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The fallout of the American Presidential election of 2016 continues, and many are concerned about what the eventual consequences will be. One potential member of a Trump administration has many more worried than not. Observe:
As Donald Trump commences his ghastly slouch toward Washington, a coterie of sycophants snatches at his coattails: Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, Chris Christie—we knew this particular trio would scurry after heightened relevance and authority. Unsurprisingly, all three have slavered their way to the president-elect's transition team, and possibly into the Cabinet. Less expected, perhaps, was billionaire PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel's recent appointment to the same advisory committee. And yet, an alliance between Trump and Thiel, however appalling, seems so fitting that hindsight renders it almost preordained.
One wonders about the temperament of the President-Elect, but even more about the basket of, um, unemployed, that swarm around him seeking positions in the new administration. Peter Thiel is well know for having bankrupted Gawker over the Hulk Hogan affair, but for personal reasons.
But Thiel did not bankroll Hogan's lawsuit in a show of fraternity. He had nurtured a grudge since December 2007, when Gawker published an article entitled, "Peter Thiel is totally gay, people." Thiel condemned Gawker for publicly outing him, though the site contended that he had already disclosed his sexuality to those in his social sphere. Although Thiel referred to Gawker as "a singularly terrible bully," he did not pursue legal action. Instead, his rancor smoldered until, nine years later, he landed a belated—but fatal—blow.
What might such vindictiveness accomplish with more than millions of dollars, but the full faith and credit of the United States, if it sought to silence criticism, whistle-blowing, truth-telling and journalism? Should Soylentils be worried?
(Score: 2) by n1 on Monday November 21 2016, @12:19AM
I'd like to bring you back to something you said [soylentnews.org] a few months ago regarding Thiel and what he said about the importance of facebook.
Thiel was there at the start of facebook, helping it on the way to what it is today.
From an article I posted previously about the man:
The Guardian [theguardian.com]
By all means, support Trump as president, but don't become a cheerleader for hypocrisy and ignorant policy decisions like the Obama supporters have for the last 8 years.
(Score: 2) by wisnoskij on Monday November 21 2016, @12:37AM
That Guardian article... It's not an interview, but it appears to be the first and only source for that quote. Everyone else lists it as the source, but all The Guardian says is that he said it as one point. Seems pretty sketchy to me.
(Score: 3, Informative) by n1 on Monday November 21 2016, @01:25AM
Here are some quotes that are from an article he wrote himself [cato-unbound.org] which to me paint a similar picture as the quote from The Guardian.
Make of it what you will, but Thiel is very much his own man with his own agenda, and i'd bet he's a lot smarter than Trump, with more of a vision too. He was working on big data with CIA funding back in 2003 and then helped fund facebook in 2004. He's also on the steering committee and the 'nothing to see here' Bilderberg Group.
He certainly has the capacity to be a great thing for the country if he finds himself in a position of power in government. But I fear that he, the same as trump will enrich themselves first, and just work on that technology to make capitalism free from democracy if they have time.
(Score: 2) by arslan on Monday November 21 2016, @02:44AM
But I fear that he, the same as trump will enrich themselves first, and just work on that technology to make capitalism free from democracy if they have time.
Right... and HRC and all the other career politicos are honest folks that don't/aren't enriching themselves, in some shape or form, first? Just curious, are you really that naive?
For the record, I have no doubt Trump have some very bad characteristic that he brings to the table, a bunch of others that are as bad as other career politicians/HRC, but he also brings something new to it. It remains to be seen how much he can deliver.
And no, I don't believe he is Hitler or will bring on the apocalypse
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday November 21 2016, @04:34AM
I have to thank you for bringing some intelligence to this "conversation". My reaction was to a Hillary supporter bemoaning the total loss of freedom in the next few years. Poster supplied no evidence whatsoever, instead resorting to meaningless insults. Coterie of sycophants? Like, his chosen party lacks it's own coterie?
Thiel isn't anyone I want to support - Trump isn't anyone I want to support for that matter. But, when our alt-left starts whining and crying about America's choices, I can't help rubbing it in a little.
The real problem here is, how will congress and the senate shape up? Are they all going to toe the line, and go along with the administration? We see evidence that isn't going to happen. But, then again, maybe. Congress hasn't been doing a very effective job for the past 50 years. When lobbyists wave money under their noses, most congress critters buckle. The senate is only slightly better than congress.
We're pretty much back to the starting point in politics. Anyone who seeks political power is unqualified to hold political power.
But, let me gloat a little more. Our new administration WILL NOT BE DEMOCRAT!! All the doom-sayers from the alt-left can just suck it!
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 21 2016, @12:23PM
You could take the moral high ground and just not respond?
Trump is a fucking clown, but a vote for Clinton was a vote for the status quo and people have had enough of that, which is why she should never have been a candidate. It didn't help that she appears to view herself as the only one worthy of being President, the only right and true choice. Nobody likes self-proclaimed princelings.
We have that idiocy in the Labour Party at the moment: the loudest voices against the current leader - who, despite his problems, has brought a huge bunch of new, paying members to the party - are those from an established dynasty, the likes of Hilary (son of Tony) Benn and Stephen (son of Neil) Kinnock. This is particularly galling in the case of the latter as Neil Kinnock was an unadulterated failure as an opposition leader. Also in evidence is the nastiest back-stabbing of the old-school trades unions, beautifully displayed by Tom Watson like the tail on a peacock; thankfully he is also as woefully inept as those nasty, back-stabbing old-school trades unionists tend to be.
I just looked-up 'princelings' on Wikipedia. It's more apt than I thought for the Labour Party.
(Score: 1) by i286NiNJA on Monday November 21 2016, @07:09PM
Trump supporters elected a freak of nature for acting like a barroom loudmouth.
Then they got excited when he changed as soon as he was elected??? Like why would you vote for someone and get excited that he's fake?
Now he's appointed a bunch of the kinds of people he said he was fighting. Their qualifications seem to be less important than loyalty or previous dicksucking. Trump already sacrificed 2 prior allies to show he will fuck you if you cross him. He's going to make mattis secdef in an effort to pander to vets. Except he doesn't know that mattis won't put up with his bullshit.
Trump supporters have already exceeded the amount of doublethink coming out of even the most confused obama voter.