Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team • Hacker News Board

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#841

Post by mrgordon » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:03 PM UTC

masondixon wrote: post #664

mrgordon wrote: post #647

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Keep in mind that Thiel sued Gawker to stop freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Trump doesn't care and will appoint Thiel to a major position in his administration anyway. Trump also repeatedly sued (or threatened to sue) newspapers who published factual stories about him as well as women who he sexually abused. This is a chilling precedent for free speech: if you are rich enough, then you can just sue to sil…

You think that this kind of thing only happens on the right? You think that the right-wing parties are more wealthy than the left-wing parties? You are trying to confirm the "trump is bad" case. But when it is shown that Clinton is the same, and liberals are the same...we have to argue on a case-by-base basis...which is not as easy as calling out conservatives that you don't like. This is called bias.

I never said this only happens on the right (whether I think it occurs more on the right is a separate argument but not one that I made here). But the post I responded to was saying they voted for Trump (despite his repeated racism, sexism, and bullying) because the poster perceives the left as bullying. My point is simply that Trump and friends are serious bullies so this isn't a credible reason for choosing him over the left.

Here is the exact quote I responded to: "Its ironic that my biggest reason for voting Trump is to stop the bullying from the left"

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#842

Post by tptacek » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:04 PM UTC

return0 wrote: post #837

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…

Wouldn't it alienate the voter base if people who opposed Trump (and his voters) were brought in?

You think it doesn't alienate the voter base to appoint a Hollywood producer to SecT, or the head of JPMC?

I agree with you that there's a logic that says this. It's insane logic, but it's coherent. We are all going round the bend.

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#843

Post by zaphar » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:06 PM UTC

CoryG89 wrote: post #742

AJ007 wrote: post #667

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here is what I said 25 days ago: > I think Thiel is hedging for both himself and as a proxy for Facebook. If Trump wins, Facebook gets the most favored corporation status currently awarded to Google. If Trump loses, Thiel perhaps assumes everyone will forget soon enough and Zuckerberg can diss-avow any Facebook connection. In retrospect, the one thing I think I was wrong about were the odds. I thought it was a long s…

I am no fan of the Clintons. Personally, during my lifetime, Obama is the only president I halfway respected, with his stance on state surveillance being a notable exception. I think there is a small amount of corruption with Hillary, as I believe is true of most politicians. However, given a choice between Hillary and Trump, for me it's no contest. Don't get me wrong, I think Trump has the potential to do some good.…

Trump is about as far from a Christian as you can get in a person. I very highly doubt that he cares about religion except as a useful electioneering tool. He is unlikely to stick with that label during his presidency since it would be inconvenient, so I don't think you have to worry about Christianity being the official religion.

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#844

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:06 PM 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

[deleted]

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#845

Post by Chris2048 » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:10 PM UTC

glenndebacker wrote: post #802

masondixon wrote: post #632

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Same sex marriage Trump: The Supreme Court has issued an opinion on this. Same-sex marriage is an issue that should have been decided by the states. There are many LGBT supporters of Trump. Milo Yiannopolous is a hero amongst all Trump supporters, and he is gay. The world has moved on - Democrats just want something to be angry about. > Freedom of religion It is about terrorism and not about religion. > He would "s…

"We are called racist, but no one is racist. We are called xenophobic, but all we are asking for is that the laws are upheld." I can't comment for the States as I live in Europe... but 99% of the big vocal trump supporters at this side of the ocean are racist and xenophobic like there is no tomorrow. In this country the only political trump supporters are the ones that has historic ties with the nazi's. That the most…

I live in "Europe" as well, and don't see that "99%"

> In this country the only political trump supporters are the ones that has historic ties with the nazi's

That all racists support trump is not the same as all trump supporters are racists. Can you provide more evidence that "the only political trump supporters" are racist? It's not "telling" if it not true.

> that is fact

...

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#846

Post by mrgordon » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:11 PM UTC

fernandotakai wrote: post #840

mrgordon wrote: post #647

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Keep in mind that Thiel sued Gawker to stop freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Trump doesn't care and will appoint Thiel to a major position in his administration anyway. Trump also repeatedly sued (or threatened to sue) newspapers who published factual stories about him as well as women who he sexually abused. This is a chilling precedent for free speech: if you are rich enough, then you can just sue to sil…

i honestly cannot agree with you. showing a sex tape and refusing to remove it (which is why hogan was suing gawker) from your site is not freedom of press. if it was, the leakage of celebrity pics (also known as 'the fappening') would be fine, no? also, gawker outed thiel, which is bullshit. people should come out when they are ready, not when a yellow-paged blog decides. also, let's change genders and say gawker no…

Whether or not you think what Gawker did was right, it is a terrible precedent that a billionaire can shut down the entire publication by funding lawsuits for other people against the publisher. There are ways to get the tape removed without simply outspending the press to the point where they cannot feasibly fight your lawsuit.

It is a slippery slope. No one feels too bad about a sex tape getting taken down, but cases like this ensure that journalists will have to self-censor what they publish and err on the conservative side or else risk their entire publication being closed. This has a chilling effect on investigative journalism.

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#847

Post by specialist » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:14 PM UTC

BurningFrog wrote: post #669

Relevant column: "I don't see a moral obligation for anyone to serve in a Trump administration. But people who opposed Donald Trump, on both the left and right, should commit right now to one thing: We will not tar good people for joining the Trump administration. Their motives will not be questioned, and if things do turn out as some of his critics fear, the people in his foreign and domestic policy apparatus will n…

"We will not tar good people for joining the Trump administration."

Good people like Colin Powell, Gen Eric Shinseki, Tom Ridge, John J. DiIulio, Jr., etc, etc?

Reread 'The Prince'. Any nail sticking up will be pounded down. There will be no tolerance for 'good people'.

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#848

Post by Chris2048 » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:16 PM UTC

zimpenfish wrote: post #638

masondixon wrote: post #634

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a public figure so there should be free reign. "lock that bitch up" - Her gender is irrelevant to her corruption so it does not make sense for it to be here. People are not chanting "lock that bitch up". They are chanting "lock her up". "crooked Hillary" - She has been under active investigation for almost the entire campaign, and the Clintons have been their entire careers. I don't see any problem with this.…

> She has been under active investigation for almost the entire campaign Noting that it has all been Republican-driven and hasn't yet found a single thing in decades. But it is definitely an excellent "poison the well" tactic.

> hasn't yet found a single thing

No illegal email servers then?

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#849

Post by bbctol » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:17 PM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #800

BurningFrog wrote: post #669

Relevant column: "I don't see a moral obligation for anyone to serve in a Trump administration. But people who opposed Donald Trump, on both the left and right, should commit right now to one thing: We will not tar good people for joining the Trump administration. Their motives will not be questioned, and if things do turn out as some of his critics fear, the people in his foreign and domestic policy apparatus will n…

I agree entirely with McArdle on this. At this point, I would be extremely reassured by an administration that is "wrong within normal parameters". That's not what we're likely to get. We've gotten the following trial balloons for appointments: * John Bolton or Newt Gingrich for State * Larry Kudlow or Steven Mnuchin for Treasury * Joe Arpaio for DHS * Steve Bannon for Chief Of Staff * Chris Christie or Rudy Giuliani…

It's such an insane thing to have to hope for, but the best case scenario is that Trump is... George W. Bush. That he'll be impolite, but not undiplomatic. That he'll start one, maybe two wars, and keep them non-nuclear. That we'll see a declining market economy, not an authoritarian state. I oppose Paul Ryan on nearly every economic ideal, but I have to hope he pushes his agenda through, as opposed to... Alex Jones?

Most terrifying on the list is Steve Bannon. Rumor is that Trump likes him, and the only one close to him who doesn't is Ivanka. Probably because she's Jewish enough to fear the top adviser to the president being a white nationalist itching for the Day of the Rope.

Re: Peter Thiel To Join Trump Transition Team

#850

Post by tptacek » Fri, Nov 11, 2016, 5:20 PM UTC

piaste wrote: post #731

idlewords wrote: post #553

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because it is the only case in which "illegal" refers to a status rather than an action, as if the very act of existing in the United States without correct documentation was an affront against justice. This is a very un-American view of how the law works, and so the scare quotes are merited.

> Because it is the only case in which "illegal" refers to a status rather than an action [..] a very un-American view of how the law works That's because the illegal action consists of being in a location where you have no right to be. And it's not, in fact, the only case. Compare it to its close relative, trespassing: An "illegal resident" is someone living in a country of which they have neither citizenship nor vi…

Maciej missed the point I was making, but I'm not going to let the conversation continue to miss it.

No. There are young people in the United States who are citizens of this country by right. Children born in the US are citizens. They are not illegal immigrants. There are families that consist overwhelmingly of citizens who happen to have in the fabric of their families people who are here without a visa.

Those people aren't causing problems. In fact: they are a benefit to our economy --- according to the overwhelming consensus of economists both left and right.

Trump proposes to hunt those people down and deport them, solely to satiate the race-tinged fears of people who Trump himself has helped impoverish.