Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team • Hacker News Board

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#451

Post by D_Alex » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:40 AM UTC

kafkaesq wrote: post #238

RealGeek wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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. Wasn't Trump rallying against such crony corruption aka 'pay for play'?

Wasn't Trump rallying against such crony corruption aka 'pay for play'? He may have, but like most everything he says it needs to be understood as "post-truth", and meant for the emotional impact only -- not the actual substance.

This "post-truth" does not need to be understood, it needs to be rejected, as hard as possible.

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#452

Post by tptacek » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:40 AM UTC

elsonrodriguez wrote: post #450

tptacek wrote: post #426

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why exactly am I meant to be comforted by the fact that the craven opportunists --- the lowest of the low of the Republican party, discredited outsiders like Newt Gingrich and John Bolton --- are getting the most important positions in the United States government for kowtowing to Trump? There are important thinkers in the Republican Party. People with ideas and a moral core, people who have given years of service to…

If it's any consolation, Gingrich supports space exploration, and is personally interested in the Mars Direct plan.

So you're saying there's a chance we can shoot him into space? It's slight, but it is a consolation.

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#453

Post by BryantD » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:40 AM UTC

seesomesense wrote: post #63

I am far to the left but I believe that demonising someone for political viewpoints different from mine is wrong.

So do I, but I am comfortable demonizing people for political viewpoints that go beyond reasonable norms of discourse.

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#454

Post by cromwellian » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:40 AM UTC

cromwellian wrote: post #383

So the man whose company was funded by the CIA to conduct mass big data surveillance is now going to be helping to decide the structure of the executive branch, with "Law and Order" Giuliani probably as Attorney General. What could go wrong? IMHO, YC had their chance to divorce themselves from Thiel. They can still do it, but this is their last chance. Silicon Valley is not going to forget this conflict of interest.

Yay, downvoted by a Trumpster.

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#455

Post by jasin » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:43 AM UTC

yolesaber wrote: post #369

Cyph0n wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sorry, what?!

https://youtu.be/CoxxGhLFbw4?t=2m30s He argues that "climate science" is not real science because it has "science" in the name. I'm serious.

I wonder what he thinks of computer science.

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#456

Post by skoopie » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:45 AM UTC

betolink wrote: post #332

paulsutter wrote: post #294

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's Peter's speech at the National Press Club: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob-LJqPQEJ4 Could you point out anywhere that Peter supports bigotry? Or even, a single crazy statement in Peter's speech? (I wouldn't defend Trump. I'm defending Peter, who I respect a lot). The speech runs from 2:40 to 15:50, and can be watched in 7 minutes if you change speed to 2x. (Thomas, I respect you a lot too. I've never seen o…

"They(Mexicans) are rapists and murderers" Take a look[1] you may have been stranded on an Island the last 2 years and perhaps you did not hear what Trump have said. Now, not all Trump supporters are racists (maybe Thiel isn't? who knows!), but all of them are telling us implicitly that racism and bigotry are not deal breakers. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37zvOZ17eSE

Can you tell me which specific Mexicans he was talking about?

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#457

Post by judahmeek » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:46 AM UTC

_qbjt wrote: post #349

betolink wrote: post #240

People here giving Thiel a free pass on his views and support for bigotry is just disgusting.

Ironically, bigotry is defined as "intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself". I'm not defending Trump but it's fairly obvious to any non-partisan that the left wing is just as guilty of this.

That is the classic definition, but the liberal definition of "bigotry" is more like "intolerance/hostility/oppression to those who have different skin/gender/lifestyles/culture/etc (all the protected class stuff)"

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#458

Post by gone35 » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:47 AM UTC

edblarney wrote: post #231

Rapzid wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If we believe all the recently headlines about who he's bringing in it appears pure "pay to play". Lots of individuals who Trump "owes" through either money or support they provided to him; pure cronyism. I'm not sure Trump realizes what worked best in business, or what he felt worked best for him in what business he has done, is not necessarily best for operating policy. I'm not sure he cares. I suspect he might tho…

"Lots of individuals who Trump "owes" through either money or support they provided to him; pure cronyism." Trump is the most 'free' President in modern history. He 'owes' the least, to the fewest people. This is one thing even the center-left press were talking about. As for Thiel - $1M might seem like a lot - but Trump doesn't really 'owe' Thiel anything, because Thiel doesn't have direct future influence etc., and…

Trump is the most 'free' President in modern history. He 'owes' the least, to the fewest people.

How do you know? Have you actually operationalized it with a quantifiable measure? Can you actually back up your claim with actual, verifiable data?

No?

Then get the fuck out.

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#459

Post by BurningFrog » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:47 AM UTC

betolink wrote: post #374

BurningFrog wrote: post #370

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Note that this Trump (mis)quote is in response to asking where Thiel says anything that supports bigotry.

Corrected now, unless I didn't hear right when he refers to Mexico sending people over and then "they are rapists" perhaps his subject changed and he was referring to Aliens?

He is, at least technically, making a more sophisticated argument. I'll rephrase it to make that reading clear:

"Like all countries, Mexico has both great people and rapists/murderers. Unfortunately, the latter group is overrepresented among those illegally in this country."

That's (technically) the point he's making, and it's (technically) not racist.

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#460

Post by billiam » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:51 AM UTC

pmorici wrote: post #424

Rapzid wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If we believe all the recently headlines about who he's bringing in it appears pure "pay to play". Lots of individuals who Trump "owes" through either money or support they provided to him; pure cronyism. I'm not sure Trump realizes what worked best in business, or what he felt worked best for him in what business he has done, is not necessarily best for operating policy. I'm not sure he cares. I suspect he might tho…

What you guys are describing isn't cronyism. The definition of cronyism is, "the appointment of friends and associates to positions of authority, _without proper regard to their qualifications._" I'm not seeing anyone arguing that Peter Theil isn't qualified. Bush nominating Harriet Miers is an example of cronyism. This really isn't. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Miers_Supreme_Court_no...

Here, this guy. Thiel isn't qualified. He knows nothing about running a real business, just investing in them. He knows nothing about economic policy. And clearly he knows nothing about governance.