{"slug": "why-tolkien-would-rename-palantir-technologies-to-orthanc-inc", "title": "Why Tolkien Would Rename Palantir Technologies to Orthanc Inc", "summary": "Author Brett Scott argues that Palantir Technologies should be renamed Orthanc Inc., drawing a direct parallel between the data-mining firm and the dark tower of the wizard Saruman in J.R.R. Tolkien's \"The Lord of the Rings.\" Scott contends that the company's surveillance and data-control operations mirror Orthanc's role as a center of industrial espionage and authoritarian control, rather than the more neutral \"seeing stone\" of the Palantír. The critique suggests that the name change would more accurately reflect the company's real-world impact on privacy and power.", "body_md": "Subscribe\nSign in\nHome\nNotes\nASOMOCO Audio\nASOMOCO Unplugged\n5D Money\nCashback\nGlobal Money Observatory\nUnboxing Alt Currency\nBitcoin Chimera\nLego Capitalism\nBig Techtonics\nWinging It\nEcon Life 101\nArchive\nAbout\nPage not found\nLatest\nTop\nDiscussions\nTech is an accelerant, not a relaxant\nA new video on why tech makes our lives faster rather than easier\nMay 26\n•\nBrett Scott\n27\n9\n6\n18:45\nThe Scouring of Middle Earth\nWhy Tolkien would rename Palantir Technologies to Orthanc Inc.\nMay 15\n•\nBrett Scott\n65\n21\n20\nASOMOCO Unplugged No.3\nMy new book proposal, Bitcoin, MMT and the politics of Tolkien\nMay 6\n•\nBrett Scott\n4\n4\n21:17\nApril 2026\nCult of the Black Hole\nThe Five Pillars of Bitcoin Mysticism\nApr 15\n•\nBrett Scott\n32\n18\n11\nHumanity-as-a-Service\nCommoditizing the human touch in the age of AI\nApr 1\n•\nBrett Scott\n71\n15\n22\nMarch 2026\nNeon Genesis USA\nIs Trump a mecha pilot?\nMar 14\n•\nBrett Scott\n25\n5\n4\nModern Monetary Theory: a 10-Part Model\nLevelling up my MMT again\nMar 5\n•\nBrett Scott\n28\n4\n3\nFebruary 2026\nShould we pity the rich?\nThe case for viewing the powerful as the pathetic\nFeb 18\n•\nBrett Scott\n45\n47\n3\n19:06\nThe Green Room\nWhat the Epstein Files tell us about elite loneliness\nFeb 8\n•\nBrett Scott\n83\n33\n21\nJanuary 2026\n10) The Regrowths\nThe final video of the Econ Life series goes into Five Paradigms of Change\nJan 23\n•\nBrett Scott\n13\n1\n2\n17:59\nWho profits from a world without cash?\nAnd what does Bitcoin, CBDC and Stablecoins have to do with this?\nJan 20\n•\nBrett Scott\n21\n10\n3\nThe Stranger King of Venezuela\nAn anthropological lens on Trump's American Colonialism\nJan 12\n•\nBrett Scott\n44\n4\n9\nThis site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please\nturn on JavaScript\nor unblock scripts", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/why-tolkien-would-rename-palantir-technologies-to-orthanc-inc", "canonical_source": "https://www.asomo.co/the-scouring-of-middle-earth-by-palantir", "published_at": "2026-05-28 17:10:06+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-05-28 17:34:47.513200+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-startups", "ai-policy", "ai-ethics"], "entities": ["Brett Scott", "Palantir Technologies", "Orthanc Inc", "Tolkien"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/why-tolkien-would-rename-palantir-technologies-to-orthanc-inc", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/why-tolkien-would-rename-palantir-technologies-to-orthanc-inc.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/why-tolkien-would-rename-palantir-technologies-to-orthanc-inc.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/why-tolkien-would-rename-palantir-technologies-to-orthanc-inc.jsonld"}}