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Culture War Roundup for the week of April 22, 2024

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The details are fascinating, but the point I am making in recommending this book is that Peter Thiel, an actual Silicon Valley billionaire with the money to fund James Bond villain schemes, engaged in an actual conspiracy to destroy an enemy, and even his "conspiracy" was fundamentally just mundane lawfare with an extra layer of intrigue.

Conspiracies require conspirators. There cannot be conspiracy in SV to bring down a leftist media outlet, since leftists control it at every level. If one guy does have this goal, he is acting as a lone wolf.

Now the story of 2020 election and social media moderation policies would probably be more akin to what people think is a conspiracy. Due to the previously mention leftist capture, documents won't get leaked and whistleblowers won't appear. There are far less anti-leftists in SV than anti-Thiel people, and the former risk retaliation if they out anti-Trump schemes.

Conspiracies require conspirators. There cannot be conspiracy in SV to bring down a leftist media outlet, since leftists control it at every level. If one guy does have this goal, he is acting as a lone wolf.

Are you saying Peter Thiel was a lone wolf, or are you claiming Gawker was not a leftist media outlet?

Thiel was indeed a lone wolf. A very big lone wolf, though.