Among the many dreadful side effects of Donald Trump‘s election is the growing prominence of Peter Thiel. The Facebook billionaire has always been a wellspring of weirdness, but now he has power that far outstrips his Silicon Valley wealth. He placed a bet on Trump when the candidate was still a long shot, and his bet paid off big time. Since Trump values loyalty above all other qualities (including integrity and honesty), Thiel is now gunning for a position of influence within the presidential inner circle (and, apparently, governor of California).
So much so that at an extremely awkward meeting of liberal-leaning tech giants after the election at Trump tower, Trump kept awkwardly fondling Thiel’s hand as an awkward sign of affection for the country’s only prominent openly gay Trump supporter.
In essence, Thiel sold his soul for a hand job.
Thiel has always been more concerned about mortality (or at least ending it) than morality, so it’s difficult to know whether he even considers selling his soul a legitimate concern. But what is clear from his recent interview with The New York Times is that Thiel is playing a long game, and Trump is merely a convenient vehicle.
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“Everyone says Trump is going to change everything way too much,” Thiel said. “Well, maybe Trump is going to change everything way too little. That seems like the much more plausible risk to me.”
While Thiel relies on cryptic remarks so much that he sounds like he’s auditioning for the role of Yoda, his focus is clear. He wants a different political system altogether, an awfully radical idea for one of the people who has most benefited from the current one.
“The election had an apocalyptic feel to it,” he acknowledged to the Times‘ Maureen Dowd. “There was a way in which Trump was funny, so you could be apocalyptic and funny at the same time. It’s a strange combination, but it’s somehow very powerful psychologically.”
Most people don’t view the apocalypse as a laugh riot. But Thiel holds views that are blissfully at odds with our current democracy. His vendetta against Gawker was a signal that someone with deep pockets can ruin a media outlet over a story that had nothing to do with him. More to the point, Thiel has expressed the belief that he does not believe that “freedom and democracy are compatible.”
If that means rampant conflict of interest and even corruption, who cares? For Thiel, high ethical performance (such a President Obama’s) is a sign that something is terribly wrong: “There’s a point where no corruption can be a bad thing. It can mean that things are too boring.” Conflict of interest doesn’t bother him either: “I think in many cases, when there’s a conflict of interest, it’s an indication that someone understands something way better than if there’s no conflict of interest.”
That’s just plain scary: A seeming open invitation to the worst people in the world to run our country.
The real question is how much influence Thiel will have on his hand-holding pal Trump. The president elect is notorious for running with the opinion of the last person he talked with. He has no fixed opinion, other than the esteem with which he holds himself. That’s what makes him so dangerous. And while Thiel has described himself as a kind of firewall between the LGBTQ community and Trump’s far right minions, there is nothing so far to indicate he has that kind of influence–or willingness to stand up for anything other than another big Republican tax cut for the already rich. Will he stand up for his gay male brothers with HIV who may lose the pre-existing condition exemption in Obamacare that many Republicans have pledged to eliminate (in a few weeks from now). Not a word so far. In fact, Trump’s would-be cabinet is already stacked with more antigay activists than any since time since Reagan.
But equality does not seem like Thiel’s goal anyway. He has very firm opinions, many of them radical. (Poor people with similar opinions would be called uneducated crackpots.)
Trump wants to rig the system for himself. Thiel wants to blow it up. To fulfill that wish, Thiel is willing to make merry with some of the most reactionary segments of society, including the Mercer family, hedge fund billionaires who have spent tens of millions of dollars bankrolling the campaigns of some of the most conservative candidates in the country.
If you think being gay is a mitigating circumstance for Thiel, you’d be wrong. He thinks the potential for a backlash against gay rights from the likes of Trump’s cabinet is overrated: “People know too many gay people.” As for Mike Pence, who wore his homophobia with pride throughout his political career, Thiel is la-de-da. “You know, maybe I should be worried, but I’m not that worried.”
As for all the rest of us who aren’t protected by vast wealth and access to the corridors of power–we are indeed worried. Very worried. But in Thiel’s up side down universe, we’re the aggressors, not the target. “For speaking at the Republican convention, I got attacked way more by liberal gay people than by conservative Christian people,” he told The Times. Perhaps, Peter, that’s because you are working with and for “conservative Christian people” who are working against us.
We’ve hardly heard the end of Thiel. The sad part is that he’s just gotten a much bigger platform for his corrosive ideas. Just don’t look for any signs of a soul as he’s spreading them.
Photo by Getty Images
Kieran
The continual pouting, tantrums and whining over the election is really childish. Dry your tears, blow your nose and grow up.
Bob LaBlah
While were on the subject of fondling it was revealed on the Sunday talk shows that the Russians have some DAMNING evidence on Trump. If you put two and two together as to what was said between the lines it all goes back to when he took the beauty pagent to Russia and “possibly” was filmed “partying” with a few girls in his hotel. Partying can cover a lot of ground and in this case (and ego) I bet he snorted his fool head off. This guy is going to be the first to have the 25th amendment brought down off the shelf. Be patient folks.
Kangol
@Kieran: “Pouting, tantrums and whining”? You mean like the pissy GOP did when Obama won by 9 million votes in 2008? When they vowed not to work with him on anything and were obstructionist for 8 years? Like when GOP voters lied and trashed the man nonstop, and still can’t stop with their hateful comments. Grow up, man up, and being so politically correct and whiny! Trump’s disliked not only by a majority of US voters but in general, so deal with it!
Brian
I thought the hand fondle was great. It showed that Trump was comfortable with male-male contact and how it might be perceived. I couldn’t imagine a liberal like Obama doing it.
Liberal men are terrified of how it is perceived. The true homophobes are liberals, not conservatives.
cabe
@Kieran:
Tell that to the thousands of people that had/have anti-Obama bumper stickers that read “Not My President’ I live in Texas and still see people driving around w/ them.
Chris
Thiel had a soul?
MarionPaige
Peter Thiel is alleged to be responsible for bringing the hammer down on a website that was profiting from outing Gay men, and yet, Thiel is being painted as the villain.
When you look now at what it took (in terms of time and money and legal strategizing) to stop Gawker, it is clear that it indeed took a Peter Thiel to do it.
The case of the college girl who was video taped having sex in a toilet shows how Gawker responded to people who didn’t have the means to sue Gawker.
MarionPaige
My biggest fear of The Trump Backlash is that innocent people will suffer more that the people who deserve to suffer (like the press, self appointed gay activists, delusional gay marriage activists, etc).
What if Obama had to choose now between millions of people not having health insurance and a handful of gays not being able to marry
scallywag51
@MarionPaige: What are you even talking about…you are not making any sense at all. How does anyone but the dumb white idiots who elected this abominations deserve to suffer?
MaxTaste
I don’t know how anyone could find that nasty slug attractive.
RadChad
Shame him for having his own views, morals and ideas, Queerty. Go ahead and show the world how much you love diversity and how stereotypes aren’t true.
Oh wait, you’re still trying to hammer every homosexual man into the same form that you are. Who cares about individuality and staying true to yourself, right?
Xzamilloh
I’m just looking forward to seeing the faces of those Trump voters when he walks back every single thing he said he would do.
inbama
It’s sad that Martin Shkreli isn’t gay.
He and Thiel would be perfect together.
ladycookie
“Will he stand up for his gay male brothers with HIV.”
Oh please. Most gays I’ve encountered in my life only care about you or consider you a “brother” if you are someone they want to fuck, could one day fuck, or are acceptable to fuck to their group of friends. Why should he care about his “brothers” when they would never do the same for him? One should do the right thing for ALL people, gay or straight, male or female, because it’s the right thing to do and let the gay “brotherhood” PrEP itself straight to the grave.
Louis
@Kieran: Oh shutup already when Obama won your party was calling him the n word burning effigys of him and threatening his life as well as mocking and discriminating against his wife and his children.
Quit acting like you are the intellectually evolved and enlightened ones when your parties actions consistently contradict the notion of either of those two things even remotely being true….ever in this country.
Louis
@ladycookie: Some of you are simply disgusting and should feel true shame for how you choose to treat your own and that is a fact.
Whilst the rest of us are fighting to keep our rights and liberties and show genuine empathy towards our LGBT brothers and sisters the rest of you are selfish self absorbed unfeeling and callous about your own and consistently prove this everytime you open your ill conceived and narrowminded mouths.
Louis
@RadChad: Staying true to yourself?
How exactly is intentionally trying to serve your own self interests and throw your own under the bus knowing full good and well what that possibly means for your community staying true to yourself?
What kind of deluded world do half of you live in? Its ridiculous and preposterous.
Herman75
@MaxTaste: Believe me, he is one disgusting creep. He is ugly, his hair is nasty, and I wouldn’t wish on anyone to have their daughters alone with him, let me tell you. The worst candidate ever.
orcanyc
Thanks XZAMLLLOH, SCALLYWAG51, Cabe, Louis & Kangol for setting those people right!!
dwes09
@RadChad: “Shame him for having his own views, morals and ideas, Queerty. Go ahead and show the world how much you love diversity and how stereotypes aren’t true”
Once again, you regressives need to understand that honoring diversity does not mean lying down and letting others (even if they are gay) walk all over us. Yes he has his own views, and they are that he has some intrinsic right to oppress others (he doesn’t, and making that clear does not affect respect for diversity). He has little in the way of morals as he has made clear, and his ethics can be summed up as “I got mine, the hell with you” (and making that clear does not affect our respect for diversity). As for ideas, they are congruent with the ideas of those who desire to force us back into the closet (look at who he supported politically in spite of their stated anti-gay views), he and milos are cut from the same cloth. We respect diversity, and at the same time will stand up for our legitimate rights. It is, however, difficult for heterosexual regressives like you to understand that, as you so often act and speak against your own self interest and for the rich and powerful you worship.
KaiserVonScheiss
How dare he have contrary opinions!
Gawker was a cesspool of gossip and tabloid nonsense, and they routinely outed people and violated the privacy of others. Good riddance.
dwes09
@KaiserVonScheiss: Gawker was an amusing site, nothing more…one of many on the web. They generally outed people who kept their sexuality secret while oppressing or abusing other gay people. What part of fighting against vile hypocrisy do you regressives not understand?
As for having contrary opinions, he had more than that you simpleton! He had the power and intent to oppose lgbt people in the fight for legitimate rights and protections, and used his power and money to do so while acting as if his shit didn’t stink. The issue is not “having contrary opinions”, but ACTING in ways that oppress/rob others. What part of defending oneself against oppression do you regressives not understand?
I will make this as simple as possible so that even a clueless fellow like you will understand. Contrary opinions are fine, criticism of them is just as fine and does not in any way ever imply intolerance (acting against the holder of said opinions does). Theil’s ACTIONS against lgbt people are enough to justify both outing him publicly and other self-defense actions. Only a fool would smile and lick the ass of those who use their money to support candidates who want to stuff them back in to the closet, re-criminalize their affectional protection or worse. Even a straight man like you, despite your homophobia, should be able to understand that. Your name suits you well.
n900mixalot
Peter Thiel is not some “gay brother” who’s out for the cause, let’s get that cleared right up. I don’t know how anyone thinks that just because someone’s gay, they are acting based on the same exact playbook as the next gay person. And everyone out here knows damn well what he’s about, except for the gay media. Let him go, you guys. Seriously.
As for Gawker, that garbage magazine may have deserved what it got … I don’t know enough about the situation, but I do know that they liked to beat scandals into the ground.
But yeah, Thiel is not your brother people, he’s just some gay dude with a lot of money. So is Tim Cook. And both of them have jobs to do and their own agendas. So, keep it moving.
KaiserVonScheiss
@dwes09:
Gays are not oppressed. Could you come up with some more ad hominems? At least you didn’t erroneously accuse me of being straight this time.
I think it’s funny how you call everyone who disagrees with you a regressive. I am not regressive. I’m a classical liberal and an individualist.
Regressives are those who look at everything through the lens of identity politics, whether that be the regressive left or the regressive right (such as the alt-right/white nats). I have only a vague idea as to your views on identity politics, based on what you’ve previously written, but I find identity politics condescending and backwards. People should be judged on their actions and their characters, not on their identities like race, gender, or sexuality.
What were Theil’s actions against LGBT people? Did he go around gay bashing or something?
Please present evidence and reasons, not ad hominem attacks. In case you haven’t noticed, I have not called you a “simpleton” or a regressive.