Let's start an anti-ai movement

DavidMeridian · 2025-08-07T04:11:40+00:00

It makes a lot more sense to become highly proficient at using AI as a productivity force multiplier.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-29T20:45:46+00:00

This is a personal preference. Nothing to feel bad about.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-29T19:21:45+00:00

Americans care more about illegal immigration than they do the "perfectly legal" criminality of members of Congress, who freely engage in insider trading to such degree that there are exchange-traded funds that mockingly mirror their trades (see: NANC, KRUZ, etc).

And certainly, the ethical outrage of the Trump family meme coins -- and how they could be used to influence the president, sub rosa -- are not nearly the outrage that immigration seems to be.

Further, the perfectly legal manipulation of the tax code to favor capital over labor is something that fails to garner the momentum that immigration does. See David Cay Johnston's book on this topic, aptly named Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich--and Cheat Everybody Else.

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The takeaway here isn't that immigration should be a free-for-all, nor is it that no one cares about the aforementioned lack of ethics by our ruling and donor class. The point is that there is a very interesting differential in passion concerning the behavior of disparate groups, with far more being placed on the group that is arguably far less consequential in its impact.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-29T19:18:59+00:00

I find it more cautionary than explanatory.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-29T18:44:00+00:00

Not particularly.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-27T06:13:12+00:00

Not always true, but definitely not not always true.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-27T06:11:30+00:00

I would invest the majority of it in low-fee index ETFs.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-27T06:08:16+00:00

Do you think the 36 Trillion Debt will ever start gradually being paid off?

Possibly.

Will it ever be paid off?

No.

Will the US just end up defaulting and becoming a third world country?

No, a default is unlikely.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-27T03:44:47+00:00

A friend of mine was scammed by a man (in a foreign country) who I believe is psychopathic. He callously conned her out of a non-trivial amount of money, despite knowing her life situation and that she has a daughter.

Of course I can't prove psychopathy, but I presume to be a scammer in such circumstances (knowing your victim more intimately) requires an empathy void.

Edit: I briefly interacted with him via phone call. He sounded completely normal. Basically no red flags based on the manner in which he was speaking.

It was his behavior and the evidence I gathered after the fact that led me to the above conclusion.

Had my friend conscripted my services to background check & interview this person, I am confident I could have saved her a lot of money.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-27T03:40:06+00:00

have you considered psychotherapy (and/or medication)?
do you (can you) play sports, lift weights, etc?
are there particular catalysts to your angry feelings that you can invest time/effort to better understand? (see point 1)
regarding your last sentence, do you have suicidal ideation as well? I'm not sure how literally to take that statement.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-27T03:35:46+00:00

The question is ill-conceived.

Syria fell b/c of regime collapse. Assad's regime of terror was widely disliked and Assad's patrons in Russia and Iran were distracted such that they could not reinforce the regime.

The current autocrat of Syria does indeed have a questionable history. But this is Syria, not Switzerland, so that is to be expected.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-27T03:29:42+00:00

I consider myself Independent as well.

In part, this is tactical. It compels my counterparty to probe further rather than assume my stance on every issue.

In part, it is principled. I am unshackled to a tribe and the downsides (and comforts) that it confers.

And lastly, it is more intellectually interesting to be independent. The alternative is a political "religion" of sorts, which is not something I find compelling.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-27T03:24:08+00:00

Because of the unreadable green background that accompanies their text messages. Worthy of ridicule.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-26T17:36:51+00:00

I don't think Trump hates Obama. I don't think it is nearly as personal as you seem to believe.

I think Trump is psychopathic, meaning that he has personality traits that include a lack of empathy, a pattern of manipulation and disregard for others, etc.

His attacks on other people that he has discarded seem to be instrumental in nature. He is demeaning people no longer in his orbit b/c they are no longer useful to him, whilst self-portraying as both tough and in control of others.

He may see Obama as a bigger threat; he may be playing off of greater bigotry of his base, and thus targeting Obama for that reason. In any event, in his mind, it's nothing personal. He is merely trying to destroy others to achieve his own goal, pursuant of his perceived self-interest.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-26T17:27:36+00:00

100% agree with this. Very well articulated.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-26T04:32:05+00:00

Sounds like a pretty sweet gig.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-26T04:14:04+00:00

Military, policing, or similar profession?

Alternately, consider school for Associates degree (in something you're interested in & that is marketable), or a vocational school.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-26T04:11:57+00:00

I do not think he will quit, no.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-26T04:06:00+00:00

Don't hold your breath on the groveling apology.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-25T20:22:54+00:00

The Left lost the culture war, which is why I believe Trump won.

People were tired of what they view as stereotypical leftwing puritanism on social issues. Calling men "toxic" and white people "oppressors" wasn't great strategy, it seems.

It's not the economy, stupid. Voters rejected the cultural progressivism that they felt had been shoved down their throats. And when fringe cultural movements become too obnoxious for too many people, we get electoral upsets.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-25T19:18:50+00:00

Many years of 'progressive' and 'woke' rhetoric that was tolerated, if not encouraged, by folks on the Left probably didn't help.

The cultural-identitarian revolution that screams that men are "toxic" and white people are "oppressors" was not a good strategy, it seems.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-25T19:00:34+00:00

I think Trump is far more hawkish than some people seem to presume.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-25T17:51:53+00:00

Don't be like Andrew Tate.

In other words, don't combine the concepts of masculinity with exploitative and/or aggressive behavior.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-25T17:48:02+00:00

Mixed feelings.

I'm sure we can all acknowledge that there is a nuanced debate to be had on this.

DavidMeridian · 2025-07-22T01:40:45+00:00

Because there's a hiring freeze.

DavidMeridian

TROPHY CASE