There is a somewhat simpler, though perhaps more diabolical, possibility: among us is an obvious Antichrist that has not (yet) been clearly identified as such—at least by those most likely to subscribe to such an idea. According to Perplexity, the Antichrist's features are:
Blasphemous self-exaltation, deceptive authority, political and military dominance, religious corruption, persecution of believers, lawlessness and moral inversion, and something about a reign of 3.5 years before being annihilated by Christ's return.
Taken as literally true, one doesn't have to look far to see a single individual who embodies all, or nearly all, these qualities. Indeed, perhaps the Antichrist archetype itself exists as an inoculant of sorts against the demagoguery that all societies can succumb to, to the wielder of a narrative power so shameless that it obliterates cautious reason and common sense.
So, Thiel's cynical ploy is to pin the Antichrist onto a vague left-coded egregore to prevent this niche from being filled by someone he'd prefer stay more popular and powerful.
>We need better coordination mechanisms and much more robust collective epistemology—epistemic hygiene to inoculate ourselves against these sophisticated strategic narratives. Because if we can’t distinguish signal from noise in the age of existential risk, we’re finished—and it won’t matter whether it was a psyop or insanity that got us there.<
Maybe 15 years ago I read about Thiel paying some kid to NOT go to Stanford but instead try a startup. Universities are a Bad Thing, Thiel wanted to say. And yet: he had been at Stanford for what? 10 years himself? This was alarming and this psychopath has been on my radar ever since. That he's playing the fascist xtians now...Hoo boy. Then he had Gawker ruined because they dared to out his homosexuality. This could be genocidal. A one-man existential threat.
I suspect the origin of this loss of robust collective epistemology began early in the 20th century, when, we were never supposed to have a state religion - Christianity - but it became one anyway. And to this day: "Do you really believe we came from apes?" That was the failure's origins.
But, thanks for this hyper-intelligent analysis of the Thiel phenomenon. My analysis looks almost stupid compared to yours (I had to look up Schelling Point): He saw Trump win by aggregating coalitions who vote in blocks, an idea I saw fleshed out compellingly in Smith and Mesquita's Dictator's Handbook. And that huge block that voted for Trump - evangelicals - could put Thiel over the top if he just appealed to them.
The entire gambit looks insane to me from the outside, and I thank you for addressing my gobsmacked feeling seeing this billionaire pile one hypocrisy and self-serving game atop another. To me, it looks like a scenario from a bad science fiction novel that never gets published. Or, aye: a PsyOp.
I confess to being chilled by an offhand remark Thiel made to Douthat: the hippies all became "Charles Manson": I see this through a Protocols lens: if Greta Thunberg is evil, then I'm under a huge tent. Thiel sees larges swaths of humanity as obstacles to be eliminated. But I really do think this POS would like a mandate to murder massively...'cuz Technology Must Forge Ahead w/o any questions. And why not capture the endorsement of the fascist Xtians? That's a large number.
Such a smart, cogent set of angles on Thiel here, Jim. Thanks!
Putting Thiel's peculiar rabbit-hole aside, the billionaire class has observed that our epistemic breakdown has regressed society to a place where the feudalistic, mob-boss strategy can win. In their calculation, the game that brought prosperity to the masses is over. So better to defect than futilely cooperate with an apparently-defunct system of inclusive decision-making processes.
Really good article, fantastic points, thank you. But I disagree just slightly with the type of irony this is.
In my latest substack article I explain the difference between the Antichrist and The Beast from Revelation.
The terrible irony is that Thiel represents the beast of revelation more than the antichrist, but by partnering with Acts 17 collective to give his speech, he is also taking on the antichrist archetype as well (pretense and nice guy BS).
I So miss our talks of long ago Jim, this post proves why. I have been following your Podcasts on LinkedIn, but Substack is a much better venue. This post is the 'root cause' problem that is bigger than the conspiracy theories with what is going on right now. But conspiracy theories are easier for the human mind to deal with.
There is a somewhat simpler, though perhaps more diabolical, possibility: among us is an obvious Antichrist that has not (yet) been clearly identified as such—at least by those most likely to subscribe to such an idea. According to Perplexity, the Antichrist's features are:
Blasphemous self-exaltation, deceptive authority, political and military dominance, religious corruption, persecution of believers, lawlessness and moral inversion, and something about a reign of 3.5 years before being annihilated by Christ's return.
Taken as literally true, one doesn't have to look far to see a single individual who embodies all, or nearly all, these qualities. Indeed, perhaps the Antichrist archetype itself exists as an inoculant of sorts against the demagoguery that all societies can succumb to, to the wielder of a narrative power so shameless that it obliterates cautious reason and common sense.
So, Thiel's cynical ploy is to pin the Antichrist onto a vague left-coded egregore to prevent this niche from being filled by someone he'd prefer stay more popular and powerful.
Jim Rutt wrote:
>We need better coordination mechanisms and much more robust collective epistemology—epistemic hygiene to inoculate ourselves against these sophisticated strategic narratives. Because if we can’t distinguish signal from noise in the age of existential risk, we’re finished—and it won’t matter whether it was a psyop or insanity that got us there.<
Maybe 15 years ago I read about Thiel paying some kid to NOT go to Stanford but instead try a startup. Universities are a Bad Thing, Thiel wanted to say. And yet: he had been at Stanford for what? 10 years himself? This was alarming and this psychopath has been on my radar ever since. That he's playing the fascist xtians now...Hoo boy. Then he had Gawker ruined because they dared to out his homosexuality. This could be genocidal. A one-man existential threat.
I suspect the origin of this loss of robust collective epistemology began early in the 20th century, when, we were never supposed to have a state religion - Christianity - but it became one anyway. And to this day: "Do you really believe we came from apes?" That was the failure's origins.
But, thanks for this hyper-intelligent analysis of the Thiel phenomenon. My analysis looks almost stupid compared to yours (I had to look up Schelling Point): He saw Trump win by aggregating coalitions who vote in blocks, an idea I saw fleshed out compellingly in Smith and Mesquita's Dictator's Handbook. And that huge block that voted for Trump - evangelicals - could put Thiel over the top if he just appealed to them.
The entire gambit looks insane to me from the outside, and I thank you for addressing my gobsmacked feeling seeing this billionaire pile one hypocrisy and self-serving game atop another. To me, it looks like a scenario from a bad science fiction novel that never gets published. Or, aye: a PsyOp.
I confess to being chilled by an offhand remark Thiel made to Douthat: the hippies all became "Charles Manson": I see this through a Protocols lens: if Greta Thunberg is evil, then I'm under a huge tent. Thiel sees larges swaths of humanity as obstacles to be eliminated. But I really do think this POS would like a mandate to murder massively...'cuz Technology Must Forge Ahead w/o any questions. And why not capture the endorsement of the fascist Xtians? That's a large number.
Such a smart, cogent set of angles on Thiel here, Jim. Thanks!
Thiel has a realistic chance to become the world dictator actually.
Thanks for putting him on my map of eager servants of Moloch, hypnotized by Mammon.
Thank you for this brilliant essay!
Here's a simpler take, that you touch on.
Putting Thiel's peculiar rabbit-hole aside, the billionaire class has observed that our epistemic breakdown has regressed society to a place where the feudalistic, mob-boss strategy can win. In their calculation, the game that brought prosperity to the masses is over. So better to defect than futilely cooperate with an apparently-defunct system of inclusive decision-making processes.
Really good article, fantastic points, thank you. But I disagree just slightly with the type of irony this is.
In my latest substack article I explain the difference between the Antichrist and The Beast from Revelation.
The terrible irony is that Thiel represents the beast of revelation more than the antichrist, but by partnering with Acts 17 collective to give his speech, he is also taking on the antichrist archetype as well (pretense and nice guy BS).
I So miss our talks of long ago Jim, this post proves why. I have been following your Podcasts on LinkedIn, but Substack is a much better venue. This post is the 'root cause' problem that is bigger than the conspiracy theories with what is going on right now. But conspiracy theories are easier for the human mind to deal with.