Why is Palantir so leprous to the leery left?

Eoin Hayes (suspended Social Democrats) credits: CC 2.0In Irish left-wing politics, there is currently an ethical cyclone storm in their tiny teacup.

One of their fellow travellers – Eoin Hayes (Social Democrats) – caused heartbreaking moral hazard among the leftist luvvies. He got suspended from the Social Democrats in December 2024, less than two weeks after becoming a TD.

Hayes had misled reporters and the party leadership in relation to shares he held in Palantir, working for that firm from 2015 to 2017, prior to its IPO.

“I had 7,000 shares in the company (Palantir), all of which dated from my employment nearly a decade ago, and sold them in July 2024 for a pre-tax figure of €199,000.”  (1)

Why is Palantir so leprous to the leery left?

It depends on who you ask…

An “anti-Zionist” ideologue would suspiciously claim that the AI giant company is “secretive”. A classic Protocol-paranoid, dog-whistle adjective. Its co-founder, Alex Karp, is Jewish. Socialists claim that the company’s intent is to supply the IDF with nefarious software capabilities in Gaza.

Palantir is so much more than that negative, narrow-minded and derisory description. The company’s software solutions range from Anti-Money Laundering capabilities to Utilities, for companies from Airbus to the World Food Programme. (2)

Side note for socialists – Palantir was the first major Western company to visit Kyiv and supply Ukraine with AI that helps target (Russian) invading tanks…(3)

Hubris comes calling for Hayes’ political scalp.

‘In December 2024 Hayes walked out on the plinth of Leinster House (seat of the Irish government) with his head held high, ready for his first official press conference as a TD (elected politician).

Less than five hours later he was suspended from his parliamentary party with immediate effect. (4)

Did Hayes have the opportunity to outline the rationale of investment strategies to his socialist party leaders? Probably no. Marxist fundamentalists don’t do nuance.

There are curious questions to ask though. How does a socialist square his (“anti-Zionist”) politics with such a Goliath-sized, capitalist company in the first place?

Does Hayes possibly follow Baruch Spinoza’s classic ethics, as suggested by financial analyst, Felix Romeo Castro Flores?

“.. to invest in Palantir comes down to a balance between values and a realistic understanding of the world we live in… the company operates in areas that are ethically complex and sometimes uncomfortable.” (5)

What positive conclusions could come from this politically-tainted profiting?

Perhaps Hayes could consider sharing his “embarrassment of riches” with a worthy cause? One that has considerable diversity, equity and inclusion. Say the Jewish / Muslim / Christian ecumenical charity –  Interfaith Encounter https://youtu.be/9CixjdTQv-g?si=AiKZr8F4o24EYcbE

The ancient biblical Jewish prophet, Solomon, was wealthy, wise, powerful… and a dedicated follower of Yahweh. He once said: “If you must choose, take a good name rather than great riches; for to be held in loving esteem is better than silver and gold.” – Proverbs 22:1

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Sources:

(1) Eoin Hayes made €199k from his Palantir shares – but what is the company and what does it do?

https://www.thejournal.ie/palantir-peter-thiel-eoin-hayes-6569126-Dec2024/

(2) https://www.palantir.com/offerings/

(3) Palantir, the Secretive Tech Giant Shaping Ukraine’s War Effort

 https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/palantir-the-secretive-tech-giant-shaping-ukraines-war-effort-5519

(4) Fall from grace for Social Dems TD… https://www.thejournal.ie/eoin-hayes-social-democrats-shares-divestment-6568087-Dec2024/

(5) Why I’m Not Evil for Investing in Palantir https://medium.com/@felixflores/why-im-not-evil-for-investing-in-palantir-4b1f7b662d7e

extra sources:

Baruch (de) Spinoza 1632 – 21 February 167 was a philosopher of Portuguese-Jewish origin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baruch_Spinoza

Interfaith Encounter https://interfaith-encounter.org/en/

King Solomon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon