Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team • Hacker News Board

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#21

Post by meritt » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 2:31 AM UTC

This was obvious from the RNC speech and further reinforced when Thiel donated $1M to Trump. A contrarian bet, sure, but $1M is a pretty small price to pay to have a 50/50 shot at CTO of the USA. I'm sure he'll see a very significant ROI on his $1M once the government starts awarding contracts very conveniently to companies of which he owns a portion.

I had very negative feelings about Thiel, and those were magnified 10x after his endorsement of Trump, but I'll at least concede he's a very shrewd individual.

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#22

Post by Guzba » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 2:32 AM UTC

charia wrote: post #20

the_decider wrote: post #16

Perhaps California's exit from the union will hep YC re-establish its moral integrty. Sam Altman, you wanted to radically change the word (in a positive way)? Well now is your chance!

Is this satire?

I hope so.

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#23

Post by TAForObvReasons » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 2:33 AM UTC

darawk wrote: post #4

This is good news, I think? Thiel has some extremish views, but I generally regard him as intelligent and thoughtful. And he's in close contact with other smart, influential people (e.g. Musk, Sam Altman, etc.), which gives them some indirect influence. Not that this makes things substantially better. But maybe a little bit? Hopefully?

Oddly, both the title and the article skip over the fact that Thiel was a founder of Palantir Technologies (which has plenty of government contracts). Conflicts of interest be damned

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#24

Post by fib739mbbh » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 2:34 AM UTC

_pius wrote: post #2

Meanwhile, Trump's already got an RFS in waiting: http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/trump-says-he-... https://www.ycombinator.com/rfs/ The longer YC waits to do the right thing on this, the worse it will get.

As usual, the media distorts what Trump actually said.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2015/nov/24/...

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#25

Post by droopyEyelids » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 2:35 AM UTC

darawk wrote: post #4

This is good news, I think? Thiel has some extremish views, but I generally regard him as intelligent and thoughtful. And he's in close contact with other smart, influential people (e.g. Musk, Sam Altman, etc.), which gives them some indirect influence. Not that this makes things substantially better. But maybe a little bit? Hopefully?

I always post this but if anyone wants to know why this is remarkable news, Mr Thiel wrote his “manifesto” and made it public.

It’s short and to the point. https://www.cato-unbound.org/2009/04/13/peter-thiel/educatio...

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#26

Post by overgard » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 2:35 AM UTC

_pius wrote: post #2

Meanwhile, Trump's already got an RFS in waiting: http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/trump-says-he-... https://www.ycombinator.com/rfs/ The longer YC waits to do the right thing on this, the worse it will get.

"The right thing". Tolerance means recognizing that people have different world views than your own.

Sometimes the people you do business with have political opinions you don't agree with. The melodrama over Thiel's political opinions is pointless. If you demand Thiel steps down, are you personally just going to stop doing business with 49% of the country that voted differently?

Personally I lean liberal, but I'm pretty disgusted with all the theatrics I've seen in this election from the left. The Trump phenomenon arguably occurred because half the country felt ostracized and decided to lob a brick through the window of washington in the form of donald trump. Maybe we should all get to understand our neighbors instead of doubling down on us-vs-them tribalism.

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#27

Post by untog » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 2:35 AM UTC

Edit: Flagged? Wow. This conversation seems extremely relevant to Thiel being in government. Genuinely disappointing that the people in charge of HN do not consider Thiel's extreme views to be worthy of discussion, and instead a "pudding".

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#28

Post by user837387 » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 2:37 AM UTC

throwawayIndian wrote: post #18

_pius wrote: post #2

Meanwhile, Trump's already got an RFS in waiting: http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/trump-says-he-... https://www.ycombinator.com/rfs/ The longer YC waits to do the right thing on this, the worse it will get.

Don't agree! I'd blame the democrats alone (the party, leadership, delegates, superdelegates and a section of voters + ~~liar~~ media) for giving away the presidency to Trump. For free, literally. How is Peter Thiel or anyone else (Trump's supporters) responsible for what comes out of the man's mouth when at the same time the other party is clearly doing what's downright corruption/stifling a democratic nomination? I…

>>blame the democrats

Don't blame me for Trump. I voted for Hillary.

Each of us are responsible for their own vote. Nobody made you vote for Trump. I blame the people who voted for Trump for making him President. After all, we are all adults here, and although Trump never accepts any responsibility for his actions I think that the Trump supporters accept that they voted for him.

So yeah, blaming the Democrats for the Trump presidency is an oxymoron.

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#29

Post by ben0x539 » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 2:38 AM UTC

overgard wrote: post #26

_pius wrote: post #2

Meanwhile, Trump's already got an RFS in waiting: http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/trump-says-he-... https://www.ycombinator.com/rfs/ The longer YC waits to do the right thing on this, the worse it will get.

"The right thing". Tolerance means recognizing that people have different world views than your own. Sometimes the people you do business with have political opinions you don't agree with. The melodrama over Thiel's political opinions is pointless. If you demand Thiel steps down, are you personally just going to stop doing business with 49% of the country that voted differently? Personally I lean liberal, but I'm pre…

Nah, tolerance means that you gotta be ok with people from different religions, ethnic groups, w/e. The opinion thing isn't as important.

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#30

Post by toomuchtodo » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 2:38 AM UTC

ben0x539 wrote: post #29

overgard wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"The right thing". Tolerance means recognizing that people have different world views than your own. Sometimes the people you do business with have political opinions you don't agree with. The melodrama over Thiel's political opinions is pointless. If you demand Thiel steps down, are you personally just going to stop doing business with 49% of the country that voted differently? Personally I lean liberal, but I'm pre…

Nah, tolerance means that you gotta be ok with people from different religions, ethnic groups, w/e. The opinion thing isn't as important.

It's only tolerance when I agree with you /s

"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." -- F. Scott Fitzgerald