> JON TESTER: You know, a perception is reality in Washington, D.C. and in politics in general. But the fact is that I think Palantir's got a good story to tell, and they need to tell it. And hopefully folks will be receptive to it.
These people are a cancer.
mentalgear 8 minutes ago [-]
Propaganda (renamed 'PR' in the 50s), media distractions, political lobbying. Illegitimate power-seeking individuals and organizations always use the same toolkit.
The only permanent remedy is to outright ban those - or better: mandatory transparency into what politicians spend how much time with whom, where money streams come from and go out of organizations, etc, etc. All transparent in a public ledger. (and no: it is not 'anti-competitive' if it's the same regulatory landscape for everybody, but a way to safe-guard the government permanently from corruption). Of course if you there are ideas that would complete this or are truly overall better, feel free to throw them in the comments hat.
criddell 3 minutes ago [-]
[delayed]
CodingJeebus 24 minutes ago [-]
> During his 18 years in the Senate, Tester was an outspoken critic of the PATRIOT Act that passed shortly after the 9/11 attacks that expanded the Justice Department's surveillance powers. When asked whether his concerns over government surveillance remain and whether he has the same concerns with his new employer, Tester said Palantir is different and that the company doesn't build "big databases" or trade in private data.
That is literally what Palantir does.
> "I wanted to do away with the Patriot Act because it was about privacy," Tester said. "It was about making sure that I am not being watched by anybody, including Big Brother. And by the way, I've talked to many people within Palantir. They believe the same way I do. This is an organization that believes in privacy."
Congress is full of these people. Forget party affiliation, this is as broad as it is systemic. Talk a big game in office, develop your network and have a cushy job waiting for you once you leave where you make millions calling your friends who are still in office. All while saying that it's not lobbying with a straight face.
graemep 13 minutes ago [-]
Its not just the US either. Meta hired a former British deputy Prime Minister and leader (Nick Clegg) and it happens everywhere.
I think what is needed is restrictions on jobs people can do after leaving public office.
spacebanana7 3 minutes ago [-]
Such rules have to be marketable to people in public office in order to be enacted. One way might be to have a congressional alumni committee with very high salaries and strict rules on donations (this strictness could be sold as a way to prevent alumni officials from competing against the power of active officials).
Even if it cost a few hundred million a year in do nothing salaries, it'd help the integrity of multi trillion dollar budgets.
The British House of Lords sort of used to work this way until the stigma of aristocrats being involved in commercial/social activities faded.
hydrogen7800 8 minutes ago [-]
If I have to sign a non-compete agreement in the private sector, it seems very reasonable to have a similar restriction for public employees.
ToucanLoucan 16 minutes ago [-]
I genuinely think we need some kind of restrictions on free speech for representatives in/formerly in government, because the fact that our politicians can lie this blatantly is as disgusting as it is anti-democracy. It's no wonder 1/3 of our electorate is completely fucking detached from reality.
And the complicity of the media here is also fucking disgusting. A former senator getting a job at Violating Privacy Inc. after opposing the Violating Your Privacy law, Jesus fuck.
skinfaxi 7 minutes ago [-]
No, we need more of these people getting into car accidents.
npc99 29 minutes ago [-]
Really disappointed in Tester about this
arandomhuman 24 minutes ago [-]
“They (palantir) have a story to tell”, what a shameless sleezeball.
jdb9001 18 minutes ago [-]
"oh boy! i sure hope this democratic congress will be less hawkish and pro surveillance than the republican one!"
this democrat congress:
pjc50 8 minutes ago [-]
The more leftwing ones are much less likely to fall for this. But they have had to fight some of the "democrat blob" along the way (e.g. the Hayley Stevens meltdown).
smallmancontrov 9 minutes ago [-]
The bar is on the floor. To be less hawkish than every Republican this decade/century/millenium, Democrats just have to avoid starting a forever war. That's it.
webdoodle 1 minutes ago [-]
That's not entirely true. They just have to fail at stopping the forever wars, so they can play the victim card and say "I tried! If only you'd given me more money, I could have done it."
dumberquestions 5 minutes ago [-]
Palantir really loves hiring former public office holders, must've happened at least a dozen times across US and UK by now.
ferguess_k 14 minutes ago [-]
Time to pay the protection fee buddy buddy!
pjc50 10 minutes ago [-]
See also Dame Cressida Dick, former Metropolitan Police commissioner, who's been hired to sell surveillance to the UK.
sirtaj 5 minutes ago [-]
And now: "President Donald Trump has nominated Palantir security chief Michael LoSapio to lead CISA, putting an executive from the controversial government supplier in line to run America's civilian cyber defense agency"
Fox is CEO of the henhouse. It's cartoonish, nobody seems to care at all any more about looking remotely ethical.
webdoodle 4 minutes ago [-]
The 'Democrats' in Montana are the worst sort. They pretend to support the people, but then slow walk anything the people actually want, leading to accidentally fall short at the last minute. Then after they've spent 18 years in the Senate doing this, they get rewarded for their incompetence, by the people who had the most to gain from it.
Steve Bullock did the same thing when he rode out his last term. He became the head of the largest Democrat Dark Money SuperPac.
The Bankhead/Bodnar race was a complete clown show too, designed to split the vote to ensure Alme won. Watch where Bodnar and Bankhead reappear later, I'm sure they'll magically land in places with money and power.
tencentshill 26 minutes ago [-]
I mean... they've been around for 20+ years, they know exactly how to play this game.
Rendered at 16:46:27 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) with Vercel.
These people are a cancer.
The only permanent remedy is to outright ban those - or better: mandatory transparency into what politicians spend how much time with whom, where money streams come from and go out of organizations, etc, etc. All transparent in a public ledger. (and no: it is not 'anti-competitive' if it's the same regulatory landscape for everybody, but a way to safe-guard the government permanently from corruption). Of course if you there are ideas that would complete this or are truly overall better, feel free to throw them in the comments hat.
That is literally what Palantir does.
> "I wanted to do away with the Patriot Act because it was about privacy," Tester said. "It was about making sure that I am not being watched by anybody, including Big Brother. And by the way, I've talked to many people within Palantir. They believe the same way I do. This is an organization that believes in privacy."
Congress is full of these people. Forget party affiliation, this is as broad as it is systemic. Talk a big game in office, develop your network and have a cushy job waiting for you once you leave where you make millions calling your friends who are still in office. All while saying that it's not lobbying with a straight face.
I think what is needed is restrictions on jobs people can do after leaving public office.
Even if it cost a few hundred million a year in do nothing salaries, it'd help the integrity of multi trillion dollar budgets.
The British House of Lords sort of used to work this way until the stigma of aristocrats being involved in commercial/social activities faded.
And the complicity of the media here is also fucking disgusting. A former senator getting a job at Violating Privacy Inc. after opposing the Violating Your Privacy law, Jesus fuck.
this democrat congress:
Fox is CEO of the henhouse. It's cartoonish, nobody seems to care at all any more about looking remotely ethical.
Steve Bullock did the same thing when he rode out his last term. He became the head of the largest Democrat Dark Money SuperPac.
The Bankhead/Bodnar race was a complete clown show too, designed to split the vote to ensure Alme won. Watch where Bodnar and Bankhead reappear later, I'm sure they'll magically land in places with money and power.