Ah, I see how we differ now. I think the key isn’t just that they’re stupid, but more importantly that they’re incurious, mean-spirited, cowardly, and duped by propaganda. And that the leadership is malicious and corrupt, not merely incompetent. As such, I think just about every other dystopia is a better fit than Idiocracy is. 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Star Wars: Andor – take your pick!

I was just expanding on the point that this guy has plenty of reason to strike back, and is almost certainly going to.

Sure, there’s every reason for him to want to strike back.

However, I disagree that that means he’s likely to do it. It’s kinda like Zelensky: he’d be entirely justified in telling both Putin and Trump to go fuck themselves, but he won’t do the latter because the US’ half-assed support is still better than Trump fully switching sides.

I expect Iran’s leader to suck it up and do what’s best for Iran in a realpolitik sense, not engage in suicidal total war just because Trump’s America deserves it.

I’m not sure my point got across. I wasn’t trying to blame anybody; I was just trying to make a distinction between a logical argument and an emotional one.

I suddenly realize you may have thought I was criticizing you, individually. Just so you know, that’s not what I intended: I meant it as a general reaction to seeing that comparison made over and over again, and your instance of it just happened to be the one I attached it to.

Sorry about that.

And also, at least in the case of reading an article you understand that it’s a human with a point of view, rather than a tool that’s assumed to be neutral.

I don’t know if being blasé about an AI influencing everybody else’s opinion (including, for example, their politics) is just shortsighted, or downright stupid.

It’s easy to argue with it – “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind,” and all that – but it’s hard not to sympathize with it.

That’s still just compensatory damages. They need punitive damages on top of that!

Literally adjacent in my feed:

Generative AI agents will never be secure; it’s a flaw inherent to their nature.

Let’s not forget about this part:

On Christmas Eve, five days after the interview with Fargo police, the case was dismissed, and she was released from jail.

But, Lipps was now stranded in Fargo.

“I had my summer clothes on, no coat, it was so cold outside, snow on the ground, scared, I wanted out but I didn’t know what I was going to do, how I was going to get home,” Lipps said.

Fargo police did not cover Angela’s expenses to get home after her release from jail. Local defense attorneys gave her money to pay for a hotel room and food on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

This shit was barely one step up from a “starlight tour,” and only because she didn’t actually die of exposure.

It’s sadistic on top of being unjust. The cops need to [redacted].

For the umpteenth fucking time, what’s going on in the US today is not “Idiocracy!”

In Idiocracy, the people were stupid, but honest. This is not that. This is malicious, which is worse.

You’re the one trying to sell me your argument; I’m not trying to buy it. Why would I pay to help you prove your own point?

I wasn’t asking for a citation that their methods aren’t altruistic; I was asking for a citation that they aren’t enshittifying the product with ads or subscriptions or whatever and then gouging you for full price anyway.

Many smart TVs are cheaper than an equivalent dumb TV

How TF do you know? There aren’t any ‘equivalent dumb TVs’ left to compare to!

[Citation needed]

There is zero fucking evidence whatsoever that the alleged “savings” from the ad “subsidy” are getting passed to the consumer.

and lobby to get the behavior outlawed.

You used to be able to still buy ‘dumb’ TVs from Sceptre up until a year or so ago, but even they’ve stopped selling them now. (I’m kicking myself for not buying one when I had the chance…)

But the important part of my comment was this:

and lobby to get the behavior outlawed.

I’m not sure the space shuttle was known for having bright headlights.

He’s also got a master’s degree in structural engineering.

Funny how the headlines rarely seem to mention that bit.