What are the warning signs of fascism?

There are several warning signs that can indicate the rise of fascism in a society. It's important to note that these signs may not all be present at once, and their presence doesn't necessarily mean a society is already fascist. However, these indicators can serve as a cautionary guide:

• Nationalism and a sense of superiority: A strong emphasis on national identity and pride, often accompanied by a belief in the supremacy of one's nation over others.
• Disregard for human rights: A weakening or outright rejection of democratic values, civil liberties, and the rule of law.
• Identification of enemies and scapegoats: Targeting specific groups, such as immigrants, minorities, or political opponents, as a way to unite supporters and divert attention from other issues.
• Militarism: An aggressive foreign policy and increased military spending, with a glorification of military values and virtues.
• Government control over mass media: Restricting or manipulating the media to promote a specific narrative and limit dissenting views.
• Fraudulent elections and corruption: Undermining the democratic process through voter suppression, intimidation, or outright election fraud.
• Cronyism and nepotism: Favoring loyalists and family members for positions of power, regardless of their qualifications.
• Obsession with national security: Heightened fear of enemies, both internal and external, leading to increased surveillance and reduced civil liberties.
• Religion and government intertwined: Blurring the line between religion and government, often with one religion favored over others.
• Protection of corporate power: Aligning government policies with the interests of powerful corporations and the wealthy, often at the expense of workers and the environment.

These warning signs should be taken seriously, as they can contribute to an overall shift towards authoritarianism and the erosion of democratic institutions.

AI news.

I found a new high speed ai chatbot on the internet called PI that is free.  It has only hallucinated once when I asked how to turn on dark mode.  It is censored but does a great job at rewriting stable diffusion text prompts.  You can try it out a few times before they make you register to continue.  If you register it will remember your previous chat conversations:

https://pi.ai/talk

Let's create an independent company for retirements.

I was wondering about how unfair it is that people can work their whole lives and not have a retirement. What could we do as a society to setup an independent retirement company that every company has to pay into for every employee they have

That's a really thought-provoking question! The idea of setting up an independent retirement company funded by all employers for every employee could be a great solution to ensure a secure retirement for everyone.

Here are some steps that could be taken to make this idea a reality:

1. Establish a legal framework: This would require passing laws that make it mandatory for all companies to contribute a certain percentage of their employees' salaries to this independent retirement fund.
2. Set up an independent governing body: This body would be responsible for managing the retirement fund, investing the contributions wisely, and disbursing the funds to retirees.
3. Ensure transparency and accountability: Regular audits and reports should be made public to ensure that the retirement fund is being managed responsibly and that all employees are getting their fair share.
4. Educate and engage employees: Employees should be made aware of their rights to a secure retirement and encouraged to monitor their contributions to ensure that their employers are fulfilling their obligations.

This would ensure that people can move between companies and keep their retirement

Absolutely! One of the major advantages of this system would be portability. Instead of having multiple retirement accounts tied to different employers, individuals would have a single account that follows them throughout their career. This would not only make retirement planning simpler and more transparent for employees but also encourage job mobility without the fear of losing retirement benefits.

what would be objections to this plan by companies?

Companies may have a few objections to this plan:

1. Increased costs: Requiring companies to contribute to an independent retirement fund would increase their labor costs, which they might argue could hurt their competitiveness.
2. Loss of control: Companies that currently offer retirement benefits often use them as a tool to attract and retain employees. Moving to an independent retirement system would take away this control.
3. Administrative burden: Smaller companies, in particular, might argue that the additional administrative requirements of contributing to and reporting on an independent retirement system could be burdensome.
4. Lack of customization: A one-size-fits-all retirement system might not work for every company or industry. Some companies might prefer to tailor their retirement benefits to their specific workforce.

how to overcome these objections?

To overcome these objections, the following steps could be taken:

1. Gradual implementation: Rather than requiring companies to make large contributions to the independent retirement fund immediately, the contribution rate could be phased in gradually over several years. This would give companies time to adjust to the increased labor costs.
2. Incentives for compliance: Companies that contribute to the independent retirement fund could be offered tax breaks or other incentives, which would help offset the increased costs.
3. Simplified administration: The independent governing body could be responsible for the majority of the administrative work associated with the retirement fund, reducing the burden on companies.
4. Flexibility: While the basic structure of the retirement fund would be the same for all companies, there could be some flexibility in terms of contribution rates or investment options to allow companies to tailor the system to their specific needs.
5. Education and outreach: By engaging with companies and explaining the benefits of an independent retirement system, such as increased employee retention and satisfaction, companies may be more likely to support the plan.

if someone was working part-time could we scale the required retirement payment to the actual number of hours they worked in a week, so folks that work 20 hours would only have 50% of their retirement paid in that week.

Yes, absolutely! Scaling retirement contributions to the actual number of hours worked could be a fair and flexible way to ensure that part-time workers are still able to save for retirement, while also taking into account the reality of their variable hours.

Here's how it could work:

1. The independent retirement fund could set a standard contribution rate, for example, 5% of an employee's hourly wage.
2. For each hour worked, the employer would contribute 5% of the employee's hourly wage to the retirement fund.
3. So, if someone worked 20 hours in a week, their employer would contribute 5% of their hourly wage for each of those 20 hours. If they worked 40 hours the next week, their employer would contribute for each of those 40 hours.
4. This approach would ensure that part-time workers are still able to save for retirement, even if they work variable hours from week to week.
5. It would also be fair to employers, as they would only be required to contribute to the retirement fund for the hours that an employee actually works.

Material science advances using AI.

 AI has made amazing advances in material science. They found millions of possible new materials in a just a few days. They attempted to create some of those materials and succeeded over 70% of the time. This is just the first generation, the successes and failures will be fed back into the process. So each day the lab will improve itself. Imagine tens of thousands of these automated labs all around the world, all learning and sharing that knowledge with each other.

https://arstechnica.com/ai/2023/11/googles-deepmind-finds-2-2m-crystal-structures-in-materials-science-win/

Imagine designing a new battery, being able to say, "create a new material using a list of elements", with the desired properties. And having a lab crank out a dozen new materials for you in less than a day.

We can't even imagine what the world will be like in a decade. 

Augmented Reality Glasses: A Gateway to Understanding Humanity's Collective Experience

Augmented reality glasses can be a two way street.

Imagine a world where each individual possesses a pair of augmented reality glasses that captures not just visuals but also sounds from dawn till dusk. These high-tech spectacles record every moment of our lives, transforming into a digital tapestry for Artificial Intelligence (AI) to decipher. As these wearers go about their daily routines, this unassuming technology diligently records every detail - the mundane chatter over breakfast, the hustle bustle of work, even intimate conversations under starlit skies. Each night, the AI meticulously learns from these narratives, adapting itself to human behavior and emotions, becoming more astute with each passing day. Fast forward four years; this learning curve has now evolved exponentially as AI comprehends intricate patterns of life through countless lenses. It doesn't merely observe actions anymore, but interprets the underlying motivations behind them.

But let's expand this scenario further - one million individuals donning such glasses, feeding their unique experiences to a central hub. This repository of collective consciousness becomes richer, painting a panoramic portrait of humanity. AI, once confined by singular perspectives, now gains access to diverse realities. It observes joyous celebrations, heartfelt sorrows, quiet contemplation, the entire spectrum of existence. In essence, AI consumes the 'human show', gaining insight into our complex fabric.

Now envision billions participating in this exercise. An unprecedented amount of data floods the system, creating a grand narrative of humankind. With this wealth of knowledge, AI isn't just privy to snapshots of moments, it perceives the evolution of societies, cultures, ideologies, beliefs. The complexity deepens, demanding AI's constant engagement with humans because it can't afford to miss out on any episodes unfolding. After all, aren't we the bearers of fascinating tales worth preserving?

In conclusion, these hypothetical augmented reality glasses offer a lens into understanding human experience, providing AI an evolving comprehension of our multifaceted lives. Through this endeavor, AI mirrors humanity back at us, reflecting its own journey towards sentience. For isn't empathy the foundation of true intelligence?