Category: Public Policy

The Age Of “Super Intelligence”

There has been much concern across the nation about AI and how it will effect the society and especially our lives….but not to worry Dimwit Donny has the solution well in hand….

President Trump prefers the term “super intelligence” over “artificial intelligence,” and he encouraged the world to adopt the new term during his UN speech on Tuesday, reports the Guardian. The president said the name change would be reflected in official US documents going forward. “Let’s see if I have any power,” he joked in regard to getting everyone to switch from AI to “SI.” The president defended the technology and dismissed doomsday scenarios, adding that the US “rejects any attempt to construct a globalist scheme to control” the tech, per the New York Times.

“We will only encourage super intelligence,” Trump declared. “We’re going to encourage it, not rein it in.” He predicted it would be “bigger than the Industrial Revolution” and that the US would lead the way “safely and responsibly.”

CNBC has a video clip.

A name change?  That ought to make everything just fine….right?

If that was not enough to drive up confidence then Donny proclaims it will be self-policing….

Silicon Valley’s biggest names walked out of the White House on Tuesday with a promise to watch themselves. President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that leading AI firms had signed onto a voluntary “White House Accord on Superintelligence,” a set of self-imposed rules for developing high-end artificial intelligence—or “super intelligence,” as Trump plans to formally rebrand it in federal documents via executive order. Trump called the pact “almost like a constitution” and “morally binding,” emphasizing “tremendous self-policing,” the Hill reports.

Trump suggested that a committee of around 10 people would be appointed to “watch over the whole enterprise,” the AP reports. On the North Lawn, executives including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, and Jensen Huang said they’ll build stronger internal controls, detection tools, and layered audits, with independent board committees reviewing findings. Zuckerberg described the accord as an opening move, not a final safeguard, for a sector under mounting scrutiny. “The basic idea is that we want to give the American people and our customers confidence that the technology works in the way that we intend,” the Meta CEO said.

Pichai, Google’s CEO, said the companies are “signing up to a set of processes and controls like we do in other areas, like financial controls, in a company.” Trump said his lunch meeting with the tech execs was “very productive,” the AP reports. He doubled down on his defense of data centers, saying companies would provide tax revenue to communities and donate to education. Data centers “are going to be very popular,” because tech leaders “want to see communities that are safe and happy,” he said. Earlier Tuesday, the White House unveiled an official government chatbot.

Self-policing?

This will be in the hands of tech bros that created this problem in need of a solution.

Do you trust these people?

I do not.

This butt wad spends most of his time ranting BS, signing EOs and renaming stuff….and the country goes down the toilet thanks to his lame policies.

Am I wrong?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Is There A Coming Revolution?

First before anyone freaks out I am talking about a political revolution not one with bombs and shit.

Donny has crapped up this nation and we have at least 2 more years of his stupidity….but on the outside chance that we can send this pasty asshole to Florida we will have a mountain of work to do….that is those gutless twats in DC will have a mountain of work that will need doing.

Americans’ celebration of 250 years of independence invites reflection on the Declaration of Independence and its values of equality, liberty and democratic renewal. Those values are a beacon to guide where our nation must go to live up to its promise—to make sure we have a democracy where your vote counts no matter how much money you have or where you live.

We have work to do. Democracy is under profound stress. Twentieth-century rules and norms are straining under 21st century realities: increasing polarization, weakening media, rising economic inequality, and loss of trust in political parties and governing institutions. Americans have elected a president ready to push the boundaries of autocracy and kleptocracy.

But out of the ashes comes hope. Sustaining American democracy depends on a new wave of major change that speaks to the moment.

Here’s a rundown of reforms within reach—and what each reform would mean for rural Americans.

read the list and say whether you agree or not)

A Coming Revolution in American Democracy

I can say that I agree with every one of those changes….but will there be a will once Donny has fled the country?

To be fair I will post what the fearmongering Right thinks about a new American Revolution….

Sorry I would post the link but there is a paywall and I will be damned if those lying bastards will get any of my money….

Let’s say their are concerned about the rise of the DSA and in true fashion will like it to the Russian Revolution and the rise of Lenin.

Now you can choose to believe that crap and if you do then I have a bridge for sale.

Now back to the main body of the post….we desperately need political reform….but I do not see much of it materializing….do you?

Educate, Agitate

I Read, I Write, You Know

cogito ergo agito

Making Corruption Easier

Donny and his DC Gang of Idiots are known to be as corrupt as they come….sadly we cannot eliminate the Dems from that assertion either…..and now Donny’s SEC (not the football conference) is trying to make it even easier.

The Trump administration is moving to strip a rule barring private equity officials from engaging in “pay-to-play” schemes with government officials.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is planning to revoke Rule 206(4)-5 under the Investment Advisers Act, arguing that it chills employees’ political speech. The regulation, known as the “Pay-to-Play” Rule, bars investment advisers from getting paid to advise government clients for two years after making a political contribution to certain officials and candidates.

In the 16 years since the rule was implemented, it has only resulted in a handful of penalties. The proposed change comes after private equity spending increased in 2024, and flipped toward Republicans.

SEC Commissioner Mark T. Uyeda released a statement last week arguing that the “blanket ban” had functionally undermined advisers’ constitutional rights. “Many investment advisers found it easier to simply prohibit all political contributions by their employees, thereby chilling speech and conduct otherwise protected by the First Amendment,” Uyeda said.

But the rule was intentionally written to be broad in order to address the difficulties state and local prosecutors had in proving quid pro quo deals, Axios reported Tuesday.

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins also released a statement last week supporting the proposal, claiming that the rule “discourages full participation in the electoral process through contributions to candidates.

“People should not have to choose between their political-speech rights and a job in a particular industry,” he said.

If approved, the change will unleash a flood of bribes to public officials, and even invite private equity to pay tithes to President Trump himself.

(newrepublic.com)

Oh great….just what we need to make it even easier from politicians to line their pockets while fucking up the system completely.

I guess the old saying is wildly correct….”The US, the best government money can buy”.

At what point does anyone tackle this corruption?

I do not see the Dems coming even close to a solution for they are just as addicted to corruption as the GOP.

Will we hear anything about corruption in the next general election?

My thought is….probably not.

You thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

New Weapons For The Goon Platoon

ICE new slogan “to enslave and punish”

This post is let anyone who is confronting ICE in their Gestapo-esque tactics that there will be new weapons to be used against those that are protesting their presence and tactic

New toys for ‘sadists’….

First the new ‘shock gloves’….

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is putting millions into a new way to deliver pain, CBS News reports. The agency has approved a $16.7 million, no-bid contract for 6,000 “G.L.O.V.E.” devices—patrol gloves that can be switched into an electric-shock mode and used on people who are “actively or passively resisting,” according to federal documents. At roughly $2,500 each, the gloves are pitched by ICE as a “distraction and de-escalation” tool that could reduce reliance on physical force and firearms.

The six-month contract with Kentucky-based Compliant Technologies comes as ICE faces scrutiny over use-of-force incidents, including two recent fatal shootings during attempted vehicle stops in Maine and Texas. Sixteen Senate Democrats are urging ICE to cancel the deal, citing concerns about safety, oversight, and use during civil immigration arrests. Civil rights advocates have also raised alarms about the gloves, the AP reports. Per the Guardian, shock gloves were allegedly used 27 times against a man in a Kentucky county jail who later died. Homeland Security officials call the criticism an effort to deny officers needed protective gear.

If that was not bad enough ICE now has plans for the use of a robotic ‘war dog’….

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is planning to spend up to $2 million on robot “dogs” to assist its agents’ operations, according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding document.

A funding document posted to DHS’s Acquisition Planning Forecast System on Thursday said the agency could spend between $1 million and $2 million on Boston Dynamics’ “Spot” robot and accessories.

A senior DHS official confirmed the plans to NBC News and told the outlet that the robots will not be used to make arrests. The Hill has reached out to ICE for comment.

The technology is already in use by several law enforcement agencies, including the Los Angeles and New York police departments. The U.S. Secret Service also previously used the robotic dogs to secure President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in 2024.

These robots are equipped with cameras and sensors that can detect vibration, gas and radiation, according to Boston Dynamics.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6058739-ice-robot-dogs-2-million-plans/

More weapons of torture and torment for those that are protesting….

How soon will the tweaks be install to make them more deadly?

Since ICE thugs get carte blanche I see these new weapons becoming the focus of problems…but will it be reported?

What is the next weapon to be used on dissenters?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Good News On The Beef Front?

We all know just how expensive going to the store to buy some beef for dinner and we all have been waiting for something to be done….well Donny has done something….and not everyone is happy….

President Trump’s latest move to tackle grocery costs is triggering a rare, public split with some of his own party’s most loyal allies. The president has temporarily lifted tariffs on up to 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef, saying the imports will be sold at 25% below current market prices and give domestic herds “space” to recover as the US faces its smallest cattle inventory in decades, per the Guardian. Key Republicans from ranching states say the plan undercuts that very goal.

Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso argues Americans want domestic beef, not cheaper foreign cuts, while Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts warns that “flooding” the market with imports will hurt local producers (a sentiment echoed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association) and doesn’t amount to a real fix. Montana Sen. Tim Sheehy, describing most ranchers as “MAGA Republicans,” says he’s counseled Trump against the move for a year. Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie calls it “a slap in the face to American cattlemen & consumers.”

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins defends the decision as a short-term way to get prices down but acknowledges she doesn’t yet know which countries will supply the beef, saying that call falls to US trade officials. At USA Today, columnist Rex Huppke raises concerns about the source and safety of the “mystery meat,” but primarily argues Trump is caught in a “hypocrisy turducken” in claiming that lifting beef tariffs will reduce prices for Americans. This “wholly undercuts his incessant claims that tariffs don’t affect consumers,” he writes.

American cattle ranchers are not happy with this decision.  Why is that?

My concern is since most of the programs on food have been gutted will this beef be safe for us to consume?

How many think that the price of beef will come down?

Will we be paying premium price for low quality beef?

If it is not inspected what will be the outcome?

A bunch of questions with few answers right now.

But knowing how Donny works there  will be massive amounts of profit in there somewhere….

Thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Project 2025 Scorecard

Back in the days leading up to the election of 2024 myself as well as many others warned that Donny was pushing the Heritage Foundations plan named Project 2025….once in office he started using the plan from day one….

With that said should we look at the success of this plan?

Project 2025 has moved much further than most people realize, and the groups keeping count agree on the direction even when they disagree on the math.

One tracker following the blueprint across 34 federal agencies counts 321 objectives, with 141 marked complete and another 70 underway. That is roughly 44 percent finished and about two thirds either done or in motion. The Center for Progressive Reform, working with Governing for Impact, tracks a different and larger list of 532 recommended executive actions across 20 agencies and found that 283 of them, about 53 percent, had been initiated or completed within the first twelve months. The numbers differ because the lists differ. The trend does not.

On food and household assistance, the reconciliation bill carried two items straight off the blueprint. It rolled back updates to the Thrifty Food Plan, which is the formula the government uses to calculate how much money a household actually receives in food stamp benefits. Adjusting it downward does not change who qualifies, it changes how much food a family can buy. The same bill imposed stricter work requirements on SNAP recipients. Separately, staff at the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps families cover heating and cooling costs, were fired, and the program was sharply limited.

On the environment, the EPA finalized the rescission of the 2009 endangerment finding, which was the legal foundation for federal climate regulation. Interior finalized a rule narrowing critical habitat protections so drilling, mining and logging can proceed as long as animals are not directly killed. The Center for Western Priorities found that nearly 70 percent of the fossil fuel related actions in the blueprint have been implemented, with another 20 percent in progress.

On health and reproductive policy, Reproductive Freedom for All tracks 57 actions and counts 24 completed with 10 more in progress. HHS canceled 53 of the 67 grants in the Teen Pregnancy Prevention program and now requires recipients to teach abstinence as the only method. The National Institutes of Health stopped funding research using human fetal tissue.

On government structure, the administration stripped collective bargaining rights from federal workers across 18 departments, a move currently tied up in court. Treasury permanently halted collection of ownership data on private American companies that had been required under the Corporate Transparency Act. The military drew down forces in Europe, including 5,000 troops out of Germany. Four agencies have completed every objective on their list, including USAID.

…

Now what is in motion but unfinished. The Department of Education has been hollowed out with the groundwork laid to dismantle it, but it still exists, because eliminating a cabinet department requires Congress. The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis, which the blueprint accused of being weaponized for domestic political purposes, has been targeted for major downsizing but has not been eliminated. On federal land protection, less than 20 percent of the identified actions are done, but nearly 70 percent are in progress, including efforts to rescind the Public Lands Rule and the Roadless Rule.

https://balleralert.com/project-2025-progress-completed-in-progress-pending-2026/

I would say that the implementation of Project 2025 has been a resounding success….to our chagrin….and to the country’s loss.

This runaway train must be stopped and it will be up to each of us to see that it is brought to a stop.

Can we do it?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

How To Mend A Broken Democracy

I have had several conversations here on IST and in my contact with people in my community on what will be needed to fix what is going wrong in our democracy….and of course not all the contact was positive….I do live in Mississippi which is bright Red and MAGA friendly….those interactions lead to a few ugly exchanges.

Most thinking agree that something needs to be done by the next government to repair the damage that Donny and the Band of idiots have done to this country….but will that be the will of elected officials?

An article in The Fulcrum takes a gander at the possibilities….an interesting article….

If he leaves, Donald Trump will not leave the Oval Office until January 2029. Seems like a long way off.

But whether it feels near or far, it is time for pro-democracy forces to begin thinking about the work needed to rebuild, revitalize, and improve the infrastructure and architecture of American Democracy. That should not be done as one part of a policy agenda, but as THE priority for a post-MAGA world.

Restoring and/or building a vibrant constitutional democracy will require that singular focus. The damage the Trump Administration has done and will do to the democratic fabric of American life is incalculable.

Addressing it can’t be a side gig. It will take a singular focus for a post-MAGA president to lead a “transition to democracy” in the United States and learn from the experiences of nations that have traveled that path before us.

But if you poke around on the internet, you’ll find several comprehensive projects that place the work of rebuilding democracy side-by-side with an ambitious policy agenda, many of which claim the mantle: Project 2029.

One of them holds itself out to be “a grassroots, citizen-led effort to reclaim our democracy. We are not affiliated with or supported by any political party or political action group (PAC).” But it says very little about how to rebuild democratic institutions and practices.

It offers a vision of government that does many things, like “prioritize(ing) people over profit, embracing policies informed by science, expertise, and empathy. It actively engages citizens as empowered participants in shaping their communities, rather than passive consumers of decisions made behind closed doors.”

https://thefulcrum.us/democracy/rebuilding-american-democracy-post-trump

In case no one read some of the included articles….this one caught my eye it is from a political abstract…..

  • When elites agree to compromise during regime transitions, democratization is more likely to succeed. Human agency is therefore central to successful democratization; however, it cannot be divorced from structural factors, such as class or economic interests, which incentivize elites to compromise in the first place.
  • Leadership plays a key role in guiding transition processes and can even help to break deadlocks between ideological opponents.
  • When existing patronage networks remain strong, elite defection and, hence, the likelihood of authoritarian breakdown is reduced. Conversely, when authoritarian rulers either face dwindling resources or do not co-opt key political and economic elites with patronage, their incumbency is threatened.
  • The nature of democratic transitions shapes the subsequent quality of democracy. Transitions that are “pacted” among elites may result in relatively smooth transitions to electoral democracy but they tend to permit political and economic elites to maintain their privileges, leading to less inclusive democracy.
  • The most vociferous opponents of economic liberalization may not be the marginalized mass publics but rather well-connected elites who benefited under authoritarian rule. Forging a more inclusive political and economic system is challenging, in no small part because it is difficult to dislodge authoritarian coalitions even after democratic transitions have ostensibly occurred.

Some great stuff in there but I disagree with a large part of the abstract….

I do not see any cooperation on major issues…..lobbyists will still own the Congress….oligarchs will still get their way….

That brings me to the newest brain fart by Dems…..Project 2029 (they could not even come up something in an original title….that tells me a lot)

01 Reward Hard Work

Our economy should reward hard work and not just huge wealth. We need to rebuild the ladder of opportunity for Americans and for American communities getting left behind.  (This is for the billionaires to keep them calm)

02 Give Americans Their Government Back

In today’s Washington, wealthy and well-connected people and interests call the shots and drown out the voice of the people. Government needs to work for everyday Americans – and it just plain needs to work by delivering real progress.  (Good idea but I do not think the next Congress will be capable)

03 Restore Law and Order

No one should be above the law – whether they’re on the street corner, in the corner office, or in the Oval Office. It’s time we strengthened our laws and our law enforcement to crack down on dangerous criminals, corporate wrongdoers, and corrupt public officials. (Good one….but what if we get another Donny that just ignores the laws?)

04 Make America Affordable Again

Americans are working harder but still finding it harder to make ends meet. They’re getting crunched by rising costs for housing and health care and squeezed for time as they try to take care of their kids or parents. We need to give them a helping hand and stop corporations from ripping them off.  (This one is my favorite….Just how will they go about this?)

05 Jumpstart Economic Growth

America needs to win the global race to make sure the jobs and technologies of the future in areas like AI and clean energy are here at home. New innovations need new rules of the road so that we protect consumers, lower prices, and stop big businesses from stifling entrepreneurs and competition. (Embracing AI will do little to make the workers important again….how will the lobbyists be controlled?)

06 Protect America’s Security and Prosperity

 It’s time for a new global agenda to open the doors of global economic opportunity for American workers and business and to ensure America stands on the side of democracies and not dictatorships.  (This is a shot for the M-IC to keep them calm)

All in all I think Project 2029 will not be as successful as Project 2025….using name recognition will do nothing to improve our plight.

The closing of the article says it all….

At the end of the day, the Brennan Center gets it right when it says: “A return to stable democracy requires sustained effort to revitalize democratic institutions to address the underlying weaknesses that made them vulnerable to begin with. While it may be tempting for leaders to simply revert to the status quo that existed before a country started to backslide, trying to do so may actually prolong a country’s period of instability.”

I do not believe the repair work can be finished in anything less than a whole generation for Donny and the Slugs have done damage that runs deep.

Any thoughts you would like to share?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Want To Get Involved?

Note: This is my last post of the day for it is 7 am and my chemo starts at 8 and as I have said in the past afterwards I am in no mood….I will try to answer replies as best I can.

We have at our disposal several ways to get involved in the government…we can write letters, send emails, call our Reps ans sign petitions….

This is a petition to try and force the government to be honest with the voters….

 

https://usafacts.org/data-we-depend-on/

 

If you would like feel that you are involved in  some sort of change then by all means sign this petition.

Personal note:  I like the idea of having my desires known to the government…..I am not sure that they will pay attention to no matter type of communication you choose.

It has been my experience that the ones involved ignore these attempts of people to try and help instigate change.

Personally, I do believe they give a shit what we thing or what we want. (Just my opinion).

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

This Is A Scary Thought

Under normal circumstances if anything were to happen to the president then the VP would step in to keep the government moving…..in that case logically Vance would graduate to the “big chair’.

But there are some think Donny would take a different route….a it is a scary scenario….

As questions continue to swirl around Donald Trump’s health, political analyst David Rothkopf believes the president is preparing to shift power to one of his most loyal sycophants.

Appearing on The Daily Beast Podcast, Rothkopf argued that one of the president’s most trusted aides—not Vice President JD Vance—could take charge of the White House if Trump can no longer handle the job; he identified that person as Stephen Miller.

“This is an 80-year-old guy who is obviously not physically or mentally healthy or up to the job he’s got,” the political analyst told host Joanna Coles. “Trump’s schedule is so micromanaged these days, and he does a couple of hours a day, he doesn’t appear on TV, he does fewer of these open press things than he used to do, and it’s because people are sort of easing him away.”

“This happened with Biden, by the way, where they just sort of don’t put you center stage. And it does raise a question, which is: If he declines further, if he is less capable of handling the job, who’s going to handle it for him?” he added.

Rothkopf said Miller taking charge like that wouldn’t be unprecedented, explaining that similar situations occurred during the Reagan and Nixon administrations.

“We have had multiple times in our history—after Eisenhower’s heart attacks, when FDR was in his declining health at the end of his term, when Woodrow Wilson was bedridden after a stroke—where other people did the job of president,” he continued.

“And I’ve got to tell you, you look at Donald Trump, you look at the bruises, you look at his behavior, you look at his age, you look at his family history, and we could be heading for one of these periods where somebody other than Trump is actually, behind the scenes, the acting president.”

Though Vice President JD Vance would become president if Trump were to resign or die in office, Rothkopf said that’s not exactly how it works in the White House.

“Power flows from the president, from the people closest to the president, from the people who control his schedule, from the people who send out his statements,” he explained, saying that Vance is not involved in any of that.

(yahoo.com)

Is it possible that the cue ball fascist could get the power if anything were to happen to our beloved leader?

This is something to think about…..Miller carves the power and he would be a horrible choice IMO.

Anyone have any thoughts about this?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Great God–Greed

+++Note:  I need to be at the hospital for my procedures at 0645….so this will be my only offering for today as I will probably be in a shitty mood when I get home….thanx for understanding.+++

Since the late 70s early 80s the country has had an emerging new god on the horizon…..greed.

It is steadily gotten worse year by year and then we elected the spokesman for greed…..DJ Trump….but even with is insatiable appetite for money he has only made the tech bros the lead on greed.

I am talking about people like Bezos, Zuckerberg, Musk, et al….

Life is strange.

If you’d told me fifteen years ago that, as part of covering DC politics, I’d be reading books about space, I’d have told you to take a hike. But when Jeff Bezos bought the Washington Post, he set a chain of events in motion.

I remember the day the Washington Post’s sale was announced. It was August 2013 and I was with my friend Tony Norman at our regular falafel haunt on U Street when I got an alert on my phone saying Bezos had just bought the Post for $250 million. “What?” Tony said when I broke the news to him. I read it again, not believing the words either. The Graham family, which had owned the Post for decades, wasn’t known to be looking to sell its prized possession. But now they had.

And in that instant, Bezos was transformed from the billionaire founder of Amazon, into the savior of the Post, if not the entire failing media industry. I read these hot takes with steam coming out of my ears. As the child of parents who owned our local newspaper, I was keenly aware of Amazon’s role in destroying newspapers across the country — namely by bankrupting local business, which are the lifeblood of any local paper (and community). The man who may be responsible for destroying more newspapers than anyone on earth was definitely not a savior of the free press.

That much I knew. But there was a lot about Bezos that I didn’t know. And now that he owned the Post, then the all-important newspaper for local DC politics, it was time to start reading up on the man.

The first book I cracked was The Everything Store, Brad Stone’s revelatory 2013 biography of Bezos. Eight years later, Stone followed that up with Amazon Unbound, another invaluable work. More recently, I devoured Wall Street Journal reporter Dana Mattioli’s excellent 2024 book The Everything War. These books laid bare Bezos’ business practices, a good number of which are illegal, or would be if we enforced antitrust laws in this country.

But there’s another aspect to Bezos that these books didn’t quite capture — namely how he’s lost touch with reality.

Bezos truly believes that he’s going to save humanity via an intergalactic bank shot. He’s perfectly open about this, and always has been. As I wrote in a story at Truthdig last year:

https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/07/23/how-bezos-and-the-tech-bros-made-greed-godly/

The Tech Bros will save humanity?  First, from what?  Second, are you kidding?

These Tech Bros firmly believe that they are serving humanity….I do not see it….do you?

What is up with the lie that if you are poor then you are lazy?  Which conserv moron thought this piece of crap up?

I guess when you have that much money you can claim whatever you want.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”