activistpost--2020-08-12--Food Bank Strains Emerge As Economy Falls Off Fiscal Cliff

The latest economic data suggest the US recovery stalled .
One look at the Citi US econ surprise index , as of this week , shows the recovery ran out of steam last month .
A fiscal cliff is already underway , set to enter the second week on Friday ( Aug. 14 ) as tens of millions of Americans are unemployed and have yet to receive their stimulus checks .
The recovery , so far , is a massive economic sugar rush , entirely a function of the Trump administration on a reckless spending spree .
One way the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issuing direct transfer payments to the working poor .
The extra money has been used by households to pay down credit card bills , put food on the table , and pay housing expenses , while others used the free money to buy automobiles and FANG stocks .
President Trump signed an executive order over the weekend to fund another round of stimulus checks of approximately $ 400 per week , a reduction from the $ 600 federal aid seen in the first round from March to the end of July .
Massive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ welfare state under the GOP watch .
Tea Party politicians aren ’ t pleased with the Republican establishment ’ s wild spending spree .
With a fiscal cliff coming up on the second week , tens of millions of folks are unable to consume because they are insolvent and jobless , and their amount of consumption is dependent on the government .
We ’ ve noted before , a quarter of all household income is derived from the government .
And with no stimulus checks in the mail , that means Americans are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who manages a network of food-security groups in Ohio County , West Virginia , told Bloomberg when stimulus checks stopped arriving in late July , there was an immediate impact on households , resulting in rising food bank activity among the working poor .
See : 177 Different Ways to Generate Extra Income The fiscal cliff will be more damaging in lower-income communities ( than major metros ) , such as small towns in West Virginia , where folks were being paid handsomely by the federal government to sit at home .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ end , consumption plunges , and the local communities return to a recessionary environment .
With federal aid already running out for the stimulus program , the fiscal cliff has already been realized in West Virginia : Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Monday the next round of stimulus checks could take a couple of weeks to distribute , which would suggest households might not receive their stimulus checks until the end of August .
Days before the stimulus program ended ( late July ) , a sizeable food bank line appeared in Baltimore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far from over .
Households are entirely screwed as depressionary unemployment levels will continue into the election .
Many folks are dependent on direct transfer payments from the government and food banks for survival .
Who would ’ ve ever thought this would be the case in the “ greatest economy ever.
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By Tyler Durden
The latest economic data suggest the US recovery stalled. One look at the Citi US econ surprise index, as of this week, shows the recovery ran out of steam last month. A fiscal cliff is already underway, set to enter the second week on Friday (Aug. 14) as tens of millions of Americans are unemployed and have yet to receive their stimulus checks.
The recovery, so far, is a massive economic sugar rush, entirely a function of the Trump administration on a reckless spending spree. One way the administration can artificially supercharge consumption is through issuing direct transfer payments to the working poor. The extra money has been used by households to pay down credit card bills, put food on the table, and pay housing expenses, while others used the free money to buy automobiles and FANG stocks.
President Trump signed an executive order over the weekend to fund another round of stimulus checks of approximately $400 per week, a reduction from the $600 federal aid seen in the first round from March to the end of July.
Massive federal spending has transformed America into a welfare state under the GOP watch. Tea Party politicians aren’t pleased with the Republican establishment’s wild spending spree.
With a fiscal cliff coming up on the second week, tens of millions of folks are unable to consume because they are insolvent and jobless, and their amount of consumption is dependent on the government. We’ve noted before, a quarter of all household income is derived from the government. And with no stimulus checks in the mail, that means Americans are returning to food banks.
Claudia Raymer, who manages a network of food-security groups in Ohio County, West Virginia, told Bloomberg when stimulus checks stopped arriving in late July, there was an immediate impact on households, resulting in rising food bank activity among the working poor.
The fiscal cliff will be more damaging in lower-income communities (than major metros), such as small towns in West Virginia, where folks were being paid handsomely by the federal government to sit at home. The problem is, once the payments end, consumption plunges, and the local communities return to a recessionary environment. With federal aid already running out for the stimulus program, the fiscal cliff has already been realized in West Virginia:
“We’ve definitely already seen food-security needs increase, just in a week, since the extra unemployment has ended,” Raymer said.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Monday the next round of stimulus checks could take a couple of weeks to distribute, which would suggest households might not receive their stimulus checks until the end of August.
Days before the stimulus program ended (late July), a sizeable food bank line appeared in Baltimore, Maryland.
behind the scenes: food bank line in Baltimore just getting started – a lot of hungry and broke families as fiscal cliff begins pic.twitter.com/30C1OBJDSP — Alastair Williamson (@StockBoardAsset) July 26, 2020
The economic crisis is far from over. Households are entirely screwed as depressionary unemployment levels will continue into the election. Many folks are dependent on direct transfer payments from the government and food banks for survival. Who would’ve ever thought this would be the case in the “greatest economy ever.”
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activistpost--2020-08-12--5 New CBD Studies In 2020 Reveal Why So Many Are Choosing It Over Big Pharma Drugs

The free market has spoken .
Americans prefer cannabis-related products to Big Pharma drugs for a host of ailments .
They ’ re choosing cannabis because it works for them and now science is beginning to back them up .
The cannabis plant is proving to be very beneficial to human health despite the federal government ’ s continued prohibition as a Schedule 1 controlled substance .
Schedule 1 classification substances have “ no currently accepted medical use ” and a “ high potential for abuse.
” Yet governments can no longer deny the evidence that cannabis is an effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effects .
Although the legality of cannabis remains murky in the United States , CBD ( Cannabidiol ) products have exploded in popularity due to its status as a dietary supplement .
Recent studies are frankly making the feds look foolish , especially studies about CBD flowers and derivatives without THC that have practically no “ potential for abuse ” because they do not cause a “ high ” typically associated with smoking cannabis .
Low-THC , high-CBD strains first burst onto the scene under the name “ Charlotte ’ s Web ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it to treat her severe epilepsy with significantly fewer side effects than available pharmaceuticals .
Charlotte ’ s Web had less than 0.3 % THC .
It was so effective that the FDA approved CBD use to treat seizures even for children two and older in 2018 .
“ Because of the adequate and well-controlled clinical studies that supported this approval , prescribers can have confidence in the drug ’ s uniform strength and consistent delivery that support appropriate dosing needed for treating patients with these complex and serious epilepsy syndromes , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
at the time .
As a result of the Hemp Farming Act , proposed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2018 , CBD products are now widely available in the United States including smokable buds from places like Mybud Shop .
The Hemp Farming Act also enabled several new “ well-controlled ” studies showing the amazing promise of cannabis without THC .
Here are five studies published in medical journals in 2020 showing CBD ’ s diverse treatments for humans and pets .
A pilot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinical Pharmacology last month showed that CBD significantly improved severe behavioral problems in young people with intellectual disabilities like autism with few side effects .
Researchers from Murdoch Children ’ s Research Institute ( MCRI ) “ recorded a clinically significant change in participants ’ irritability , aggression , self-injury , and yelling .
The intervention was also found to be safe and well-tolerated by most study participants , ” according to the press release about the findings .
“ Current medications carry a high risk of side-effects , with vulnerable people with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side-effects , ” said Associate Professor at MCRI , Daryl Efron , who led the study .
“ Common side-effects of antipsychotics , such as weight gain and metabolic syndrome , have huge health effects for a patient group already at increased risk of chronic illness.
” Efron added that research is being spurred by desperate parents dealing with autism and other neurological issues who have been giving their autistic children unregulated cannabis .
A University of New Mexico study from May 2020 revealed that CBD dramatically reduced neuropathic pain in mice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mechanical pain sensitivity 10-fold for several hours in mice with chronic post-operative neuropathic pain .
“ Our lab utilizes a unique nerve injury model mimicking human neuropathic pain that has allowed demonstration of hemp ’ s reversal of the pain-related behavior , ” said one of the lead investigators , Dr. Karin N. Westlund , Department of Anesthesiology .
“ Cannabis plants with low THC are still psychoactive , but tend to result in less psychedelic experiences , while still offering profound and often immediate relief from symptoms such as pain , anxiety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Dr. Jacob Miguel Vigil , associate professor in the UNM Psychology Department .
Another study from April by Baylor University found that CBD significantly improved symptoms in dogs suffering from arthritis which may indicate the similar results for humans .
The study concluded : “ CBD is rapidly increasing in popularity due to its anecdotal health benefits for a variety of conditions , from reducing anxiety to helping with movement disorders , ” said corresponding author Dr. Matthew Halpert , research faculty in the Department of Pathology and Immunology at Baylor .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows that spontaneous models of arthritis , particularly in domesticated canine models , are more appropriate for assessing human arthritis pain treatments than other animal models .
The biological characteristics of arthritis in dogs closely resemble those of the human condition , ” Halpert added .
In March of this year the University of Southern Denmark published a study in the journal Scientific Reports which showed Cannabidiol ( CBD ) fights antibiotic resistant bacteria .
“ When we combined CBD and antibiotics , we saw a more powerful effect than when treating with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to kill a certain number of bacteria , we needed less antibiotics , ” researchers said .
If that isn ’ t incredible enough , an April study by researchers at Colorado State University has shown CBD ’ s promise in fighting aggressive brain cancer !
“ Our work shows that CBD has the potential to provide an effective , synergistic glioblastoma therapy option and that it should continue to be vigorously studied , ” said Chase Gross , a student in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine/Master of Science program at Colorado State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CBD slows cancer cell growth and is toxic to both canine and human glioblastoma cell lines , ” Gross added .
“ Importantly , the differences in anti-cancer effects between CBD isolate and extract appear to be negligible.
” Behavioral problems , pain , arthritis , drug-resistant bacteria , and brain cancer are all now part of a growing list of diseases and ailments that are being treated by this natural remedy with almost no side effects .
It ’ s true that the budding CBD industry is funding most of these early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are experiencing first hand are beginning to be revealed by science .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Send resources to the front lines of peace and freedom HERE !
Follow us on SoMee , HIVE , Parler , Flote , Minds , and Twitter .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By Steven Maxwell
The free market has spoken. Americans prefer cannabis-related products to Big Pharma drugs for a host of ailments. They’re choosing cannabis because it works for them and now science is beginning to back them up.
The cannabis plant is proving to be very beneficial to human health despite the federal government’s continued prohibition as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. Schedule 1 classification substances have “no currently accepted medical use” and a “high potential for abuse.” Yet governments can no longer deny the evidence that cannabis is an effective treatment for many things without harmful side effects.
Although the legality of cannabis remains murky in the United States, CBD (Cannabidiol) products have exploded in popularity due to its status as a dietary supplement. Recent studies are frankly making the feds look foolish, especially studies about CBD flowers and derivatives without THC that have practically no “potential for abuse” because they do not cause a “high” typically associated with smoking cannabis.
Low-THC, high-CBD strains first burst onto the scene under the name “Charlotte’s Web” named for a young girl who used it to treat her severe epilepsy with significantly fewer side effects than available pharmaceuticals. Charlotte’s Web had less than 0.3% THC. It was so effective that the FDA approved CBD use to treat seizures even for children two and older in 2018.
From the FDA announcement:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Epidiolex (cannabidiol) [CBD] oral solution for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare and severe forms of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome, in patients two years of age and older. This is the first FDA-approved drug that contains a purified drug substance derived from marijuana. It is also the first FDA approval of a drug for the treatment of patients with Dravet syndrome.
“Because of the adequate and well-controlled clinical studies that supported this approval, prescribers can have confidence in the drug’s uniform strength and consistent delivery that support appropriate dosing needed for treating patients with these complex and serious epilepsy syndromes,” remarked FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. at the time.
As a result of the Hemp Farming Act, proposed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2018, CBD products are now widely available in the United States including smokable buds from places like Mybud Shop.
The Hemp Farming Act also enabled several new “well-controlled” studies showing the amazing promise of cannabis without THC. Here are five studies published in medical journals in 2020 showing CBD’s diverse treatments for humans and pets.
Study 1: CBD Improves Severe Behavioral Associated with Autism
A pilot study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology last month showed that CBD significantly improved severe behavioral problems in young people with intellectual disabilities like autism with few side effects.
Researchers from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) “recorded a clinically significant change in participants’ irritability, aggression, self-injury, and yelling. The intervention was also found to be safe and well-tolerated by most study participants,” according to the press release about the findings.
“Current medications carry a high risk of side-effects, with vulnerable people with intellectual disability being less able to report side-effects,” said Associate Professor at MCRI, Daryl Efron, who led the study. “Common side-effects of antipsychotics, such as weight gain and metabolic syndrome, have huge health effects for a patient group already at increased risk of chronic illness.”
Efron added that research is being spurred by desperate parents dealing with autism and other neurological issues who have been giving their autistic children unregulated cannabis.
Study 2: CBD Reduces Post-Operative Pain By 10-Fold
A University of New Mexico study from May 2020 revealed that CBD dramatically reduced neuropathic pain in mice. Research showed that legal hemp oil reduced mechanical pain sensitivity 10-fold for several hours in mice with chronic post-operative neuropathic pain.
For several hours after Cannabis consumption the mice demonstrated effective pain relief, approaching the mechanical pain sensitivity of naïve control mice that did not undergo the surgical operation.
“Our lab utilizes a unique nerve injury model mimicking human neuropathic pain that has allowed demonstration of hemp’s reversal of the pain-related behavior,” said one of the lead investigators, Dr. Karin N. Westlund, Department of Anesthesiology.
“Cannabis plants with low THC are still psychoactive, but tend to result in less psychedelic experiences, while still offering profound and often immediate relief from symptoms such as pain, anxiety, and depression,” says co-researcher, Dr. Jacob Miguel Vigil, associate professor in the UNM Psychology Department.
Study 3: CBD Significantly Reduces Arthritis Symptoms in Dogs
Another study from April by Baylor University found that CBD significantly improved symptoms in dogs suffering from arthritis which may indicate the similar results for humans. The study concluded:
Published in the journal PAIN, the study first showed both in laboratory tests and mouse models that CBD, a non-addictive product derived from hemp (cannabis), can significantly reduce the production of inflammatory molecules and immune cells associated with arthritis. Subsequently, the study showed that in dogs diagnosed with the condition, CBD treatment significantly improved quality of life as documented by both owner and veterinarian assessments. This work supports future scientific evaluation of CBD for human arthritis.
“CBD is rapidly increasing in popularity due to its anecdotal health benefits for a variety of conditions, from reducing anxiety to helping with movement disorders,” said corresponding author Dr. Matthew Halpert, research faculty in the Department of Pathology and Immunology at Baylor.
The study also gave insight into CBD dosage writing,”Liposomal CBD (20 mg/day) was as effective as the highest dose of nonliposomal CBD (50 mg/day).”
“We studied dogs because experimental evidence shows that spontaneous models of arthritis, particularly in domesticated canine models, are more appropriate for assessing human arthritis pain treatments than other animal models. The biological characteristics of arthritis in dogs closely resemble those of the human condition,” Halpert added.
Study 4: CBD Helps Fight Resistant Bacteria
In March of this year the University of Southern Denmark published a study in the journal Scientific Reports which showed Cannabidiol (CBD) fights antibiotic resistant bacteria.
In the study, CBD was used to enhance the effect of the antibiotic bacitracin against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria; a major human pathogen that frequently causes community- and hospital-acquired disease.
“When we combined CBD and antibiotics, we saw a more powerful effect than when treating with antibiotics alone. So, in order to kill a certain number of bacteria, we needed less antibiotics,” researchers said.
Three things happened with the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, when the researchers treated them with the combination in their study: The bacteria could no longer divide normally. The expression of certain key genes (cell division and autolysis genes) in the bacteria was lowered. The bacterial membrane became unstable.
Study 5: CBD Kills Brain Cancer Cells
If that isn’t incredible enough, an April study by researchers at Colorado State University has shown CBD’s promise in fighting aggressive brain cancer!
Findings from a new study examining human and canine brain cancer cells suggest that cannabidiol could be a useful therapy for a difficult-to-treat brain cancer. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a non-psychoactive chemical compound derived from marijuana. The study looked at glioblastoma, an often-deadly form of brain cancer that grows and spreads very quickly. Even with major advancements in treatment, survival rates for this cancer have not improved significantly.
“Our work shows that CBD has the potential to provide an effective, synergistic glioblastoma therapy option and that it should continue to be vigorously studied,” said Chase Gross, a student in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine/Master of Science program at Colorado State University.
“Our experiments showed that CBD slows cancer cell growth and is toxic to both canine and human glioblastoma cell lines,” Gross added. “Importantly, the differences in anti-cancer effects between CBD isolate and extract appear to be negligible.”
Behavioral problems, pain, arthritis, drug-resistant bacteria, and brain cancer are all now part of a growing list of diseases and ailments that are being treated by this natural remedy with almost no side effects. It’s true that the budding CBD industry is funding most of these early studies, but the results that many people are experiencing first hand are beginning to be revealed by science.
Image: Pixabay
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Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Send resources to the front lines of peace and freedom HERE! Follow us on SoMee, HIVE, Parler, Flote, Minds, and Twitter.
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activistpost--2020-08-13--Artificial Intelligence Is A Totalitarian’s Dream — Here’s How To Take Power Back

Individualistic Western societies are built on the idea that no one knows our thoughts , desires or joys better than we do .
And so we put ourselves , rather than the government , in charge of our lives .
We tend to agree with the philosopher Immanuel Kant ’ s claim that no one has the right to force their idea of the good life on us .
Artificial intelligence ( AI ) will change this .
It will know us better than we know ourselves .
A government armed with AI could claim to know what its people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them happy .
At best it will use this to justify paternalism , at worst , totalitarianism .
Every hell starts with a promise of heaven .
AI-led totalitarianism will be no different .
Freedom will become obedience to the state .
Only the irrational , spiteful or subversive could wish to chose their own path .
To prevent such a dystopia , we must not allow others to know more about ourselves than we do .
We can not allow a self-knowledge gap .
In 2019 , the billionaire investor Peter Thiel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
He pointed out that AI allows a centralising power to monitor citizens and know more about them than they know about themselves .
China , Thiel noted , has eagerly embraced AI .
We already know AI ’ s potential to support totalitarianism by providing an Orwellian system of surveillance and control .
But AI also gives totalitarians a philosophical weapon .
As long as we knew ourselves better than the government did , liberalism could keep aspiring totalitarians at bay .
But AI has changed the game .
Big tech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our behaviour .
Machine-learning algorithms use this data to calculate not just what we will do , but who we are .
Today , AI can predict what films we will like , what news we will want to read , and who we will want to friend on Facebook .
It can predict whether couples will stay together and if we will attempt suicide .
From our Facebook likes , AI can predict our religious and political views , personality , intelligence , drug use and happiness .
The accuracy of AI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the not-too-distant future , as the writer Yuval Noah Harari has suggested , AI may tell us who we are before we ourselves know .
These developments have seismic political implications .
If governments can know us better than we can , a new justification opens up for intervening in our lives .
They will tyrannise us in the name of our own good .
The philosopher Isaiah Berlin foresaw this in 1958 .
He identified two types of freedom .
One type , he warned , would lead to tyranny .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is freedom from the interference of other people or government in your affairs .
Negative freedom is no one else being able to restrain you , as long as you aren ’ t violating anyone else ’ s rights .
In contrast , positive freedom is “ freedom to ” .
It is the freedom to be master of yourself , freedom to fulfil your true desires , freedom to live a rational life .
Who wouldn ’ t want this ?
But what if someone else says you aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” , although they know how you could .
If you won ’ t listen , they may force you to be free – coercing you for your “ own good ” .
This is one of the most dangerous ideas ever conceived .
It killed tens of millions of people in Stalin ’ s Soviet Union and Mao ’ s China .
The Russian Communist leader , Lenin , is reported to have said that the capitalists would sell him the rope he would hang them with .
Peter Thiel has argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firms of Silicon Valley have sold communism a tool that threatens to undermine democratic capitalist society .
AI is Lenin ’ s rope .
We can only prevent such a dystopia if no one is allowed to know us better than we know ourselves .
We must never sentimentalise anyone who seeks such power over us as well-intentioned .
Historically , this has only ever ended in calamity .
One way to prevent a self-knowledge gap is to raise our privacy shields .
Thiel , who labelled AI as communistic , has argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cryptocurrencies can be “ privacy-enabling ” .
Privacy reduces the ability of others to know us and then use this knowledge to manipulate us for their own profit .
Get $ 10 In Bitcoin for Free Yet knowing ourselves better through AI offers powerful benefits .
We may be able to use it to better understand what will make us happy , healthy and wealthy .
It may help guide our career choices .
More generally , AI promises to create the economic growth that keeps us from each other ’ s throats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our self-knowledge .
The problem is a power disparity in what is known about us .
Knowledge about us exclusively in someone else ’ s hands is power over us .
But knowledge about us in our own hands is power for us .
Anyone who processes our data to create knowledge about us should be legally obliged to give us back that knowledge .
We need to update the idea of “ nothing about us without us ” for the AI-age .
What AI tells us about ourselves is for us to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ profit from abusing .
There should only ever be one hand on the tiller of our soul .
And it should be ours .
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license .
Read the original article .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Send resources to the front lines of peace and freedom HERE !
Follow us on SoMee , HIVE , Parler , Flote , Minds , and Twitter .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Markets today .

By Simon McCarthy-Jones, Trinity College Dublin
Individualistic Western societies are built on the idea that no one knows our thoughts, desires or joys better than we do. And so we put ourselves, rather than the government, in charge of our lives. We tend to agree with the philosopher Immanuel Kant’s claim that no one has the right to force their idea of the good life on us.
Artificial intelligence (AI) will change this. It will know us better than we know ourselves. A government armed with AI could claim to know what its people truly want and what will really make them happy. At best it will use this to justify paternalism, at worst, totalitarianism.
Every hell starts with a promise of heaven. AI-led totalitarianism will be no different. Freedom will become obedience to the state. Only the irrational, spiteful or subversive could wish to chose their own path.
To prevent such a dystopia, we must not allow others to know more about ourselves than we do. We cannot allow a self-knowledge gap.
The All-Seeing AI
In 2019, the billionaire investor Peter Thiel claimed that AI was “literally communist”. He pointed out that AI allows a centralising power to monitor citizens and know more about them than they know about themselves. China, Thiel noted, has eagerly embraced AI.
We already know AI’s potential to support totalitarianism by providing an Orwellian system of surveillance and control. But AI also gives totalitarians a philosophical weapon. As long as we knew ourselves better than the government did, liberalism could keep aspiring totalitarians at bay.
But AI has changed the game. Big tech companies collect vast amounts of data on our behaviour. Machine-learning algorithms use this data to calculate not just what we will do, but who we are.
Activist Post Recommended Book: The Age of Surveillance Capitalism
Today, AI can predict what films we will like, what news we will want to read, and who we will want to friend on Facebook. It can predict whether couples will stay together and if we will attempt suicide. From our Facebook likes, AI can predict our religious and political views, personality, intelligence, drug use and happiness.
The accuracy of AI’s predictions will only improve. In the not-too-distant future, as the writer Yuval Noah Harari has suggested, AI may tell us who we are before we ourselves know.
These developments have seismic political implications. If governments can know us better than we can, a new justification opens up for intervening in our lives. They will tyrannise us in the name of our own good.
Freedom through tyranny
The philosopher Isaiah Berlin foresaw this in 1958. He identified two types of freedom. One type, he warned, would lead to tyranny.
Negative freedom is “freedom from”. It is freedom from the interference of other people or government in your affairs. Negative freedom is no one else being able to restrain you, as long as you aren’t violating anyone else’s rights.
In contrast, positive freedom is “freedom to”. It is the freedom to be master of yourself, freedom to fulfil your true desires, freedom to live a rational life. Who wouldn’t want this?
But what if someone else says you aren’t acting in your “true interest”, although they know how you could. If you won’t listen, they may force you to be free – coercing you for your “own good”. This is one of the most dangerous ideas ever conceived. It killed tens of millions of people in Stalin’s Soviet Union and Mao’s China.
The Russian Communist leader, Lenin, is reported to have said that the capitalists would sell him the rope he would hang them with. Peter Thiel has argued that, in AI, capitalist tech firms of Silicon Valley have sold communism a tool that threatens to undermine democratic capitalist society. AI is Lenin’s rope.
Fighting for ourselves
We can only prevent such a dystopia if no one is allowed to know us better than we know ourselves. We must never sentimentalise anyone who seeks such power over us as well-intentioned. Historically, this has only ever ended in calamity.
One way to prevent a self-knowledge gap is to raise our privacy shields. Thiel, who labelled AI as communistic, has argued that “crypto is libertarian”. Cryptocurrencies can be “privacy-enabling”. Privacy reduces the ability of others to know us and then use this knowledge to manipulate us for their own profit.
Yet knowing ourselves better through AI offers powerful benefits. We may be able to use it to better understand what will make us happy, healthy and wealthy. It may help guide our career choices. More generally, AI promises to create the economic growth that keeps us from each other’s throats.
The problem is not AI improving our self-knowledge. The problem is a power disparity in what is known about us. Knowledge about us exclusively in someone else’s hands is power over us. But knowledge about us in our own hands is power for us.
Anyone who processes our data to create knowledge about us should be legally obliged to give us back that knowledge. We need to update the idea of “nothing about us without us” for the AI-age.
What AI tells us about ourselves is for us to consider using, not for others to profit from abusing. There should only ever be one hand on the tiller of our soul. And it should be ours.
Simon McCarthy-Jones, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, Trinity College Dublin
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Image: Shutterstock/The Conversation
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activistpost--2020-08-13--5 New CBD Studies In 2020 Reveal Why So Many Are Choosing It Over Big Pharma Drugs


activistpost--2020-08-13--Lockdown Restrictions Are A Test To See How Much Tyranny Americans Will Accept

The pandemic lockdowns are a complicated issue , and that is absolutely deliberate .
The point of 4th Generation psychological warfare is to present the target individual or population with a hard choice – a no-win scenario .
You are damned if you do and damned if you don ’ t .
I often equate this to the key moves in a difficult chess game ; your primary goal is to create a dual threat and force your opponent to sacrifice one piece over another in order to escape with the least amount of damage .
Do this a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game .
There are multiple aspects to the global pandemic which seem engineered to push our society to make “ sacrificial decisions ” .
We can choose to sacrifice the lives of those that are susceptible to the virus , sacrifice our economy , or sacrifice many of our freedoms with the promise that the economy and lives will be protected .
The easiest choice is always to give away a little more freedom .
We ’ ll get it all back eventually…right ?
Of course , we don ’ t actually get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play along with this game .
4th Gen warfare is meant to eventually take IT ALL from the target population while making people think it was their choice to give those things away .
To be clear , it ’ s not only the pandemic being exploited as leverage to conjure these situations .
The leftist riots are another example of a bought and paid for crisis that is being used in an attempt to convince half of Americans that breaking constitutional principles and instituting unprecedented government power is somehow an acceptable sacrifice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work hand-in-hand ; one is created to get leftists to demand totalitarianism in the name of public safety , the other is created to get conservatives to demand totalitarianism in the name of public safety .
The solution always ends up being totalitarian government .
There are those that would have you believe that this is the only way .
The new propaganda meme out there is : “ Silly libertarians live in a fantasy world where freedom is valued over security in times of crisis .
We don ’ t have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threaten to destroy the fabric of our society… ” Sound familiar ?
Yes , this nonsense narrative is everywhere on forums and message boards these days , almost as if someone was paying people to inject it into everyday discussion .
The problem is , I ’ ve seen this all before .
Right after the events of 9/11 , America went insane for at least a few years , hyperfocused on the threat of terrorists while ignoring the greater root danger of all powerful government .
The number of constitutional protections being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the terrorists ” was staggering , and the number of mostly conservative citizens cheering for this at the time was immense .
Today ’ s calls for overreaching government power in the name of “ beating coronavirus ” or “ beating the extreme left ” are no different .
In the wake of widespread fear , people suffer from fits of temporary madness that allows them rationalize moral relativism and unnecessary sacrifices .
I ’ ve never really understood that aspect of behavior among certain groups .
I ’ ve never been so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was willing to hand over anything including my freedom and my future on the mere chance that I could stay alive just a little longer .
But for some , that fear dominates their every waking moment .
To me , this would be a torturous and empty existence .
What do these people have to live for anyway ?
Obviously they don ’ t care about their children because they are willing to give away their children ’ s future just so they can feel safer today .
Do they have some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of humanity and they feel they must do anything to survive long enough to make it happen ?
Are they working on the cure for cancer or a path to world peace ?
I doubt it .
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More likely they work in an office building or a McDonald ’ s or teach kindergarten at a public school .
They aren ’ t contributing all that much , but they are perfectly willing to trade their freedom and everyone ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this Earth .
I ’ ve seen 85-year-old men that can ’ t move around without a walker raging about people who “ don ’ t wear masks ” and how they should be “ thrown in jail ” .
Buddy , you have lived your life fully .
You had your fun .
Yet , you are still clinging so desperately to existence that you are demanding the draconian destruction of our society ’ s core principles just so you can eek out a couple more years of grumbling in misery and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not saying I contribute much more in comparison , but I also have no interest in controlling the destinies of other people .
I ’ m just trying to live my life as free as possible while helping to ensure others can do the same .
And if I die from a virus , then I die , but at least I never aided in the enslavement of future generations .
There are plenty of Americans of all ages that feel the same way as I do ; but there are many others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to control their fear .
The question I almost never see asked in the mainstream when it comes to the pandemic is this – Is it really all worth it ?
Is it worth it to shut down large swaths of the US economy , threatening millions of jobs , sending millions of people into poverty , risking speedy financial collapse and degrading our fundamental freedoms just to save .03 % of the population ?
What if it was 1 % of the population ?
Would it be worth it then ?
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s NEVER worth it .
Recently a voting member of the Federal Reserve , Neel Kashkari , argued that the US needs renewed hard lockdowns , meaning most Americans stay stuck at home for at least 6 weeks with little access to the economy .
His rationale ?
The US savings rate has spiked , therefore more Americans are saving , therefore they can financially handle another lockdown .
Now , either Kashkari is very stupid or very evil .
I ’ m going to go with evil .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position that the Fed is a suicide bomber seeking the deliberate destruction of the US in the name of an ideological cult ( globalism ) .
First , the savings rate does not necessarily represent the majority of Americans .
The savings rate can increase dramatically due to a small subsection of the population , such as the upper middle class or the 1 % , setting large amounts of money aside , yet the statistics treat this as if it represents the whole population .
The Personal Savings Rate also includes stocks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which helps to skew the numbers as well .
Secondly , with 30 million more Americans added to the unemployment rolls after the last lockdown , how can we take the recent increase in the savings rate seriously ?
How many average middle class or poverty stricken Americans are included in that stat ?
Thirdly , even if the Fed stat was accurate and most Americans were saving more , how is this an excuse to enforce even harsher lockdowns ?
People generally save in order to prepare for the worst case scenario @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the worst case scenario , Kashkari wants to punish them with the worst case scenario , thereby wiping out their savings ?
Again , he ’ s either stupid or evil ; take your pick .
All no-win scenarios are constructed on lies and false narratives .
They require you to believe certain fallacies before you can feel trapped by the decision that is imposed on you .
Kashkari will claim that his strategy will be better for the country in the long run , but he knows full well that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrived on the scene .
In fact , the Federal Reserve built the framework for the crash by addicting the system to easy debt through stimulus measures and low interest rates , then they took away the punch bowl triggering a bubble implosion , and now they are the world with punch until everyone drowns in the inflation .
The US economy was broken even without the pandemic lockdowns so there is no point in giving up your freedom or economic access to save the system .
Another lie is that we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eventually , almost everyone is going to get it , it ’ s just a matter of time .
Hope that a working vaccine can be developed in less than a year is deluded , and given the terrible results of previous attempts by governments to rush vaccines into production , I think I would rather take my chances with Covid .
Even medical tyrant Dr. Fauci himself admits that a vaccine will not be fully effective and that the virus may be around for many years to come .
So , why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Why are we shutting down the economy ?
Why are we giving up our everyday freedoms ?
Who are we saving ?
No one .
The people that are going to die from coronavirus are going to die from it sooner or later .
If we are going to get into a discussion on the so-called “ greater good ” , then let ’ s really be logical about it .
The decision is not all that hard when you set aside the propaganda and think about it .
Dragging the pandemic out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people .
It expedites an economic crash that was already in motion and it will lead to massive poverty levels in the US as well as a supply chain breakdown .
It may even lead to full-on collapse .
To be clear , I respect the private property rights of businesses that want customers to wear masks or take other precautions in their establishments .
I have the right to not shop at those businesses if I don ’ t like it .
The problems arise when government officials try to FORCE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close down completely .
An even bigger problem arises when governments try to force pandemic restrictions onto individuals in their everyday lives .
This is simply unacceptable .
Government edicts forcing people to social distance or wear masks or deny them the right to free assembly , once instituted , will probably never go away .
Once government has the power to dictate your movements and behavior as if your moment-by-moment decisions are a threat to “ public health ” , they have total power to do anything they wish .
Many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the executive level .
No state governor , no mayor , no president has the right to unilaterally create laws and assert unchecked authority .
It is the job of legislatures to pass laws that affect the common public , and often these laws must be voted on by the citizenry through ballot initiatives .
The governor has no more power to force me to wear a mask than some lunatic leftist Karen on the street .
It ’ s not that I don ’ t care about the people who are susceptible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just that I ’ m not willing to play a rigged game of sacrifice for those people .
No , they aren ’ t worth it , and I include myself in that statement in the event that I am susceptible to the virus .
Why should over 99 % of people be treated like prisoners so less than 1 % of the population can feel safer ?
If you are really at risk then STAY HOME , shop online and let the rest of us get on with our lives .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sacrifice their liberties for my personal comfort .
Anyone who does is a coward .
If you would like to support the work that Alt-Market does while also receiving content on advanced tactics for defeating the globalist agenda , subscribe to our exclusive newsletter The Wild Bunch Dispatch .
Learn more about it HERE .
After 8 long years of ultra-loose monetary policy from the Federal Reserve , it ’ s no secret that inflation is primed to soar .
If your IRA or 401 ( k ) is exposed to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act now !
That ’ s why thousands of Americans are moving their retirement into a Gold IRA .
Learn how you can too with a free info kit on gold from Birch Gold Group .
It reveals the little-known IRS Tax Law to move your IRA or 401 ( k ) into gold .
Click here to get your free Info Kit on Gold .
You can contact Brandon Smith at : [ email protected ]

By Brandon Smith
The pandemic lockdowns are a complicated issue, and that is absolutely deliberate. The point of 4th Generation psychological warfare is to present the target individual or population with a hard choice – a no-win scenario. You are damned if you do and damned if you don’t. I often equate this to the key moves in a difficult chess game; your primary goal is to create a dual threat and force your opponent to sacrifice one piece over another in order to escape with the least amount of damage. Do this a few times and you have won the long game.
There are multiple aspects to the global pandemic which seem engineered to push our society to make “sacrificial decisions”. We can choose to sacrifice the lives of those that are susceptible to the virus, sacrifice our economy, or sacrifice many of our freedoms with the promise that the economy and lives will be protected. The easiest choice is always to give away a little more freedom. We’ll get it all back eventually…right?
Of course, we don’t actually get to “choose” anything when we play along with this game. 4th Gen warfare is meant to eventually take IT ALL from the target population while making people think it was their choice to give those things away.
To be clear, it’s not only the pandemic being exploited as leverage to conjure these situations. The leftist riots are another example of a bought and paid for crisis that is being used in an attempt to convince half of Americans that breaking constitutional principles and instituting unprecedented government power is somehow an acceptable sacrifice. The riots and the virus response work hand-in-hand; one is created to get leftists to demand totalitarianism in the name of public safety, the other is created to get conservatives to demand totalitarianism in the name of public safety.
The solution always ends up being totalitarian government. There are those that would have you believe that this is the only way. The new propaganda meme out there is:
“Silly libertarians live in a fantasy world where freedom is valued over security in times of crisis. We don’t have the luxury of freedom when communist terrorists/deadly virus threaten to destroy the fabric of our society…”
Sound familiar? Yes, this nonsense narrative is everywhere on forums and message boards these days, almost as if someone was paying people to inject it into everyday discussion. The problem is, I’ve seen this all before. Right after the events of 9/11, America went insane for at least a few years, hyperfocused on the threat of terrorists while ignoring the greater root danger of all powerful government. The number of constitutional protections being violated in the name of “beating the terrorists” was staggering, and the number of mostly conservative citizens cheering for this at the time was immense.
Today’s calls for overreaching government power in the name of “beating coronavirus” or “beating the extreme left” are no different. In the wake of widespread fear, people suffer from fits of temporary madness that allows them rationalize moral relativism and unnecessary sacrifices.
I’ve never really understood that aspect of behavior among certain groups. I’ve never been so fearful of losing my life that I was willing to hand over anything including my freedom and my future on the mere chance that I could stay alive just a little longer. But for some, that fear dominates their every waking moment.
To me, this would be a torturous and empty existence. What do these people have to live for anyway? Obviously they don’t care about their children because they are willing to give away their children’s future just so they can feel safer today. Do they have some kind of epic contribution for the good of humanity and they feel they must do anything to survive long enough to make it happen? Are they working on the cure for cancer or a path to world peace? I doubt it.
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More likely they work in an office building or a McDonald’s or teach kindergarten at a public school. They aren’t contributing all that much, but they are perfectly willing to trade their freedom and everyone’s freedom for a little more time on this Earth. I’ve seen 85-year-old men that can’t move around without a walker raging about people who “don’t wear masks” and how they should be “thrown in jail”.
Buddy, you have lived your life fully. You had your fun. Yet, you are still clinging so desperately to existence that you are demanding the draconian destruction of our society’s core principles just so you can eek out a couple more years of grumbling in misery and eating soft foods?
I’m not saying I contribute much more in comparison, but I also have no interest in controlling the destinies of other people. I’m just trying to live my life as free as possible while helping to ensure others can do the same. And if I die from a virus, then I die, but at least I never aided in the enslavement of future generations. There are plenty of Americans of all ages that feel the same way as I do; but there are many others that seem to be missing that ability to control their fear.
The question I almost never see asked in the mainstream when it comes to the pandemic is this – Is it really all worth it?
Is it worth it to shut down large swaths of the US economy, threatening millions of jobs, sending millions of people into poverty, risking speedy financial collapse and degrading our fundamental freedoms just to save .03% of the population? What if it was 1% of the population? Would it be worth it then? What about 3%?
The reality is, it’s NEVER worth it.
Recently a voting member of the Federal Reserve, Neel Kashkari, argued that the US needs renewed hard lockdowns, meaning most Americans stay stuck at home for at least 6 weeks with little access to the economy. His rationale? The US savings rate has spiked, therefore more Americans are saving, therefore they can financially handle another lockdown.
Now, either Kashkari is very stupid or very evil. I’m going to go with evil. This is just more proof that supports my position that the Fed is a suicide bomber seeking the deliberate destruction of the US in the name of an ideological cult (globalism).
First, the savings rate does not necessarily represent the majority of Americans. The savings rate can increase dramatically due to a small subsection of the population, such as the upper middle class or the 1%, setting large amounts of money aside, yet the statistics treat this as if it represents the whole population. The Personal Savings Rate also includes stocks and bonds as “savings”, which helps to skew the numbers as well.
Secondly, with 30 million more Americans added to the unemployment rolls after the last lockdown, how can we take the recent increase in the savings rate seriously? How many average middle class or poverty stricken Americans are included in that stat?
Thirdly, even if the Fed stat was accurate and most Americans were saving more, how is this an excuse to enforce even harsher lockdowns? People generally save in order to prepare for the worst case scenario. So, because they are saving for the worst case scenario, Kashkari wants to punish them with the worst case scenario, thereby wiping out their savings? Again, he’s either stupid or evil; take your pick.
All no-win scenarios are constructed on lies and false narratives. They require you to believe certain fallacies before you can feel trapped by the decision that is imposed on you.
Kashkari will claim that his strategy will be better for the country in the long run, but he knows full well that the economy was crashing well before the coronavirus arrived on the scene. In fact, the Federal Reserve built the framework for the crash by addicting the system to easy debt through stimulus measures and low interest rates, then they took away the punch bowl triggering a bubble implosion, and now they are the world with punch until everyone drowns in the inflation.
The US economy was broken even without the pandemic lockdowns so there is no point in giving up your freedom or economic access to save the system.
Another lie is that we can somehow avoid or escape the virus. Eventually, almost everyone is going to get it, it’s just a matter of time. Hope that a working vaccine can be developed in less than a year is deluded, and given the terrible results of previous attempts by governments to rush vaccines into production, I think I would rather take my chances with Covid. Even medical tyrant Dr. Fauci himself admits that a vaccine will not be fully effective and that the virus may be around for many years to come.
So, why are we beating around the bush? Why are we shutting down the economy? Why are we giving up our everyday freedoms? Who are we saving? No one. The people that are going to die from coronavirus are going to die from it sooner or later. If we are going to get into a discussion on the so-called “greater good”, then let’s really be logical about it. The decision is not all that hard when you set aside the propaganda and think about it.
Dragging the pandemic out over years with lockdowns hurts the majority of people. It expedites an economic crash that was already in motion and it will lead to massive poverty levels in the US as well as a supply chain breakdown. It may even lead to full-on collapse.
To be clear, I respect the private property rights of businesses that want customers to wear masks or take other precautions in their establishments. I have the right to not shop at those businesses if I don’t like it. The problems arise when government officials try to FORCE businesses to institute pandemic restrictions or to close down completely. An even bigger problem arises when governments try to force pandemic restrictions onto individuals in their everyday lives. This is simply unacceptable.
Government edicts forcing people to social distance or wear masks or deny them the right to free assembly, once instituted, will probably never go away. Once government has the power to dictate your movements and behavior as if your moment-by-moment decisions are a threat to “public health”, they have total power to do anything they wish.
Many of these orders are also being made at the executive level. No state governor, no mayor, no president has the right to unilaterally create laws and assert unchecked authority. It is the job of legislatures to pass laws that affect the common public, and often these laws must be voted on by the citizenry through ballot initiatives. The governor has no more power to force me to wear a mask than some lunatic leftist Karen on the street.
It’s not that I don’t care about the people who are susceptible to the virus, it’s just that I’m not willing to play a rigged game of sacrifice for those people. No, they aren’t worth it, and I include myself in that statement in the event that I am susceptible to the virus. Why should over 99% of people be treated like prisoners so less than 1% of the population can feel safer? If you are really at risk then STAY HOME, shop online and let the rest of us get on with our lives.
I would never ask the majority of people to sacrifice their liberties for my personal comfort. Anyone who does is a coward.
Source: Alt-Market
If you would like to support the work that Alt-Market does while also receiving content on advanced tactics for defeating the globalist agenda, subscribe to our exclusive newsletter The Wild Bunch Dispatch. Learn more about it HERE.
After 8 long years of ultra-loose monetary policy from the Federal Reserve, it’s no secret that inflation is primed to soar. If your IRA or 401(k) is exposed to this threat, it’s critical to act now! That’s why thousands of Americans are moving their retirement into a Gold IRA. Learn how you can too with a free info kit on gold from Birch Gold Group. It reveals the little-known IRS Tax Law to move your IRA or 401(k) into gold. Click here to get your free Info Kit on Gold.
You can contact Brandon Smith at: brandon@alt-market.com


activistpost--2020-08-13--Use Instagram?  Facebook Is Being Sued for Allegedly Harvesting Biometric Data of 100+ Million Users

Many Facebook users aren ’ t aware how much the company collects and shares personal user data without users ’ knowledge or consent ( see 1 , 2 , 3 ) .
This practice is sometimes referred to as “ Surveillance Capitalism.
” The company is now being sued again for this .
Facebook is being sued for allegedly collecting the biometric data of Instagram users or people who appear in photos on the platform without their consent .
In the complaint , lodged Monday in a Redwood City , California state court , Facebook is accused of “ collecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biometric data of more than 100 million Instagram users .
More specifically , that biometric data relates to facial recognition technology .
The lawsuit claims that Instagram uses a face-tagging tool that use facial recognition to create “ face templates , ” which are then stored in Facebook databases .
It goes on to add that Instagram uses this tool automatically without obtaining a user ’ s consent , even if the people in the images don ’ t have Instagram accounts themselves .
“ Once Facebook captures its Instagram users ’ protected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its facial recognition abilities across all of its products , including the Facebook application , and shares this information among various entities , ” the lawsuit reads .

By B.N. Frank
Many Facebook users aren’t aware how much the company collects and shares personal user data without users’ knowledge or consent (see 1, 2, 3). This practice is sometimes referred to as “Surveillance Capitalism.” The company is now being sued again for this.
From Apple Insider:
Facebook is being sued for allegedly collecting the biometric data of Instagram users or people who appear in photos on the platform without their consent. In the complaint, lodged Monday in a Redwood City, California state court, Facebook is accused of “collecting, storing and profiting” from the biometric data of more than 100 million Instagram users. More specifically, that biometric data relates to facial recognition technology. The lawsuit claims that Instagram uses a face-tagging tool that use facial recognition to create “face templates,” which are then stored in Facebook databases. It goes on to add that Instagram uses this tool automatically without obtaining a user’s consent, even if the people in the images don’t have Instagram accounts themselves. “Once Facebook captures its Instagram users’ protected biometrics, it uses them to bolster its facial recognition abilities across all of its products, including the Facebook application, and shares this information among various entities,” the lawsuit reads. Read full article
The good news is that Facebook users can adjust their privacy settings to prevent the company from collecting and sharing so much of their information. Of course, many if not all of the same privacy issues exist with other social media platforms and apps too. Unfortunately other businesses have embraced “Surveillance Capitalism” practices as well. This includes utility companies. In fact, legislation was introduced in California to prevent utility companies from selling customer data to ICE.
Activist Post Recommended Book: The Age of Surveillance Capitalism
Activist Post reports regularly about unsafe technology. For more information, visit our archives.
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activistpost--2020-08-13--California Forces Lyft & Uber Drivers to be W-2 Employees

In the recent court case , People of the State of California vs. Uber Technologies , Inc. A Delaware Corpooration et .
al , Judge Ethan Schulman of the San Francisco Superior Court Drivers ordered Lyft and Uber to stop classifying drivers as independent contractors , rather than employees of the companies .
First of all , a court has no constitutional or legal authority to order companies to force them to hire contractors – further evidence that California is not the land where liberty or the rule of law are respected or protected to any appreciable degree .
Under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , drivers of Lyft and Uber can no longer operate as independent contractors , as doing so violates California ’ s draconian labor laws .
While drivers will get more “ benefits ” , like minimum wage , health insurance , unemployment insurance , overtime pay , etc.
, like everything , it comes at a steep cost , and is therefore anything but free .
While the courts ruled that Lyft and Uber can still let drivers have flexible hours , there are now a bunch of more costly extra benefits that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drivers .
This will inevitably push costs up , which will ultimately be passed down to riders and drivers .
First of all , some current drivers will be laid off , and fewer new ones will get hired .
Furthermore , riders will likely have to pay higher fares for rides , as Lyft and Uber , like every other company , will pass on these legally mandated business costs to end-customers , the riders .
If ride fares increase , fewer people will ride , further hurting Lyft and Uber financially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like far too many today , are struggling mightily to make a profit or generate positive cash flow .
A further adverse implication of this ruling is that under California labor laws , Uber and Lyft will MOST LIKELY be required to buy and provide cars to its drivers , who now must be employees .
But if Uber can no longer avoid the gargantuan capital investment of cars , something that enabled it to disrupt the ride service industry to the all-around benefit of the economy , then they won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies , further pushing Lyft and Uber closer to closing permanently , something that nobody wants .
This will further exacerbate the poverty that California politicians have already imposed on residents by irrationally , tyrannically and unconstitutionally shutting down commerce ( aside from “ essential services ” ) , causing many to lose their jobs and turn to driving Lyft/Uber to try to survive financially .
The ability to drive as independent contractors makes Lyft/Uber more viable as a back-up , as it is far easier to start driving and earning money faster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rather than having to drive and be hired as typical W-2 Employees .
See : 177 Different Ways to Generate Extra Income The biggest reason everyone , especially everybody who lives in California , should be extremely concerned is that this ruling could push Uber and Lyft out of California .
Already , Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is considering suspending Uber until the November election , at which point voters will have a chance to pass Proposition 22 , which would exempt drivers from the restrictions of AB 5 .
So what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with all these economic issues , let liberty prevail , and abolish AB 5 .
AB 5 is a coercive law that forces , and thereby coerces , Lyft and Uber to only hire employees and forcibly restricts them from contracting with willing drivers .
AB 5 therefore violates liberty , and should therefore have never became law .
Let drivers negotiate with Lyft and Uber .
If they want benefits for lower pay per ride , then they should be free to negotiate such arrangements and vice-versa .
Independent contracting of drivers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to enjoy ride-share services at much lower costs than before the creation of Lyft and Uber .
That joy is now in grave jeopardy of evaporating !
Uber and Lyft are naturally and rightfully appealing the ruling , but with a very low probability of success .
California is not friendly to enterprises or anybody trying to earn more income .
Lyft and Uber provided a new ride-share service platform that has massively benefited the economy , and their entrance into the market marked an advancement and achievement for civilization .
Your beloved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great advancement , just because Lyft and Uber violate unreasonable liberty-violating state labor laws , like AB 5 .
I previously wrote about AB-5 here , the newly passed law in California that requires ride-share companies , like Lyft and Uber , to classify their drivers as typical W-2 employees rather than contractors .
In November 2020 , California voters will have the chance to vote for Proposition 22 , which would exempt drivers from the draconian , liberty-violating , conditions of AB 5 .
Let ’ s pray it passes , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ones who voted for these Democrat politicians in California that have passed all these wicked , liberty-violating , laws .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Send resources to the front lines of peace and freedom HERE !
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Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By Krishna Chandrasekaran
In the recent court case, People of the State of California vs. Uber Technologies, Inc. A Delaware Corpooration et. al, Judge Ethan Schulman of the San Francisco Superior Court Drivers ordered Lyft and Uber to stop classifying drivers as independent contractors, rather than employees of the companies.
First of all, a court has no constitutional or legal authority to order companies to force them to hire contractors – further evidence that California is not the land where liberty or the rule of law are respected or protected to any appreciable degree. Under this new illegitimate and ridiculous court ruling, drivers of Lyft and Uber can no longer operate as independent contractors, as doing so violates California’s draconian labor laws.
While drivers will get more “benefits”, like minimum wage, health insurance, unemployment insurance, overtime pay, etc., like everything, it comes at a steep cost, and is therefore anything but free. While the courts ruled that Lyft and Uber can still let drivers have flexible hours, there are now a bunch of more costly extra benefits that Lyft and Uber must now pay the drivers. This will inevitably push costs up, which will ultimately be passed down to riders and drivers. First of all, some current drivers will be laid off, and fewer new ones will get hired. Furthermore, riders will likely have to pay higher fares for rides, as Lyft and Uber, like every other company, will pass on these legally mandated business costs to end-customers, the riders. If ride fares increase, fewer people will ride, further hurting Lyft and Uber financially at a time when both companies, like far too many today, are struggling mightily to make a profit or generate positive cash flow.
A further adverse implication of this ruling is that under California labor laws, Uber and Lyft will MOST LIKELY be required to buy and provide cars to its drivers, who now must be employees. But if Uber can no longer avoid the gargantuan capital investment of cars, something that enabled it to disrupt the ride service industry to the all-around benefit of the economy, then they won’t be able to compete with typical taxi companies, further pushing Lyft and Uber closer to closing permanently, something that nobody wants. This will further exacerbate the poverty that California politicians have already imposed on residents by irrationally, tyrannically and unconstitutionally shutting down commerce (aside from “essential services”), causing many to lose their jobs and turn to driving Lyft/Uber to try to survive financially. The ability to drive as independent contractors makes Lyft/Uber more viable as a back-up, as it is far easier to start driving and earning money faster that way, as an independent contractor, rather than having to drive and be hired as typical W-2 Employees.
The biggest reason everyone, especially everybody who lives in California, should be extremely concerned is that this ruling could push Uber and Lyft out of California. Already, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is considering suspending Uber until the November election, at which point voters will have a chance to pass Proposition 22, which would exempt drivers from the restrictions of AB 5.
So what is the solution to this? Like with all these economic issues, let liberty prevail, and abolish AB 5. AB 5 is a coercive law that forces, and thereby coerces, Lyft and Uber to only hire employees and forcibly restricts them from contracting with willing drivers. AB 5 therefore violates liberty, and should therefore have never became law. Let drivers negotiate with Lyft and Uber. If they want benefits for lower pay per ride, then they should be free to negotiate such arrangements and vice-versa. Independent contracting of drivers has enabled people, the voters, to enjoy ride-share services at much lower costs than before the creation of Lyft and Uber. That joy is now in grave jeopardy of evaporating!
Uber and Lyft are naturally and rightfully appealing the ruling, but with a very low probability of success. California is not friendly to enterprises or anybody trying to earn more income. Lyft and Uber provided a new ride-share service platform that has massively benefited the economy, and their entrance into the market marked an advancement and achievement for civilization. Your beloved California politicians now want to undo that great advancement, just because Lyft and Uber violate unreasonable liberty-violating state labor laws, like AB 5.
I previously wrote about AB-5 here, the newly passed law in California that requires ride-share companies, like Lyft and Uber, to classify their drivers as typical W-2 employees rather than contractors. In November 2020, California voters will have the chance to vote for Proposition 22, which would exempt drivers from the draconian, liberty-violating, conditions of AB 5. Let’s pray it passes, for the sake of ALL Californians, including the ones who voted for these Democrat politicians in California that have passed all these wicked, liberty-violating, laws.
Source: Liberty Forecast Blog
Image: Pixabay
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Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Send resources to the front lines of peace and freedom HERE! Follow us on SoMee, HIVE, Parler, Flote, Minds, and Twitter.
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activistpost--2020-08-13--3 Overlooked Ways the Drug War Serves the American Empire

History will look unkindly , as it should , on the engineers of millions of Americans ’ spiritual and physical imprisonment .
The United States , Land of the Free and Home of the Brave , houses 25 % of the world ’ s prison population .
The US government imprisons more of its citizenry than does the Communist Party of China — even though the CCP rules over 4 times as many subjects .
One in five US prisoners are serving time for nonviolent drug offenses .
The US prison population began to grow steadily in the 1970s .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ conservative ” governing philosophy — signed the draconian Controlled Substances Act of 1971 .
The federal bureaucracy wrote the legislation itself , carving out an entire new industry to preside over .
In the lead-up to the passage of the act , there was no substantive public debate about the absurdity of a supposedly “ democratic ” ( whatever that means ) government daring to dictate to a “ free ” people what substances they are allowed to introduce to their own systems .
If personal autonomy means anything , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to control what goes into or out of his own lungs or kidneys .
No more basic civil liberty exists .
The US prison population exploded in the 1980s following the racist crackdown on crack cocaine .
Never mind that the CIA itself directed cocaine importation en masse to fund its corporate power-grabs in Latin America .
Ronald Reagan went on television anyway and declared crack cocaine to be “ epidemic.
” He pointed the finger at inner-city slum dealers instead of the operation ’ s overseers in his own administration .
See @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Income One nationally televised teleprompter speech later , the War on Drugs was on .
But what does it achieve ?
What entities promote it and how do they benefit ?
The Drug War serves a critical and multifaceted importance to the American Empire .
First , the standard benefit from the government ’ s purview is more funding , more government jobs to hand out , and more economic power .
Once an emerging federal bureaucracy is fully formed and its funding mechanisms well-oiled , extricating it becomes exponentially more difficult by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public sector industry .
Those jobs become indispensable aspects of the overall fiscal health of the communities .
The bureaucracies burrow into the tissue of society so that removing them without inflicting massive pain on the entire system becomes impossible .
Cancer works the same way .
That means federal goons on the streets and in the office by the truckload : more DEA , more FBI , more DOJ lawyers , more federal judges , more parole officers , and more IRS staff .
These are secure , relatively high-paying jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ i.e .
law enforcement officers and office clerks ) .
Newly-minted federal employees become dues-paying public sector union members .
They go on to lobby the government to maintain their mission in perpetuity so as to secure their long-term financial viability .
Brand-new drug laws refresh the ranks of the federal goon squad , increasing its political sway .
In this way , the institutional power of federal bureaucracy festers .
Power consolidation being the overriding goal , exploring new niche markets like drug law enforcement is an effective strategy to achieve growth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obvious federal incentive for the Drug War .
Second , other nightmarish power consolidation tactics explain the Drug War as well .
They are , for example , the pharmaceutical corporations ’ economic interest in forever postponing the legalization of their competition , the emerging prison-industrial complex , and the slave labor it provides for corporations .
The owner class no longer need pay even a minimum of $ 7 an hour ; non-unionized prison laborers will work for 33 cents an hour in hellish conditions and no 401 ( k ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ serves a more insidious function than those which underpin its economic attraction for the ruling class .
This ulterior motive for the Drug War is difficult to pinpoint and even more difficult to explain .
Anyone who has experimented with his or her consciousness , though , will intuit the War ’ s significance in this less obvious regard .
Graham Hancock and others have dubbed it the War on Consciousness .
The oligarchs understand that drugs – those of the psychedelic persuasion in particular – offer users the remarkable capacity to spotlight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is erected and maintained .
There is no “ there ” there .
The unimpressive pettiness and jealousy with which political actors safeguard their power are laid bare by the awesome power of psychedelic drugs .
On therapeutic dosages of psilocybin , the insignificant nature of state red tape becomes palpable .
We all become , for the duration of our journeys , Franz Kafka , dumbfounded by the officiousness of bureaucratic lunacy .
The thin air out of which government conjures its alleged authority appears more utterly substance-free than ever to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which government ’ s claim to authority are founded and the questionable means by which it executes its rule become conceptually digestible .
In short , psychedelic adventurers discover that the emperor has no clothes .
Were the citizenry to embark on such a spiritual quest , American Empire might find to its dismay that its subjects are not sufficiently frightened of Al Qaeda , or Iran , or whatever Bogeyman of the Day .
Being unimpressed with the alleged threats presented by leadership , the citizenry might then inquire as to why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the next dozen highest-spending nations on Earth combined .
More poignantly , they might wonder what psychosocial purpose endless war serves for the ruling class .
As the late Sage of Baltimore , H.L .
Mencken , put it , “ the whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed ( and hence clamorous to be led to safety ) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins , all of them imaginary.
” Citizens on psychedelics would assuredly filter through the warmongering propaganda more skillfully .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of revolution .
All subversive activity flows , by necessity , from an uncaged psyche .
The liberating revelations conferred by psychedelics are what the oligarchs fear above all .
Ben Bartee a Bangkok-based American journalist with opposable thumbs .
Contact him via his portfolio or on LinkedIn .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Send resources to the front lines of peace and freedom HERE !
Follow us on SoMee , HIVE , Parler , Flote , Minds , and Twitter .
Provide , Protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By Ben Bartee
History will look unkindly, as it should, on the engineers of millions of Americans’ spiritual and physical imprisonment.
The United States, Land of the Free and Home of the Brave, houses 25% of the world’s prison population. The US government imprisons more of its citizenry than does the Communist Party of China — even though the CCP rules over 4 times as many subjects.
One in five US prisoners are serving time for nonviolent drug offenses.
The US prison population began to grow steadily in the 1970s. President Richard Nixon — the one with the “conservative” governing philosophy — signed the draconian Controlled Substances Act of 1971. The federal bureaucracy wrote the legislation itself, carving out an entire new industry to preside over.
In the lead-up to the passage of the act, there was no substantive public debate about the absurdity of a supposedly “democratic” (whatever that means) government daring to dictate to a “free” people what substances they are allowed to introduce to their own systems.
If personal autonomy means anything, it’s the capacity for an individual to control what goes into or out of his own lungs or kidneys. No more basic civil liberty exists.
The US prison population exploded in the 1980s following the racist crackdown on crack cocaine. Never mind that the CIA itself directed cocaine importation en masse to fund its corporate power-grabs in Latin America. Ronald Reagan went on television anyway and declared crack cocaine to be “epidemic.” He pointed the finger at inner-city slum dealers instead of the operation’s overseers in his own administration.
One nationally televised teleprompter speech later, the War on Drugs was on. But what does it achieve? What entities promote it and how do they benefit?
The Drug War serves a critical and multifaceted importance to the American Empire.
First, the standard benefit from the government’s purview is more funding, more government jobs to hand out, and more economic power. Once an emerging federal bureaucracy is fully formed and its funding mechanisms well-oiled, extricating it becomes exponentially more difficult by the year.
Local economies grow around the public sector industry. Those jobs become indispensable aspects of the overall fiscal health of the communities. The bureaucracies burrow into the tissue of society so that removing them without inflicting massive pain on the entire system becomes impossible.
Cancer works the same way.
That means federal goons on the streets and in the office by the truckload: more DEA, more FBI, more DOJ lawyers, more federal judges, more parole officers, and more IRS staff. These are secure, relatively high-paying jobs for workers with few marketable skills (i.e. law enforcement officers and office clerks).
Newly-minted federal employees become dues-paying public sector union members. They go on to lobby the government to maintain their mission in perpetuity so as to secure their long-term financial viability. Brand-new drug laws refresh the ranks of the federal goon squad, increasing its political sway.
In this way, the institutional power of federal bureaucracy festers. Power consolidation being the overriding goal, exploring new niche markets like drug law enforcement is an effective strategy to achieve growth. That is the first and most obvious federal incentive for the Drug War.
Second, other nightmarish power consolidation tactics explain the Drug War as well.
They are, for example, the pharmaceutical corporations’ economic interest in forever postponing the legalization of their competition, the emerging prison-industrial complex, and the slave labor it provides for corporations.
The owner class no longer need pay even a minimum of $7 an hour; non-unionized prison laborers will work for 33 cents an hour in hellish conditions and no 401(k).
Third and finally, the Drug War serves a more insidious function than those which underpin its economic attraction for the ruling class.
This ulterior motive for the Drug War is difficult to pinpoint and even more difficult to explain.
Anyone who has experimented with his or her consciousness, though, will intuit the War’s significance in this less obvious regard.
Graham Hancock and others have dubbed it the War on Consciousness.
The oligarchs understand that drugs – those of the psychedelic persuasion in particular – offer users the remarkable capacity to spotlight the laughable presuppositions on which their power is erected and maintained.
There is no “there” there. The unimpressive pettiness and jealousy with which political actors safeguard their power are laid bare by the awesome power of psychedelic drugs.
On therapeutic dosages of psilocybin, the insignificant nature of state red tape becomes palpable. We all become, for the duration of our journeys, Franz Kafka, dumbfounded by the officiousness of bureaucratic lunacy.
The thin air out of which government conjures its alleged authority appears more utterly substance-free than ever to the first-time user. The shaky foundations on which government’s claim to authority are founded and the questionable means by which it executes its rule become conceptually digestible.
In short, psychedelic adventurers discover that the emperor has no clothes.
Were the citizenry to embark on such a spiritual quest, American Empire might find to its dismay that its subjects are not sufficiently frightened of Al Qaeda, or Iran, or whatever Bogeyman of the Day.
Being unimpressed with the alleged threats presented by leadership, the citizenry might then inquire as to why the government spends more on the military than the next dozen highest-spending nations on Earth combined. More poignantly, they might wonder what psychosocial purpose endless war serves for the ruling class.
As the late Sage of Baltimore, H.L. Mencken, put it, “the whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”
Citizens on psychedelics would assuredly filter through the warmongering propaganda more skillfully.
A free and informed consciousness is the epicenter of revolution. All subversive activity flows, by necessity, from an uncaged psyche.
The liberating revelations conferred by psychedelics are what the oligarchs fear above all.
Ben Bartee a Bangkok-based American journalist with opposable thumbs. Contact him via his portfolio or on LinkedIn.
Source: The Daily Bell
Image: The Free Thought Project
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