I grew up around teachers. They thought they were the most intelligent. I worked with doctors my whole working life. They think they are the most intelligent.
I’ve been married to an engineer a very long time, they think they are the most intelligent. Physicists think the same.
Tech people are sometimes unique in their belief they’re superior while they frequently only know tech.
How can any thinking moral person posit atomic weapons are passé? Or someone with no conscience should make global decisions? Hubris.
I do believe AI is inevitable, but we need to quit ceding the intellectual high ground to the bros.
Imagine the arrogance to actually write this thing&expect it to mean anything except that he’s an egotistical tool.
This is the power of arrogance — the conviction that wealth, status, influence, and celebrity validate one’s inherent superiority — and therefore one’s right to make decisions for, lead, or dominate others. It is the belief that “I have the right to do whatever I choose.” Matched by the expectation that “you will do what I want.”
National service needn't be military alone. At a time when Americans are increasingly encased in cocoons that keep them from encountering people of different races, cultures, outlooks, and values, a shared experience can be a powerful tool for breaking down barriers that impede effective democracy. When, lacking bone spurs, I was drafted in 1969, I suddenly had to live with people I might never have otherwise encountered. (Until I stepped off the bus at Ft. Bragg, I had ever known just one Southerner.) We didn't always see eye to eye, but we learned to get along and respect each other. Why can't national service take the form of programs like the CCC in the 1930s? For example, around the time I was dragooned into the Army, one one my cousins was called up and claimed Conscientious Objector status; it was granted, and he spent his two years serving in a mental hospital. There must be thousands of similar ways to serve in the healthcare sector alone. Such programs could also offer benefits similar to the GI Bill that could be applied to further education and training.
I agree on national service in many of the ways that you mention. Many Nordic countries do this and seem to have good outcomes. Unfortunately, Karp is not looking altruistically at this service. He wants conscription not service. I'm in Canada and suggested national service (your concept) to a Canadian military essayist and he just about blew my head off, saying he never saw a military with conscription (Karp concept) that ever worked. I get the feeling that Karp wants war, and that his vision of conscription is simply to provide less important bodies to that end.
I was not thinking of a Vietnam-type draft into the military; rather that as one (voluntary) option among many that people could choose. Although that does not seem to be the case in countries like Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, where the US abandonment of NATO and the resurgent threat of Russia is leading them to ramp up gender-neutral conscription, requiring young people to undergo 6–15 months of military training. As long as we can fill the ranks with volunteers, there should be no need for that here. That's the way it was before Vietnam. For those of us who began college in the early 60s, there was little reason to worry about getting drafted. By the the time we were about to graduate in 66 and 67, it was a constant dread.
This engrained trust of stupid and over-confident people that humans appear to have, it probably needs to go away if we are ever going to advance beyond this sorry state of affairs.
I feel like white culture (whatever that is) believes in its bullshit way more than it should.
I'd love to hear what an actual palantir engineer (fully protected and no longer dependant on them financially) has to say about their software. This Alex guy is just in sales, I bet he totally delusional on actual capabilty.
One reason not to write such things is giving yourself room to before negotiate. A corporation is not a nation state. when it makes itself the political arm of a political party it can gain enemies who will want to weaken it every chance they get.
Why not just hire lobbyists . Once the leadership starts spending most of their time griping instead of developing products what else are they missing?
I think #13 is actually less credible than your response suggests. The 2020 (there hasn't been an update) World Economic Forum's Social Mobility Index only put the U.S. 27th. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Social_Mobility_Index
Very clever to show how many of the points are so vague or context-free that almost any conclusions are possible: #8 private sector demanding increased pay for public sector employees, Yup, I'm sure that's the correct interpretation.
I'm glad Daniel goes through and reads this nonsense so I don't have to.
Very good point! But a correction: It's not Dan, it's "the hard-working staff here at Drezner's World" (THWSHADW). Big difference!
I grew up around teachers. They thought they were the most intelligent. I worked with doctors my whole working life. They think they are the most intelligent.
I’ve been married to an engineer a very long time, they think they are the most intelligent. Physicists think the same.
Tech people are sometimes unique in their belief they’re superior while they frequently only know tech.
How can any thinking moral person posit atomic weapons are passé? Or someone with no conscience should make global decisions? Hubris.
I do believe AI is inevitable, but we need to quit ceding the intellectual high ground to the bros.
Imagine the arrogance to actually write this thing&expect it to mean anything except that he’s an egotistical tool.
Did Karp/Palantir ever see “The Terminator”?
This is the power of arrogance — the conviction that wealth, status, influence, and celebrity validate one’s inherent superiority — and therefore one’s right to make decisions for, lead, or dominate others. It is the belief that “I have the right to do whatever I choose.” Matched by the expectation that “you will do what I want.”
National service needn't be military alone. At a time when Americans are increasingly encased in cocoons that keep them from encountering people of different races, cultures, outlooks, and values, a shared experience can be a powerful tool for breaking down barriers that impede effective democracy. When, lacking bone spurs, I was drafted in 1969, I suddenly had to live with people I might never have otherwise encountered. (Until I stepped off the bus at Ft. Bragg, I had ever known just one Southerner.) We didn't always see eye to eye, but we learned to get along and respect each other. Why can't national service take the form of programs like the CCC in the 1930s? For example, around the time I was dragooned into the Army, one one my cousins was called up and claimed Conscientious Objector status; it was granted, and he spent his two years serving in a mental hospital. There must be thousands of similar ways to serve in the healthcare sector alone. Such programs could also offer benefits similar to the GI Bill that could be applied to further education and training.
I agree on national service in many of the ways that you mention. Many Nordic countries do this and seem to have good outcomes. Unfortunately, Karp is not looking altruistically at this service. He wants conscription not service. I'm in Canada and suggested national service (your concept) to a Canadian military essayist and he just about blew my head off, saying he never saw a military with conscription (Karp concept) that ever worked. I get the feeling that Karp wants war, and that his vision of conscription is simply to provide less important bodies to that end.
I was not thinking of a Vietnam-type draft into the military; rather that as one (voluntary) option among many that people could choose. Although that does not seem to be the case in countries like Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, where the US abandonment of NATO and the resurgent threat of Russia is leading them to ramp up gender-neutral conscription, requiring young people to undergo 6–15 months of military training. As long as we can fill the ranks with volunteers, there should be no need for that here. That's the way it was before Vietnam. For those of us who began college in the early 60s, there was little reason to worry about getting drafted. By the the time we were about to graduate in 66 and 67, it was a constant dread.
" Why can't national service take the form of programs like the CCC in the 1930s? "
Because that would be marxism!
I dunno. I'm pretty sure Groucho would approve.
This engrained trust of stupid and over-confident people that humans appear to have, it probably needs to go away if we are ever going to advance beyond this sorry state of affairs.
I feel like white culture (whatever that is) believes in its bullshit way more than it should.
I think this Atlantic article explains not just the manifesto, but the publication by his company rather than on, say, a blog somewhere.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/05/billionaire-consequence-free-reality/686588/
Very good connection to that article that I read only yesterday.
We live is a time of extremely shallow elites. I'm enough of an historian to wonder whether it is ever thus, though the manifestations may change.
I'd love to hear what an actual palantir engineer (fully protected and no longer dependant on them financially) has to say about their software. This Alex guy is just in sales, I bet he totally delusional on actual capabilty.
My own take is that this is casting spells (or, if you prefer more sensible language, establishing 'ground rules') rather than rational communication:
https://thetuttifruttifiles.substack.com/p/the-magick-of-the-palantir-manifesto
Fuck Palantir, fuck Sauron, fuck Gollum, fuck Peter Thiel, and fuck Bombur
One reason not to write such things is giving yourself room to before negotiate. A corporation is not a nation state. when it makes itself the political arm of a political party it can gain enemies who will want to weaken it every chance they get.
Why not just hire lobbyists . Once the leadership starts spending most of their time griping instead of developing products what else are they missing?
I think #13 is actually less credible than your response suggests. The 2020 (there hasn't been an update) World Economic Forum's Social Mobility Index only put the U.S. 27th. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Social_Mobility_Index
Very clever to show how many of the points are so vague or context-free that almost any conclusions are possible: #8 private sector demanding increased pay for public sector employees, Yup, I'm sure that's the correct interpretation.