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Should Humanity Continue? Glenn Reacts to Thiel Interview [20:56 | JUL 05 2025 | Glenn Greenwald]

Technology
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  • cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/32525534

    SponsorBlock and Generated Summary below:


    SponsorBlock:

    1. 0:00.000 - 0:06.150 Intermission
    2. 18:43.000 - 20:56.301 Unpaid/Self Promotion

    Video Description:

    This is a clip from our show SYSTEM UPDATE, now airing every weeknight at 7pm ET on Rumble. You can watch the full episode for FREE here: https://rumble.com/v6vontt-system-update-show-481.html

    Now available as a podcast! Find full episodes here: https://linktr.ee/systemupdate_

    Join us LIVE on Rumble, weeknights at 7pm ET: https://rumble.com/c/GGreenwald

    Become part of our Locals community: https://greenwald.locals.com/


    Generated Summary:

    Main Topic: The video discusses Peter Thiel's interview where he hesitates when asked if the human race should continue, and Glenn's reaction to Thiel's views on transhumanism, AI, and the potential dangers of unchecked billionaire influence.

    Key Points:

    • Thiel's Hesitation: The video starts by referencing Peter Thiel's interview where he seemed uncertain about whether humanity should continue.
    • Transhumanism and AI: The discussion explores the transhumanist philosophy prevalent in Silicon Valley, focusing on merging humans with technology and AI, as exemplified by Mark Zuckerberg's vision of brain implants.
    • Autism and Conformity: Glenn discusses Thiel's perspective on autism, suggesting that it can provide a detachment from societal norms, fostering innovation.
    • Billionaire Culture: A significant portion of the video critiques the culture of Silicon Valley billionaires, arguing that their wealth and power, combined with constant flattery, can lead to detachment from reality, dangerous levels of self-confidence, and utopian/dystopian visions for society.
    • Essentialism vs. Nihilism: The video touches on the philosophical implications of transhumanism, contrasting it with essentialist views of humanity and raising concerns about the potential destruction of what it means to be human.
    • Lack of Debate: Glenn expresses concern about the lack of societal debate and safeguards surrounding the rapid advancement of AI, driven by billionaires with unchecked power.

    Highlights:

    • Glenn's concern about billionaires' ability to reshape society without proper debate due to their wealth and perceived brilliance.
    • The discussion of Thiel's autism and how it might influence his unconventional thinking.
    • The comparison of mind-altering drugs to autism as a means of achieving transcendent thought.
    • The critique of Mark Zuckerberg's vision of brain implants and the potential implications for humanity.

    About Channel:

    Independent, Unencumbered Analysis and Investigative Reporting, Captive to No Dogma or Faction.

  • cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/32525534

    SponsorBlock and Generated Summary below:


    SponsorBlock:

    1. 0:00.000 - 0:06.150 Intermission
    2. 18:43.000 - 20:56.301 Unpaid/Self Promotion

    Video Description:

    This is a clip from our show SYSTEM UPDATE, now airing every weeknight at 7pm ET on Rumble. You can watch the full episode for FREE here: https://rumble.com/v6vontt-system-update-show-481.html

    Now available as a podcast! Find full episodes here: https://linktr.ee/systemupdate_

    Join us LIVE on Rumble, weeknights at 7pm ET: https://rumble.com/c/GGreenwald

    Become part of our Locals community: https://greenwald.locals.com/


    Generated Summary:

    Main Topic: The video discusses Peter Thiel's interview where he hesitates when asked if the human race should continue, and Glenn's reaction to Thiel's views on transhumanism, AI, and the potential dangers of unchecked billionaire influence.

    Key Points:

    • Thiel's Hesitation: The video starts by referencing Peter Thiel's interview where he seemed uncertain about whether humanity should continue.
    • Transhumanism and AI: The discussion explores the transhumanist philosophy prevalent in Silicon Valley, focusing on merging humans with technology and AI, as exemplified by Mark Zuckerberg's vision of brain implants.
    • Autism and Conformity: Glenn discusses Thiel's perspective on autism, suggesting that it can provide a detachment from societal norms, fostering innovation.
    • Billionaire Culture: A significant portion of the video critiques the culture of Silicon Valley billionaires, arguing that their wealth and power, combined with constant flattery, can lead to detachment from reality, dangerous levels of self-confidence, and utopian/dystopian visions for society.
    • Essentialism vs. Nihilism: The video touches on the philosophical implications of transhumanism, contrasting it with essentialist views of humanity and raising concerns about the potential destruction of what it means to be human.
    • Lack of Debate: Glenn expresses concern about the lack of societal debate and safeguards surrounding the rapid advancement of AI, driven by billionaires with unchecked power.

    Highlights:

    • Glenn's concern about billionaires' ability to reshape society without proper debate due to their wealth and perceived brilliance.
    • The discussion of Thiel's autism and how it might influence his unconventional thinking.
    • The comparison of mind-altering drugs to autism as a means of achieving transcendent thought.
    • The critique of Mark Zuckerberg's vision of brain implants and the potential implications for humanity.

    About Channel:

    Independent, Unencumbered Analysis and Investigative Reporting, Captive to No Dogma or Faction.

    We really need to think about banning certain people from the Fediverse.

    Get fucked, you Fascist-kink clown.

    I will kink shame for this.

  • cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/32525534

    SponsorBlock and Generated Summary below:


    SponsorBlock:

    1. 0:00.000 - 0:06.150 Intermission
    2. 18:43.000 - 20:56.301 Unpaid/Self Promotion

    Video Description:

    This is a clip from our show SYSTEM UPDATE, now airing every weeknight at 7pm ET on Rumble. You can watch the full episode for FREE here: https://rumble.com/v6vontt-system-update-show-481.html

    Now available as a podcast! Find full episodes here: https://linktr.ee/systemupdate_

    Join us LIVE on Rumble, weeknights at 7pm ET: https://rumble.com/c/GGreenwald

    Become part of our Locals community: https://greenwald.locals.com/


    Generated Summary:

    Main Topic: The video discusses Peter Thiel's interview where he hesitates when asked if the human race should continue, and Glenn's reaction to Thiel's views on transhumanism, AI, and the potential dangers of unchecked billionaire influence.

    Key Points:

    • Thiel's Hesitation: The video starts by referencing Peter Thiel's interview where he seemed uncertain about whether humanity should continue.
    • Transhumanism and AI: The discussion explores the transhumanist philosophy prevalent in Silicon Valley, focusing on merging humans with technology and AI, as exemplified by Mark Zuckerberg's vision of brain implants.
    • Autism and Conformity: Glenn discusses Thiel's perspective on autism, suggesting that it can provide a detachment from societal norms, fostering innovation.
    • Billionaire Culture: A significant portion of the video critiques the culture of Silicon Valley billionaires, arguing that their wealth and power, combined with constant flattery, can lead to detachment from reality, dangerous levels of self-confidence, and utopian/dystopian visions for society.
    • Essentialism vs. Nihilism: The video touches on the philosophical implications of transhumanism, contrasting it with essentialist views of humanity and raising concerns about the potential destruction of what it means to be human.
    • Lack of Debate: Glenn expresses concern about the lack of societal debate and safeguards surrounding the rapid advancement of AI, driven by billionaires with unchecked power.

    Highlights:

    • Glenn's concern about billionaires' ability to reshape society without proper debate due to their wealth and perceived brilliance.
    • The discussion of Thiel's autism and how it might influence his unconventional thinking.
    • The comparison of mind-altering drugs to autism as a means of achieving transcendent thought.
    • The critique of Mark Zuckerberg's vision of brain implants and the potential implications for humanity.

    About Channel:

    Independent, Unencumbered Analysis and Investigative Reporting, Captive to No Dogma or Faction.

    Who's "Glenn" and why does he belong in "Technology"? Is he a robot?

    What does this post about people ramblings have to do with Technology?

  • We really need to think about banning certain people from the Fediverse.

    Get fucked, you Fascist-kink clown.

    I will kink shame for this.

    This post seems to affect you personally, maybe due to the topics it discusses...

    All is well; we all get highly emotional on certain topics.

    Peace!

  • cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/32525534

    SponsorBlock and Generated Summary below:


    SponsorBlock:

    1. 0:00.000 - 0:06.150 Intermission
    2. 18:43.000 - 20:56.301 Unpaid/Self Promotion

    Video Description:

    This is a clip from our show SYSTEM UPDATE, now airing every weeknight at 7pm ET on Rumble. You can watch the full episode for FREE here: https://rumble.com/v6vontt-system-update-show-481.html

    Now available as a podcast! Find full episodes here: https://linktr.ee/systemupdate_

    Join us LIVE on Rumble, weeknights at 7pm ET: https://rumble.com/c/GGreenwald

    Become part of our Locals community: https://greenwald.locals.com/


    Generated Summary:

    Main Topic: The video discusses Peter Thiel's interview where he hesitates when asked if the human race should continue, and Glenn's reaction to Thiel's views on transhumanism, AI, and the potential dangers of unchecked billionaire influence.

    Key Points:

    • Thiel's Hesitation: The video starts by referencing Peter Thiel's interview where he seemed uncertain about whether humanity should continue.
    • Transhumanism and AI: The discussion explores the transhumanist philosophy prevalent in Silicon Valley, focusing on merging humans with technology and AI, as exemplified by Mark Zuckerberg's vision of brain implants.
    • Autism and Conformity: Glenn discusses Thiel's perspective on autism, suggesting that it can provide a detachment from societal norms, fostering innovation.
    • Billionaire Culture: A significant portion of the video critiques the culture of Silicon Valley billionaires, arguing that their wealth and power, combined with constant flattery, can lead to detachment from reality, dangerous levels of self-confidence, and utopian/dystopian visions for society.
    • Essentialism vs. Nihilism: The video touches on the philosophical implications of transhumanism, contrasting it with essentialist views of humanity and raising concerns about the potential destruction of what it means to be human.
    • Lack of Debate: Glenn expresses concern about the lack of societal debate and safeguards surrounding the rapid advancement of AI, driven by billionaires with unchecked power.

    Highlights:

    • Glenn's concern about billionaires' ability to reshape society without proper debate due to their wealth and perceived brilliance.
    • The discussion of Thiel's autism and how it might influence his unconventional thinking.
    • The comparison of mind-altering drugs to autism as a means of achieving transcendent thought.
    • The critique of Mark Zuckerberg's vision of brain implants and the potential implications for humanity.

    About Channel:

    Independent, Unencumbered Analysis and Investigative Reporting, Captive to No Dogma or Faction.

    This is all bullshit. Greenwald is a fascist oligarch shill.

  • Who's "Glenn" and why does he belong in "Technology"? Is he a robot?

    What does this post about people ramblings have to do with Technology?

    Topics discussed are "transhumanism, AI, and the potential dangers of unchecked billionaire influence."

    A generated summary is included so people understand the basics of what the video is about.

    I am not sure how to make it easier for people to understand, sorry.

    The people Glenn discusses are part of the oligarchy of the United States; they have great power and influence.

    Meta and Palantir are a big part of the United States and companies that collect private data on the populace.

    Here you go:

    Peter Thiel | German-American entrepreneur and venture capitalist (born 1967)

    Peter Andreas Thiel is an American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist. A co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and Founders Fund, he was the first outside investor in Facebook. According to Forbes, as of May 2025, Thiel's estimated net worth stood at US$20.8 billion, making him the 103rd-richest individual in the world. After graduating from Stanford, Thiel began his career as a clerk for Judge James Larry Edmondson, worked as a securities lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell, a speechwriter for former U.S. secretary of education William Bennett, and a derivatives trader at Credit Suisse. He founded Thiel Capital Management in 1996 and co-founded PayPal with Max Levchin and Luke Nosek in 1998. He was the chief executive officer of PayPal until its sale to eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion. Following PayPal, Thiel founded Clarium Capital, a global macro hedge fund based in San Francisco.


    Mark Zuckerberg | American Internet entrepreneur

    Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is an American businessman who co-founded the social media service Facebook and its parent company Meta Platforms, of which he is the chairman, chief executive officer, and controlling shareholder. Zuckerberg has been the subject of multiple lawsuits regarding the creation and ownership of the website as well as issues such as user privacy. Born in White Plains, New York, Zuckerberg briefly attended Harvard College, where he launched Facebook in February 2004 with his roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. Zuckerberg took the company public in May 2012 with majority shares. He became the world's youngest self-made billionaire in 2008, at age 23, and has consistently ranked among the world's wealthiest individuals. According to Forbes, Zuckerberg's estimated net worth stood at US$221.2 billion as of May 2025, making him the second-richest individual in the world.

  • This is all bullshit. Greenwald is a fascist oligarch shill.

    Do you see Mark Zuckerberg and Peter Thiel as part of the oligarchy?

    Is calling them out on what they do being a shill? I think it would be the opposite of a shill.

    Glenn has already proven himself with his record and investigative journalism, especially his work with Edward Snowden.

    fascist oligarch shill

    I am not sure these words have any meaning when they continue to be used so loosely.

    We may not agree with him 100% on all topics, but I don't think there are people you can agree with 100%, unless you are an apologetic or celebrity worshipper and you just blindly follow people.

    I see the topic he discusses here as important, and it is directly tied into technology, with Mark and Thiel being the direct tie.

    I am interested in learning about the criticism of the analysis and arguments Glenn has made that you disagree with.

    Feel free to post people that have brought these topics up as well.

  • This post seems to affect you personally, maybe due to the topics it discusses...

    All is well; we all get highly emotional on certain topics.

    Peace!

    The exact thing a fascist would say.

    Get fucked.

  • The exact thing a fascist would say.

    Get fucked.

    All is well.

    Peace.

  • All is well.

    Peace.

    Continued fascist bullshit.

    Are you Tucker Carlson by chance? Would LOVE to pick your brain about how you switch sides so fluidly when it's more monetarily beneficial to you!

  • This is all bullshit. Greenwald is a fascist oligarch shill.

    What the fuck is this comment

  • What the fuck is this comment

    What's not clear about this comment?

  • Topics discussed are "transhumanism, AI, and the potential dangers of unchecked billionaire influence."

    A generated summary is included so people understand the basics of what the video is about.

    I am not sure how to make it easier for people to understand, sorry.

    The people Glenn discusses are part of the oligarchy of the United States; they have great power and influence.

    Meta and Palantir are a big part of the United States and companies that collect private data on the populace.

    Here you go:

    Peter Thiel | German-American entrepreneur and venture capitalist (born 1967)

    Peter Andreas Thiel is an American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist. A co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies, and Founders Fund, he was the first outside investor in Facebook. According to Forbes, as of May 2025, Thiel's estimated net worth stood at US$20.8 billion, making him the 103rd-richest individual in the world. After graduating from Stanford, Thiel began his career as a clerk for Judge James Larry Edmondson, worked as a securities lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell, a speechwriter for former U.S. secretary of education William Bennett, and a derivatives trader at Credit Suisse. He founded Thiel Capital Management in 1996 and co-founded PayPal with Max Levchin and Luke Nosek in 1998. He was the chief executive officer of PayPal until its sale to eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion. Following PayPal, Thiel founded Clarium Capital, a global macro hedge fund based in San Francisco.


    Mark Zuckerberg | American Internet entrepreneur

    Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is an American businessman who co-founded the social media service Facebook and its parent company Meta Platforms, of which he is the chairman, chief executive officer, and controlling shareholder. Zuckerberg has been the subject of multiple lawsuits regarding the creation and ownership of the website as well as issues such as user privacy. Born in White Plains, New York, Zuckerberg briefly attended Harvard College, where he launched Facebook in February 2004 with his roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. Zuckerberg took the company public in May 2012 with majority shares. He became the world's youngest self-made billionaire in 2008, at age 23, and has consistently ranked among the world's wealthiest individuals. According to Forbes, Zuckerberg's estimated net worth stood at US$221.2 billion as of May 2025, making him the second-richest individual in the world.

    So the topics discussed are sci-fi, and politics. Not technology then.

  • What's not clear about this comment?

    I really don't know how to put in to words what is annoying about it other than it sucks. Like it's a terrible shitty lazy comment. It's cancer. I don't know. It just sucks

  • I really don't know how to put in to words what is annoying about it other than it sucks. Like it's a terrible shitty lazy comment. It's cancer. I don't know. It just sucks

    It's the truth though.

  • It's the truth though.

    I guess it's just not adding anything. And when a post is filled with it then it devalues the whole place and it makes it harder to find people with something of substance. It also makes it more likely for people with something to say to avoid these places as it just becomes toxic and annoying to wade through "hey fuck that guy" comments. Who wants to read that over and over and over again on every post

  • I guess it's just not adding anything. And when a post is filled with it then it devalues the whole place and it makes it harder to find people with something of substance. It also makes it more likely for people with something to say to avoid these places as it just becomes toxic and annoying to wade through "hey fuck that guy" comments. Who wants to read that over and over and over again on every post

    I see where you're coming from and I generally agree.

    That being said, there is a time and place for everything and this is not a serious thread.

  • I see where you're coming from and I generally agree.

    That being said, there is a time and place for everything and this is not a serious thread.

    Agree with that too. I just think I'm getting really frustrated with how much the trump party has won. I'm noticing things changing especially in left wing spaces vs right and I hope it doesn't continue

  • Agree with that too. I just think I'm getting really frustrated with how much the trump party has won. I'm noticing things changing especially in left wing spaces vs right and I hope it doesn't continue

    It will downward spiral. Only thing to move forward is build a bigger hole

  • So the topics discussed are sci-fi, and politics. Not technology then.

    No, re-read.

    It is about technology.

  • 224 Stimmen
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    A
    they may have bunkers as a contingency but i doubt they think that existence is inevitable.
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    Niemand hat geantwortet
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    G
    Obviously the law must be simple enough to follow so that for Jim’s furniture shop is not a problem nor a too high cost to respect it, but it must be clear that if you break it you can cease to exist as company. I think this may be the root of our disagreement, I do not believe that there is any law making body today that is capable of an elegantly simple law. I could be too naive, but I think it is possible. We also definitely have a difference on opinion when it comes to the severity of the infraction, in my mind, while privacy is important, it should not have the same level of punishments associated with it when compared to something on the level of poisoning water ways; I think that a privacy law should hurt but be able to be learned from while in the poison case it should result in the bankruptcy of a company. The severity is directly proportional to the number of people affected. If you violate the privacy of 200 million people is the same that you poison the water of 10 people. And while with the poisoning scenario it could be better to jail the responsible people (for a very, very long time) and let the company survive to clean the water, once your privacy is violated there is no way back, a company could not fix it. The issue we find ourselves with today is that the aggregate of all privacy breaches makes it harmful to the people, but with a sizeable enough fine, I find it hard to believe that there would be major or lasting damage. So how much money your privacy it's worth ? 6 For this reason I don’t think it is wise to write laws that will bankrupt a company off of one infraction which was not directly or indirectly harmful to the physical well being of the people: and I am using indirectly a little bit more strict than I would like to since as I said before, the aggregate of all the information is harmful. The point is that the goal is not to bankrupt companies but to have them behave right. The penalty associated to every law IS the tool that make you respect the law. And it must be so high that you don't want to break the law. I would have to look into the laws in question, but on a surface level I think that any company should be subjected to the same baseline privacy laws, so if there isn’t anything screwy within the law that apple, Google, and Facebook are ignoring, I think it should apply to them. Trust me on this one, direct experience payment processors have a lot more rules to follow to be able to work. I do not want jail time for the CEO by default but he need to know that he will pay personally if the company break the law, it is the only way to make him run the company being sure that it follow the laws. For some reason I don’t have my usual cynicism when it comes to this issue. I think that the magnitude of loses that vested interests have in these companies would make it so that companies would police themselves for fear of losing profits. That being said I wouldn’t be opposed to some form of personal accountability on corporate leadership, but I fear that they will just end up finding a way to create a scapegoat everytime. It is not cynicism. I simply think that a huge fine to a single person (the CEO for example) is useless since it too easy to avoid and if it really huge realistically it would be never paid anyway so nothing usefull since the net worth of this kind of people is only on the paper. So if you slap a 100 billion file to Musk he will never pay because he has not the money to pay even if technically he is worth way more than that. Jail time instead is something that even Musk can experience. In general I like laws that are as objective as possible, I think that a privacy law should be written so that it is very objectively overbearing, but that has a smaller fine associated with it. This way the law is very clear on right and wrong, while also giving the businesses time and incentive to change their practices without having to sink large amount of expenses into lawyers to review every minute detail, which is the logical conclusion of the one infraction bankrupt system that you seem to be supporting. Then you write a law that explicitally state what you can do and what is not allowed is forbidden by default.
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    It's always been "states rights" to enrich rulers at the expense of everyone else.
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    Thanks for the speed and the work !
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    darkdarkhouse@lemmy.sdf.orgD
    The terror will continue until you join us, then we will be nice, I promise!
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    glizzyguzzler@lemmy.blahaj.zoneG
    Indeed I did not, we’re at a stalemate because you and I do not believe what the other is saying! So we can’t move anywhere since it’s two walls. Buuuut Tim Apple got my back for once, just saw this now!: https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/post/27197259 I’ll leave it at that, as thanks to that white paper I win! Yay internet points!
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    … it was