Yanis Varoufakis Annotates and Critiques Palantir's 22-Point Manifesto

Sat, 02 May 2026 13:43:00 +0200

In this opinion piece, economist and former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis provides a sharp, point-by-point critique of what he describes as Palantir's 'hideous ideology' summarized in 22 points. Varoufakis interprets Palantir's manifesto as promoting a technofeudal agenda that prioritizes corporate power, military expansion, and the erosion of civil liberties. Key themes include Silicon Valley's alliance with ruling elites, the push for AI-powered killer robots and autonomous weapons, opposition to international treaties limiting such technologies, and advocacy for mandatory national service that benefits defense contractors like Palantir. He accuses the company of seeking to replace human ethical judgment with algorithms in warfare, privatize public sectors, and suppress empathy in politics. Varoufakis also highlights controversial elements such as praise for strong military power, criticism of past denazification efforts, admiration for figures like Elon Musk, and what he s