cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/46219073
Lecture attendees started trickling out around 8:30 p.m., carrying mousses, cookies, and various other desserts to their awaiting Ubers. Most of the audience members were hesitant to provide their thoughts on the record, for fear of being disinvited from future events, but a few shared their opinions on condition of anonymity.
The consensus was that the talk largely repeated the points Thiel had made in previous interviews on the subject — namely, that the Antichrist would use the threat of Armageddon, or some looming crisis, in order to consolidate control and create a “one-world government.”
One attendee recalled Thiel specifying that this figure could not be a state figurehead like Chinese President Xi Jinping, because it needs to be more global. He couldn’t recall if Thiel suggested Thunberg would make the cut.
One attendee recalled that Thiel’s discussion of the Antichrist was more about a scenario than an individual. Thiel’s Antichrist scenario is one in which a unified government suppresses technology to impose order, or armageddon, wherein AI takes over and ushers in the end of the world.
"We’ll either have the one government that destroys technology and takes over, or you have the AI that destroys everything,” he said.
Another guest, when asked about the talk, shot back a single word: “Mid.”
A group of three French men, all living in SF and working in tech, gave the talk a 7 out of 10 because of its repetitiveness. But they did appreciate some of Thiel’s jokes — including, apparently, saying it would be a travesty for Elon Musk to go to therapy because it would make him less productive.
"He was really anti-introspection,” one recalled. “[He said] we are very selfish and we care a lot about ourselves as individuals, and that therapy and yoga and stuff like that is not good for the world. We should not care so much about ourselves and care more about the world.”
Another attendee said the talk revealed a less well-known, more scholarly side of Thiel. He noted that Thiel is different from his expectations of a tech investor, pointing to the billionaire’s “cynical” view of technology’s impact on the world.
Thiel’s Antichrist scenario is one in which a unified government suppresses technology to impose order, or armageddon, wherein AI takes over and ushers in the end of the world.
Another attendee said the talk revealed a less well-known, more scholarly side of Thiel.
Scholarly, lol. What is it that makes people think that billionaires are more intelligent than they really are, while those billionaires are actually going off the deep end?
Isn’t the first part what’s going on in the US? I assume the AI part isn’t part of the government here.
Also isn’t Vance funded by Theil?
Now comic books are kinda out of date, they used to assume you couldn’t be that evil and say you are while no one stops you from your plan while you talk about it non stop.
Now comic books are kinda out of date, they used to assume you couldn’t be that evil and say you are while no one stops you from your plan while you talk about it non stop.
I don’t have an answer for your first two questions, but I hear you on your comic book take.
Thiel explained that he believes the Antichrist will present itself as an advocate for regulation, pushing to slow technological and scientific progress in the name of safety
Says the guy trying to make a new kind of bomb.
In the podcast, Thiel explained that he believes the Antichrist will present itself as an advocate for regulation, pushing to slow technological and scientific progress in the name of safety. He suggested, with a straight face, that the Antichrist could look a lot like 22-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg.
He’s just getting the jump on his opposition. Of course regulations are the work of the antichrist. The one legal thing that could stop whatever shit he’s cooking up is a biblical boogieman. You better think twice if you want to reign in AI or environmental degradation, because that’s anti-jesus.
Does he really think a lecture series will spread that message? Wouldn’t youtube videos be better? Why in-person lectures?
Also why is he threatened by someone like Greta? Greta has no power. More broadly speaking, the left, however you’d like to define it, is unorganized and therefore has no power. Furthermore any serious actions as of late appear to result in capture of the actors. There’s not a damn thing that can be done unless you want to throw yourself away.
[He said] we are very selfish and we care a lot about ourselves as individuals, and that therapy and yoga and stuff like that is not good for the world. We should not care so much about ourselves and care more about the world.”
This guy has such a massive ego that he fears introspection. So much of his shit is projection that he’ll never realise.
It’s funny that Thiel thinks Musk is a sociopath and vice versa. They are both correct.
I‘d say that caring for yourself is an important step towards caring for others and having the strength to do so.
Hes saying that caring for oneself is the only thing that matters, that others should fend for themselves.
Thiel is a pure randian. Hes not advocating for building strength to help build up a community. Hes advocating for communities where only the strong can afford to buy into, while everyone else dies.
That reads like an Onion article
Thiel’s so high on his own supply that his brain is failing him. Any of the more recent videos of his public speaking show a many who is less and less cognizant of the world around him and more up his own asshole than any human has a right to be.
The guy was always a libertarian-flavored fascist, going back to his early Paypal days. But now that he’s fully enmeshed in the national security state with his Palantir project, he’s getting the weapon’s grade Reagan Era anti-communism directly from the firehose. That, plus the drugs and the orgies and the crazy sleepless jet-setting schedule all topped off with his flirtations in digital immortality. Dude’s brain is cooked like hamburger.
Just insane ramblings from a man that would be safely ignored if he didn’t have billions of dollars and decades of king making giving him unimaginable leverage into our nation and world.
I think Thiel is is exempt from the position of the Antichrist simply because he has zero charisma and likeability. Also, he needs to take less of whatever substance he’s taking. In every interview he looks like he’s barely restraining himself from tearing his own face off.
“I’m personally ready for horns to grow out of his head in the middle of talking,” said one attendee, who identified himself as Dick Gay. “That would be great.”
Mr. Gay, who had flown in for the event from Los Angeles and said he was one of the investors of Sperm Racing (which is an actual thing wherein men compete to see whose sperm is “fastest” under a microscope), said he attended the University of Austin, or UATX, an “anti-woke” college reportedly partially funded by Thiel, and built his career around the principles outlined in Thiel’s book “Zero to One.”
I don’t think “Dick Gay” is this man’s real name.
Same kind of vibes as the dude who killed Kirk.
What the heck is an anti woke college?
Maybe you get to sleep all day?
NGL this sounds more like some manchild spewing his beliefs than some nefarious end of the world cult dude trying to manipulate the masses. I’m sorta relieved in a way.
Thiel is a dangerous piece of trash and I’m disappointed he hasn’t… let’s say… been beamed up like kirk.
These people are insane, and Thiel is either fully pilled or a cynical grifter (or both). And going to therapy, taking time to better one’s self, those are things that allow an individual to then think about things other than themselves. Ugh, so much bullshit, and some of those in attendance I’m sure lapped it up eagerly. Despicable.
Another attendee said the talk revealed a less well-known, more scholarly side of Thiel.
I call bullshit. How can it be that we went from people like Currie and Einstein to fucktards like this, and people actually nearly worship them?
People didn’t listen to Einstein because he had money - he didn’t. He just had good ideas. People didn’t listen to Curie for her money. She had none. People only listen to Theil because he has enough money to be scary. They obviously think his ideas are fart sniffing.
I swear I’m not flaming, but what did you think TOP said?
Unpopular opinion: he is onto something…
However, he is also projecting (and yes, both can be true simultaneously). This leaves me with another question: since Thiel is not a genius AND is a son of a bitch, there must be others that have a very similar idea; creating chaos to bring “order”. Who are they?
The thing is, he seems to be setting up a future where technology and progress becomes his ultimate scapegoat.
The future he describes is where we’re headed if we continue down the path he’s leading us.
Once he becomes the centralized figure controlling all the nodes of authoritarian easy buttons he created across the globe, he will just claim that he tried to prevent it, but ultimately it’s just the inevitable result of progress. Like it was going to happen one way or another.
I wrote a very long comment about this, but essentially, dystopia is not an inevitable result of progress. That is why regulations exist. Look at the fears of dystopia following mapping of the human genome and the regulations that were created that have kept modern society from becoming Gattaca (although I know Thiel actually believes this too has led to “stagnation”).
Basically, there is the reality of what can and will happen when you cut the brake lines in a speeding car, and the fantasy of people like Thiel who believe that cutting the brakes will allow you to go much faster, and as long as he’s steering, his fantasy where the car suddenly flies instead of crashing might come true.
When it inevitably crashes he can claim it would have happened one way or the other, but at least he tried.
