the far right and LoTR
it's interesting to me how much the right (particularly tech-fash) these days is obsessed with Lord of the Rings. This is complex because there are definitely some reactionary and racist aspects of LoTR. That said, the message of the story is very clearly a condemnation of power in the abstract and war. It was written in the wake of WWII and it shows. Sauron literally represents the embodiment of the corrupting effect of power.I know the right is painfully media illiterate so this isn't a huge revelation, I just think it's ironic and somewhat interesting. To name an evil surveillance company Palantir is beyond parody. Are they laughing in our faces? Are they just completely and utterly incapable of understanding media?