Alex Karp, Palantir, and the Ideology Behind Defense Tech

RT Deep DivesPalantir CEO Alex Karp did not just post a viral thread.He laid out a worldview.In this episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna and Harinda unpack Karp’s 22-point manifesto and what it reveals about the values now shaping one of the most important defense technology companies in the world. This is a conversation about far more than Palantir alone. It is about the relationship between technology, state power, militarization, public trust, nationalism, and the ethics of infrastructure.From AI weapons and public service to Silicon Valley’s obligations, America’s global role, Germany and Japan’s remilitarization, and the growing ideological confidence of defense tech, this episode explores why Karp’s ideas are provoking such strong reactions — and why dismissing them too quickly may miss the bigger story.What this episode exploresAlex Karp’s 22-point manifesto and why it spread so quicklyWhat Palantir actually does and why its role matters globallyHow defense tech, national identity, and Silicon Valley ideology are increasingly overlappingWhy governments may struggle to disentangle themselves from firms like PalantirThe ethical question of whether the companies building state infrastructure are also shaping the philosophy behind its use Why this mattersThe real issue is not whether Alex Karp is right or wrong on every point.It is whether the companies building the operating systems of modern power are now also defining the values that justify how that power is used.About Rethinking TechRethinking Tech explores the intersection of technology, geopolitics, business, and ethics — focusing on how systems actually work, not just how they’re talked about.