I recommend Carole Cadwalladr's Substack essay "Total information collapse" today.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@hakona Yes, that struck me as very important — and ominous.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@BagOfNails Yes, absolutely. See J. Dylan Sandifer on that point just today:

Why the Christian Right Demonizes Discourse

Their toxic fear of ideas is shaping the modern censorship movement.

The New Republic (newrepublic.com)

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@dusk You're welcome. Cadwalladr's commentary is first-rate.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@dana Yes.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@ManyRoads I suspect it's not always immediately apparent that evil is enmeshing us through this or that social or ideological structure, and the not-seeing makes it harder to choose to walk away. I'd love to think that all Americans had the insight that Thoreau had about citizens' needs totally to disengage from the slave system and withhold taxes for that reason — but he was very wildly in the minority.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@courtcan Yes, it's as if he's vanished, isn't it? I think it's still possible all this is orchestrated for a really maleficent reason, e.g., keeping him in the wings in the knowledge he'll soon take over.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@yuhasz01 Well-stated.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@CartyBoston For sure. Could not agree more.

[manyroads@mstdn.social]

@wdlindsy Correct, sad but true. However people DO NEED to be reminded. Otherwise it's simply ==> out of sight, out of mind.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@ManyRoads I think the best way we're reminded may be by seeing the heroic practice of courageous individuals who are willing to stand up and speak out. I cited Thoreau. I think also of people like Bonhoeffer, John Lewis, Sojourner Truth, and countless other prophets and heroes like them.

[manyroads@mstdn.social]

@wdlindsy not to mention the millions of 'unsung heroes' who have engaged in quiet civil disobedience over the centuries.

[godfrey642@aus.social]

@wdlindsy
Thanks for the heads-up William. Carol Cadwalladr is an amazing journalist.
I used to follow her on TwiX but she's one of many journalist "follows" I've missed over here. One of the aspects where Mastodon isn't as good 🫤

[godfrey642@aus.social]

@wdlindsy
These excepts are especially worrying.
USA is emerging as a "hostile global power". Indeed it is.

[godfrey642@aus.social]

@wdlindsy
We underestimate *constantly* the abilities of the malevolent to do the rest of us harm; intentionally and with impunity for their own financial and power driven gain.

We should have seen the writing on the wall.

I suggest we immediately start tightly controlling AI (more than we currently do)
And block any hint of the use of micro chips in humans.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Godfrey642 Yes — though I think the attempt to control AI may have to come primarily from the EU. I doubt it will come from the US.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Godfrey642 Thank you. I agree.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Godfrey642 I very much agree.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@ManyRoads Yes, absolutely.

[kierkegaanks@beige.party]

@wdlindsy …start? It was always evident from when he acquired it?

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Kierkegaanks It depends on to whom the word "start" is addressed here, doesn't it? It has been very recently that the New York Times could fatuously publish an article headlined with the statement that Musk's political views are complicated or ambiguous.