Fatal Leaps
It's Coming for All of Us
I have jettisoned all social media with the exception of Substack — where I write and comment — and Facebook — where I lurk and cringe.
I remain on Facebook because of my business and because Facebook provides an ostensibly safe space for staff to “gather” or exchange info online tailored just for them.
I believe social media is a curse.
Ultimately, I am convinced the internet will be the end of us all.
Our brains have not evolved sufficiently fast enough to fully comprehend what we have done to ourselves. It was not that long ago that we were using carrier pigeons and penning missives written by dipping a quill into a bottle of ink. The internet has seriously shrunk our world and the connections birthed are as likely to be deleterious as utilitarian or euphoric.
I’m currently reading Playground by Richard Powers, the author of The Overstory. In Playground, there is a character who’s in the midst of inventing social media. Something akin to Facebook, I presume, though I have not finished the book.
It’s fiction, so the words I am reading sprang forth from Richard Powers’ imagination and, in his mind, the creators of social media (and believe me, I know, were it not Mark Zuckerberg, or any of the other ‘whoevers’, it would have been someone else) had no idea the havoc their creation would create. They had no idea how many ways it would be abused. Inventors rarely imagine the ways in which an invention will be used. Or the innumerable unintended consequences that will — eventually — emerge.
I try to curate my feeds but, honestly, it doesn’t matter what I’m doing. There are too many bad actors in the world.
For every cute animal video there will be a concomitant snuff video.
For every kind remark there will be unadulterated vitriol.
For every glimpse at the truth there will be lies stacked on lies backed up by statistics based on lies.
For every transaction for good there will be gazillionaires gaming the system to enrich themselves even more.
The internet is why the country is so fucked up. And I’m addicted to it. It reminds me of the time I was in Vegas staying at a casino hotel and, at two in the morning, I jerked awake, very much aware that down stairs everything was open and humming along as if it were two in the afternoon.
The internet is the casino. It never closes. It never stops. It never has to catch its breath. It’s always open for business. It’s always there to entertain or enlighten while somewhere — millions of somewheres — mischief, mayhem and maleficence go about their daily business.
The dark side has deciphered how to gain traction to corner markets whether it’s information to control the masses or information to manipulate the markets. As I type this the current administration (or, as I prefer to call it, the international crime syndicate masquerading as a government) is pulling yet another ‘pump and dump’ scheme to steal capital. I suspect they’ve been doing this since day one. It’s part of the reason they like the market roiling with their purposeful uncertainty.
When rational people regain control and rummage through the wreckage, we’re going to discover Bernie Madoff and Michael Milken were two-bit chumps compared to these guys.
The internet is the culprit because it makes these kind of underhanded transactions possible and it brought this crime syndicate to the seat of power.
They’re hollowing out our government. Deliberately decimating the Treasury. Ruining our democracy’s chances for the long run.
All of us are “out over our skis”.
There is no simple solution to the Frankenstein we’ve built.
We didn’t need oversight so much as we needed foresight. We’ve always acted as if ‘unintended consequences’ were just the price you have to pay for progress and prosperity. But unintended consequences are driving us toward the lemmings’ last reward.
A fatal leap into oblivion.
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Here’s a Seattle Times article about one multi-billionaire, Jeff Bezos, who outbid a public utility (Puget Sound & Energy) for one of the largest solar farms in the Northwest. PSE needs the solar farm for people’s homes. Amazon needs it dedicated to “the future of AI” and data centers. Two things absolutely NOT needed for the betterment and future of humanity.
You will absolutely NOT be surprised that this is only one of numerous solar farms throughout the U.S. that this broligarch has purchased, or plans to purchase, for an invention none of us asked for.
~~~
On that cheery note, I attended a pro-democracy rally in one of the reddest small towns in rural Washington — Cashmere. The rally was spurred into existence by the cold blooded murders of Reneé Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by the government’s Brown Shirts in Minneapolis. These government-sanctioned death squads have been killing, maiming and disappearing people all over the country but the murders of Good and Pretti were documented (and verified) by videos from every angle. The videos were on the internet practically as they were happening.
This is the purpose of the thirty thousand Constitutional Observers. Record the evidence.
Every state — especially blue states and sanctuary cities — should consider training citizens as COs.
But I mention the rally because showing up is important. Every grain of sand tossed into the gears of autocracy is helpful. It’s helpful in the grand course of all things and it’s helpful for your own conscience and well being.
Town Center of Cashmere, Washington and about 130 very enthusiastic high schoolers — as well as adults.
I highly recommend following, reading and subscribing to Marc Elias and Democracy Docket. I wish he would train some of his attention to the anomalies of the 2024 election but I am grateful for his steadfast determination to keep the democracy — such as we have — somewhat intact and functional. His entity is a law firm fighting for voting rights everywhere, but it is also morphing into a news site you can trust with real information.
Also, this is a long piece on MAGA’s worst nightmare — Bad Bunny. A Puerto Rican grocery clerk who hit it big and will be headlining this year’s Super Bowl halftime. You will learn in this column: Bad Bunny’s real name, whether or not he has ever sung one of his songs in inglés, how he stacks up to mega-stars like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé and other interesting tidbits. Highly recommend it.
I Shazamed a song I heard at the Cashmere rally and — lo and behold — it was Bad Bunny.
Sadly, the adult performer who modified a ‘50s hit to make it even creepier — Kid Rock — will not be anywhere near the 60th Super Bowl. He’ll be singing THE SONG BELOW at the white nationalist Christian alternative halftime show sponsored by Franklin Graham and TPUSA.
“Young ladies, young ladies, I like ‘em underage, see. Some say that’s statutory,” Kid Rock sings in the song.
“But I say it’s mandatory,” Joe C. sings in response.
Nor will our sad-sack führer make the Super Bowl for fear the game may not be played because it will be preempted by three hours of boos.
Wah!!!!!!
What about Bluesky?