Goldberg: Why is Peter Thiel, a GOP megadonor, buying a Maltese passport?
In July of 2016, Peter Thiel, the billionaire co-founder of Palantir, wrote an open letter to the U.S. Senate in which he expressed his disdain for the current American political landscape as well as his dismay for the state of political discourse. He described the current state of politics in the United States — which he likened to “an increasingly authoritarian and militarized form of nationalism” — as “inadequate; frustrating, especially for those of us who value our liberty here.”
When describing the current state of political discourse, Thiel was using words that had been around since at least the 1960s, but certainly since the 1970s, as a description of the United States of America’s current political discourse. In fact, the description fits the entire Trumpian era that defined his first run for presidency. Thiel’s words also perfectly reflect the United States of America’s current political discourse.
Thiel’s letter also perfectly encapsulates American political discourse. Even the political establishment, which is often characterized as a conservative majority, has not yet come up with a clear response to the many of the president’s most egregious acts. Political institutions, like news outlets and social media, have only offered some kind of commentary, but have largely ignored the president’s most abhorrent actions and their possible repercussions.
Thiel made it clear that he, like the president, saw many of his actions as an attempt to “put America first” and “reign” over the United States of America. But his true goal was to put the United States of America first. His stated goal was to return America to its founding principles.
Thiel’s real goal, however, is to put the United States of America first. In his open letter, Thiel stated: “I have long felt a strong interest in the United States and its future as a world power. When I was younger and more idealistic, I had a vision for a United