This is a real thing Peter Thiel told a group of tech professionals recently.
In a four-part series of religious lectures in San Francisco, Peter Thiel — yes, that Peter Thiel — has argued that the End Times are nigh and that a biblical Antichrist — yes, that Antichrist — will come to Earth in the form of onerous government regulations placed on science, technology, and AI.
These are, incidentally, areas where the tech billionaire, venture capitalist, and cofounder of Palantir has a vested financial interest. […]
Note: source uses a two-headline system; the submission uses the shorter of the two
He is f’ing crazy and has the ear of the highest levels of government
One of the richest people in the world is nuttier than squirrel shit. What could go wrong?
So I’m like 45 hours into the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich audiobook and it’s really amazing to see how much an obviously crazy person can get away with, even when everyone around him is like, yeah, that dude is totally batshit and probably going to get us all killed, but idk, I guess we should still do what he says?
You enjoying it? I’m on the lookout for some more historical goodness. My current podcast (Revolutions, which is whopper) is nearing it’s end.
I am enjoying it. It’s fascinating. Fascistnating…
I wish I were reading it because it’s so detail-rich and I really need to take my time in some spots. Were I studying it for school, I’d certainly be intending to pore through its pages while referencing maps and portraits of its main characters. As it is, it’s fairly decent for low-stress driving.
This guy’s YT review provides a pretty summary of why it’s a worthy read (or listen). But it is 57 hours long, so quite a heavy time commitment. But definitely a book that should be mandatory for everyone on earth to read at some point.
I also highly recommend watching HBO’s Conspiracy with Kenneth Branagh, Stanely Tucci, and Colin Firth. It complements the story in Schindler’s List incredibly well.
That is a great review. Thank you. Just got it with a spare credit I had and it’ll be next up after I finish Revolutions.
I really don’t mind the time commitment. If anything I prefer longer form, more in depth stuff. Both Revolutions and The History of Rome (same podcaster, Mike Duncan) were very long and I thoroughly enjoyed both.
I highly recommend them both if you’re looking for something in the future. The History of Rome is really excellent though he takes a few episodes to hit his stride as it was his first podcast. It’s 179 episodes long and I was bummed when it was over and have listened to it twice so far.
Edit: If you haven’t seen it, The World at War is absolutely incredible. It was made in the 70s so they got interviews with some of the surviving senior Nazis which is fascinating.
I couldn’t bring myself to watch the horrors of the holocaust episode though. Just couldn’t.
I just encountered another review of Rise and Fall that’s probably worth considering. While I think it’s probably still a good idea to read/listen to Shirer’s book for cultural literacy purposes, it apparently is severely dated in its retelling of events in Germany. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7kld0l/comment/drfa12x/
New comment in case you’ve seen the previous one… Has reading that thread changed your enjoyment of the book?
I haven’t read the thread yet.
I was disappointed at first, but other comments in the thread acknowledged its shortcomings but also its place in history as a still-important work of literature. The danger is in taking it as the definitive source of information on the Third Reich. It sounds like Evans’ trilogy on the Third Reich is the much better info source while still being engaging. I guess the right answer is to go ahead and read through both, but take the Trilogy more seriously. Shirer’s work is still engaging and moving and there’s probably still a lot of value in its retelling of events from primary sources, but his analysis of the politics and economics is oversimplified and American-biased. For example, he includes a testimony from a German engineer witnessing a massacre by the SS that will probably haunt me forever in a poignant and meaningful way…the kind of way that steels my resolve to forever oppose autocratic regimes and those who support them.
Thanks for the heads up. That’s disappointing. I was excited to start it but I’m still finishing up Revolutions.
I’ll have a read of the Reddit thread in advance though.
Thanks for the recommendations! Putting them on my list.
The issue is humans are flawed from the start. We should have an instinct to, every time we hear this kind of person talk, strangle them on the spot.