Peter Thiel, hack, but a plutocratic, neo-reactionary one

You always knew Peter Thiel was a turd. Maybe you didn't know how big of a turd, though. A new book, excerpted here, will help with that, including detailing his connections with Cambridge Analytica.

The LA Times also has a review of the new book. It notes that, contra Emerson, Thiel lacks not only foolish consistency, but much of any, above all being an alleged Jeebus believer who allegedly drug-fueled orgies. This review notes that, while he's often called a libertarian, along with people noting his "following" Leo Strauss, he's really more of a neo-reactionary. In other words, a politer alt-righter.

Here's the takeaway from that:

Chafkin’s title has it exactly right: Thiel is a contrarian, a man who doesn’t truly stand for anything — only against. What could be more boring than that?

Boom!

The first piece reminds us, with more detail than the second, that Thiel is giving major bucks to the Senate runs of J.D. Vance, aka Shitbagger Vance, and Blake Masters. Both once worked for him. He's also closely tied to Intellectual Dark Web nutter Eric Weinstein. None of these people are libertarian types either. All are neo-reactionaries.

And, per President Biden's talk about reforming the IRS to give it a better shot at rich tax cheats? Or rather, the mega-rich ones? That's why they hate it. And, Thiel personally has reason to fear the House's Roth IRA reform bill.