Just rewatched Lord of the Rings.
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Just rewatched Lord of the Rings. I'd forgotten that Sauron's seeing-stone is called Palantir. So, democracy-sceptic, demon-believing Peter Thiel names his company (and models its logo?) after a device that allows an all-seeing evil eye to "broadcast propaganda" and control what people can and can't see in the service of malevolence... And the UK gov thought: "Yes, let's hire that company to look after our defence, policing, financial and health systems"?
https://www.reuters.com/technology/uk-lawmakers-call-palantirs-role-public-sector-an-unacceptable-weakness-2026-06-02/They say 'Evil people don't know they're Evil' but I have my doubts.
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@Colman @Pynoh @Richard_Littler I think the lesson Tolkien was going for was “there’s no incorruptible all-seeing-eye-technology so don’t pursue it”.
@CynAq @Colman @Pynoh @Richard_Littler
I think the lesson is that the making of the world was corrupted at the start, and it is EVERYONE's job to fix what they can, with what they have, whereever they are. That should be your purpose in life.
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
-- Gandalf -
Just rewatched Lord of the Rings. I'd forgotten that Sauron's seeing-stone is called Palantir. So, democracy-sceptic, demon-believing Peter Thiel names his company (and models its logo?) after a device that allows an all-seeing evil eye to "broadcast propaganda" and control what people can and can't see in the service of malevolence... And the UK gov thought: "Yes, let's hire that company to look after our defence, policing, financial and health systems"?
https://www.reuters.com/technology/uk-lawmakers-call-palantirs-role-public-sector-an-unacceptable-weakness-2026-06-02/@Richard_Littler To correct or probably more to nerd out here: the Palantír where corrupted by Sauron. While I looked up the term it came to mind that there's Palantir the company, but there is also Palantír the orb.
Effectively the reptile acted like Sauron by abusing the use of an existing in itself neutral technology. -
@Richard_Littler I've started calling him Sauron.
@VerenaRupp @Richard_Littler That would be an insult to Sauron.
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@VerenaRupp @Richard_Littler That would be an insult to Sauron.
@thaodan @Richard_Littler But that name literally means "abhorrent".
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@epistomai @Sempf @Richard_Littler
i don't follow you
who are you talking about?
are you referring to Tom Marvolo Riddle?
i don't see any connection
(/s)
@benroyce @Sempf @Richard_Littler it's a fan/nerd joke. Palantir is from lord of the rings' lore, Voldemort from Harry Potter. Voldemort could speak with serpents, and shaped as a viper kinda monster.
I'm only fan of Tolkien
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Just rewatched Lord of the Rings. I'd forgotten that Sauron's seeing-stone is called Palantir. So, democracy-sceptic, demon-believing Peter Thiel names his company (and models its logo?) after a device that allows an all-seeing evil eye to "broadcast propaganda" and control what people can and can't see in the service of malevolence... And the UK gov thought: "Yes, let's hire that company to look after our defence, policing, financial and health systems"?
https://www.reuters.com/technology/uk-lawmakers-call-palantirs-role-public-sector-an-unacceptable-weakness-2026-06-02/@Richard_Littler Gotta go for that Britch Mythological Pride, y'know. Surely that is not hurbis that will come back and bite them
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@benroyce @Sempf @Richard_Littler it's a fan/nerd joke. Palantir is from lord of the rings' lore, Voldemort from Harry Potter. Voldemort could speak with serpents, and shaped as a viper kinda monster.
I'm only fan of Tolkien
@epistomai @Sempf @Richard_Littler
oh yes i got you
the (/s) denotes sarcasm, i was playing stupid
i mean, i'm also genuinely stupid, but i was also playing stupid
(/s)
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@epistomai @Sempf @Richard_Littler
oh yes i got you
the (/s) denotes sarcasm, i was playing stupid
i mean, i'm also genuinely stupid, but i was also playing stupid
(/s)
@benroyce @Sempf @Richard_Littler my bad, didn't read the rest
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Just rewatched Lord of the Rings. I'd forgotten that Sauron's seeing-stone is called Palantir. So, democracy-sceptic, demon-believing Peter Thiel names his company (and models its logo?) after a device that allows an all-seeing evil eye to "broadcast propaganda" and control what people can and can't see in the service of malevolence... And the UK gov thought: "Yes, let's hire that company to look after our defence, policing, financial and health systems"?
https://www.reuters.com/technology/uk-lawmakers-call-palantirs-role-public-sector-an-unacceptable-weakness-2026-06-02/@Richard_Littler Last summer, Current Affairs did a pretty good rundown of this whole weird obsession these guys have with willfully misunderstanding LoTR.
How the Right Abuses Tolkien
For Peter Thiel, JD Vance, and other figures on today’s far right, the works of J.R.R. Tolkien have become a cultural touchstone. Pity they don’t understand the first thing about them.
(www.currentaffairs.org)
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@thaodan @Richard_Littler But that name literally means "abhorrent".
@VerenaRupp @Richard_Littler It does but it doesn't give Sauron enough credit as Sauron i seems to be more cunning and intelligent then whatever Herr Thiel is.
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Just rewatched Lord of the Rings. I'd forgotten that Sauron's seeing-stone is called Palantir. So, democracy-sceptic, demon-believing Peter Thiel names his company (and models its logo?) after a device that allows an all-seeing evil eye to "broadcast propaganda" and control what people can and can't see in the service of malevolence... And the UK gov thought: "Yes, let's hire that company to look after our defence, policing, financial and health systems"?
https://www.reuters.com/technology/uk-lawmakers-call-palantirs-role-public-sector-an-unacceptable-weakness-2026-06-02/@Richard_Littler Good call. They're not even pretending, are they? FFS...
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@Richard_Littler Last summer, Current Affairs did a pretty good rundown of this whole weird obsession these guys have with willfully misunderstanding LoTR.
How the Right Abuses Tolkien
For Peter Thiel, JD Vance, and other figures on today’s far right, the works of J.R.R. Tolkien have become a cultural touchstone. Pity they don’t understand the first thing about them.
(www.currentaffairs.org)
@kristenhg @Richard_Littler its their new Bible
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Just rewatched Lord of the Rings. I'd forgotten that Sauron's seeing-stone is called Palantir. So, democracy-sceptic, demon-believing Peter Thiel names his company (and models its logo?) after a device that allows an all-seeing evil eye to "broadcast propaganda" and control what people can and can't see in the service of malevolence... And the UK gov thought: "Yes, let's hire that company to look after our defence, policing, financial and health systems"?
https://www.reuters.com/technology/uk-lawmakers-call-palantirs-role-public-sector-an-unacceptable-weakness-2026-06-02/@Richard_Littler people are allergic to drawing conclusions
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we need some hobbits
@benroyce @Richard_Littler a lot more…. And a lot of guillotines.
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@CynAq @Colman @Pynoh @Richard_Littler
I think the lesson is that the making of the world was corrupted at the start, and it is EVERYONE's job to fix what they can, with what they have, whereever they are. That should be your purpose in life.
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."
-- GandalfSorry, I should’ve remembered that individual story elements can’t have lessons or meanings worth talking about and only the overall, distilled message of the whole novel has value.
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Just rewatched Lord of the Rings. I'd forgotten that Sauron's seeing-stone is called Palantir. So, democracy-sceptic, demon-believing Peter Thiel names his company (and models its logo?) after a device that allows an all-seeing evil eye to "broadcast propaganda" and control what people can and can't see in the service of malevolence... And the UK gov thought: "Yes, let's hire that company to look after our defence, policing, financial and health systems"?
https://www.reuters.com/technology/uk-lawmakers-call-palantirs-role-public-sector-an-unacceptable-weakness-2026-06-02/@Richard_Littler it blows my mind how loudly they're screaming what they're about, and still just keep chugging right along.
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Sorry, I should’ve remembered that individual story elements can’t have lessons or meanings worth talking about and only the overall, distilled message of the whole novel has value.
Have a great day. No matter what occurs.
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Just rewatched Lord of the Rings. I'd forgotten that Sauron's seeing-stone is called Palantir. So, democracy-sceptic, demon-believing Peter Thiel names his company (and models its logo?) after a device that allows an all-seeing evil eye to "broadcast propaganda" and control what people can and can't see in the service of malevolence... And the UK gov thought: "Yes, let's hire that company to look after our defence, policing, financial and health systems"?
https://www.reuters.com/technology/uk-lawmakers-call-palantirs-role-public-sector-an-unacceptable-weakness-2026-06-02/@Richard_Littler western countries slowly stop pretenting that they are democratic and reveal themselves as facist
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@Colman @Pynoh @Richard_Littler I think the lesson Tolkien was going for was “there’s no incorruptible all-seeing-eye-technology so don’t pursue it”.
@CynAq @Colman @Pynoh @Richard_Littler Finally we can build the corrupt all-seeing eye from the "Don't Build The Corrupt All-Seeing Eye" novel!
