Along with his residual fondness for Ron Paul’s kid, world’s loudest Libertarian Peter Thiel is a Ted Cruz admirer, per McKay Coppins at Buzzfeed:
… The question of Thiel’s loyalties looms large in the Republicans’ heated 2016 fundraising race. The gay, libertarian tech tycoon has funneled millions of dollars in recent years to a diverse array of causes and campaigns, from marriage equality advocacy groups to insurgent Tea Party candidates. In an era when a single motivated billionaire can prop up a presidential candidate all on his own, Thiel’s endorsement would be a major coup for any campaign. But only two contenders in the emerging GOP field can claim an inside track to the billionaire’s cash: Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
Thiel’s ties to Paul, who is expected to announce his presidential campaign early next month, are well established. During the 2012 election, Thiel gave $2.6 million to a super PAC supporting Rand’s father, Ron Paul — an eccentric libertarian protest candidate with a narrow but devoted grassroots following. And since then, he has reportedly been an ally and adviser to the younger Paul, opening doors for the senator in Silicon Valley, connecting him with donors and tech operatives, and meeting privately with him as recently as last summer…
Less well known, however, is Thiel’s longtime support for Cruz, who announced his presidential candidacy this week. In 2009, Thiel contributed $251,000 to support the star litigator’s bid for Texas attorney general. Cruz eventually aborted the campaign, but the billionaire’s donations made up one-fifth of his entire campaign war chest. When he then ran for Senate in 2012, Thiel plowed $1 million into Club for Growth, the conservative pressure group that heavily funded Cruz’s primary bid.
Asked about Cruz last September, Thiel told The Daily Caller, “Well I think he’s very smart. I think one of the challenges we have in the Republican Party is… our representatives, our senators, are somewhat lower IQ than the people on the other side. So, I think there is something to be said for getting some really smart people in there.”…
And while Thiel expressed doubts to Beck that the outcome of the 2016 race could possibly stave off an impending economic crisis, he has sounded more broadly fatalistic about the political process as well.
“I’m sort of skeptical of how much voting actually works in the first place,” Thiel said in 2012. “I used to think that it was really important to directly change the political system, to convince people of things. I still think it’s intellectually very important. Occasionally, you get some converts that way. But it’s really an inefficient way of doing things.”
As John Stuart Mill would say, “Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservative.” No matter what the numbers on their IQ tests… or their bank balances.
raven
Hoop!
max
And while Thiel expressed doubts to Beck that the outcome of the 2016 race could possibly stave off an impending economic crisis, he has sounded more broadly fatalistic about the political process as well.
What economic collapse? The one Mittens was afraid of?
max
[‘Christ.’]
pseudonymous in nc
Can’t Thiel just make Cruz Elected King of Libertarian Island or Elected Captain of Libertarian Cruise Ship or whatever “let’s start over with government” thing is the new hotness for the SF tech billionaires’ club?
Baud
I’m offended Thiel donated dollars instead of bitcoins.
ThresherK
Womens’ Elite Eight in Albany, Monday night. I have my ticket to see UConn and Dayton!
My wife’s schedule will not allow attendance, but she has promised not to hate me for going without her.
(We’ll see abou that last bit.)
kindness
High IQ’s doesn’t mean smarter necessarily. Case in point: Senator Cruz.
Splitting Image
@max:
The economic crisis caused by millions of people voting to increase the minimum wage and rebuild the social safety net. The horrifying possiblity of the world’s most holy job creators (blessed be their name) having to content themselves with a smaller share of a larger pie.
That economic crisis.
Alan in SF
So Thiel is against having the federal government use its monopoly on violence to enforce the “intellectual property rights” of Silicon Valley innovators? Oh wait…no, he isn’t.
SuperHrefna
@efgoldman: I think all they notice is how sometimes the will of the people as expressed by government leads to the SF tech billionaires sometimes being told “no, you can’t do that”. And then they has a sad and want to take their ball home. Or carve California up into lots of little fiefdoms. Whichever.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@raven:
Smart, quick, upperclassmen who have NOTHING to lose are making this game more interesting than I’d expected.
max
Ross Douthat:
It’s only inevitable if you decide to do it.
The Pogues – Birmingham Six:
max
[‘Suck on that.’]
Corner Stone
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q):
They can’t sustain it. But it is interesting so far.
cmorenc
Ever notice how often glibertarians are sufficiently affluent that they effectively can do whatever the fuck they want anyway, short of murdering or literally raping someone?
schrodinger's cat
I saw Lunchbox yesterday. It was better than I expected. Irrfan Khan was really good in it.
raven
@efgoldman: We were up 9 on them in the second half.
Omnes Omnibus
@cmorenc:
Objection! Assumes facts not in evidence.
raven
@Omnes Omnibus: Nice night for Bucky.
Josie
That is a somewhat scary statement. Voting is inefficient? I’d like to hear the rest of that thought. I suspect he and his fellow libertarians have something in mind that we would not like at all. It would probably give the elite (them) power to make decisions for the rest of us.
Omnes Omnibus
@raven: Kaminsky is a monster under the basket and Decker is finally living up to his potential.
schrodinger's cat
@max: Chunky Bobo should stick to being a Catholic scold and leave foreign policy to MoU and Bobo.
raven
@efgoldman: I know, it’s awful.
The Dangerman
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q):
Fluke. ND won’t win unless UK pulls off one of the greatest choke jobs ever.
That’s what it will take to prevent 40-0. UK will have to choke one away, they won’t be beat straight up.
raven
@Omnes Omnibus: Decker lit it didn’t he?
Omnes Omnibus
@raven: The last two games…
raven
@The Dangerman: Oh gee you really know a lot about basketball don’t you?
Karen in GA
My husband likes Notre Dame (no idea why), and it’s his birthday tomorrow, so there’s that. Otherwise I’m ignoring this hoops insanity.
raven
@Omnes Omnibus: I realized today a neighborhood friend and law prof is UW Law 97. She’s write a lot about the supreme court.
The Dangerman
@raven:
Um …yeah. Thought I was pretty good until I played some pickup with some Clippers and Lakers. A mean lesson…
…but, yes, I know the game.
raven
@The Dangerman: Yea well only someone with incredible knowledge could figure out that a team that is 37-0 is good.
Corner Stone
@efgoldman:
I wouldn’t get too vexed just yet.
Omnes Omnibus
@raven: They could be very, very lucky. Or all of their opponents could have sucked.
raven
@Omnes Omnibus: Or both!
gene108
Pretty much the same view the Religious Right adopted in the 1980’s. Better to have the vote limited to the “right people” than increase overall voter turn out.
The Fundies figured out low turnout elections, where they make up most of the voters was the easiest best way for them to win and subvert the system.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GBAsFwPglw
sharl
From the realm of social media dramas comes word that The Editrix seems to have unmasked someone who has been tormenting her for quite some time, as well as ABL and a bunch of other folks on Twitter.
He’s been reported and had his accounts suspended numerous times, only to quickly reappear with a new account and start all over again; Assholster is in fact one of his earlier account names.
There is much rejoicing in certain overlapping sectors of Twitterville.
raven
Did you know there is such a thing as a “MANHOLE COVER CUSHION”
Quickly and easily silence noisy manhole covers ? The new one in front of my house clanks every time someone drives over it and there is a solution!
The Dangerman
@raven:
They aren’t good. They are freakishly good. A little too playground sometimes but, yes, 37-0 and doubling up West Virginia proves the point.
Suzanne
Unfortunately, I can see his point—I am not always convinced that voting is an effective vehicle for social change, because there are too many assholes who vote, too. Gun nuts and religious nuts, who are often the same people. That doesn’t mean I give up on it, though. Never cede ground.
NotMax
@raven
A welding torch works wonders.
:)
More seriously, as it is so new it may well be covered under the contractor’s guarantee and thus fixable at their cost.
Corner Stone
@sharl: I hope she’s confident she got the right person.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@raven: That’s pretty cool. And, in case it’s not clear, I did not know that there was such a thing as man hole covers. But I’m a far left liberal.
ThresherK
Grazing around the Teevees. Getting distracted by reaction shots of UK coach while the ball travels 75 feet up the court.
Chicharito just put Mexico up 1-0 over Ecuador in their “friendly”, a word I consider misused. I understand the need for these matches, but does any other sport call them a “friendly”?
raven
@NotMax: I talked to him about it when the grouted the old sewer. He’d never heard of the issue but I did send him a link to the item.
eta
When the pumped concrete into the abandoned sewer we got little floods in the yard from where there were breaks in the line.
Omnes Omnibus
@ThresherK:
Rugby.
Corner Stone
That was fucking shagnasty.
raven
I have never seen a team beat a team that was better than them.
raven
@Corner Stone: Twiced.
NotMax
@raven
’69 Mets?
lamh36
Another unedited video from Stevie Wonder Songs In The Key Of Life Tour last Tuesday. Almost done with edits…wooh!
“Uptight (Everything Is Alright)
You’ll have to excuse the talking, my friend kept forgetting to shut up while I was recording…LOL.
raven
@efgoldman: Notre Dame may not win but they didn’t win the fucking ACC by being middlin.
raven
@NotMax: And about a zillion other teams.
Gin & Tonic
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): Our holes need to be covered, frankly.
raven
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): Really? What I didn’t know was how big manholes are. The cover is way smaller than the actual hole. The put in Dog House Manholes on our job.
Omnes Omnibus
@Gin & Tonic: If this thread heads in the direction of group sex and dead bodies, I will be quite cross.
raven
@efgoldman: go soak your head
ThresherK
@Omnes Omnibus: Rugby? Hmm.
Does the whole “club & country” thing play out in rugby like in soccer? I’ve always figured that between the nations’ leagues, World Cup, and continental team trophies, soccer had to get players together for friendlies to tune up for competitions stretching over months and months after they’ve all been playing somewhere else. Is it the same for rugby?
(On the other hand, think of how unnecessary that is in baseball or American football.)
Corner Stone
@Omnes Omnibus:
Alex Cross? Ashley Judd is in residence.
sharl
@Corner Stone: She is definitely confident. I just hope her confidence is well placed.
She seems to have been pretty thorough in her research, and the “normal, non-hostile” twitter account she cited as belonging to this miscreant seems to have shown some occasional cracks in its facade, include a couple that occurred about the time Schoenkopf was posting this stuff. And those tweets bear some similar characteristics to the creepy stuff posted under the various Assholster accounts.
Also just noticed that Cole asked about this on Twitter; apparently he has also been the object of Assholster’s unwanted attention.
[And fwiw, while I think it was only unverified pattern recognition-type speculation at the time, someone once suggested that this nut used to go after ABL pretty regularly in comments here – or at least tried to, moderation and banning policies permitting – then just followed her to wherever else she posts, then jumped over to hassle anyone who seemed friendly with ABL, etc., etc. Beats me, but I guess it isn’t implausible.]
Omnes Omnibus
@ThresherK:
Yep.
Corner Stone
No idea why KY isn’t pounding it deep inside for the score.
Violet
@Omnes Omnibus: Only will if you start talking about houses too.
raven
Dog House Manhole.
Baud
Via Reddit, here is a video of a monkey petting puppies.
Omnes Omnibus
@Violet: I have an apartment. I am not sure how that plays into it.
Corner Stone
@Omnes Omnibus: I believe I can assist here. If a dead boddy shows up there it’s due to your life decisions. Which you need to change. Just saying.
Gin & Tonic
@raven: That’s a big hole.
Omnes Omnibus
@Corner Stone: I found a dead centipede under a chair once.
Corner Stone
…ouch?
Baud
@Omnes Omnibus:
It probably means you’ll lose your security deposit.
gene108
@Corner Stone:
Outside of Towns, none of the Kentucky bigs has an offensive game. Big men take time to develop moves against higher level competition.
Problem with one-and-dones.
EDIT: One reason why Anthony Davis has taken a couple of years to become a beast this year.
raven
@Gin & Tonic: Yea, 18 feet at that point.
Mike J
@efgoldman: And with an international weekend, no premier league to give us non stop action. I’ve loved the NBC promos for next week though. Liverpool-Arse and Chelsea-Stoke. At least they’ll have one interesting game.
These promos have run during race coverage from KL. Ferrari is actually trying to make it interesting. I was beginning to think they were going to have to force Merc to use last year’s cars to get any competition.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Omnes Omnibus: You never let me have any fun. Well, hardly ever. And I almost headed there with my last comment, to the point of nodding in that direction. Just for you. Well, and Corner Stone.
ETA: Caught a typo that was pretty hilarious in context.
NotMax
@Omnes Omnibus
It’s Weekend at Bernie’s all over again…
Omnes Omnibus
@Baud: Dammit!
Amir Khalid
@Mike J:
The Formula 1 track is not actually in KL. It’s way, way out in Sepang. And I myself shall be ignoring the race, as I have done for the past decade and more. Formula 1 is the ultimate expression of going around in circles.
Mike J
ND players wearing Father Ted insignia? “Down with this sort of thing!“
Suzanne
@Corner Stone: Don’t forget:
—on thread of any topic—-
My dad is a great guy. Just a great guy. Never done anything shitty. I can’ the liege people would do this. I like ice cream.
JordanRules
@Suzanne: Start with Look… or Heck… and it’s spot on.
Suzanne
@Suzanne: “Can’t believe”. Damn you, autocorrect. You’re my worst enema.
Violet
@Omnes Omnibus: That counts. So long as it could be considered “yours.”
@Corner Stone: Well, he certainly would have a lot to answer for.
Suzanne
@JordanRules: LMMFAO.
I’m such an asshole.
raven
God I hate Notre Dame!
GO IRISH!!!
muddy
Larry Wilmore really really hopes that Kentucky doesn’t win.
danielx
@raven:
I like this idea, particularly since the capital city of my fair state (where RFRA was passed? Aye, the very same!) has recently been afflicted with an outbreak of exploding manhole covers. Could the two be related? Inquiring minds want to know.
Item 1 – this is a kickass basketball game. It can’t be IU obviously, but if any Indiana team beats Kentucky it will give me a warm feeling. Not as warm as Calipari would feel, but warm.
Item 2 – Elderly cats prefer having their kitteh beds close (but not too close) to the fireplace with a serious fire going.
Also. Too.
raven
@danielx: Isn’t Kentucky in Indiana?
JordanRules
I want to get into my 80’s nostalgia feels tonight. Browsing Amazon and Netflix for something light with some action, comedy and shoulder pads.
Watched some old Barry Sanders footage earlier today that was posted on another blog. It feels good to be reminded of greatness from time to time. It was so much fun watching him play.
raven
@JordanRules: Try “Cross My Heart” with Martin Short and Annette O’Toole.
Omnes Omnibus
@raven: No, but Indiana is in Pennsylvania.
muddy
@raven: The lid part is smaller because if they made the opening as big as the interior pipe needs to be, the lid would then be too heavy to lift. Thus the offset reduction pipe.
raven
@muddy: And all it needs it to be big enough for a person to get in and go down the ladder.
Paul in KY
Notre Dame is a hell of a team. Still think we will pull it out. Great game.
raven
I hate ND but I love this team and coach. Speaking of, where’s big mouth Digger been?
Ruckus
@efgoldman:
You still have hair?
Steeplejack (tablet)
I’m almost to Kansas City! Can anybody see me?
Omnes Omnibus
@raven: What do ANZACs have to do with it?
@Steeplejack (tablet): Sorry, I have a cold.
muddy
@raven: I like how they brick it at the top to match the road grade.
raven
@muddy: Yea, that was news to me.
ThresherK
@JordanRules: “Top Secret!” ZAZ and Val Kilmer. Not sure if it’s a late night or slightly drunk thing. Since it’s 11pm here, that’s a great time to watch it.
Velcome Neek!
JoyfulA
@efgoldman: Indiana State University is in Pennsylvania. So is Moscow.
As well as in Maine, possibly, Norway is in South Carolina, near Denmark, South Carolina.
muddy
@raven: They are essentially shims. When paving happens next, if they do an overlay, they will add another layer of bricks to bring the rim back to grade.
NotMax
@JordanRules
The Stunt Man (1980).
NotMax
@JoyfulA
Jersey Shore is smack dab in mid-Pennsylvania.
raven
@muddy: It’s done.
raven
@muddy: Here’s the whole deal.
JoyfulA
@NotMax: Indeed it is.
Steeplejack (tablet)
@efgoldman:
Christ, will somebody just hit that link and let me know if it’s visible outside United’s captive network?!
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@raven: I thought you meant the game!
Omnes Omnibus
@Steeplejack (tablet): No, it doesn’t give us your location. It is a generic page about the planes and shit.
sharl
@Steeplejack (tablet): Like Omnes at #120 says, the URL you linked gets redirected to http://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/inflight/wifi/default.aspx, which is a site that discusses the status of United’s in-flight Wi-Fi availability.
Steeplejack (tablet)
@Omnes Omnibus, @sharl:
Thanks. Up here in the friendly skies the page shows a map with my little plane icon winging across it (now in the middle of southern Kansas) and ETA to LAS (now 2:05).
Omnes Omnibus
@Steeplejack (tablet): The little map is fun, isn’t it?
Steeplejack (tablet)
@Steeplejack (tablet):
Two hours five minutes from now, not 2:05 a.m.
Steeplejack (tablet)
@Omnes Omnibus:
Yes, it’s delaying my assault on the crossword in Hemispheres magazine.
Alas, the SkyMall catalogue is no more.
Omnes Omnibus
@Steeplejack (tablet): Damn it then. Damn it to hell!
MobiusKlein
@efgoldman: I have noticed! But I was not a loony tech libertarian
Steeplejack (tablet)
@efgoldman:
Apparently not. But it was weird, fascinating reading.
ETA: An amazing compendium of things I didn’t know I didn’t need.
Omnes Omnibus
@Steeplejack (tablet): Try the Robb Report sometime.
ETA: It make one consider expropriation and guillotines and such.
Steeplejack (tablet)
@Omnes Omnibus:
Or any of those watches and cigars magazines.
Omnes Omnibus
@Steeplejack (tablet): Exactly. My nice watch was a $1000 thing and those mags pooh-pooh it as crap. I think my nice watch was a silly extravagance that I enjoy.
opiejeanne
@raven: I talked to my resident Civil Engineer and he says there are two solutions to the noisy manhole cover. The first is for the city or the contractor to bolt it down correctly, the second is to install a cushion. He also says it’s usually just ignored and not addressed unless there are complaints.
opiejeanne
@Suzanne: LOL! And here I thought that typo was in imitation of that certain someone’s typing accidents.
No bodies nor wild sex parties so far, not in my house.
Omnes Omnibus
@opiejeanne: Have you looked everywhere?
Omnes Omnibus
@opiejeanne: @Omnes Omnibus: Could have gone by smell, I suppose.
NotMax
@efgoldman – Steeplejack
Somewhat interesting article in The Atlantic on the life and demise of the Skymall catalog.
opiejeanne
@Omnes Omnibus: I did not check the closet in the guest bedroom. Maybe I should have a look?
The Raven on the Hill
Wow. Because Cruz is a such a good libertarian. No way, man. I guess Thiel, like so many others who claim to be libertarians are in the end about wealth, not freedom.
Kraw…I wish I could stop doing business with Thiel’s PayPal, but there is just no way, as far as I can see. It would be nice if there were an honest, law-respecting, law-abiding international payment service.
Mike G
Scratch a libertarian, find an authoritarian.
They turn out to be very selective about what they demand liberty for (money stuff only), and who actually gets to use it. Despite their so-sacred principles of freedom and competition they always end up supporting bossy-government social conservatives like Cruz or crony-capitalist sleaze like Bush.
Ruckus
@efgoldman:
My forehead and my backhead are getting very close to meeting. And not in the middle. Still, if I wanted I could have Bozo’s hairstyle. Not sure I could pull it off.
Matt McIrvin
To this day I see Silicon Valley techie types, some of whom should definitely know better, passing around links to Thiel’s musings as if he were a person worth paying attention to. This annoys me.
Hob
@efgoldman: When Thiel says voting is “inefficient” he doesn’t mean inefficient in accomplishing the will of the people, he means inefficient in making things be the way they obviously should be from the point of view of a rich Libertarian. This is the same guy who said female suffrage was a mistake because women don’t agree with Libertarian notions of freedom. (My earlier comment with a link to his barf-inducing essay was lost in moderation, probably for the best, but you can find it on his Wikipedia article)
Zinsky
Libertarianism is a sophomoric wet dream. Ask a libertarian to point out one country, just one, on the face of the planet where that form of governance (or lack of governance) has worked out. Just. One.