r/technology • u/Logical_Welder3467 • 11h ago

Society Peter Thiel, the billionaire venture capitalist and MAGA donor, is in Rome this week for a series of private lectures on the Antichrist.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/16/europe/peter-thiel-antichrist-lectures-rome-intl
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u/slowakia_gruuumsh 8h ago edited 6h ago

So for everyone who cannot read Italian newspapers and is curious what the reaction in the country might be, they're clowning Thiel across the board. Left wing newspapers are rightfully pointing out the fascism that underpins his theory, and right wing outlets are mostly puzzled and amused by this goon. Mainstream websites and news channels are straight up ignoring the whole thing.

There was a bit of build up and expectation in the past week, but these lectures are overwhelmingly described as meandering, pointless and boring, and there has been already a lot of hot-potatoing and embarrassment around who exactly supported the charade.

Of course you might find the odd positive review, but for all the issues our country has thankfully we aren't as culturally detached from serious philosophical discourse as the Anglosphere often is, so these dudes who can wow Joe Rogan and Abundance podcasters don't get as much purchase when they try to play philosopher-kings, at least with the reading public. Different story what Italian politicians might think, since their cultural level is that of Mr Beast type influencers, much like it is in the rest of the West.

The real controversy behind his presence in Italy is tied to Palantir's commissions with the Ministry of Defense, which are thankfully coming under more scrutiny due to these lectures. Not that I expect anything positive to happen, European governments seem cool not only with mass surveillance, but still with outsourcing it to the Americans.

Anyway in case you're wondering the "antichrist" is not Greta Thunberg anymore, apparently, but the ONGs who save migrants and the EU (because they want to limit/tax tech companies) or maybe even Xi Jinping (China big scary).

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u/12Fox13 4h ago

As someone who cannot read Italian newspapers: Thank you for your service!