The data-mining firm Palantir is calling on the United States to reinstate the military draft, saying that “free and democratic societies” need “hard power” to prevail. Palantir’s call came as part of a 22-point “manifesto” celebrating the virtues of U.S. power and warning that Silicon Valley has lost its sense of direction. It also argues some cultures are inferior to others, and blames Europe for demilitarizing after World War II, arguing, “The postwar neutering of Germany and Japan must be undone.” The manifesto was based on the writings of Palantir’s chief executive Alex Karp. It prompted more than 200,000 people in the United Kingdom to petition the government to break contracts with Palantir, with some members of Parliament comparing it to the “ramblings of a supervillain.” Palantir is a major U.S. government contractor and holds a contract with the U.S. Army worth up to $10 billion over the next decade.

In more tech news, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, says it will lay off 10% of its workforce. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said he expects many of Meta’s white-collar jobs to be replaced by AI-powered systems.