Palantir in the news
https://thefederalist.com/2019/06/07/lets-evaluate-palantirs-berkeley-dust-tolkiens-lens/
Let’s Evaluate Palantir’s Berkeley Dust-Up Through Tolkien’s Lens
(Excerpt)
By causing a dust-up at the University of California, Berkeley, Palantir Technologies has earned the ultimate badge of honor. More than 140 “academics” have signed a statement asking the university to drop Palantir as the sponsor of the annual Privacy Law Scholars Conference, citing the company’s contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and its alleged complicity in “family separation.” As of Wednesday, those efforts were successful.
Palantir, a Silicon Valley data analytics firm, is expected go public next year, and boasts one of the highest valuations in technology—as much as $40 billion by some estimates. Perhaps most fascinating is its connection to J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings,” the book from which Palantir derives its name. Indeed, Tolkien’s legacy may be far more powerful than any of his mystical creatures, as his influence lurks in our culture, politics, and even the realm of cyber security.
Palantir was founded by Peter Thiel, a man viewed by many as a wizard for waging war against Gawker and political correctness. Thiel read Tolkien obsessively as a child, encountering the story of the Palantir through Frodo Baggins, a hobbit, as he embarks on his epic journey with help from Gandalf, a boss wizard, and Galadriel, a resolute lady elf.
The Palantir in “Lord of the Rings” is a crystal ball that can be used to see into the future or communicate through time and space. Tolkien characters and references run throughout the company: “Save the Shire” is an internal Palantir tagline, and the company’s annual gathering is called “HobbitCon.”
This may seem kooky, but the company’s work is deadly serious. Palantir counts some of the biggest government agencies and private companies as its customers with its team of the deftest engineers and data analysts in the world. Like the crystal ball, Palantir can not only track data, but use data to predict behavior, raising red flags among civil liberty watch dogs.
The enigma was heightened when it was reported that Palantir was used to hunt Osama Bin Laden.
“A palantir is a dangerous tool,” warns Gandalf. “Why? Why should we fear to use it?” he is asked. “They are not all accounted for, the lost Seeing-stones. We do not know who else may be watching.”
As illustrated by its enemies at Berkeley, Palantir’s “seeing stones” are perceived as evil by a wide variety of left-wing entities, especially as it is used by ICE to round up illegal immigrants at the border.
What’s not exactly explained in the movies is that Sauron had the other Palantir but more importantly that this is why Denethor gave up all hope, Denethor had a Palantir too and Sauron influenced him through it. The same exact thing happened to Saruman. Repeated uses of the Palantir with Sauron destroyed them in the end.
-SB
Re Palantir:
Enjoyable read... if the left is against it, it must be good.
Thiel has been on our list as a possible member of Q team.
p
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