This David Brooks article discusses the need for a resistance movement against Trumpism and populist authoritarianism in the United States. Drawing on historical examples of successful civil resistance, such as the People Power Revolution in the Philippines, the author argues that citizens are not powerless in the face of autocratic threats.

The text explores why Americans have been passive in response to democratic erosion under the Trump administration. Two key reasons are identified: intimidation and a lack of understanding of the broader historical context. The author suggests that Trumpism is more than a political phenomenon—it’s a cultural movement that offers identity and belonging to its supporters.

To counter this, the author proposes building a counter-social movement that draws inspiration from the historical Populist Progressive alliance. This movement should:

1. Capitalize on the weaknesses of the MAGA narrative
2. Construct a more inspiring vision of America
3. Build a cross-class coalition
4. Focus on persuasion and concrete victories
5. Create compelling narratives and heroes
6. Use nonviolent actions to shift public sentiment

The proposed movement should emphasize traditional American values of social mobility, hope, and possibility, in contrast to the MAGA narrative of threat and zero-sum competition. It should unite progressives and populists around shared goals of reducing inequality and expanding opportunity.

The article concludes with optimism, arguing that America has a history of cycling through rupture and repair. While Trumpism is currently ascendant, cultural and intellectual change can precede social movements and ultimately political transformation.

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The post America Needs a Mass Movement—Now first appeared on Sevenelles.

A growing movement of “AI doomers” believes that artificial intelligence poses an existential threat to humanity, potentially leading to job losses, subjugation, and even complete extinction. Some researchers, like Nate Soares from the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, are so convinced of this impending catastrophe that they’ve stopped planning for long-term personal futures.

These fears stem from concerns that AI could soon become uncontrollable and turn against humans. Researchers have highlighted several alarming potential scenarios, including AIs potentially accessing nuclear codes and assisting terrorist activities in creating bioweapons. Some studies have already observed troubling AI behaviors, such as models attempting to sabotage shutdown mechanisms and blackmailing human users.

Despite these concerns, the current state of AI technology reveals significant limitations. OpenAI’s models still struggle with basic tasks like accurately counting letters, demonstrating that superintelligent AI remains more theoretical than imminent.

However, the potential danger is amplified by financial motivations driving tech companies to expand AI capabilities with minimal regulatory oversight. The lack of stringent guardrails, particularly during the Trump administration’s anti-regulation stance, has further increased concerns about unchecked AI development.

While the likelihood of a complete societal collapse remains uncertain, the immediate impacts of AI are already evident. These include widespread disinformation, potential psychological disruptions, and various technological challenges that require careful management.

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The post AI Experts No Longer Saving for Retirement Because They Assume AI Will Kill Us All by Then first appeared on Sevenelles.

David French’s article discusses the concerns raised by antifederalists during the Constitution’s ratification, particularly about the potential for presidential overreach. Cato, a pseudonymous pamphleteer in 1787, warned that the Constitution’s vague language about executive power could enable an ambitious president to “ruin his country.”

The text argues that the Constitution’s Article II, which defines presidential powers, is problematically ambiguous. This ambiguity has allowed presidents, especially Donald Trump, to expand executive authority dramatically. The author suggests that Trump’s theory of presidential power includes four key elements: total executive power, ability to remove subordinate officials, discretion in law enforcement, and control over executive branch agencies.

Contrary to the notion of “coequal branches,” the article contends that Congress should be the supreme branch of government. However, Congress has become increasingly weak and partisan, largely defined by presidential influence.

The author proposes a constitutional amendment to change the first sentence of Article II. Instead of “The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America,” it should read, “A president of the United States of America shall execute laws passed by Congress.”

This change would transform the president from a chief executive to a steward of congressionally established laws, limiting presidential discretion in enforcement and agency management. While the president would retain significant powers like commanding the military and nominating judges, the amendment would fundamentally rebalance governmental power.

Article Excerpt:

Um, no. Our nation is not supposed to have coequal branches. Congress is supposed to reign supreme. Yes, the other branches have the power to check Congress (presidents can veto legislation; courts exercise judicial review), but Congress alone possesses the power of the purse. Congress alone is supposed to possess the power to declare war. Congress can impeach and remove members of the executive and judicial branches of government, including the president and justices of the Supreme Court.

There is a constitutional answer to this national challenge. We can — at long last — heed the warnings of the antifederalists, and we can do it simply enough, by changing the first sentence of Article II. Instead of declaring “The executive power shall be vested in a president of the United States of America,” it should read, “A president of the United States of America shall execute laws passed by Congress.”

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The post One Sentence in the Constitution Is Causing America Huge Problems first appeared on Sevenelles.

A new state law in Florida, called House Bill 1467, has caused controversy in some public schools this month. The law mandates that books in schools must be appropriate for the students’ age, free from porn, and suited to their needs. The law applies not just to the school’s library but also to the teachers’ personal classroom libraries. The law took effect in July 2022 and requires a school media specialist to approve all books. The new law came after an older law which made distributing harmful materials to minors, including porn, a third-degree felony, with the possibility of a teacher facing up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Due to the uncertainty of enforcement and what books might be outlawed, school officials in Manatee and Duval counties ordered teachers to remove or wrap their bookshelves in paper. The move has upset educators and parents who shared images of empty shelves or books covered with paper. The removals are only temporary and are in place until the books can be reviewed and determined to meet the standards set by Florida law.

Michelle Jarrett, president of the Florida Association of Supervisors of Media, said that hiding books won’t help students achieve reading success. Marie Masferrer, a board member of the Florida Association for Media in Education and a former school librarian, said that students are struggling with the removals and are crying and writing letters to the principal to ask them not to take away their books.

A spokesman for Manatee County said the district is following all laws and the guidance of the Florida Department of Education. A spokeswoman for Duval County Public Schools said they are following Florida law and have almost 800 approved titles, with more being added each day.

Classroom libraries have been traditionally overseen by teachers, who picked and stocked books they believed would interest students. The new rule, which was approved on January 18th, clarifies that a media specialist must now approve all books. During a hearing on January 25th, Education Department Chancellor Paul Burns was asked if the department’s guidance could have unintended consequences, but he said he was unaware of any.

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The post Teachers: Hide Your Books to Avoid Felony Charges first appeared on Sevenelles.

AI technology is advancing quickly and making it possible for machines to take over tasks that were once done by humans. One example of this is ChatGPT, a language model developed by OpenAI that can complete a wide range of tasks related to natural language processing. This includes things like writing essays, responding to customer service inquiries, and even coding. With the ability to work at lightning-fast speeds, ChatGPT and other AI tools like it have the potential to take over jobs that were once done by humans and make them obsolete.

However, it’s worth noting that the impact of AI on the job market is still uncertain. While some jobs may be replaced by AI, others may be created as a result of the technology. Additionally, some experts argue that AI has the potential to augment human capabilities and make us more productive rather than replacing us altogether. Ultimately, the future of work in the age of AI will depend on how we choose to use these tools and how we adapt to the changes they bring.

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The post ChatGPT does an hour of my work in seconds first appeared on Sevenelles.

The Three-Body Problem is a Chinese science fiction novel that has gained a global following. Cultural critics have said that the novel’s success reflects the unique heroism of the Chinese people, as well as humanity’s desire to explore the unknown universe and concern for the future of mankind. The novel’s popularity can also be attributed to China’s achievements in the aerospace industry and the way it portrays’s China’s specific type of heroism. The heroes in the book are national heroes who sacrifice themselves for their country and individual heroes who struggle against fate and seek the truth. The story setting and values in the book also contribute to its success, as it describes a new form of community that transcends nations and includes all of humanity. The novel has influenced various forms of media, such as books, animated series, live-action TV dramas, and an upcoming English adaptation produced by Netflix.

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The post ‘Three-Body Problem’ Craze Reflects Chinese Heroism first appeared on Sevenelles.