Wired magazine interview of Alex Karp (Palantir)

[Brian]

Interesting read no matter your opinion of Palantir:

https://www.wired.com/story/alex-karp-goes-to-war-palantir-big-interview/

Podcast here (haven't heard this yet):

https://www.wired.com/story/uncanny-valley-podcast-alex-karp-world-palantir-underdog/

[CNCAppsJames]

In your book you offer a harsh critique that tech companies are not sufficiently patriotic.

In the beginning, we were at odds with Silicon Valley because we were pro-American, pro-West, and pro-�making the government functional. That was very controversial in Silicon Valley because it equated to not making any money and being a loser. We won that battle.

The crazy think about that take is Silicon Valley is STAUNCHLY anti-american and anti-capitalism... the people that work at the Googles and The Apples despise the very thing that created them. Talk about being "for" things that are in complete opposition to your own best interests.

Some in here complain about how much we spend on defense, perhaps contending we should spend more (or all for that matter) on social programs. because the war on poverty, the BILLIONS California has spent on Homelessness has been such rousing success we need to double down on that. 

Yeah... NO! If "money" or lack thereof was the solution to society's ills. We would have solved the problems decades ago. Those problems have been with us since the dawn of time and guess what, they are going to be with us LONG after we are gone. 

Personally, I'd rather spend those billions on  brand new Aircraft Carriers, Fighter Jets, Drones, ets... where an assload of hardworking machinists, welders, electricians, engineers, etc... make a good living so they can provide for their families .That is money WAY better spent than worthless social programs that NEVER deliver what was promised and are always asking for more. At least when Palintir, Northrup, Lockheed, etc... asks for more, some dudes are gonna get paid some OT. Is it a perfect situation? Nah. I would love to live in a world where death and destruction wasn't necessary. We been killin each other since the first set of brothers set foot on this earth. Ain't NOTHING changing that. Death and Destruction is in our DNA, so we may as well excel at it. Is that dark and fatalistic? No. Not al all. That is realistic. 

 

[Brian]

I can likely agree that Silicon Valley in its current configuration is (somewhat) as you've described it above, but that's not always been the case.

[Newbeeee™]

Palantir is the devil in disguise....

[CNCAppsJames]

CIA, Mossad, MI6, KGB are the devil in disguise....

Free fiss.

[Newbeeee™]

Free fiss.

YehButz they gotta get their info "legally" now.
And oh look....Private/Public contracts....

[Smit]

Interesting read no matter your opinion of Palantir:

That is one of the most unlikable people I've ever seen.

From the responses there was this take:

"Because I am not unethical, anything I do must be ethical. Because what I do is ethical, I must not be unethical."