not Facebook? Early investor, made him untold millions, tight with zucc, who's sacrificed personal capital to keep him on the board (despite his far-right politics).

Can you explain how his politics are "far-right"? I don't really consider Libertarianism an element of what's become the emergence of right wing authoritarianism.
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