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6:00 am, January 12th, 2026 - 11 comments
Categories: open mike -
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Open mike is your post.
For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.
The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
I finally understand why Americans go on so much about professional protestors. Under unfettered capitalism as you can actually rent crowds.
Spread to OZ as well.
On this aspect I clearly am completely unaware. Presumably cause I can't comprehend actually doing this. Obviously people with money think differently.
https://crowdsondemand.com/
https://amspromotions.com.au/rent-a-crowd/
So another bit of satire from half a century ago becomes actual reality today.
Now this was an interesting read. Given that Thiel is an NZ citizen.
https://broligarchy.substack.com/
“The UK Ministry of Defence has just signed a new £240 million contract with Palantir. Actually, it’s not a contract, it’s more than that. The UK government describes it as “a strategic partnership”. A “partnership” entered into without any sort of competitive tender that was announced during Trump’s visit to the UK and which disastrously compromises our entire national security infrastructure.
We have embedded a notorious US military surveillance company whose founder is a close ally of President Trump into the heart of our military at a moment in which the US is threatening to invade our NATO ally, Greenland.
If you’re British and reading this, please send it to your MP. The level of understanding in UK politics and media about Silicon Valley’s alliance with Trump and the geopolitical and security consequences of this appears to be non-existent.”
Demonstrating yet again – as if it needed to be – that some transnationals and other big corporates are now more powerful than most nations, and can no longer be effectively reined in. Any legal restraints that cause temporary hitches can be removed by legislation put through by bought-and-paid-for governments.
Exactly.
That is the plan.
Colonialism 2.0
The Crown that enabled that arrangement into law has brought itself into disrepute.
It reminds one of the time IBM provided its assistance to the Reich (while GOP types like Prescott Bush were offering American finance).
Palantir is post democracy tech, it’s ultimate purpose is police and military synchronicity – domestic population control.
It is related to Walter Reed Research developments to replace the older
era MK Ultra Mind Control “Project Monarch” systems exposed by the Church Committee in 1975.
It's, its, it is a language model.
It aims to become an operating system for governance.
Eco systems
Palantir names its core platforms after themes of foresight and infrastructure:
Gotham: The primary tool used by militaries and police departments for crime and intelligence analysis.
ImmigrationOS: A platform developed for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to track migrant movements and backgrounds in near real-time.
Foundry: An operating system for data integration used in both government and commercial sectors.
An NZ private health provider was hit /hacked by a cyber attack in July, and it's only now that people are being notified. Bank account numbers were some of the data accessed. It is a breast cancer provider.
So, taking a holistic approach to crime does work.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jan/12/london-homicide-rate-drops-to-lowest-in-more-than-a-decade?
”Police officials and London’s mayor say a twin approach of smarter and more focused work by officers, and greater diversion efforts by youth workers have brought about the change.
London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, said that the “public health” approach he championed to combat violence such as knife crime is working: “The evidence shows that violent crime rates are proportionately lower in London than in any other UK city.
“The evidence tells a different story from what the politicians such as Donald Trump, Reform and the Conservatives would have you believe. We are liberal and diverse and also successful.”
Any chance Mark Mitchell might take this approach on board?
"Any chance Mark Mitchell might take this approach on board?"
Frankly – not a snowball's chance in hell!
After all, Serco has to make a profit!
I gather it's also the result of a targeted policy by the Met which has resulting in increased arrests, and targeting organized crime.
https://news.met.police.uk/news/violence-crackdown-drives-londons-homicide-rate-to-record-low-504990