Peter Thiel at RNC: ‘Fake culture wars’ distract from broken economy

[jct74]

Peter Thiel at RNC: ‘Fake culture wars’ distract from broken economy

by Mike Murphy
July 21, 2016


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTJB8AkT1dk


Billionaire Silicon Valley venture capitalist Peter Thiel dismissed “fake culture wars” in a speech endorsing Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland on Thursday night, saying they distract from the real problems facing America.

“I am proud to be gay,” said Thiel, a co-founder of PayPal PYPL, and an outspoken libertarian. “I am proud to be a Republican,” he continued, despite a recently adopted Republican Party platform that is avidly opposed to same-sex marriage, and which critics have called the most anti-LGBT platform in history. Thiel was the first openly gay man to speak at the RNC since 2000.

“I don’t pretend to agree with every plank in our party’s platform. But fake culture wars only distract us from our economic decline,” Thiel said.

“When I was a kid, the great debate was about how to defeat the Soviet Union. And we won. Now we are told that the great debate is about who gets to use which bathroom. This is a distraction from our real problems. Who cares?”

...

read more:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/peter-thiel-at-rnc-fake-culture-wars-distract-from-broken-economy-2016-07-21

[Matt Collins]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcFEIW8Ev7s

[r3volution 3.0]

Odd thing to hear at Trump's coronation, seeing as how his entire campaign was driven by fake culture war nonsense.

[AuH20]

Odd thing to hear at Trump's coronation, seeing as how his entire campaign was driven by fake culture war nonsense.

Trump did not reignite the culture wars. He didn't really tackle religious topics, which was wise of him.

[Rad]

What if Thiel ran for president?

[euphemia]

The last eight years have been driven by phony culture wars. That parade has been led by the president.

[randomname]

Great speech. Hope he gets a cabinet position if Trump wins.

[fr33]

Odd thing to hear at Trump's coronation, seeing as how his entire campaign was driven by fake culture war nonsense.

You are making shit up. The southern republicans are the anti-gay culture warriors.

[r3volution 3.0]

You are making shit up. The southern republicans are the anti-gay culture warriors.

Who said anything about gays?

The culture war is broader than that.

Every time Trump said something "unPC" he was throwing red meat to one side of the culture war.

Its specific content was usually racialist or nationalistic.

[ChristianAnarchist]

Why is a billionaire saying things that point out the false dichotomy??

[timosman]

Why is a billionaire saying things that point out the false dichotomy??

Maybe he is tired of this nonsense?:eek:

[dannno]

Who said anything about gays?

The culture war is broader than that.

Every time Trump said something "unPC" he was throwing red meat to one side of the culture war.

Its specific content was usually racialist or nationalistic.

Ya, but he was throwing red meat to the correct side of the culture war, even if all those on that side of it are not correct about everything.

[simon1911]

Most of the issue he raised is aligned with Ron Paul. Stupid wars, blowback, hinted on inflation/the fed with the bubbles, fake culture wars. It's like he just replaced the name Ron Paul w/ Donald Trump. And the amazing thing is that the audience loves it! Nothing else to say except Ron Paul's legacy lives on!

[LatinsforPaul]

Most of the issue he raised is aligned with Ron Paul. Stupid wars, blowback, hinted on inflation/the fed with the bubbles, fake culture wars. It's like he just replaced the name Ron Paul w/ Donald Trump. And the amazing thing is that the audience loves it! Nothing else to say except Ron Paul's legacy lives on!

Agree, but question is why has Peter Thiel fallen for Trump's façade while Ron Paul has not.

[CaptUSA]

Agree, but question is why has Peter Thiel fallen for Trump's façade while Ron Paul has not.


Seems to me that this was an extremely self-serving speech. I'm not sure if you caught what he was selling, but he was talking about huge government investments in updating their technology. Mixed into his Ron Paulisms was nothing but an out-stretched palm waiting for the payback.

I just lost respect for Thiel.

Listen to the speech again and tell me you don't hear it. He was wearing his cronyist hat last night.

[simon1911]

Seems to me that this was an extremely self-serving speech. I'm not sure if you caught what he was selling, but he was talking about huge government investments in updating their technology. Mixed into his Ron Paulisms was nothing but an out-stretched palm waiting for the payback.

I just lost respect for Thiel.

Listen to the speech again and tell me you don't hear it. He was wearing his cronyist hat last night.

This point and LatinsForPaul point (on why Ron Paul has not fallen on Trumps facade) are definitely legitimate concerns. And yes, I did hear the hint of big government spending. I would like to think though that it wouldn't be sweetheart deals (e.g. we shouldn't tolerate incompetence in government.)

Do you remember what Ron said in the past about taking the trillions we spent overseas on our military adventures? That he suggested that we stop that, take half of it to pay down the debt and the rest on our domestic infrastructure. If this moves the needle back some, I think that's a good thing. There is no one else standing up on this.

[SilentBull]

Thiel's speech was good. Too bad he didn't get behind Rand. Makes no sense to me.

[CaptUSA]

This point and LatinsForPaul point (on why Ron Paul has not fallen on Trumps facade) are definitely legitimate concerns. And yes, I did hear the hint of big government spending. I would like to think though that it wouldn't be sweetheart deals (e.g. we shouldn't tolerate incompetence in government.)

Do you remember what Ron said in the past about taking the trillions we spent overseas on our military adventures? That he suggested that we stop that, take half of it to pay down the debt and the rest on our domestic infrastructure. If this moves the needle back some, I think that's a good thing. There is no one else standing up on this.

Ugh, it's still cronyism. In lobbyist-speak, Thiel is saying, "Quit giving money to the MIC special interests and give it to my special interest!"

Of course he thinks his own special interest is more important - they all do. And they all make the same case.

[undergroundrr]

Thiel's speech was good. Too bad he didn't get behind Rand. Makes no sense to me.

He got rich by investing in things that win. Rand couldn't win. Thiel is taking a gamble now. But the government money he'll sweep up through technology upgrades might be worth it.

Or yeah, he might have just fallen for the phony Trump-is-anti-establishment crap. But I don't think he would have won so big in investments without seeing behind a lot of erected facades.

[r3volution 3.0]

Ya, but he was throwing red meat to the correct side of the culture war, even if all those on that side of it are not correct about everything.

In terms of policy, what they are correct about?

Restricting immigration? Protectionism?

[dannno]

In terms of policy, what they are correct about?

Restricting immigration? Protectionism?

As a defensive mechanism against the state that is subsidizing immigrants and bringing hordes of them in so they vote for the left, and as a defensive mechanism against The Fed, currency manipulations and over-regulation.

Those are not the optimal solutions, but it very well may be better than doing nothing.

[Brian4Liberty]

Peter Thiel at RNC: ‘Fake culture wars’ distract from broken economy

Damn straight. And it's by design.

[twomp]

Damn straight. And it's by design.

It must be a conspiracy!

[Matt Collins]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6qm7vVB5so

[r3volution 3.0]

As a defensive mechanism against the state that is subsidizing immigrants and bringing hordes of them in so they vote for the left, and as a defensive mechanism against The Fed, currency manipulations and over-regulation.

Those are not the optimal solutions, but it very well may be better than doing nothing.

The alternative is not doing nothing, it is restricting immigrant access to welfare, which would be politically easier to accomplish. And, in any event, the entire immigration issue is trivial in comparison to all the other problems facing the country. If all welfare for immigrants ended tomorrow (whether because they were made ineligible or because they were deported), there would be little effect on government spending. This (bad) solution to the welfare magnet problem serves as a distraction, preventing progress on things that actually matter: like the massive welfare programs for natives, or monetary policy, or crushing economic regulation, war, the end of due process, etc.

There's very little difference between Trump and, say, Santorum.

Both gin up tribal sentiments (about race, religion, whatever) to get elected, at which point they continue the status quo.

[LibertyEagle]

Who said anything about gays?

The culture war is broader than that.

Every time Trump said something "unPC" he was throwing red meat to one side of the culture war.

Its specific content was usually racialist or nationalistic.

Just hang on. The DNC is coming right up and you can get your fill of Commie red meat.

[axiomata]

I don't think he's fallen for Trump, but I can't quite pin down what his actual play entails.

[Brian4Liberty]

Thiel's speech was good. Too bad he didn't get behind Rand. Makes no sense to me.

Thiel's speech was about the fake culture wars. Rand took up the cultural wars in a positive way, yet it was still engaging in them. It's likely that Thiel did not agree with Rand's focus.

[Brian4Liberty]

Just hang on. The DNC is coming right up and you can get your fill of Commie red meat.

Lol. "Commie Red Meat". Why does that not sound appetizing?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wo5TznA5as

[simon1911]

Ugh, it's still cronyism. In lobbyist-speak, Thiel is saying, "Quit giving money to the MIC special interests and give it to my special interest!"

Of course he thinks his own special interest is more important - they all do. And they all make the same case.

If the deals are done well, and that we quit the miliary adventures that cost lives, money we don't have and make us less safe, then so be it. At least we would be heading the right way. I'll swallow NASA flying to Mars a lot better over CIA selling crack cocaine in the US or giving Sadam chemical gas or arming al Qaeda to fight enemies that we create. Those insanity has got to stop.

[enhanced_deficit]

Too soon to know for sure what role GOP picking Thiel for RNC speech/ gestures towards winning LGBTQ vote at RNC played in Hillary picking Kaine as VP:

Tim Kaine is Hillary Clinton’s running mate · Friday, July 22, 2016

http://static.lgbtqnation.com/assets/2016/07/Kaine-500x333.jpg


Hillary Clinton announced her choice of running mate Friday evening: Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia.


http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2016/07/breaking-tim-kaine-hillary-clintons-running-mate/