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Are you old enough to remember the serious concern in 2008 about President-elect Barack Obama’s use of a BlackBerry mobile phone? It was a news item sparking questions of national security and speculation about whether and how he would be allowed to use it. Such innocent times.
A mere eight years later President Donald Trump seemingly set foreign policy via midnight tweets, perhaps rendered while using the bathroom.
Now, another eight years later AI (artificial intelligence programming) is being used to slash civil services and create a truly deep state mechanism that can hack the systems we all depend on and take for granted. I wish I were being alarmist.
It is far easier to destroy than to build or re-build, and fast-moving tech influence has very real consequences. Please think about if you trust arrogant tech billionaires and their followers to wield such power. I, for one, do not.
Government efficiency is a worthy goal — wreaking havoc via high tech is not. Plus, it looks like this is all to secure extreme tax breaks for the ultra-rich, be they “corporate persons” or human individuals.
Join me in using your tech tools to communicate to responsible political leaders and civil servants to say, “protect government programs and services like social security, Medicare, the post office, public research, education, etc., etc., etc.”
Bottom line: fair taxes fund essential services. Slow down and effect change that safeguards the common good. Chainsaws can kill if not wielded with skill and care.
Paula Coil
Rockland
