As an antitrust enforcer, I see a different metaphor. DeepSeek is the canary in the coal mine. It’s warning us that when there isn’t enough competition, our tech industry grows vulnerable to its Chinese rivals, threatening U.S. geopolitical power in the 21st century.
Musk's control of our government's finances will only make matters worse...
Funny. For years people have aaid CEO pay disparity was out of control. People laughed. They said, " they work hard", they deserve it. But look at the products on Amazon now- Chinese and not quality but Prime costs went up but no 2 day delivery. Even food comes spoiled.
Look at Teslas->ugly, poor reliability, no one likes working for him.
But Bezos bought a 40 million dollar yaht. Ask if people get breaks to pee on Amazon floor?
I remember earler amazons business model. Underpaying its employees to give lower prices to the customer. Robbing from the poor to finance its monopolization of ifs industry. Now it under pays its employees AND overcharges its customers and by force the prices charged by its few competitors. There is no win for anyone here but Bezos. The only innovations is in how to make monopolies quicker.
Are you serious? Leftists complained for years that Walmart’s prices were too low. As soon as Bidenflation whomped the economy, their prices suddenly became too high.
The left likes to practice cancel culture because they are not suited for democratic debate. Democracy is debate. Why don't you go to another country where there is no democracy and no debate?
Mmm... that's not really even-handed: compensation for white-collar employees was both competitive & generous; running up losses worked - as the growth & scale sustains a profitable business today (not to mention a "compute cloud" infrastructure).
When everyone openly expresses their unhappiness in such a fashion, it's only the fool with the loudest belly-ache who wins (we are all, now, "tired of winning" - thank you). Anyone who actually remembers knows that wasn't how things were.
Competitive? Its all anti competitive. Look at its strong arming of the book sellers right from the start. Who benefits? People who are on the highly paid scale will defend the system that keeps them a little bit above everyone else while not thinking about those on the bottom end. I have seen many business use this model to put out of buainess all its competing businesses. What was the business claim to victory? Rich benefactors wiling to give them money to keep prices absurdly low until most competition ia deatroyed then raias them.
The reply was to a comment about *employee* salaries (no one said anything about booksellers); nonetheless, racking up losses to gain scale is not an illegal business practice (and what should be advocated is a proper balance of checks on industry, i.e. enforcement of antitrust laws & vigilance against businesses leveraging government against the interest of the public).
I haven't looked at this lately, but doesn't Japan restrict CEO salaries to a certain percentage relative to average worker wages? I heard about this years ago when in an international relations master's program.
We need to do something like that. Alas, I'm dreaming. But there are models to consider.
They do. Other countries do as well. Only in the US do we think more money is more success. Only in the US do we think socialized medicine makes us communists and takes some peace of the pie out of somebody else’s mouth.
The US is one for me and not one for all, and many people elsewhere will sacrifice taxes to be able to not worry about health care or education or transportation.
My aunt—die hard MAGA. Would not carry insurance, be on her death bed every winter with bronchitis, pneumonia, flu, whatever, then go to the ED and get service…. but would bitch about “we can’t have socialized medicine and gay people, or black people suck” …. well gay person attended ED. Ignorance is bliss. If you do the math, the minorities and the costs of DEI is nothing compared to the money going to guns, and DOD and everything to make spoiled rich white man happy—even less money goes to women’s health initiatives…but they worry about birth rates…and they say women who are educated are less fertile…so patriarchal bullshit about blame women, lift up men and yet they do nothing to make women and children safe, secure, and with a future. Plus, our society just put a sex offender or a dozen in office which tells every young man out there—racism and sex offending is okay. Way to go America. Sure, bet that young lady wants to procreate now.
So I don’t get it. I can’t even tell young people what to do except hold the line, take care of them and use facts. It’s disheartening that young women are scared to live because our society just does not care about their well being.
yes he bought a yacht. If you are so jealous you should invent a product that millions and millions of people want to buy and then you can buy a $40 million yacht too. It's funny the way capitalism reward those who contribute most to society.
Capitalism rewards those who are skilled at taking the most from society. The wealthy don't have their own printing presses in their basements. They get their riches from others. And whether they contribute anything is arguable. The richest are those who simply play the financial game. They neither sow nor reap and produce absolutely nothing, only keep the debt tokens flowing in their direction.
“Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men with the nastiest of motives will somehow work for the common good.” John M. Keynes said something to that effect in arguing for government controls to curb the worst of capitalism.
taking the most from society? If you think that start a business and tell your workers and customers that your purposes to take the most from society and so you don't care about your workers and customers. Do you have the intelligence to tell us what what happen to your business in a capitalist economy where workers and customers are free to go where they are treated the best?
if he did not treat them better than anyone else he would have no employees. People work for him because he offers them better jobs than anyone else. It is hardly sensible to complain about the person who is offering you the best job in the world. If you were talking about Jeff Bezos he actually pays very handsomely. People they are usually make about $20 an hour plus benefitswhile half of the world is living on less than $5.50 "a day" usually with no benefits. Now perhaps you can appreciate the miracle of capitalism
This is the problem with online ugly assholes that assume. Its not about jealousy. Its about not wasting money on things and not pretending you care about society..when you don't. But that is the conservative thing..oh, he worked so hard. Bezos did not event shit. Neither did Musk..they enalaves engineers to make products or systems..then people like you feel free because you can sit on your ass and Alexa can tell you pretty things about your self. Apparently MAGA has come over to Substack
I suppose Amazon Tesla SpaceX starlink and XAI would be there holding the Chinese at bay even without musk and Besos? Obviously no one with the tiniest bit of sanity would believe that
Nobody cares if something is making you laugh but rather with whether you agree or disagree and can present a reason for your agreement or disagreement
Irony. Didn't Elon begin his venture(s) in the Silicon Valley? I remember him well. We was a real mover and shaker. He's now a break dancer at political events for Trump. Watch him jump & shake his hands with glee. What a Bro!! What happened to me? Shucks!
Wow! 2 of the next best things! What will he think of next. Colonize the sun? Damn! I thought of that one but he's the genius. I suppose that I should have studied at Stanford. Alas, I only afforded UC. Silly me. Shucks!
Public Servant, I agree, no billionaires. Once a person reaches $1 billion in money and assets, anything over that goes to the government or divided among the states according to population and needs. Then corporations could be whittled down too. That would help increase competition and innovation. Rich boys who want to control things because they are scared of everyone who is not them could be helped and kept from doing harm because they won't be so rich, believing themselves untouchable.
Elon Musk is the richest man in the world but the money he has comes from the stock in his companies. If you took that away from him he would lose control of his companies and they would die off. It truly would be about the dumbest policy that anyone could imagine. if anything we want to subsidize rich people so they can do more of what they do. They are the ones who got us from the Stone Age to hear. Without them we are all dead.
Musk needs billions to invest in companies like XAI so we can stay ahead of the Chinese in artificial intelligence. Do you want to be buried by the Chinese? Musk is our greatest warrior and yet because you have everything backwards he is your greatest enemy.
You are obviously unaware of Musk's ties to China as well as the major conflicts of interest that come with those ties. Do your research before worshiping false gods.
Ted you are right...Musk has created some companies that have created some great things and not so great things, all with the help of government contracts. But that does not give him the right to illegally invade our government and destroy institutions he has no knowledge of just because he bankrolled a corrupt conman for president. He needs to stay in his lane. And in addition creating companies...no matter how good or bad, gives anyone the right to spew lies, hatred and bigotry just because he created these companies. If he is so great for humanity then he should treat humanity with dignity and compassion.
I thought people might like to know what Elon Musk and Trump have planned for the country, and it's shocking that no one is talking about their real agenda here. All we see are threats to completely end so many government programs and agencies and spending, seemingly as simple hatred of government and retribution to those who opposed Trump or didn't vote for him, along with massive cruelty to all sorts of people, from immigrants to people who rely on government benefits. Terrible as that is, it's not what's really going on.
Musk's plan, that he's convinced Trump to commit to, is to transform the entire way our government works, by running it as a giant series of AI programs.
No, that's not science fiction, and it's not me going paranoid crazy. It's what Musk is planning to do. And fast.
Musk has been building giant AI programs and massive AI computing centers for years now. He just finished building Colossus in Tennessee, the world's largest AI computing center. Colossus was just launched in September 2024. It's a part of Musk's xAI company, which he intends to use to completely revamp how the federal government works. All these reductions in the federal workforce and bureaucracy are a prelude to putting the entire government in the hands of his AI company, and other subcontractors.
This is technofascism on a massive scale. Musk intends to make trillions from this, and probably give Trump a piece of the pie. Would that be illegal? Sure, but Trump can't be prosecuted for this, thanks to the Supreme Court's rulings. He has immunity even to charges of bribery.
I think this explains Musk's huge role in Trump's government, and his focus on DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), which by executive order has been given immense power across the government at every level.
Trump could never do any of this on his own, much less even think of it. But Musk has dreamed of this for decades, and he has convinced Trump to back it to the hilt.
In the next few months, were going to see it happen. It won't be noticed at first, because it's quite complex and our journalists and media are cowered by fear and narrowness of vision. But it's already happening. And this explains the outer confusion as to what Trump is planning, what his end game is. Turns out it's not Trump's end game, it's Musk's. And Musk is way ahead of everyone on this.
Call me crazy if you like, but this is what's really happening behind the scenes. Trump will say all kinds of crazy shit to distract from it, do crazy things as well, but this is the real program. Don't get caught up in all the cruelty and threats and BS being thrown about. That's bad enough, but it's not the real point.
Turning the government of the United States into a technofascist AI kleptocracy that enriches the investor class even more is the point. And this is why all the techno-oligarchs like Bezos and Zuckerberg and Ellison are all now gung-ho Trumpers. They will get even richer themselves through the AI government programs Musk will oversee.
Trump himself is just a distraction from the real powers remaking our country. A simple pawn enriching himself in the process of turning democracy into a computer algorithm controlled by the techno-oligarchs.
You're so right and yes,most people will tell you you're crazy because even people here prefer to bitch about people they deplore than look at the bigger picture which is terrifying to contemplate even if you trust in God. As He doesn't always let you off suffering or even painful death.
Microsoft Tesla Google Meta Oracle Apple open Ai Nvidia AMD Intel Micron and dozens of smaller companies are all locked in a deadly competition against each other and against the Chinese to give us dominance in artificial intelligence. completely ignorant people on the American left should shut up and stay 1,000,000 miles away from what they have no understanding of whatsoever. Oh my God it is no wonder that we think of the left as just plain dumb.
The techbros are welfare queens, at the same time they have been rewarding themselves and investors with bonuses and dividends, instead of reinvesting in technology and improvement. The glory of capitalism unchecked and unregulated.
But we know why: Billionaires are building Doomsday bunkers
William, but who will they be able to use their hordes of money for? There won't be people to do the work and nothing to eat as the planet warms, to a great extent due to the rich guys actions. They are a bunch of toddlers who want so much and tantrum if they don't get it. Their reasoning skills are not great, probably because they became rich too young, just like Toddler-Musk and his buddy Toddler-Trump. We as a nation, became too enamored with wealth and not enough with fairness, innovation, and shared prosperity. The ultra rich could not see the value in making things better for more people than just themselves.
Apropos the doomsday bunkers, we must dare to ask the ultimate question: why has the Ruling Class turned against their own species, turned against life itself, turned against even the continued fecundity of our Mother Earth? While I make no claim to knowing the answer, I am well aware of the hypothesis that the death of our species and the destruction of our planetary motherland began with the violent imposition of patriarchy around 6000BCE, a revolution supposedly mandated by some alleged "god" from the sky, a humanoid creature said to be able to engrave stone with his fingers, his declaration of conquest -- "resistance is damnation" -- reinforced by talking serpents, loquacious brush-fires and fiery wheels in the heavens. Is it mere coincidence that patriarchy has henceforth served as the planetary equivalent of smallpox-tainted blankets, culminating in the rise of ecogenocidal capitalism and its terminal conversion to apocalyptic nazism? Whom -- or what -- does this consequence of patriarchy actually serve? (Given the particulate dynamic proved by the evolution of matter from lifelessness to consciousness, it must surely serve some discernible purpose, else it would not be happening at all.) We face probable extinction; might we thus find the bravery to at least attempt to learn how this came about, and why?
totally insane ridiculous and ignorant. They are investing about $200 billion this year alone to keep our country in the AI race. They are the gods among us. To see them as the enemy is purely isuicidal.
ted, the language you use gives away the impatient lack of depth in your own understanding of long term strategy. the fact that you think it's all of a sudden a race to the death suggests that you don't realize that google launched 25 years ago. those of us who helped build the tech sector never imagined these e-boy imbeciles cooperating with fascism. you have not made any points effectively without reverting to nasty language. "suicidal" "insane" "ridiculous" "ignorant" "gods" and keep in mind big dog there are people on this thread who worked at amazon, google, microsoft and in venture capital like me. your version of a god is deeply distorted. grow up.
You're repeatedly making a very forceful, assertive argument about AI and who will dominate. Why don't you defend the argument, rather than demeaning people with a different perspective, and outline why you think as you do? How will these issues you are in favor of make the world better while a delusional self-anointed "king" is decimating OUR country and dictators elsewhere are similarly plundering, pillaging and stealing, and while the globe is heating, melting, getting sicker?
The argument was that we have a monopoly and the government should break it up when there are dozens and dozens of companies competing with each other and against the Chinese. A monopoly means one. The whole world is locked in this deadly competition and people on the left are not aware of what's going on in the slightest tiny bit but that does not stop them from having an opinion in forming a support group so they all feel good about their totally uninformed opinion. If this is the state of American democracy we are doomed.
Ted, I had a revelation: your statement reveals techno-idolatry! You refer to AI developers as "gods," but clearly they are neither immortal nor infallible; what they have in common with ancient gods is their power and amorality. Some of the inventors of AI have warned that the technology itself poses an existential threat to humankind. If so, its developers are evil. Ask Musk why is he suing Altman.
Now Ted, who is paying you to be their total supporter? I am sure someone is because those guys are not doing the best even related to AI, spending a fortune in money and energy to do things they could do better and cheaper as, oh wait, what China is doing. I am no fan of China and their supremacy in anything when it could/should have been US, but they figured it out while our boys went with the dumbest, most expensive strategies instead of trying other things. That is why they need so much money from We the People. They are in a bubble they can't figure out how to break out of.
But DeepSeek developed their AI and put it in the public domain for either $5 mill or $85 mill, and that did NOT come from the Chinese government. The tech bros want $500 million to develop the same thing. Why should our government give them all that money whrn someone else has done it for far less? Looks like welfare to me.
Ted, you must be young, for you are unaware that your argument is an echo of the 1980. At that time it was Japanese competition, and the argument was used to justify the creation of mega-banks, and the loosening of bank regulations. We barely survived the Great Recession. Great concentration of wealth results in great concentration of power. The techno geeks already are in control of our government. What's next?
There is no great concentration of wealth with 100 companies competing to keep us ahead in the technology that will dominate life on this planet within the next 10 years.
what they did this week was what the president of the United States wanted them to do. mask is the greatest of all time at creating efficient organizations. He runs Twitter with 10% of the staff that I had and he puts amazing rockets in space at 15% the cost that NASA and Boeing could come up with. It is a miracle that we have him on our side
lmao...miracles and greatest..dude has been under a rock...but that is what happens when you emulate fake Gods. Musk isn't the first to fly and he won't be the last. AI is a database on steroids and if its being taught by tweens it won't last. As far as " doing what the president wanted"? Dumbfuck...if you think technical premise puts you above the law and you throw your conscience out to look cool, then your just a dumb ass kissing up to Musk like the punks he coerced. As far as China..we educate Chinese engineers every single year. Real engineering is not just silicone valley. You guys don't even know how to draw your circuits with your big fat egos.
spaceX is about to go to the space station and rescue two astronauts stranded by Boeing and they will do it at 10% the cost of Boeing. It is a miracle for the ages
It is you that is the dumb one. I suppose you are one of those right-wing fucks. I've worked in tech for 50 years and that give me the right to an opinion.
Ted, wow, are you uninformed, but just what one would expect from someone so disrespectful. The car competition here is pathetic mostly because the cost is so high, and creativity is not showing up there. AI, what a joke. It is good for some things, but not all that it is cut out to be used for.
large language models are now more intelligent than 80% of all human beings and in theory can replace 80% of the jobs on earth. This is the most miraculous technology of all time. You are truly misinformed. Do you think Silicon Valley is investing $200 billion in AI and it will be wasted? It is for a steam roller that is coming down the road right on top of us very very quickly
Elon created the EV auto industry when everyone thought it was impossible. Major auto makers all over the world tried but only Elon could introduce the EV to the entire world. It was a miracle that no one thought possible.
Not quite true. Each of these companies have their own niche ie.. Oracle does not make chips, nor does Microsoft. AI covers a huge landscape and each of these behemoth companies dominate their domain. Talent spinoffs have a way of innovating that these monsters can't. Look at all the smaller players around the world now showing up in the robotic arena. Lina is spot on !!!
these big monster companies in Silicon Valley are innovating very wonderfully and very successful each has their own large language model that puts them very solidly in contention to dominate AI in the near future.
no company dominates artificial intelligence yet they are all competing with each other. This year alone they will spend about $200 billion in capital investment all in an effort to compete with each other and with the Chinese. This is the most important technology to come along in human history.
But they are not failing by any means. In fact they have made enough profit to invest $200 billion just this year in artificial intelligence development. I guess you got that wrong but don't let it stop you from thinking you know about stuff.
last week Donny blamed planes falling out of the sky on all the woke, but this week it’s a software problem? what changed, bro?
wait, I know what changed.
“the first thing that some experts told me when this happened is you can’t hook up land to satellites and you can’t hook up satellites to land.”
“some experts” — now, who does Donny know who considers himself an expert on everything, and who also runs a company that makes satellites?
that’s right: the Space Nazi. he was probably in Day Three of a ketamine binge, and started yammering to Donny about hey you know I could redo the whole system from scratch because no one knows more than I do about software I’ll bet it would only take me a weekend I could do it in my spare time and it would be amazing and everything will be run through my satellites yeah yeah oh man I’ll have my lawyers draw up some contracts and wow did you ever look at the back of your hand? I mean really look at the back of your hand? it’s intense, man.
the thing is, the Space Nazi doesn’t know shit about software. like Donny, he’s just a master bullshit artist who has no fucking clue what he’s talking about.
look, we went sixteen years without a major air disaster. shit didn’t go sideways until Donny fired the entire Airline Safety Committee, and the Space Nazi forced the head of the FAA to resign, without replacing him. that’s when planes started falling out of the sky.
our air traffic control system was most certainly not broke, but here comes Donny to hand the whole shebang over to the the guy who makes rockets that randomly explode into flames, and cars that randomly explode into flames, and social media apps that randomly explode into flames.
So, we need to develop a new hit list. We need to know where they and their families live so they won't feel quite so secure. So, I am canceling Amazon Prime and will no longer purchase anything from them. Same with some of streaming companies associated with there overrich assholes.
Adding something here. Microsoft, not supporting Windows 10, is wrong. I have a computer, yes old, but runs wonderfully, does what I need, has a nice big screen. I don't want Windows 11 and can't even add it on my computer. If I can get the computer fixed to run 11, will my software work? The Microsoft solution is to buy and new lap top. First of all I don't want a laptop. Second, why should I have to?
If you go to Microsoft to see whether you can handle Window 11, they actually show you pictures of laptops you can buy.
We are living and witnessing how men who have too much money can do to destroy the world's oldest democracy for their greed. Power/money corrupts! Dah.
billionaires should not exist when they become billionaires based on how many workers and customers they serve. How many workers and customers do you have. If you had millions you could be a billionaire too. Imagine living in a countryi where you got punished for creating great new products and great new jobs?
obviously he does but the government takes the money and waste it when Elon could've invested it in something productive that everybody in America wanted to buy.In 2021, Elon Musk paid **$11 billion** in federal taxes, the largest individual tax payment in U.S. history, after exercising Tesla stock options.
stifling innovation when we are far more innovative than any other country and miles ahead in artificial intelligence which is the technology that will dominate all technologies over the next 10 to 15 years. You're talking out of complete ignorance. If the left screws up artificial intelligence it will screw up america for good. Please please stay as far away as you can
What is the innovation that is being stifled?? American universities are - or have been - populated by students from around the world, and particularly India and China - engaging in the very environment of innovation you seem so afraid that America is losing.
You know what would be "innovative"? High speed rail with inter-urban rail. You know who just spoke out against high speed rail, saying - bizarrely and stupidly, no surprise - that "you can get an airplane ticket for $2.00" ? Thump, the same who has given all power to musk. Jobs, climate, environment....progress....innovation. Not gonna happen under Dark Ages mentality and UNPRECEDENTED greed and cruelty, and THAT is what is happening now; THAT is what is new in America - a reversion to some kind of steam-punk version of Dark Ages cum "innovation."
The rest of us? Is American dominance in AI going to keep all the rest of us from the abyss being so rapidly created by lunatic sadistic monsters now, as we "speak?"
You don't get it dude. China has already handed us our ass. They are the leader in new tech. The reason the Musk relies so much on H 1-B visas is because the brains are elsewhere. Now that they have their billions the rest of us can just fuck off.
China is way behind an AI. They just released something called deepseek which was a direct copy of the work OpenAI had done. In any case our incredibly wonderful high tech companies are investing $200 billion this year to maintain our position in artificial intelligence. They need every ounce of support we have for them because artificial intelligence will dominate the world within the next 10 years
Give us a break with your "Left" talk. The so called right are either ignorant or liars. That is precisely how the Trump man won the election. Musk's, et al, money and the propaganda machine is what won the election. Trump won on groceries, which was all lies. No mandate. You seem to be on some mission to legitimize the cheaters.
Let's remember that the American people voted for Trump because they were sick of 25% inflation, high crime, no cash bail, trans athletes, two regional wars, woke pronouns , homelessness, the deep state, “the big guy” mafia, jobs shipped off shore, high taxes, business strangulation, fentanyl , a southern invasion, 60% of our kids with chronic disease, continued attack on love , family, marriage and religion, the worst schools and healthcare in the civilized world , deadly botched withdrawal from Afghanistan that open the door for Putin's invasion of Ukraine, two insurrectionist attempts to subvert a presidential election with the Russian collusion hoax and the Hunter Biden hoax, FBI offices at Twitter and Facebook, anti-doge support for waste fraud and abuse, and anti-American opposition to basic American constitutional principle of freedom and liberty from big socialist fascist government.
nobody knows if it will make somebody happy but it is coming down the road at 100 miles an hour and there is absolutely no stopping it. The entire planet is investing in it because they understand this.
lots of people inherit a little money but none of them turn it into a $100 billion fortune by becoming the greatest inventors and entrepreneurs in human history
It says in the writings of the man on Patmos that the big world leader (probably not Trump)will have a miracle worker who can do amazing things behind him,things so incredible even people of Faith will be fooled into worshipping the big world leader. Actually that's not that hard to do it's amazing how many sincere Christians think Trump represents God's Will on Earth.
Here's a footnote to your argument: China doesn't have oil, and its reliance on coal is unsustainable, hence it has to maximize efficiency in all ventures. The US, by contrast, has an abundance of gas and oil, hence its companies can afford to be energy inefficient. Drill, drill, drill will make things only worse.
Appropriated money needs to be spent appropriately according to the law. If not than that approptiated money needs to be revectored toward what was its intended use. A dept. within the government that insures our tax dollars are going where they should is appropriate.... Don't you think???? It should not be Musk heafing tjis agency as he is a recipient of many of our tax dollars: Space X, intelligence_ defense, electric cars and other tax dollars.....the fox should not be watching guard over the chicken coup folks.
I thought people might like to know what Elon Musk and Trump have planned for the country, and it's shocking that no one is talking about their real agenda here. All we see are threats to completely end so many government programs and agencies and spending, seemingly as simple hatred of government and retribution to those who opposed Trump or didn't vote for him, along with massive cruelty to all sorts of people, from immigrants to people who rely on government benefits. Terrible as that is, it's not what's really going on.
Musk's plan, that he's convinced Trump to commit to, is to transform the entire way our government works, by running it as a giant series of AI programs.
No, that's not science fiction, and it's not me going paranoid crazy. It's what Musk is planning to do. And fast.
Musk has been building giant AI programs and massive AI computing centers for years now. He just finished building Colossus in Tennessee, the world's largest AI computing center. Colossus was just launched in September 2024. It's a part of Musk's xAI company, which he intends to use to completely revamp how the federal government works. All these reductions in the federal workforce and bureaucracy are a prelude to putting the entire government in the hands of his AI company, and other subcontractors.
This is technofascism on a massive scale. Musk intends to make trillions from this, and probably give Trump a piece of the pie. Would that be illegal? Sure, but Trump can't be prosecuted for this, thanks to the Supreme Court's rulings. He has immunity even to charges of bribery.
I think this explains Musk's huge role in Trump's government, and his focus on DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), which by executive order has been given immense power across the government at every level.
Trump could never do any of this on his own, much less even think of it. But Musk has dreamed of this for decades, and he has convinced Trump to back it to the hilt.
In the next few months, were going to see it happen. It won't be noticed at first, because it's quite complex and our journalists and media are cowered by fear and narrowness of vision. But it's already happening. And this explains the outer confusion as to what Trump is planning, what his end game is. Turns out it's not Trump's end game, it's Musk's. And Musk is way ahead of everyone on this.
Call me crazy if you like, but this is what's really happening behind the scenes. Trump will say all kinds of crazy shit to distract from it, do crazy things as well, but this is the real program. Don't get caught up in all the cruelty and threats and BS being thrown about. That's bad enough, but it's not the real point.
Turning the government of the United States into a technofascist AI kleptocracy that enriches the investor class even more is the point. And this is why all the techno-oligarchs like Bezos and Zuckerberg and Ellison are all now gung-ho Trumpers. They will get even richer themselves through the AI government programs Musk will oversee.
Trump himself is just a distraction from the real powers remaking our country. A simple pawn enriching himself in the process of turning democracy into a computer algorithm controlled by the techno-oligarchs.
Don't say you weren't warned. written by Conrad Goehausen
Whomever "you" are, you are, at best, inappropriately playing the "devil's advo-cate" argument, and, what seems more likely, an insidious presence within this medium. Go away.....get lost......take it somewhere else
If you disagree with something that was said please try to think of a reason for your disagreement and try to present it here. Cancel culture is purely a phenomena of the left because it is not suited for debate culture.
there is plenty of competition among maybe 100 companies in America. To pretend that there isn't is just plain insanity. Yes the Chinese copied open AI but that has been their primary industry for the last 50 years so they are very good at it but as long as they are copying us they are behind us.
You better tell somebody at NASA very quickly because they are about to send his rockets to the space station to rescue the astronauts that were stranded there by NASA and Boeing.
The US has spent the last two centuries copying, stealing and purloining in any way possible, including militarily, the entire world's resources (including using people as slaves and committing multiple genocides).
And now they're crying like babies because they've found out they're not as "exceptional" as their big controlling daddies told them they were, boo hoo 🤣
actually the United States has the best record by far in all of human history. It won World War I, it won World War II, it won the Cold War, it won the war on terror and now polices the world every day to maintain civilization on earth every day. Plus it holds 70% of all recent medical patterns meaning that the healthcare the world receives was almost all invented in America. America is founded on the idea that all men are created equal and that any economic exchange should be voluntary and capitalistic. Without America there would be no civilization on earth
'Murica is now run by two idiot man-children; China won this tech war BECAUSE it's assets, Bunkerboy and elon, are now in power! Good job, "Americans!" (*I* voted for the successful prosecutor.)
Technology is the new steel mills.Just like the Robber Barons of old who ran the country from their library. But I think the deviousness and greed are more dramatic and evil now.
Agreed, Sharon, that mainstream technology is essentially the people's enemy. But, while this is accurate in one sense, it is also true that it can selectively be used to debunk (like substack.....) mainstream media bullshit. Surely more evil than ever before in the US.
I see no greed but rather a life and death race to stay in the lead in artificial intelligence so our country and our people will not be buried by the Chinese. Artificial intelligence is 1000 year miracle that we must stay ahead on.
Microsoft Tesla Google Meta Oracle Apple open Ai Nvidia AMD Intel Micron and dozens of smaller companies are all locked in a deadly competition against each other and against the Chinese to give us dominance in artificial intelligence. completely ignorant people on the American left should shut up and stay 1,000,000 miles away from what they have no understanding of whatsoever. Oh my God it is no wonder that we think of the left is just plain dumb. The left is going to get us all killed if they don't just go away.
In some way Ted, this antifascist agrees with you. Take, for instance, immigration it is a part of the liberal creed to have the heart bleed for everyone, regardless. So they bleed for immigrants. Well immigrants are culturally conservative, they come from patriarchal hence misogynistic and homophobic cultures, and once they settle in, and get citizenship their conservatism shows up in their votes. Miami Dade County is a right wing hot bed of Cuban and Venezuelans who vote Republican., full blown culture warriors are they.
Do they appreciate liberal open handed and open mindness? Fuck no.
The Congress critter from Texas 34th is an illegal alien who was naturalized, name of Mayra Flores, and she is as anti immigrant, misogynistic, anti abortion, homophobic as they come, a real Trump humper.
To that pile I will add, two long time Democrats,both of Texas, Cuellar and Gonzales.
Democrats are not pushing open borders, that’s Fox News nonsense. The problem is there is a lot of lip service given to the “immigration problem”because it gets people worked up, it always has. If this was a problem the powers that be (corporate America ) wanted solved it would be. There is a vast financial benefit to having cheap, cowed labor for jobs Americans won’t do. The GOP wouldn’t even give Trump money for his wall in his first administration. It’s a great distraction for the maga crowd to keep them from seeing how they’re really being screwed.
Joe Biden reversed Trump’s Muslim travel ban, ended "Remain in Mexico," and raised refugee caps, supporting pathways to citizenship for Dreamers and asylum seekers. Trump built the border wall, separated families, slashed refugee admissions, and tried to end DACA. Biden’s policies emphasize inclusivity and legal immigration, while Trump focused on enforcement and restrictions. Biden’s actions reflect a pro-immigration stance, whereas Trump’s rhetoric and policies consistently aimed to reduce immigration, legal and illegal.
please don't lie to yourself. Trump was building a wall and Democrats tore down. Trump was making them wait in Mexico Democrats put and end to that. Trump is deporting millions while Biden was opening the door to millions . to deny that is just as crazy and insane is pretending there is a monopoly in Silicon Valley . We saw millions of people lined up at our borders for the entire first 3 1/2 years of the Biden administration. You would have us believe that night was day if you could have your way. It is not democracy on one side is totally unwilling to think
Do you always suck the oxygen out of the room? You're bias is on full display. When one worships power, mercy and compassion become deadly sins. That's MAGA. That's American Oligarchy.
Who wants immigrants? Republican farmers, restaurant owners, construction contractors are the ones hiring immigrants, legal and illegal. Then they say that Democrats want open borders to win elections which Republicans cannot win without lying and scapegoating.
Ted do try to re read what Lina wrote. Her point is that these giants (Google Meta etc) tend to be blind to new innovations. What happens is they become so big they don’t take chances or hear/listen to ideas from the lower level team members. Our tech history is of small renegade startups being super creative. You sound like an arrogant Ult right bro who knows much better than the rest of us including Lina, or anyone who thinks outside “your box”.
of course it is obviously not true in this case given that we are the world leaders in artificial intelligence and given they are taking a chance with $200 billion this year to maintain their lead over China
how can you possibly say they are blind to new innovations when they are leading the world in artificial intelligence development. They're the most innovative companies in the history of the world and right now they are keeping us ahead of the Chinese in artificial intelligence which is by far the most important technology ever developed by humanity. Anybody in power who suggests that they are not innovative can only be described as 100% stupid.
Uh, that's naïve - being an entrenched interest means having to protect your interests *by definition*, i.e. being unable (and biased against) pursuing truly innovative gambles. It's not about geopolitics but rather a simple fact of business administration (did Microsoft invent 'search' technology - or Intel the GPU)? People who speak the truth are 100% honest - not stupid Ted.
please stop trying to change the subject. If you disagree with something substantive try to think of a reason for the disagreement and try to present the reason here in writing
Thank you, Professor Reich for sending this outstanding article. We need the Lina Khan's in this world to protect and defend democracy and all it's institutions.
Microsoft Tesla Google Meta Oracle Apple open Ai Nvidia AMD Intel Micron and dozens of smaller companies are all locked in a deadly competition against each other and against the Chinese to give us dominance in artificial intelligence. completely ignorant people on the American left should shut up and stay 1,000,000 miles away from what they have no understanding of whatsoever. Oh my God it is no wonder that we think of the left is just plain dumb. The left is going to get us all killed if they don't just go away.
Have you ever even visited an engineering college? (It would be difficult to understand such things not having such an education - and none of the folks who bother self-identify as 'Ted Baiamonte', i.e. because the inflammatory politics of such a person is incompatible with collaboration & success. F'real, get a clue!)
there is nothing inflammatory about freedom and liberty. It is at the heart of our constitution and it was at the heart of the Republican Party when Jefferson and Madison formed the party in 1793 to stand for freedom and liberty from government. Welcome to your first lesson in American history.
she is not protecting anything but rather destroying the country if she prevents our great tech Giants from developing artificial intelligence products to keep us well ahead of the Chinese.
Thank God she is no longer in office to interfere with the incredible competition to stay ahead of the Chinese in the race for artificial intelligence general artificial intelligence. She was a huge disaster at her job because she didn't understand business at all.
Thanks for pointing this out! Super sharp perspective. the canary in the coal mine indeed. We're being forced to go down a corridor of delusional anti-science stupidity enabled by these oligarchs. Please be sure to read the piece written by Timothy Ryback in The Atlantic this past week. It's called The Oligarchs Who Came to Regret Supporting Hitler. I have provided a gift URL on bsky (@jdsboston.me) to get it out there. Please let me know if you want me to post a link. The insights are detailed as Mr. Ryback is a historian and much more living in The Hague
I think you are forgetting that Trump and musk want to control the government so they can eliminate large parts of it like USA ID. Trump and musk want to cut taxes and regulations again to shrink the power of government. This is what Republicans have stood for since 1792 when Jefferson and Madison founded the party for that purpose. Now you can put things in perspective.
Robert, McDonnell Douglas bought Boeing in a leveraged buyout, using Boeing's own money. As a St Louis resident, we knew Stonecipher's poor business reputation -- most who knew his company could have projected Boeing's fall . As a retired business professor, this buyout (plus KKR) were among my standard classroom examples.
We have effectively refused to enforce our antitrust and antimonopoly laws for the last 40 years, except for when Lina Khan served during the Biden administration.
would you like to break up the AI industry so we would fall behind the Chinese in artificial intelligence? Huge companies like google have about $100 billion a year to invest. They were broken up there would be no investment and we would be defeated by the Chinese
Microsoft Tesla Google Meta Oracle Apple open Ai Nvidia AMD Intel Micron and dozens of smaller companies are all locked in a deadly competition against each other and against the Chinese to give us dominance in artificial intelligence. completely ignorant people on the American left should shut up and stay 1,000,000 miles away from what they have no understanding of whatsoever. Oh my God it is no wonder that we think of the left is just plain dumb. The left is going to get us all killed if they don't just go away.
BTW Ted, since you are a free loader, and not a subscriber, why don't you shut your fucking mouth. We don't need any more Trump humping right wing extremists fouling this safe space.
If you disagree with something that was said please try to think of a reason for the disagreement and then try to present the reason here in writing. You are afraid of debate and you would prefer a support group?
Also, those buyers/Billionaires want tax cuts to allow them to become richer, dump their debt on the American Citizens and cause our Middle Class to plummet. This is treasonous and Musk doesn't care because...he isn't an American🎯
Just read an article by Seth Abramson regarding Elon Musk’s history. Apparently, he’s really good at stealing ideas and fabricating stories. An interesting article
Microsoft Tesla Google Meta Oracle Apple open Ai Nvidia AMD Intel Micron IBM , Salesforce, ServiceNow and dozens of smaller companies are all locked in a deadly competition against each other and against the Chinese to give us dominance in artificial intelligence. they will invest perhaps $200 billion this year along . completely amazingly ignorant people on the American left should shut up and stay 1,000,000 miles away from what they have no understanding of whatsoever. Oh my God it is no wonder that we think of the left is just plain dumb. The left is going to get us all killed if they don't just go away.
Talking of suicide, look at what the rightards have wrought. National suicide as America deconstructs, and it just started. When they get done, evenPutin can sweep in and pick up the leavings, but that is what you want, isn't it Ted.
The big tech billionaires here in America bilk our government, they will invest little to no capital of their own, then make $ billions with government contracts, subsidies, grants, low or no interest loans and tax abatements, federal, state and local, it’s a free ride, exactly why Bezos, Zuckerberg, Brin/Page, Musk and others have all cozied up with trump, easy money and deregulations incoming, WOW.
The race to Trillionaire is on and they are lined up in the starting blocks!
ATT had a virtual monopoly on the phone system . Some invented a rubber sleeve that aided users to crunch the phone between their shoulders and ear so they could write orders or notes at the same time they were using the phone .
ATT had Lawyers and the decided it was an infringement on att patents.
They sued and lost to the rubber sleeve manufacturers.
That was the first crack in the armor of ATT .
Jimmy Carter deregulated ATT and Worldcom was born ( the pure one before the wrestling coach bought it and ran it into the ground…)
Now we have cell phones and virtually free calling and texting…
If you go through providers like AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon though, you will pay a lot more than you should because of their monopoly power. You are tied to their phones. In the EU, you can buy any phone and use it on any carrier. Cable rates are also excessively high, again because of local monopolies, Internet service is far faster overseas, and again it’s due to local monopolies.
The only provider that provides anywhere near reliable service in my area is T Mobile. My wife uses it. I don't. I wouldn't go near a cell phone. I almost hit an idiot today some tall skinny dude was walking down the sidewalk staring at his phone, he stepped off the curb to cross the street without looking, I was going to make a left turn, had to stop, luckily there was no one on my bumper.
What about what we pay for Prescriptions Drugs that’s crazy . Canadian Discount pharmacy in Florida get you much cheaper drugs they DO NOT Handle Opiates Drugs .
In 1974, the Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against AT&T. The lawsuit was continued under both Democrat Jimmy Carter and Republican Ronald Reagan.
FCC however in 1982 the suit was dismissed.
August 24, 1982, the divestment of AT&T's local operating companies was implemented on January 1, 1984. Those companies, which were consolidated into seven regional operating companies (nicknamed “Baby Bells”), were permitted to keep the Bell name as a result of a decision by Judge Greene.
The real damage was done by Bill Clinton in the Telecommunications act of 1996.
Microsoft Tesla Google Meta Oracle Apple open Ai Nvidia AMD Intel Micron and dozens of smaller companies are all locked in a deadly competition against each other and against the Chinese to give us dominance in artificial intelligence. completely ignorant people on the American left should shut up and stay 1,000,000 miles away from what they have no understanding of whatsoever. Oh my God it is no wonder that we think of the left is just plain dumb. The left is going to get us all killed if they don't just go away.
We also have to stop worshipping at the altar of Wall St. that has reduced everything to shareholder value.
They are bean counters who have conned the public into believing that THEY are the driving force behind truly innovative tech (and creative application of such) that the people in the trenches have developed.
Microsoft Tesla Google Meta Oracle Apple open Ai Nvidia AMD Intel Micron IBM , Salesforce, ServiceNow and dozens of smaller companies are all locked in a deadly competition against each other and against the Chinese to give us dominance in artificial intelligence. they will invest perhaps $200 billion this year along . completely amazingly ignorant people on the American left should shut up and stay 1,000,000 miles away from what they have no understanding of whatsoever. Oh my God it is no wonder that we think of the left is just plain dumb. The left is going to get us all killed if they don't just go away.
I really appreciate hearing useful articles which are pertinent to our work, but which came from outside the group. I must admit, Lina Khan is one person that I REALLY hate to see out of her job. Maybe she will help us by alerting us to certain areas of trust violations made by the orange menace and his billionaire cronies. At this point, it's all we can ask of her. Thanks Lina for all your hard work. And super thanks Robert, for leading our team so well.
1) Stay off F*cebook, Inst*gram, Tw*tter, T*kT*k for 24 hours starting at 12 am Sunday 2/9
2) Do NOT watch the S*per B*wl on any media
These actions of silence hit them right in their wallets because the event and entire day draws HUGE engagement and skyrocketed ad revenue for them. If we're not there, they get hit hard financially and we send a message of what our collective power can and will do.
BONUS: We'd be using their technology against them. With monthly targeted one-day boycotts of social media on other high engagement and financially important days we have the potential to cause tens of billions of dollars in lost ad revenues and hundreds of millions in stock price losses over a year. And our international supporters can join us.
As an antitrust enforcer, I see a different metaphor. DeepSeek is the canary in the coal mine. It’s warning us that when there isn’t enough competition, our tech industry grows vulnerable to its Chinese rivals, threatening U.S. geopolitical power in the 21st century.
Musk's control of our government's finances will only make matters worse...
Zuckerberg and Bezos are trying to be like Musk. Billionaires shouldn’t exist. Tech bros are destroying America.
Funny. For years people have aaid CEO pay disparity was out of control. People laughed. They said, " they work hard", they deserve it. But look at the products on Amazon now- Chinese and not quality but Prime costs went up but no 2 day delivery. Even food comes spoiled.
Look at Teslas->ugly, poor reliability, no one likes working for him.
But Bezos bought a 40 million dollar yaht. Ask if people get breaks to pee on Amazon floor?
I remember earler amazons business model. Underpaying its employees to give lower prices to the customer. Robbing from the poor to finance its monopolization of ifs industry. Now it under pays its employees AND overcharges its customers and by force the prices charged by its few competitors. There is no win for anyone here but Bezos. The only innovations is in how to make monopolies quicker.
if amazon was not superior everyone would still buy from Walmart.They did not like Walmart either. Go figure
you're a breath of hot air, go somewhere where you are welcome
Are you serious? Leftists complained for years that Walmart’s prices were too low. As soon as Bidenflation whomped the economy, their prices suddenly became too high.
The left likes to practice cancel culture because they are not suited for democratic debate. Democracy is debate. Why don't you go to another country where there is no democracy and no debate?
Mmm... that's not really even-handed: compensation for white-collar employees was both competitive & generous; running up losses worked - as the growth & scale sustains a profitable business today (not to mention a "compute cloud" infrastructure).
When everyone openly expresses their unhappiness in such a fashion, it's only the fool with the loudest belly-ache who wins (we are all, now, "tired of winning" - thank you). Anyone who actually remembers knows that wasn't how things were.
= /
Competitive? Its all anti competitive. Look at its strong arming of the book sellers right from the start. Who benefits? People who are on the highly paid scale will defend the system that keeps them a little bit above everyone else while not thinking about those on the bottom end. I have seen many business use this model to put out of buainess all its competing businesses. What was the business claim to victory? Rich benefactors wiling to give them money to keep prices absurdly low until most competition ia deatroyed then raias them.
https://youtu.be/RVVfJVj5z8s?si=D7yPGMh_zsD9TU0w
The reply was to a comment about *employee* salaries (no one said anything about booksellers); nonetheless, racking up losses to gain scale is not an illegal business practice (and what should be advocated is a proper balance of checks on industry, i.e. enforcement of antitrust laws & vigilance against businesses leveraging government against the interest of the public).
I haven't looked at this lately, but doesn't Japan restrict CEO salaries to a certain percentage relative to average worker wages? I heard about this years ago when in an international relations master's program.
We need to do something like that. Alas, I'm dreaming. But there are models to consider.
They do. Other countries do as well. Only in the US do we think more money is more success. Only in the US do we think socialized medicine makes us communists and takes some peace of the pie out of somebody else’s mouth.
The US is one for me and not one for all, and many people elsewhere will sacrifice taxes to be able to not worry about health care or education or transportation.
My aunt—die hard MAGA. Would not carry insurance, be on her death bed every winter with bronchitis, pneumonia, flu, whatever, then go to the ED and get service…. but would bitch about “we can’t have socialized medicine and gay people, or black people suck” …. well gay person attended ED. Ignorance is bliss. If you do the math, the minorities and the costs of DEI is nothing compared to the money going to guns, and DOD and everything to make spoiled rich white man happy—even less money goes to women’s health initiatives…but they worry about birth rates…and they say women who are educated are less fertile…so patriarchal bullshit about blame women, lift up men and yet they do nothing to make women and children safe, secure, and with a future. Plus, our society just put a sex offender or a dozen in office which tells every young man out there—racism and sex offending is okay. Way to go America. Sure, bet that young lady wants to procreate now.
So I don’t get it. I can’t even tell young people what to do except hold the line, take care of them and use facts. It’s disheartening that young women are scared to live because our society just does not care about their well being.
How well is that working?
So employees are actually peeing on Amazon’s floors then? This is so sad.
Production floor..ie, floor workers
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/mar/11/amazon-delivery-drivers-bathroom-breaks-unions
If you're trying to be funny you're not succeeding.
yes he bought a yacht. If you are so jealous you should invent a product that millions and millions of people want to buy and then you can buy a $40 million yacht too. It's funny the way capitalism reward those who contribute most to society.
Ted, do you work for Elon? Or have Bro-envy? Neither, I suppose. Still funny none the less.
If you disagree with something substantive please try to think of a reason for the disagreement.
How much did he pay in taxes?
Your comment was not substantive.
Capitalism rewards those who are skilled at taking the most from society. The wealthy don't have their own printing presses in their basements. They get their riches from others. And whether they contribute anything is arguable. The richest are those who simply play the financial game. They neither sow nor reap and produce absolutely nothing, only keep the debt tokens flowing in their direction.
“Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men with the nastiest of motives will somehow work for the common good.” John M. Keynes said something to that effect in arguing for government controls to curb the worst of capitalism.
taking the most from society? If you think that start a business and tell your workers and customers that your purposes to take the most from society and so you don't care about your workers and customers. Do you have the intelligence to tell us what what happen to your business in a capitalist economy where workers and customers are free to go where they are treated the best?
Anyone who treats his own employees so poorly does not deserve a dinghy, much less a yacht.
if he did not treat them better than anyone else he would have no employees. People work for him because he offers them better jobs than anyone else. It is hardly sensible to complain about the person who is offering you the best job in the world. If you were talking about Jeff Bezos he actually pays very handsomely. People they are usually make about $20 an hour plus benefitswhile half of the world is living on less than $5.50 "a day" usually with no benefits. Now perhaps you can appreciate the miracle of capitalism
That is a lot of words to defend a very greedy man. Why would you do that, Tedlet ?
This is the problem with online ugly assholes that assume. Its not about jealousy. Its about not wasting money on things and not pretending you care about society..when you don't. But that is the conservative thing..oh, he worked so hard. Bezos did not event shit. Neither did Musk..they enalaves engineers to make products or systems..then people like you feel free because you can sit on your ass and Alexa can tell you pretty things about your self. Apparently MAGA has come over to Substack
I suppose Amazon Tesla SpaceX starlink and XAI would be there holding the Chinese at bay even without musk and Besos? Obviously no one with the tiniest bit of sanity would believe that
Ted, don't act like Musk is fighting off China...he's joined at the hip to China. And he's running our country. See any conflicts of interest?
Suck up harder, MAGA breath.
“Contribute most to society”?
This doesn’t pass the giggle test.
Please elaborate…substantively.
if you doubt it even for one second open a business and announce that you don't care about your workers or customers. Do you know what would happen?
Yeah. It's called "Walmart" or "Amazon."
Making me laugh.
Nobody cares if something is making you laugh but rather with whether you agree or disagree and can present a reason for your agreement or disagreement
honestly this is about breaking up the big silicon Valley companies and destroying our chances against China.
Irony. Didn't Elon begin his venture(s) in the Silicon Valley? I remember him well. We was a real mover and shaker. He's now a break dancer at political events for Trump. Watch him jump & shake his hands with glee. What a Bro!! What happened to me? Shucks!
actually musk is most known for Tesla SpaceX Starlink XAI. These are about the greatest most innovative companies in all human history.
Wow! 2 of the next best things! What will he think of next. Colonize the sun? Damn! I thought of that one but he's the genius. I suppose that I should have studied at Stanford. Alas, I only afforded UC. Silly me. Shucks!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koru_(yacht)
I completely agree with you.
Public Servant, I agree, no billionaires. Once a person reaches $1 billion in money and assets, anything over that goes to the government or divided among the states according to population and needs. Then corporations could be whittled down too. That would help increase competition and innovation. Rich boys who want to control things because they are scared of everyone who is not them could be helped and kept from doing harm because they won't be so rich, believing themselves untouchable.
Elon Musk is the richest man in the world but the money he has comes from the stock in his companies. If you took that away from him he would lose control of his companies and they would die off. It truly would be about the dumbest policy that anyone could imagine. if anything we want to subsidize rich people so they can do more of what they do. They are the ones who got us from the Stone Age to hear. Without them we are all dead.
Musk needs billions to invest in companies like XAI so we can stay ahead of the Chinese in artificial intelligence. Do you want to be buried by the Chinese? Musk is our greatest warrior and yet because you have everything backwards he is your greatest enemy.
You are obviously unaware of Musk's ties to China as well as the major conflicts of interest that come with those ties. Do your research before worshiping false gods.
If you have a reason to think I am unaware why don't you tell us what that reason is?
Ted you are right...Musk has created some companies that have created some great things and not so great things, all with the help of government contracts. But that does not give him the right to illegally invade our government and destroy institutions he has no knowledge of just because he bankrolled a corrupt conman for president. He needs to stay in his lane. And in addition creating companies...no matter how good or bad, gives anyone the right to spew lies, hatred and bigotry just because he created these companies. If he is so great for humanity then he should treat humanity with dignity and compassion.
written by Conrad Goehausen
I thought people might like to know what Elon Musk and Trump have planned for the country, and it's shocking that no one is talking about their real agenda here. All we see are threats to completely end so many government programs and agencies and spending, seemingly as simple hatred of government and retribution to those who opposed Trump or didn't vote for him, along with massive cruelty to all sorts of people, from immigrants to people who rely on government benefits. Terrible as that is, it's not what's really going on.
Musk's plan, that he's convinced Trump to commit to, is to transform the entire way our government works, by running it as a giant series of AI programs.
No, that's not science fiction, and it's not me going paranoid crazy. It's what Musk is planning to do. And fast.
Musk has been building giant AI programs and massive AI computing centers for years now. He just finished building Colossus in Tennessee, the world's largest AI computing center. Colossus was just launched in September 2024. It's a part of Musk's xAI company, which he intends to use to completely revamp how the federal government works. All these reductions in the federal workforce and bureaucracy are a prelude to putting the entire government in the hands of his AI company, and other subcontractors.
This is technofascism on a massive scale. Musk intends to make trillions from this, and probably give Trump a piece of the pie. Would that be illegal? Sure, but Trump can't be prosecuted for this, thanks to the Supreme Court's rulings. He has immunity even to charges of bribery.
I think this explains Musk's huge role in Trump's government, and his focus on DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), which by executive order has been given immense power across the government at every level.
Trump could never do any of this on his own, much less even think of it. But Musk has dreamed of this for decades, and he has convinced Trump to back it to the hilt.
In the next few months, were going to see it happen. It won't be noticed at first, because it's quite complex and our journalists and media are cowered by fear and narrowness of vision. But it's already happening. And this explains the outer confusion as to what Trump is planning, what his end game is. Turns out it's not Trump's end game, it's Musk's. And Musk is way ahead of everyone on this.
Call me crazy if you like, but this is what's really happening behind the scenes. Trump will say all kinds of crazy shit to distract from it, do crazy things as well, but this is the real program. Don't get caught up in all the cruelty and threats and BS being thrown about. That's bad enough, but it's not the real point.
Turning the government of the United States into a technofascist AI kleptocracy that enriches the investor class even more is the point. And this is why all the techno-oligarchs like Bezos and Zuckerberg and Ellison are all now gung-ho Trumpers. They will get even richer themselves through the AI government programs Musk will oversee.
Trump himself is just a distraction from the real powers remaking our country. A simple pawn enriching himself in the process of turning democracy into a computer algorithm controlled by the techno-oligarchs.
Don't say you weren't warned.
Lorna, you don't have to convince Lex Friedman listeners or Crypto enthusiasts. Or Central Texans for that matter.
Appreciate your thoughts as I put the blame on Project 2025 and The Russell Gang. Likely both.
You're so right and yes,most people will tell you you're crazy because even people here prefer to bitch about people they deplore than look at the bigger picture which is terrifying to contemplate even if you trust in God. As He doesn't always let you off suffering or even painful death.
Microsoft Tesla Google Meta Oracle Apple open Ai Nvidia AMD Intel Micron and dozens of smaller companies are all locked in a deadly competition against each other and against the Chinese to give us dominance in artificial intelligence. completely ignorant people on the American left should shut up and stay 1,000,000 miles away from what they have no understanding of whatsoever. Oh my God it is no wonder that we think of the left as just plain dumb.
The techbros are welfare queens, at the same time they have been rewarding themselves and investors with bonuses and dividends, instead of reinvesting in technology and improvement. The glory of capitalism unchecked and unregulated.
But we know why: Billionaires are building Doomsday bunkers
https://medium.com/financial-invests-win-at-wealth/billionaires-are-building-doomsday-bunkers-and-that-should-terrify-you-9fa364716b34
And they are hoarding wealth because they know what is coming. Collapse is baked into their business plan https://medium.com/edge-of-collapse/the-rich-are-hoarding-wealth-because-they-know-whats-coming-c84afcb2e6c1
William, but who will they be able to use their hordes of money for? There won't be people to do the work and nothing to eat as the planet warms, to a great extent due to the rich guys actions. They are a bunch of toddlers who want so much and tantrum if they don't get it. Their reasoning skills are not great, probably because they became rich too young, just like Toddler-Musk and his buddy Toddler-Trump. We as a nation, became too enamored with wealth and not enough with fairness, innovation, and shared prosperity. The ultra rich could not see the value in making things better for more people than just themselves.
They invest in each other’s companies, driving their stock prices higher, and making them look like good investments
I remember when a key measure of success for companies and even nations was measured by the fraction of profits that was invested in R&D.
Apropos the doomsday bunkers, we must dare to ask the ultimate question: why has the Ruling Class turned against their own species, turned against life itself, turned against even the continued fecundity of our Mother Earth? While I make no claim to knowing the answer, I am well aware of the hypothesis that the death of our species and the destruction of our planetary motherland began with the violent imposition of patriarchy around 6000BCE, a revolution supposedly mandated by some alleged "god" from the sky, a humanoid creature said to be able to engrave stone with his fingers, his declaration of conquest -- "resistance is damnation" -- reinforced by talking serpents, loquacious brush-fires and fiery wheels in the heavens. Is it mere coincidence that patriarchy has henceforth served as the planetary equivalent of smallpox-tainted blankets, culminating in the rise of ecogenocidal capitalism and its terminal conversion to apocalyptic nazism? Whom -- or what -- does this consequence of patriarchy actually serve? (Given the particulate dynamic proved by the evolution of matter from lifelessness to consciousness, it must surely serve some discernible purpose, else it would not be happening at all.) We face probable extinction; might we thus find the bravery to at least attempt to learn how this came about, and why?
Yes, possible title for them since it has some identity. We some term to spotlight their vacuous grift.
totally insane ridiculous and ignorant. They are investing about $200 billion this year alone to keep our country in the AI race. They are the gods among us. To see them as the enemy is purely isuicidal.
You can't see the forest for the trees. You're the insane one.
Why don't you explain to us what the forest is and what the trees are in this example.
ted, the language you use gives away the impatient lack of depth in your own understanding of long term strategy. the fact that you think it's all of a sudden a race to the death suggests that you don't realize that google launched 25 years ago. those of us who helped build the tech sector never imagined these e-boy imbeciles cooperating with fascism. you have not made any points effectively without reverting to nasty language. "suicidal" "insane" "ridiculous" "ignorant" "gods" and keep in mind big dog there are people on this thread who worked at amazon, google, microsoft and in venture capital like me. your version of a god is deeply distorted. grow up.
You're repeatedly making a very forceful, assertive argument about AI and who will dominate. Why don't you defend the argument, rather than demeaning people with a different perspective, and outline why you think as you do? How will these issues you are in favor of make the world better while a delusional self-anointed "king" is decimating OUR country and dictators elsewhere are similarly plundering, pillaging and stealing, and while the globe is heating, melting, getting sicker?
The argument was that we have a monopoly and the government should break it up when there are dozens and dozens of companies competing with each other and against the Chinese. A monopoly means one. The whole world is locked in this deadly competition and people on the left are not aware of what's going on in the slightest tiny bit but that does not stop them from having an opinion in forming a support group so they all feel good about their totally uninformed opinion. If this is the state of American democracy we are doomed.
Ted, I had a revelation: your statement reveals techno-idolatry! You refer to AI developers as "gods," but clearly they are neither immortal nor infallible; what they have in common with ancient gods is their power and amorality. Some of the inventors of AI have warned that the technology itself poses an existential threat to humankind. If so, its developers are evil. Ask Musk why is he suing Altman.
Now Ted, who is paying you to be their total supporter? I am sure someone is because those guys are not doing the best even related to AI, spending a fortune in money and energy to do things they could do better and cheaper as, oh wait, what China is doing. I am no fan of China and their supremacy in anything when it could/should have been US, but they figured it out while our boys went with the dumbest, most expensive strategies instead of trying other things. That is why they need so much money from We the People. They are in a bubble they can't figure out how to break out of.
But DeepSeek developed their AI and put it in the public domain for either $5 mill or $85 mill, and that did NOT come from the Chinese government. The tech bros want $500 million to develop the same thing. Why should our government give them all that money whrn someone else has done it for far less? Looks like welfare to me.
“Totally insane, ridiculous, and ignorant”.
Well, well, Tedlet, - He who describes others, - is most often describing - Himself.
"Love of money is the root of all evil." Greedy DEI tech bros are not gods.
I am convinced you must be a founding member of assholes r us.
Ted, you must be young, for you are unaware that your argument is an echo of the 1980. At that time it was Japanese competition, and the argument was used to justify the creation of mega-banks, and the loosening of bank regulations. We barely survived the Great Recession. Great concentration of wealth results in great concentration of power. The techno geeks already are in control of our government. What's next?
There is no great concentration of wealth with 100 companies competing to keep us ahead in the technology that will dominate life on this planet within the next 10 years.
Yeah right can I get into our system for USA’s accounting ( finance )system and do as I See fit???? As Musk and his chosen children did this week????
what they did this week was what the president of the United States wanted them to do. mask is the greatest of all time at creating efficient organizations. He runs Twitter with 10% of the staff that I had and he puts amazing rockets in space at 15% the cost that NASA and Boeing could come up with. It is a miracle that we have him on our side
Boy, did you drink the cool-aide.
lmao...miracles and greatest..dude has been under a rock...but that is what happens when you emulate fake Gods. Musk isn't the first to fly and he won't be the last. AI is a database on steroids and if its being taught by tweens it won't last. As far as " doing what the president wanted"? Dumbfuck...if you think technical premise puts you above the law and you throw your conscience out to look cool, then your just a dumb ass kissing up to Musk like the punks he coerced. As far as China..we educate Chinese engineers every single year. Real engineering is not just silicone valley. You guys don't even know how to draw your circuits with your big fat egos.
Long meandering rant if you were trying to make a point please tell us what it is
lol I live a few miles what I see are exploding rockets that failed go into our oceans and pollute
spaceX is about to go to the space station and rescue two astronauts stranded by Boeing and they will do it at 10% the cost of Boeing. It is a miracle for the ages
Ted, you lie like a rug.
If so why are you so afraid to give us your best example?
It is you that is the dumb one. I suppose you are one of those right-wing fucks. I've worked in tech for 50 years and that give me the right to an opinion.
If you think I am wrong please try to think of a reason to say I am wrong. Do you understand that a reason is necessary?
There is artificial intelligence, and then there is genuine, human-originated arrogance, narcissism and stupidity.
Yes but what on earth is your point. If you know it please share it with us
Ted, wow, are you uninformed, but just what one would expect from someone so disrespectful. The car competition here is pathetic mostly because the cost is so high, and creativity is not showing up there. AI, what a joke. It is good for some things, but not all that it is cut out to be used for.
large language models are now more intelligent than 80% of all human beings and in theory can replace 80% of the jobs on earth. This is the most miraculous technology of all time. You are truly misinformed. Do you think Silicon Valley is investing $200 billion in AI and it will be wasted? It is for a steam roller that is coming down the road right on top of us very very quickly
Elon created the EV auto industry when everyone thought it was impossible. Major auto makers all over the world tried but only Elon could introduce the EV to the entire world. It was a miracle that no one thought possible.
Not quite true. Each of these companies have their own niche ie.. Oracle does not make chips, nor does Microsoft. AI covers a huge landscape and each of these behemoth companies dominate their domain. Talent spinoffs have a way of innovating that these monsters can't. Look at all the smaller players around the world now showing up in the robotic arena. Lina is spot on !!!
nobody is talking about robotics we are talking about general artificial intelligence here.
these big monster companies in Silicon Valley are innovating very wonderfully and very successful each has their own large language model that puts them very solidly in contention to dominate AI in the near future.
no company dominates artificial intelligence yet they are all competing with each other. This year alone they will spend about $200 billion in capital investment all in an effort to compete with each other and with the Chinese. This is the most important technology to come along in human history.
nobody said those companies made chips. Do you know what a strawman is??
Too big to fail. Where have I heard that before?
But they are not failing by any means. In fact they have made enough profit to invest $200 billion just this year in artificial intelligence development. I guess you got that wrong but don't let it stop you from thinking you know about stuff.
Better revisit English 101.
last week Donny blamed planes falling out of the sky on all the woke, but this week it’s a software problem? what changed, bro?
wait, I know what changed.
“the first thing that some experts told me when this happened is you can’t hook up land to satellites and you can’t hook up satellites to land.”
“some experts” — now, who does Donny know who considers himself an expert on everything, and who also runs a company that makes satellites?
that’s right: the Space Nazi. he was probably in Day Three of a ketamine binge, and started yammering to Donny about hey you know I could redo the whole system from scratch because no one knows more than I do about software I’ll bet it would only take me a weekend I could do it in my spare time and it would be amazing and everything will be run through my satellites yeah yeah oh man I’ll have my lawyers draw up some contracts and wow did you ever look at the back of your hand? I mean really look at the back of your hand? it’s intense, man.
the thing is, the Space Nazi doesn’t know shit about software. like Donny, he’s just a master bullshit artist who has no fucking clue what he’s talking about.
look, we went sixteen years without a major air disaster. shit didn’t go sideways until Donny fired the entire Airline Safety Committee, and the Space Nazi forced the head of the FAA to resign, without replacing him. that’s when planes started falling out of the sky.
our air traffic control system was most certainly not broke, but here comes Donny to hand the whole shebang over to the the guy who makes rockets that randomly explode into flames, and cars that randomly explode into flames, and social media apps that randomly explode into flames.
what could possilby go wrong.
We? Explain please. Thanks in advance. BTW haven't the Chinese already won?
No the Chinese have not won by any means. They just released something called DeepSeek which was almost a direct copy for what we had done at open AI
Time to take off the blinkers … ?
So, we need to develop a new hit list. We need to know where they and their families live so they won't feel quite so secure. So, I am canceling Amazon Prime and will no longer purchase anything from them. Same with some of streaming companies associated with there overrich assholes.
Adding something here. Microsoft, not supporting Windows 10, is wrong. I have a computer, yes old, but runs wonderfully, does what I need, has a nice big screen. I don't want Windows 11 and can't even add it on my computer. If I can get the computer fixed to run 11, will my software work? The Microsoft solution is to buy and new lap top. First of all I don't want a laptop. Second, why should I have to?
If you go to Microsoft to see whether you can handle Window 11, they actually show you pictures of laptops you can buy.
There is no one left to help.
Yepper, think they think they have to. Both into their families. Include Larry E. In the Lex F mix.
We are living and witnessing how men who have too much money can do to destroy the world's oldest democracy for their greed. Power/money corrupts! Dah.
billionaires should not exist when they become billionaires based on how many workers and customers they serve. How many workers and customers do you have. If you had millions you could be a billionaire too. Imagine living in a countryi where you got punished for creating great new products and great new jobs?
Pay the taxes and follow the law.
obviously he does but the government takes the money and waste it when Elon could've invested it in something productive that everybody in America wanted to buy.In 2021, Elon Musk paid **$11 billion** in federal taxes, the largest individual tax payment in U.S. history, after exercising Tesla stock options.
Agreed......what to do about this?
ummm ...I agree and believe that THAT IS EXACTLY LINA KHAN'S POINT in this article
why not tell us exactly what her point was?
Her point was kissing the platinum ring of billionaires is stifling innovation and the American dream.
stifling innovation when we are far more innovative than any other country and miles ahead in artificial intelligence which is the technology that will dominate all technologies over the next 10 to 15 years. You're talking out of complete ignorance. If the left screws up artificial intelligence it will screw up america for good. Please please stay as far away as you can
What is the innovation that is being stifled?? American universities are - or have been - populated by students from around the world, and particularly India and China - engaging in the very environment of innovation you seem so afraid that America is losing.
You know what would be "innovative"? High speed rail with inter-urban rail. You know who just spoke out against high speed rail, saying - bizarrely and stupidly, no surprise - that "you can get an airplane ticket for $2.00" ? Thump, the same who has given all power to musk. Jobs, climate, environment....progress....innovation. Not gonna happen under Dark Ages mentality and UNPRECEDENTED greed and cruelty, and THAT is what is happening now; THAT is what is new in America - a reversion to some kind of steam-punk version of Dark Ages cum "innovation."
The rest of us? Is American dominance in AI going to keep all the rest of us from the abyss being so rapidly created by lunatic sadistic monsters now, as we "speak?"
You don't get it dude. China has already handed us our ass. They are the leader in new tech. The reason the Musk relies so much on H 1-B visas is because the brains are elsewhere. Now that they have their billions the rest of us can just fuck off.
China is way behind an AI. They just released something called deepseek which was a direct copy of the work OpenAI had done. In any case our incredibly wonderful high tech companies are investing $200 billion this year to maintain our position in artificial intelligence. They need every ounce of support we have for them because artificial intelligence will dominate the world within the next 10 years
Give us a break with your "Left" talk. The so called right are either ignorant or liars. That is precisely how the Trump man won the election. Musk's, et al, money and the propaganda machine is what won the election. Trump won on groceries, which was all lies. No mandate. You seem to be on some mission to legitimize the cheaters.
Let's remember that the American people voted for Trump because they were sick of 25% inflation, high crime, no cash bail, trans athletes, two regional wars, woke pronouns , homelessness, the deep state, “the big guy” mafia, jobs shipped off shore, high taxes, business strangulation, fentanyl , a southern invasion, 60% of our kids with chronic disease, continued attack on love , family, marriage and religion, the worst schools and healthcare in the civilized world , deadly botched withdrawal from Afghanistan that open the door for Putin's invasion of Ukraine, two insurrectionist attempts to subvert a presidential election with the Russian collusion hoax and the Hunter Biden hoax, FBI offices at Twitter and Facebook, anti-doge support for waste fraud and abuse, and anti-American opposition to basic American constitutional principle of freedom and liberty from big socialist fascist government.
Will AI make you a happy person?
nobody knows if it will make somebody happy but it is coming down the road at 100 miles an hour and there is absolutely no stopping it. The entire planet is investing in it because they understand this.
Mmmmm, one of us doesn't read...
https://open.substack.com/pub/jefftiedrich/p/antichrist-speaks-at-national-prayer?r=dg3z&utm_medium=ios
if there is a point to this link why don't you tell us what the point to it is?
Exactly
Chaos is the MO (Musk Operandi).
nothing chaotic about Tesla Starlink XAI SpaceX. They are miracles for the ages.
lol with out our governments money??? We subsidize musk with our tax dollars were we asked about that??!
and musk is an incredible steward of our tax dollars putting rockets into space at 10% the cost they were paying Boeing and the others.
lol 😂 he never made a penny he inherited just like trump. https://open.substack.com/pub/jefftiedrich/p/antichrist-speaks-at-national-prayer?r=dg3z&utm_medium=ios
lots of people inherit a little money but none of them turn it into a $100 billion fortune by becoming the greatest inventors and entrepreneurs in human history
It says in the writings of the man on Patmos that the big world leader (probably not Trump)will have a miracle worker who can do amazing things behind him,things so incredible even people of Faith will be fooled into worshipping the big world leader. Actually that's not that hard to do it's amazing how many sincere Christians think Trump represents God's Will on Earth.
Here's a footnote to your argument: China doesn't have oil, and its reliance on coal is unsustainable, hence it has to maximize efficiency in all ventures. The US, by contrast, has an abundance of gas and oil, hence its companies can afford to be energy inefficient. Drill, drill, drill will make things only worse.
Please stop trying to change the subject.
Please drink a large cocktail of strychnine and cyanide. You deserve it, champ!
translation: I am a Democrat and not intelligent enough to make a substantive comment.
Appropriated money needs to be spent appropriately according to the law. If not than that approptiated money needs to be revectored toward what was its intended use. A dept. within the government that insures our tax dollars are going where they should is appropriate.... Don't you think???? It should not be Musk heafing tjis agency as he is a recipient of many of our tax dollars: Space X, intelligence_ defense, electric cars and other tax dollars.....the fox should not be watching guard over the chicken coup folks.
People
Planet
Peace dear comrades
I read this.. and it makes sense!
I thought people might like to know what Elon Musk and Trump have planned for the country, and it's shocking that no one is talking about their real agenda here. All we see are threats to completely end so many government programs and agencies and spending, seemingly as simple hatred of government and retribution to those who opposed Trump or didn't vote for him, along with massive cruelty to all sorts of people, from immigrants to people who rely on government benefits. Terrible as that is, it's not what's really going on.
Musk's plan, that he's convinced Trump to commit to, is to transform the entire way our government works, by running it as a giant series of AI programs.
No, that's not science fiction, and it's not me going paranoid crazy. It's what Musk is planning to do. And fast.
Musk has been building giant AI programs and massive AI computing centers for years now. He just finished building Colossus in Tennessee, the world's largest AI computing center. Colossus was just launched in September 2024. It's a part of Musk's xAI company, which he intends to use to completely revamp how the federal government works. All these reductions in the federal workforce and bureaucracy are a prelude to putting the entire government in the hands of his AI company, and other subcontractors.
This is technofascism on a massive scale. Musk intends to make trillions from this, and probably give Trump a piece of the pie. Would that be illegal? Sure, but Trump can't be prosecuted for this, thanks to the Supreme Court's rulings. He has immunity even to charges of bribery.
I think this explains Musk's huge role in Trump's government, and his focus on DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), which by executive order has been given immense power across the government at every level.
Trump could never do any of this on his own, much less even think of it. But Musk has dreamed of this for decades, and he has convinced Trump to back it to the hilt.
In the next few months, were going to see it happen. It won't be noticed at first, because it's quite complex and our journalists and media are cowered by fear and narrowness of vision. But it's already happening. And this explains the outer confusion as to what Trump is planning, what his end game is. Turns out it's not Trump's end game, it's Musk's. And Musk is way ahead of everyone on this.
Call me crazy if you like, but this is what's really happening behind the scenes. Trump will say all kinds of crazy shit to distract from it, do crazy things as well, but this is the real program. Don't get caught up in all the cruelty and threats and BS being thrown about. That's bad enough, but it's not the real point.
Turning the government of the United States into a technofascist AI kleptocracy that enriches the investor class even more is the point. And this is why all the techno-oligarchs like Bezos and Zuckerberg and Ellison are all now gung-ho Trumpers. They will get even richer themselves through the AI government programs Musk will oversee.
Trump himself is just a distraction from the real powers remaking our country. A simple pawn enriching himself in the process of turning democracy into a computer algorithm controlled by the techno-oligarchs.
Don't say you weren't warned. written by Conrad Goehausen
Right on.....what to do about this?
??
Whomever "you" are, you are, at best, inappropriately playing the "devil's advo-cate" argument, and, what seems more likely, an insidious presence within this medium. Go away.....get lost......take it somewhere else
If you disagree with something that was said please try to think of a reason for your disagreement and try to present it here. Cancel culture is purely a phenomena of the left because it is not suited for debate culture.
Good god yes you’re on the wrong site. This is for original thinkers not made up bull
Mr. Brownson, you practically parroted Lisa Khan's article. Why?
100 companies competing against each other and against the Chinese isn't enough competition? How totally crazy is that?
there is plenty of competition among maybe 100 companies in America. To pretend that there isn't is just plain insanity. Yes the Chinese copied open AI but that has been their primary industry for the last 50 years so they are very good at it but as long as they are copying us they are behind us.
Bull
please try to think of a reason to say it is bull.
I watch his rockets fail I see his cars blow up personally right in front of my house
You better tell somebody at NASA very quickly because they are about to send his rockets to the space station to rescue the astronauts that were stranded there by NASA and Boeing.
Go play some where else there are lots of places how about the wonderful Truth Social or X
The US has spent the last two centuries copying, stealing and purloining in any way possible, including militarily, the entire world's resources (including using people as slaves and committing multiple genocides).
And now they're crying like babies because they've found out they're not as "exceptional" as their big controlling daddies told them they were, boo hoo 🤣
actually the United States has the best record by far in all of human history. It won World War I, it won World War II, it won the Cold War, it won the war on terror and now polices the world every day to maintain civilization on earth every day. Plus it holds 70% of all recent medical patterns meaning that the healthcare the world receives was almost all invented in America. America is founded on the idea that all men are created equal and that any economic exchange should be voluntary and capitalistic. Without America there would be no civilization on earth
'Murica is now run by two idiot man-children; China won this tech war BECAUSE it's assets, Bunkerboy and elon, are now in power! Good job, "Americans!" (*I* voted for the successful prosecutor.)
So what do you suggest we all do about this?
Stop paying tax. You will go to jail. And people will starve. The unpleasant truth. Stop feeding the system and suffer. No,I can't either.
As did I!
Sorry. They are neither men or children.
They're narcissistic, sociopathic clowns.
If you could tell us what you were trying to say we would really appreciate it. Thanks
Technology is the new steel mills.Just like the Robber Barons of old who ran the country from their library. But I think the deviousness and greed are more dramatic and evil now.
One major difference is the news about what they're up to gets around faster.
You think so. Not on legacy media it doesn't.
Agreed, Sharon, that mainstream technology is essentially the people's enemy. But, while this is accurate in one sense, it is also true that it can selectively be used to debunk (like substack.....) mainstream media bullshit. Surely more evil than ever before in the US.
I see no greed but rather a life and death race to stay in the lead in artificial intelligence so our country and our people will not be buried by the Chinese. Artificial intelligence is 1000 year miracle that we must stay ahead on.
So that gives them the right to destroy democracy?
You have provided no evidence that anybody is destroying democracy.
Pull your head out of the sand. Oligarch’s are talking control as we speak
Any chance you could be more specific?
What's wrong with real intelligence.
They know they no longer have to hide it.
Why not give us your best example of this deviousness and greed?
Microsoft Tesla Google Meta Oracle Apple open Ai Nvidia AMD Intel Micron and dozens of smaller companies are all locked in a deadly competition against each other and against the Chinese to give us dominance in artificial intelligence. completely ignorant people on the American left should shut up and stay 1,000,000 miles away from what they have no understanding of whatsoever. Oh my God it is no wonder that we think of the left is just plain dumb. The left is going to get us all killed if they don't just go away.
In some way Ted, this antifascist agrees with you. Take, for instance, immigration it is a part of the liberal creed to have the heart bleed for everyone, regardless. So they bleed for immigrants. Well immigrants are culturally conservative, they come from patriarchal hence misogynistic and homophobic cultures, and once they settle in, and get citizenship their conservatism shows up in their votes. Miami Dade County is a right wing hot bed of Cuban and Venezuelans who vote Republican., full blown culture warriors are they.
Do they appreciate liberal open handed and open mindness? Fuck no.
The Congress critter from Texas 34th is an illegal alien who was naturalized, name of Mayra Flores, and she is as anti immigrant, misogynistic, anti abortion, homophobic as they come, a real Trump humper.
To that pile I will add, two long time Democrats,both of Texas, Cuellar and Gonzales.
Do you really think Democrats would be pushing open borders if it didn't work to their electoral advantage?
Democrats are not pushing open borders, that’s Fox News nonsense. The problem is there is a lot of lip service given to the “immigration problem”because it gets people worked up, it always has. If this was a problem the powers that be (corporate America ) wanted solved it would be. There is a vast financial benefit to having cheap, cowed labor for jobs Americans won’t do. The GOP wouldn’t even give Trump money for his wall in his first administration. It’s a great distraction for the maga crowd to keep them from seeing how they’re really being screwed.
Joe Biden reversed Trump’s Muslim travel ban, ended "Remain in Mexico," and raised refugee caps, supporting pathways to citizenship for Dreamers and asylum seekers. Trump built the border wall, separated families, slashed refugee admissions, and tried to end DACA. Biden’s policies emphasize inclusivity and legal immigration, while Trump focused on enforcement and restrictions. Biden’s actions reflect a pro-immigration stance, whereas Trump’s rhetoric and policies consistently aimed to reduce immigration, legal and illegal.
R u a RWNJ or just another Trump troll?
how are they getting screwed?? you clean forgot to tell us.
please don't lie to yourself. Trump was building a wall and Democrats tore down. Trump was making them wait in Mexico Democrats put and end to that. Trump is deporting millions while Biden was opening the door to millions . to deny that is just as crazy and insane is pretending there is a monopoly in Silicon Valley . We saw millions of people lined up at our borders for the entire first 3 1/2 years of the Biden administration. You would have us believe that night was day if you could have your way. It is not democracy on one side is totally unwilling to think
My man, you sound like you have a mind but you have invested it will absolute horseshit.
Do you always suck the oxygen out of the room? You're bias is on full display. When one worships power, mercy and compassion become deadly sins. That's MAGA. That's American Oligarchy.
Who wants immigrants? Republican farmers, restaurant owners, construction contractors are the ones hiring immigrants, legal and illegal. Then they say that Democrats want open borders to win elections which Republicans cannot win without lying and scapegoating.
Ted do try to re read what Lina wrote. Her point is that these giants (Google Meta etc) tend to be blind to new innovations. What happens is they become so big they don’t take chances or hear/listen to ideas from the lower level team members. Our tech history is of small renegade startups being super creative. You sound like an arrogant Ult right bro who knows much better than the rest of us including Lina, or anyone who thinks outside “your box”.
of course it is obviously not true in this case given that we are the world leaders in artificial intelligence and given they are taking a chance with $200 billion this year to maintain their lead over China
how can you possibly say they are blind to new innovations when they are leading the world in artificial intelligence development. They're the most innovative companies in the history of the world and right now they are keeping us ahead of the Chinese in artificial intelligence which is by far the most important technology ever developed by humanity. Anybody in power who suggests that they are not innovative can only be described as 100% stupid.
Uh, that's naïve - being an entrenched interest means having to protect your interests *by definition*, i.e. being unable (and biased against) pursuing truly innovative gambles. It's not about geopolitics but rather a simple fact of business administration (did Microsoft invent 'search' technology - or Intel the GPU)? People who speak the truth are 100% honest - not stupid Ted.
Fuck you, Ted. I don't like being told to shut up just because you think you are right and smart. You delude yourself.
please stop trying to change the subject. If you disagree with something substantive try to think of a reason for the disagreement and try to present the reason here in writing
The bubble's going to burst genius.
what bubble and why do you think it will burst?
Thank you, Professor Reich for sending this outstanding article. We need the Lina Khan's in this world to protect and defend democracy and all it's institutions.
Why is Musk setting up a huge company in China? He’s a hypocrite and so is Trump.
And the fact he was a recipient of USAID. Oops. Guess he forgot.
Because it's all one big club - that we ain't in.
Microsoft Tesla Google Meta Oracle Apple open Ai Nvidia AMD Intel Micron and dozens of smaller companies are all locked in a deadly competition against each other and against the Chinese to give us dominance in artificial intelligence. completely ignorant people on the American left should shut up and stay 1,000,000 miles away from what they have no understanding of whatsoever. Oh my God it is no wonder that we think of the left is just plain dumb. The left is going to get us all killed if they don't just go away.
Have you ever even visited an engineering college? (It would be difficult to understand such things not having such an education - and none of the folks who bother self-identify as 'Ted Baiamonte', i.e. because the inflammatory politics of such a person is incompatible with collaboration & success. F'real, get a clue!)
there is nothing inflammatory about freedom and liberty. It is at the heart of our constitution and it was at the heart of the Republican Party when Jefferson and Madison formed the party in 1793 to stand for freedom and liberty from government. Welcome to your first lesson in American history.
When it repeats, you don't say "welcome" twice.
she is not protecting anything but rather destroying the country if she prevents our great tech Giants from developing artificial intelligence products to keep us well ahead of the Chinese.
Let's all stay home and garden,grow roses,now thats intelligence
Thank God she is no longer in office to interfere with the incredible competition to stay ahead of the Chinese in the race for artificial intelligence general artificial intelligence. She was a huge disaster at her job because she didn't understand business at all.
Lina Khan is a national treasure! Thank you Robert Reich for bringing this to our attention. 💪💙
Thanks for pointing this out! Super sharp perspective. the canary in the coal mine indeed. We're being forced to go down a corridor of delusional anti-science stupidity enabled by these oligarchs. Please be sure to read the piece written by Timothy Ryback in The Atlantic this past week. It's called The Oligarchs Who Came to Regret Supporting Hitler. I have provided a gift URL on bsky (@jdsboston.me) to get it out there. Please let me know if you want me to post a link. The insights are detailed as Mr. Ryback is a historian and much more living in The Hague
Please post a link. This is a part of world history that we need to learn. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Here you are!
https://bsky.app/profile/jdsboston.me/post/3lhl6zh2yz22z
I included some snapshots excerpts quotes as well as a GIFT URL for this important article. Here is a direct link to The Atlantic
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/02/hitler-oligarchs-hugenberg-nazi/681584/?gift=jxy6ou-SgooS_KxGd6QYQpWVrDFSWQ_oduYO7lPCzS0
I sure hope that we can all put our heads together and continue to work together across bridges to get out ahead of this messy troglodyte party. 💪✊🙏
Thank you!
Sounds interesting I will search for that. TKS
I think you are forgetting that Trump and musk want to control the government so they can eliminate large parts of it like USA ID. Trump and musk want to cut taxes and regulations again to shrink the power of government. This is what Republicans have stood for since 1792 when Jefferson and Madison founded the party for that purpose. Now you can put things in perspective.
Trump isn’t the mastermind—he’s the distraction. Behind him, billionaires, theocrats, and fascist operatives are executing a takeover.
𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗜𝘀 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗲𝘁—𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀
https://patricemersault.substack.com/p/trump-is-just-the-puppetthe-murderous
Robert, McDonnell Douglas bought Boeing in a leveraged buyout, using Boeing's own money. As a St Louis resident, we knew Stonecipher's poor business reputation -- most who knew his company could have projected Boeing's fall . As a retired business professor, this buyout (plus KKR) were among my standard classroom examples.
All true. But antitrust law means absolutely nothing these days.
We have effectively refused to enforce our antitrust and antimonopoly laws for the last 40 years, except for when Lina Khan served during the Biden administration.
would you like to break up the AI industry so we would fall behind the Chinese in artificial intelligence? Huge companies like google have about $100 billion a year to invest. They were broken up there would be no investment and we would be defeated by the Chinese
Microsoft Tesla Google Meta Oracle Apple open Ai Nvidia AMD Intel Micron and dozens of smaller companies are all locked in a deadly competition against each other and against the Chinese to give us dominance in artificial intelligence. completely ignorant people on the American left should shut up and stay 1,000,000 miles away from what they have no understanding of whatsoever. Oh my God it is no wonder that we think of the left is just plain dumb. The left is going to get us all killed if they don't just go away.
BTW Ted, since you are a free loader, and not a subscriber, why don't you shut your fucking mouth. We don't need any more Trump humping right wing extremists fouling this safe space.
If you disagree with something that was said please try to think of a reason for the disagreement and then try to present the reason here in writing. You are afraid of debate and you would prefer a support group?
Are you a bot? 🤖
There's little that means anything these days........initiate peer-to-peer communications or whatever its called today before its no longer an option.
That's because there are no trusts. Capitalism tends to create competition not monopolies.
Right. That's why giant corporations have spent the past 20 years buying up every smaller competitor they can.
Also, those buyers/Billionaires want tax cuts to allow them to become richer, dump their debt on the American Citizens and cause our Middle Class to plummet. This is treasonous and Musk doesn't care because...he isn't an American🎯
Just read an article by Seth Abramson regarding Elon Musk’s history. Apparently, he’s really good at stealing ideas and fabricating stories. An interesting article
Microsoft Tesla Google Meta Oracle Apple open Ai Nvidia AMD Intel Micron IBM , Salesforce, ServiceNow and dozens of smaller companies are all locked in a deadly competition against each other and against the Chinese to give us dominance in artificial intelligence. they will invest perhaps $200 billion this year along . completely amazingly ignorant people on the American left should shut up and stay 1,000,000 miles away from what they have no understanding of whatsoever. Oh my God it is no wonder that we think of the left is just plain dumb. The left is going to get us all killed if they don't just go away.
Yikes! Looks like you’re a bit sensitive
yes to left-wing suicidal astonishing ignorance!
Talking of suicide, look at what the rightards have wrought. National suicide as America deconstructs, and it just started. When they get done, evenPutin can sweep in and pick up the leavings, but that is what you want, isn't it Ted.
If there is national suicide why are you so afraid to tell us what your best example of this is?
The big tech billionaires here in America bilk our government, they will invest little to no capital of their own, then make $ billions with government contracts, subsidies, grants, low or no interest loans and tax abatements, federal, state and local, it’s a free ride, exactly why Bezos, Zuckerberg, Brin/Page, Musk and others have all cozied up with trump, easy money and deregulations incoming, WOW.
The race to Trillionaire is on and they are lined up in the starting blocks!
Lina Khan is an American hero.
Agreed!
ATT had a virtual monopoly on the phone system . Some invented a rubber sleeve that aided users to crunch the phone between their shoulders and ear so they could write orders or notes at the same time they were using the phone .
ATT had Lawyers and the decided it was an infringement on att patents.
They sued and lost to the rubber sleeve manufacturers.
That was the first crack in the armor of ATT .
Jimmy Carter deregulated ATT and Worldcom was born ( the pure one before the wrestling coach bought it and ran it into the ground…)
Now we have cell phones and virtually free calling and texting…
If you go through providers like AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon though, you will pay a lot more than you should because of their monopoly power. You are tied to their phones. In the EU, you can buy any phone and use it on any carrier. Cable rates are also excessively high, again because of local monopolies, Internet service is far faster overseas, and again it’s due to local monopolies.
Thank you, Kathy!
Verizon sucks.
Might be as bad as you write , but unquestionably it better than it was.
I bought my phone from Apple my service provider is Cricket @$35 a month…
The only provider that provides anywhere near reliable service in my area is T Mobile. My wife uses it. I don't. I wouldn't go near a cell phone. I almost hit an idiot today some tall skinny dude was walking down the sidewalk staring at his phone, he stepped off the curb to cross the street without looking, I was going to make a left turn, had to stop, luckily there was no one on my bumper.
Smart phones make people dumb. The evidence is everywhere.
Makes me smarter but today I only know my own phone number.
When much younger knew phone and address of family and friends.
What about what we pay for Prescriptions Drugs that’s crazy . Canadian Discount pharmacy in Florida get you much cheaper drugs they DO NOT Handle Opiates Drugs .
In 1974, the Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against AT&T. The lawsuit was continued under both Democrat Jimmy Carter and Republican Ronald Reagan.
FCC however in 1982 the suit was dismissed.
August 24, 1982, the divestment of AT&T's local operating companies was implemented on January 1, 1984. Those companies, which were consolidated into seven regional operating companies (nicknamed “Baby Bells”), were permitted to keep the Bell name as a result of a decision by Judge Greene.
The real damage was done by Bill Clinton in the Telecommunications act of 1996.
Why are you giving Carter the bad rap.
Thought Carter was president when they unraveled…
It was a good thing I remember my mom paying a fortune to call long distance 125 miles 7 dollars for 30 min…
"virtually" is a cover for the hidden high cost of calling and texting.
I think it’s a big investment with tiny costs once it’s running. And texting is much different than voice .
Microsoft Tesla Google Meta Oracle Apple open Ai Nvidia AMD Intel Micron and dozens of smaller companies are all locked in a deadly competition against each other and against the Chinese to give us dominance in artificial intelligence. completely ignorant people on the American left should shut up and stay 1,000,000 miles away from what they have no understanding of whatsoever. Oh my God it is no wonder that we think of the left is just plain dumb. The left is going to get us all killed if they don't just go away.
Are you some kind of bot or what I thought at first read, a human being?
You keep posting the same text again and again, this makes a strange impression on me.
Wow this is worse then I thought
Ted just keeps cutting and pasting his own post
Very poorly thought out also
if there is something that is poorly thought out please think of your reason for saying that and then try to present the reason here in writing.
I think it’s time to pull your plug, HAL.
We also have to stop worshipping at the altar of Wall St. that has reduced everything to shareholder value.
They are bean counters who have conned the public into believing that THEY are the driving force behind truly innovative tech (and creative application of such) that the people in the trenches have developed.
Microsoft Tesla Google Meta Oracle Apple open Ai Nvidia AMD Intel Micron IBM , Salesforce, ServiceNow and dozens of smaller companies are all locked in a deadly competition against each other and against the Chinese to give us dominance in artificial intelligence. they will invest perhaps $200 billion this year along . completely amazingly ignorant people on the American left should shut up and stay 1,000,000 miles away from what they have no understanding of whatsoever. Oh my God it is no wonder that we think of the left is just plain dumb. The left is going to get us all killed if they don't just go away.
I really appreciate hearing useful articles which are pertinent to our work, but which came from outside the group. I must admit, Lina Khan is one person that I REALLY hate to see out of her job. Maybe she will help us by alerting us to certain areas of trust violations made by the orange menace and his billionaire cronies. At this point, it's all we can ask of her. Thanks Lina for all your hard work. And super thanks Robert, for leading our team so well.
Mass boycotts on S*per B*wl Sunday:
1) Stay off F*cebook, Inst*gram, Tw*tter, T*kT*k for 24 hours starting at 12 am Sunday 2/9
2) Do NOT watch the S*per B*wl on any media
These actions of silence hit them right in their wallets because the event and entire day draws HUGE engagement and skyrocketed ad revenue for them. If we're not there, they get hit hard financially and we send a message of what our collective power can and will do.
BONUS: We'd be using their technology against them. With monthly targeted one-day boycotts of social media on other high engagement and financially important days we have the potential to cause tens of billions of dollars in lost ad revenues and hundreds of millions in stock price losses over a year. And our international supporters can join us.