[1/2] The Technological Republic: Hard Power, Soft Belief, and the Future of the West (Technological republic. Hard Power, Soft Faith, and the Future of the West) (Category Economics)
Read an interesting book by Alexander Karp and Nicholas Zamiski from the company Palantir The future of the West. To understand the context of the book, you need to know about Palantir Technologies, the company that Alexander Karp has created. (co-author) founded 2003 He worked with Peter Thiel and several Stanford graduates. The name Palantir is borrowed from Tolkein: palantirs are “seeing stones” that allow you to observe from a distance. (||The company specializes in big data analysis and intelligence analytics for intelligence agencies||). Palantir was created from the very beginning with the active participation of the CIA and other US intelligence agencies, which became its first customers. The capitalization of the company is 420+ billion dollars.
In political terms, Karp defined himself as a progressive socialist who spent his life voting for the Democrats and donating large sums to support them. At the same time, he became a co-founder of a company closely associated with the US military and intelligence agencies, and a staunch supporter of strengthening the defense of the West. This peculiar combination of beliefs makes Karp an atypical figure for Silicon Valley. Karp openly declares that Palantir is a project in defense of democracy, and he sees strengthening the military capabilities of the United States and allies as a means of ensuring freedom.
If we talk about the main ideas of the book, then they can be summed up to the following:
- Silicon Valley has lost its public good landmark
- History Lesson: The Union of Technology and the State Did Great Things (The Manhattan Project and Apollo Project)
- The West’s Soft Faith: Loss of Common Beliefs and Goals
- The Liberal Consensus Needs to Be Revised: Belief in Free Markets, Globalization, and Tolerance
- The Technological Republic: How Technology Can Save, Not Kill, Democracy
Continuation here.
#History #Economics #Future