Musings:
•What’s in the Jeffrey Epstein files? Inquiring minds want to know.
As an historian, The Chas avoids conspiracy theories as often as possible. He does, however, harbor a few mysteries only if the “official” explanations (or lack thereof) do not with agree with the circumstances. If a given match-up is lacking, then the “official” explanation smells/tastes/feels like a cover-up. The Chas’ favorite conspiracy theories are therefore dressed as cover-ups. The Epstein brouhaha is just such a cover-up, because so-called “pillars of the community” may be involved.
If said brouhaha involved anybody other than Donald J. Trump, the conspiracy theory would fall flat upon its face. But – and that’s a big “but,” dear reader – inasmuch as Trump has a history of denying everything in his past if such denial will make him look like an angel or at the very least a “victim” of persecution. The fact of the matter is that he has had a long history of chumminess with Jeffery Epstein, and he can’t lie his way out of it, according to Epstein’s older brother Mark. (I love the photograph of Trump/a young Melania Trump/Epstein/ Ghislaine Maxwell all together at a big bash.)
So, here’s my conspiracy theory, hot off the press. Trump wants to burn the Epstein files because he doesn’t want to be seen as a buddy to a notorious child-sex trafficker. A list of clients (including himself) does exist, if not on paper then in the minds of Epstein/Maxwell. The former cannot be allowed to live to tell all about those so-called “pillars of the community”; he must be “disappeared,’ even if he is incarcerated in a supposedly high-security prison. The latter has taken the fall for Epstein’s crimes, and she may be worried that “loose lips sink ships.” Did the President of the United States order the assassination of his former pal? Probably not. Yet, I am reminded that, in the 1964 film Becket, King Henry II asked hypothetically if no one would rid him of a “troublesome priest,” i.e. former friend-turned-bishop, Thomas Becket. Someone did then, and perhaps someone did now in order to “protect” his master’s good name.
•I’ve been reading a lot, both pro and con, about artificial intelligence (AI) lately, and I’m of two minds about the subject.
Like fire, AI can be both a boon and a terror. AI’s ability to advance humankind’s knowledge about everything under the Sun should be a welcome addition to our “toolbox.” On the other hand, AI unchecked can lead to much mischief, e.g. mis/disinformation or scams. AI must be put on a short leash in order to accentuate the positive and cancel out the negative.
The late, great novelist and polymath, Isaac Asimov, knew the dangers of unchecked machines in the form of robots. Therefore, in his robot novels, he created the Three Laws of Robotics. The First Law states that a robot must not allow a human being to come to harm, either through action or neglect. The Second Law states that a robot must obey every order given it by a human being, unless such order violates the First Law. The Third Law states that a robot must protect itself, unless such action violates the First or Second Laws. AI should be so managed; otherwise, the consequences would be utter chaos.
The chaos occurs in the 1970 film adaptation of the science-fiction novel Colossus: The Forbin Project. The United States – and later we learn that the Soviet Union also –has designed, constructed, and activated the mother of all computers. Colossus, and its counterpart Guardian, soon join forces, and the pair decide that humankind needs to be “managed,” not the other way around. They resort to extortion and nuclear destruction to bend humans to their will. The central character, Dr. Forbin, plots endlessly to shut the monsters down until he realizes he must surrender in order to prevent annihilation of the human race. Fade to black.
We don’t have super-computers – yet – but we now have AI. The Chas is beginning to see the handwriting on the wall. We must act before it’s too late.-
•Bela Suhayda (B.S.) denies that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) is the American Gestapo. It merely executes the law by rounding up “illegal immigrants.” Well, sir, you could have fooled me, and The Chas is not easily fooled. Masks, body armor, no badges, no marked vehicles, automatic rifles, snatching people off the street or in a workplace/courthouse/church, no due process, shipping the prisoners off to a hell hole of a prison – sounds like a Gestapo to me, don’t you know? Oh, wait! The Gestapo never wore masks or body armor, so B.S. may have a point (ha-ha). Next thing you know, they’ll be rounding up opinion-mongers, left and right (excuse the pun!).
Just a thought.