Episode Details

While Peter Thiel obsesses over the Anti-Christ, his company Palantir has been busy building America's Orwellian Big Brother, which began under Trump's first term and was allowed to continue under Biden.

Under Trump's second term, Thiel's Palantir has rapidly expanded into nearly every corner of the U.S. government. A recent New York Times investigation detailed how Palantir's data-mining empire powers law enforcement and intelligence agencies to track, profile, and monitor not just criminal networks, but potentially spy on American citizens. Thiel likes to posture as a radical outsider, but through Palantir he's shaping the machinery of the state to establish a tech-backed dictatorship.

In Part Two of our conversation with journalist Gil Duran, of the essential Nerd Reich newsletter, we dig into the tech coup, what it means for democracy, and why it matters that a billionaire obsessed with the apocalypse is also building the digital panopticon.

We also discuss what happens when Trump dies and MAGA faces a Game of Thrones succession battle? Why don't we have a strong opposition? How do we build one? How do we create real solidarity instead of the weak attempts by some Democratic leaders to "negotiate" with fascists? (There's no negotiating with fascists.) How do we establish our own fifty year plan to rebuild democracy?

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Show Notes:

Action alert! Send postcards to California to ensure Prop 50 passes and help support other must-win races: https://www.activateamerica.vote/postcards

Action alert! Sister District x Gaslit Nation Halloween Phonebank for VA! https://www.mobilize.us/sisterdistrict/event/847185/

The One Trait That Predicts Trump Support (w. Matthew MacWilliams) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp19ZKI2m2w

Gil Duran's The Nerd Reich: Is Peter Thiel the Antichrist? NYT Didn't Think to Ask https://www.thenerdreich.com/is-peter-thiel-the-antichrist-nyt-didnt-think-to-ask/

Trump Taps Palantir to Compile Data on Americans The Trump administration has expanded Palantir's work with the government, spreading the company's technology — which could easily merge data on Americans — throughout agencies. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/technology/trump-palantir-data-americans.html

The Real Stakes, and Real Story, of Peter Thiel's Antichrist Obsession: Thirty years ago, a peace-loving Austrian theologian spoke to Peter Thiel about the apocalyptic theories of Nazi jurist Carl Schmitt. They've been a road map for the billionaire ever since. https://www.wired.com/story/the-real-stakes-real-story-peter-thiels-antichrist-obsession/

I Worked At Palantir: The Tech Company Reshaping Reality https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ95Gmvg_D4

Why Everyone Around Trump is Paranoid Now: Michael Wolff | Inside Trump's Head https://www.yout