Trump and the Cost of Intellectual Fragility
Understanding the Trump administration is both simple and complex. It’s straightforward because nearly every key figure — beginning with President Donald Trump himself — has been vocal about their views and worldview for years. For example, reading Trump’s 1987 book, ‘The Art of the Deal,’ makes his Oval Office argument with Zelensky far less surprising.
However, the complexity arises from Trump’s coalition, which unites various interest groups and ideological factions. One of this coalition’s core components is what I call the “Silicon Valley Tycoons.” Let’s take a closer look at their worldview.
‘The Technological Republic’ is a book co-authored by Alexander Karp, CEO of Palantir, and his deputy, Nicholas Zamiska. Palantir is the most crucial defense tech firm in Silicon Valley, and its founder, Peter Thiel, has long been a central figure in tech-politics debates. I once had the opportunity to hear Zamiska speak at a conference in Munich — an undeniably sharp thinker. Karp is no ordinary tech CEO. Before founding Palantir, he studied law at Stanford and earned a Ph.D. in philosophy in Frankfurt. His academic depth is evident throughout the book. Although Karp publicly supported Kamala Harris in the last U.S. elections, the ideological tone of the book aligns closely with that of the Trump administration worldview.
Karp: Silicon Valley Lost Its Mission in the 1990s
Silicon Valley owes its name to silicon chips, which were developed with public funding for military purposes. Many of today’s mainstream technologies — like the Internet, GPS, or Sir — trace their roots to defense projects.
According to Karp, Silicon Valley lost its sense of mission in the 1990s. Instead of focusing on technologies that serve national security, it became obsessed with building photo-sharing apps. While these apps made a lot of money, they also fostered what Karp calls “intellectual fragility” among executives.
This fragility refers to institutional leaders who avoid taking ideological positions, stay clear of complex debates, and do not offend anyone. You can find this mindset in elite universities, global corporations, and bureaucracies worldwide. It’s a formula for personal success: avoid risk, stay neutral, and get rewarded. Karp argues that this mindset is precisely why Silicon Valley has failed to create technologies that genuinely serve humanity.
Life often requires taking a stand, and companies cannot remain neutral on every issue.
Palantir’s founding philosophy is based on the belief that the U.S. is uniquely historical and must be defended accordingly.
To understand this, we must examine the ideology of “national conservatism.” Led by Professor Yoram Hazony — who lives in Jerusalem with his nine children — this movement argues that people are naturally organized into nations and that Anglo-American traditions have historically empowered individual liberty. Therefore, Americans must protect themselves from other value systems. Every year, conservative thinkers from across the Christian world gather under Hazony’s leadership to exchange ideas. JD Vance delivered the opening keynote at the movement’s most recent summit in Washington in December 2024.
Every Political Narrative Creates Its Winners
As we’ve seen, the Silicon Valley lords have built a coherent ideological framework for their politics. Elon Musk is the current figurehead of this faction in Trump’s orbit. However, the actual electoral force behind Trump’s success comes from a different group: the populist, anti-immigration, and economically nationalist camps that support tariffs and rebuilding domestic industries.
Steve Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist, leads this group. Don’t make the mistake of assuming these figures are uneducated. Bannon, for instance, is a former naval officer with an MBA from Harvard. However, at some point, a clash will likely arise between the populist-nationalist bloc and the elite faction that believes technological progress will save America. Egos will also play a role. According to rumors from Trump’s latest cabinet meeting, Elon Musk reportedly engaged in a shouting match with some cabinet members over who had “fired more people.”
From Turkey’s perspective, the recent rise of “local and national” tech rhetoric closely aligns with global trends. Of course, every political narrative creates winners in the business world — that’s the essence of capitalism. However, as a medium-sized, developing economy, we must also ask: How much scale can we achieve with a solely national technology strategy?
That’s why ongoing discussions about Turkey’s role in Europe’s defense architecture are essential. They will help decide whether we can transition from ideological slogans to a foundational strategic position in this new world.
This article is a translated version of “Trump ve entelektüel kırılganlığın bedeli” which was initially published in Economic Daily (Nasıl Bir Ekonomi Gazetesi) in Economic Daily on March 14, 2025.
