runsmooth

Surely another sign that the US has everything under control and knows what they’re doing in Iran. /s

I’ll walk that comment back. I’ve only heard of suspicions or allegations of the use of hypersonic missiles. But so far I haven’t come across anything more concrete.

Also another point to make, in cynical fashion, Trump remains in power as because he brings profit to all of the correct gate keepers in American politics. If enough disruption to that petro-state to US loop occurs to shake the rattle the US economy, will the US voter finally awaken to its own self-interest and engage the system of checks and balances that the Americans are so fond of mentioning? Even outside readers can see that the US Justice system is corrupted, the use of dark money and the rise of the US billionaires are uncontrollable, and the power within that country is out of balance.

I’ll point out the obvious that the “average” American voter is actually poor, lower class, and on the verge of financial ruin on a day-to-day basis. Will a multipolar world order, a group of states, have the audacity to re-ignite this mentally beat down US public. I think the world, and even Iran, can benefit from that scenario.

Can they succeed?

If the status quo continues, US dysfunction with its out of control billionaire classes will continue to lash at the world itself with their excesses.

From a logical view, the US has every reason to stop the conflict and declare an end to the war. As others pointed out the war math doesn’t add up because modern 21st Century drone warfare can produce effective drones at 5 figures a unit and US interceptor technology produces missiles at 7 figures a unit. A child can already decide who will run out first. Readers will also know there are hypersonic missiles, and a combination of technologies that have already defeated the so called Iron Dome.

Iran on the other hand has operated with mostly a “tit-for-tat” approach, responding in kind to aggression and then de-escalating. And this pattern is simple enough for the world public to make out and appreciate. With the US potentially disrupting the economy and daily life of Iran and Iranians in general, I think the logic follows that Iran will simply do the very same thing to the US.

Trump has shifted a great deal of US wealth into the petro-states as a deposit box of sorts, and in turn, the petro-states have turned a lot of that money back into the US by way of investment. Iran is clearly aware of this - as would be casual readers - and they’re just disrupting that loop with devastating awareness.

I suspect that the US and others may have operated on the assumption that Iran was weak or on the verge of collapse. But, I also believe that the truth is coming out that Iran is actually much more prepared and robust than the US wishes to admit.

At this rate, the petro-states may end up suffering massive losses, creating knock-on impacts on the US economy. Everyone should be moving with urgency. This is actually a consequential war not in the bogus religious sense with references to “Armageddon”, but rather a power shifting moment from the age of superpowers to multipolarity. Only trouble is…no one advertised how destructive and violent that age shift would be.

What’s the show called?

I thought Panasonic makes those infrared ovens still. They’re still around!

Productivity gains are not across the board, and is a subject of scrutiny and debate.

But what AI really has done is basically redistributed American wealth to a smaller group of people, and therefore a smaller pool for the US politicians to focus on satisfying. If there is an AI bubble pop, what market watchers suspect is there’s actually no other American sector to mitigate what is otherwise a recession.

A cynic in me suggests that this may be a move to push people off the system and disenfranchise them entirely, or the new rationale to create a second class of people who are forced to live with increased digital vulnerability while a new class of numbers can be generated with different privileges.

OpenAI is the same as any other publicly traded corporation: it serves society, but this service primarily focuses on the shareholders. We’re looking at a vehicle designed to take money, and give it to shareholders. (private in this case or otherwise)

Focus on growth of data centres at public expense, AI slop, the circular nature of some of the investments going into AI, and the productivity (or lack of), are part of it. We are not looking at any exceptionalism. AI isn’t unique in its capability for catastrophic harm. What we eat and drink can easily be on that list.

AI and these American companies, just want the money train to continue unabated, and any regulation to go away.

I’m in the US as a failed state camp. Once the Americans can accept that position, there can be a proper rebuild.

I’d consider the label “competitive authoritarianism” as rather generous, and narrowly focused on just the internal processes of the US. I also believe that the current state of the US can be more defined once we expand the view to include the Americans have yet to fully explore the scope and extent of the Epstein files, along with the full collapse of the Supreme Court of the United States to corruption.

I have similar concerns for Canada: the lack of any check on the political party system itself. For the US, with only two functional political parties, the need for some checks is even more desperate. Originally I think the concern is that politicians are always the target of lobbying and potential bribery. They are technically the most fluid agents in the political system, and therefore one of the weakest points.

Perhaps what surprised both the Americans, and others abroad, is how there’s no check on SCOTUS Justices for what essentially amounts to the appearance of outright bribery and corruption. At that point, I would have expected a full audit of the suspect Justices cases should have been done and essentially a complete review of every case should have been committed. Maybe a temporary expansion of the number of Justices to include members of the American Bar Association and other Justice system participants should have been done to basically re-hear the compromised cases.

In any event, the damage to American institutions is far reaching, and deep. I don’t think the American public fully appreciates that even with the “frame” of what once was a democracy, the damage will probably take decades to recover from.

For those thinking about the switch, and happen to game, I understand that plenty of users are going to CachyOS or Bazzite as well.

Israel owes the people of the United States answers for what exactly Epstein was doing on their behest, and if their government was involved in human trafficking and the targeting of American government officials and socialites.

Purchases by federal agencies are generally exempt from tariffs.

US Tariffs - just on the stuff normal people have to live on.

I still say this is part of the larger American scam for AI. AI’s just a tool, and certainly not autonomous as the stuff of movies. US companies are just using the concept of AI to layoff workers, and they’re trying to lock in their AI services contracts before the bubble bursts.

This article falls into the scam pile for me.

Plus I’m fairly certain Zuckerberg should be charged for Crimes Against Humanity, but that seems to be an issue for another day.

Actively look to “give glory” or kudos to people around you.

On a practical level, be it an opposing force opponent, or even someone on your own squad - like a family member - looking to give glory encourages me to engage with my environment on a real level when I’m drifting off or getting lost. I’m trying to connect with the intentions of others while still trying to achieve my own. These don’t have to be lose-lose situations, and they shouldn’t be either.

If I can compliment someone on a tactic or a response committed under stress, I’m trying to say I see the other person. I’m also saying honestly that the action was valid, and others can understand my position without guessing. In a world where some feel they have to live by deception or seek glory for themselves exclusively, simply validating someone else gives strength and encourages others to tough out their positions in the face of toxicity.

You’re also forcing a change of perspective, and refraining from dwelling on the faults of others or yourself.

Even if the kudos goes to the opposition, I’d rather compliment someone I believe I can work with, and build mutual respect.

I’m not convinced that “AI” is even what it’s meant to be. Worse, I think scenarios of success are already drawn up in stories and science fiction - and 2025 AI suggests we’re not even close.

Now that more information is available concerning the US governments private recollections and thoughts surrounding their military activities in Afghanistan, I’m suspicious that this AI is a “campaign”. It’s simply another game of sleight of hand or pump and dump maneuver. The US remains a major currency reserve, but successive governments over the last 20 years have been incompetent, and the country has been mismanaged for far longer than anyone expected.

With the US signalling strongly that they are giving up competing with China on advanced technologies like renewables and batteries, there’s little else left besides the promise that AI will somehow swoop in and fix it all. But as netizens already point out, capitalist corporations cannot “benefit” from AI without taking advantage of its promise - taking jobs away from humans.

Sadly “AI”, or whatever you want to call it, is an interesting tool, but that still requires supervision or human oversight. AI is not the magic promised for all the countless billions spent, water burned, and energy depleted. I think the world is starting to grow suspicious, and the US faces a market correction due to fears of the AI bubble.

Perhaps AI’s promise remains, but how its pursued gives the impression of another American scam.

I get a sense that people aren’t against easy to understand ads - as in, one company produces a concept, markets, publishes the ad, and delivers it to you on behalf of their client.

But people are not going to agree to reading that article, and consenting to 500 advertising partners to track you indefinitely to sell your data points.

All this technology, energy, and money that’s behind the surveillance economy, is the cost of turning you into the product.

What we the privacy concerned public would like to say is go make real products to help the world instead.