US Politics 2026

[4silva]

This is going to be an unpopular sentiment but I think my ego can withstand a few "dislikes"
Being afraid of something because of a movie you saw is pretty sad. I hope those who use Terminator or Hal as their arguments against AI are at least partly tongue in cheek.
And I know I'm stretching this to make a point but it's like throwing out all your dolls, never going into the basement and always leaving the lights on.
Better reasons for being afraid of AI is massive energy consumption. Too rapid changes to our society. Too much reliance. Too few checks and balances.
However I'm an optimist. We weathered a lot of technological improvements. Most of those improvement came with downsides and most came with movements against them. In the 19th century the Luddite movement gained popularity. In the early 20th century we had movements against adopting mechanization in agriculture.
However I believe we DO need to stop, look, and consider the consequences. For instance SoCal's rapid adoption of the automobile resulted in cable car tracks being torn up to make room for more cars. If yo know anything about SoCal you know that more cars eventually became a huge problem.
AI already has improved our lives in many ways. And there are more things coming. I'm not saying we shouldn't proceed with caution. I'm just saying we don't need to freak out.

Ah yes, the Luddites! A term that we were led to think of as ignorant folk with a mistrust of new technology.
The Luddites were skilled artisans who revolved against being replaced by unskilled labor that could be had at lower wages. In response, Parliment enacted laws making destroying machinery a crime punishable by death.

Kinda sounds familiar.........

It isn't going to be technology I worry about, and it wasn't technology the Luddites opposed, it's the billionaire oligarchy that owns the world

 

[Emma JC]

we watched an interesting youtube video about a British man who is training in China as a doctor and he showed how integrated AI is into every aspect of Chinese hospitals and medical machinery - it was fascinating - they can diagnose and treat most people within a few days

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

 

[1956]

This is going to be an unpopular sentiment but I think my ego can withstand a few "dislikes"
Being afraid of something because of a movie you saw is pretty sad. I hope those who use Terminator or Hal as their arguments against AI are at least partly tongue in cheek.
And I know I'm stretching this to make a point but it's like throwing out all your dolls, never going into the basement and always leaving the lights on.
Better reasons for being afraid of AI is massive energy consumption. Too rapid changes to our society. Too much reliance. Too few checks and balances.
However I'm an optimist. We weathered a lot of technological improvements. Most of those improvement came with downsides and most came with movements against them. In the 19th century the Luddite movement gained popularity. In the early 20th century we had movements against adopting mechanization in agriculture.
However I believe we DO need to stop, look, and consider the consequences. For instance SoCal's rapid adoption of the automobile resulted in cable car tracks being torn up to make room for more cars. If yo know anything about SoCal you know that more cars eventually became a huge problem.
AI already has improved our lives in many ways. And there are more things coming. I'm not saying we shouldn't proceed with caution. I'm just saying we don't need to freak out.

It’s not because of the the Scary films that I’m concerned about AI…
It’s the Humans who are creating and using the technology that concerns me…
As for the mechanisation of agriculture, not All of it is beneficial in my view…
Being a gardener and someone who has contact with the environment - what I see is that humankind has stretched the limits of what the soil can tolerate… But, of course humankind will find a “solution”!
Always looking for ways to do things easier, quicker and Supposedly better might Not always be the answer…
Progress without being Progressive - which is what I see happening with AI is what concerns me most…
The rich get richer and the poor get poorer…

 

[Lou]

News:
Major TV networks ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News pull out of White House pool coverage of Donald Trump.The move follows the Trump administration's ban on CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO from the White House.

 

[1956]

News:
Major TV networks ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News pull out of White House pool coverage of Donald Trump.The move follows the Trump administration's ban on CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO from the White House.

Hey, that’s Great that the networks are Supporting the ones who are Banned!

 

[Emma JC]

do you think that there will be a lot of new vegans in the USA with all the "beef" that will be coming in from Brazil? not sure if anyone has been following the details of that story - it's very disgusting for everyone except the "administration" and for the Brazilian company that owns the old beef and the meat processing plants in the US - ugh - Europe has banned it so they are dumping on the US

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

 

[1956]

Another possible candidate for 2028 that I think would be good is Andy Beshear … He has soft Southern charm, is Extremely well spoken appears intelligent without being condescending and is a man of Strong faith which would be appealing to many of the electorate who think that the Dems are all either atheists, communists or Muslims! Which is of course Nonsense… Wondering what others think about him?

 

[1956]

do you think that there will be a lot of new vegans in the USA with all the "beef" that will be coming in from Brazil? not sure if anyone has been following the details of that story - it's very disgusting for everyone except the "administration" and for the Brazilian company that owns the old beef and the meat processing plants in the US - ugh - Europe has banned it so they are dumping on the US

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

Unfortunately, I don’t have much hope that more people will become Vegan or even plant based or vegetarian… Most folks will just buy whatever flesh is Cheapest… Frankly, I imagine that the majority of people don’t even Think about where their food is coming from as long as it is as Cheap as possible…

 

[KLS52]

I'm not sure about Andy Beshear. From the little I've seen I don't get a sense that he'd make for a very strong candidate. I'll follow him a little more closely though so that I can have a better sense as to what he's about.

 

[Chryssie]

This is a terrifying article:

Trump’s Final Battle to Sabotage the Midterms

Speaker Mike Johnson could block the seating of victorious Democrats in the House of Representatives on January 3.

truthout.org

 

[Lou]

do you think that there will be a lot of new vegans in the USA with all the "beef" that will be coming in from Brazil? not sure if anyone has been following the details of that story - it's very disgusting for everyone except the "administration" and for the Brazilian company that owns the old beef and the meat processing plants in the US - ugh - Europe has banned it so they are dumping on the US

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

I hadn't heard about it. but I don't consume news like I used to.
but I doubt it will have much of an effect in the US. American consumers are just either too ignorant or too apathetic,

 

[Emma JC]

IMO more Canadians (and other nations) know what is happening in the "political" scene in the USA than most Americans do - I find that very disheartening as what is happening is affecting the entire world and the globe is in upheaval all because of one man being used as a puppet and because of the apathy of US citizens - why aren't you all protesting in the streets?

I have a friend in Florida who truly believes that the mid-term elections will be the last elections in the US for a very long time. I have a bit more faith than he does and hope he is truly wrong. He tried his best to move to Canada and was badly injured in a car accident and so that dream will not happen for him now.

How is this for a headline?

PM Carney prepared for ‘risk’ that Trump might order U.S.-led military invasion of Canada: report​

Prime Minister Mark Carney has carefully examined the possibility of U.S. President Donald Trump ordering a military invasion of Canada, according to a new report.

Killing children in schools and at weddings (Iran), fishermen on boats (Venezuela), American citizens and legal immigrants on streets, keeping people in detention centres for years and deporting them to countries that they have never been to, working against their closest allies and bowing down to other dictators.... what is it going to take?

rant over

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

 

[1956]

IMO more Canadians (and other nations) know what is happening in the "political" scene in the USA than most Americans do - I find that very disheartening as what is happening is affecting the entire world and the globe is in upheaval all because of one man being used as a puppet and because of the apathy of US citizens - why aren't you all protesting in the streets?

I have a friend in Florida who truly believes that the mid-term elections will be the last elections in the US for a very long time. I have a bit more faith than he does and hope he is truly wrong. He tried his best to move to Canada and was badly injured in a car accident and so that dream will not happen for him now.

How is this for a headline?

PM Carney prepared for ‘risk’ that Trump might order U.S.-led military invasion of Canada: report​

Prime Minister Mark Carney has carefully examined the possibility of U.S. President Donald Trump ordering a military invasion of Canada, according to a new report.

Killing children in schools and at weddings (Iran), fishermen on boats (Venezuela), American citizens and legal immigrants on streets, keeping people in detention centres for years and deporting them to countries that they have never been to, working against their closest allies and bowing down to other dictators.... what is it going to take?

rant over

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

Indeed @Emma JC
What is it going to take?
Quite a few people come out for the No Kings protests, but for the most part it seems like people are rather apathetic -sadly…

 

[KLS52]

Too many people...at least the ones I've talked to...don't believe protesting does anything. They feel helpless and think that because they vote, then they are doing all they can.

 

[KLS52]

I try really really hard not to give into the H word but he makes it very difficult.

 

[Tom L.]

About the U.S. voting against the U.N.'s gender-equality resolution, just above: it reports that the U.S. objected specifically to the inclusion of "reproductive (i.e., abortion) rights" in the resolution. I'll see if I can get more information.

ETA: here's a link to the U.N. website: Gender equality woefully off track, new UN report reveals | United Nations