Back Page News

Posted on March 7, 2020 by skipper

֎ Misinformation is the weapon of the future, Senator Mark Warner believes:

“I sometimes worry that maybe we’re fighting the last century’s wars when conflict in the 21st century is going to be a lot more around cyber misinformation and disinformation, where your dollar can go a long way.”

֎ A privacy law looking out for teenagers

Managing screen time, access to devices, kids’ online personas — it’s complicated, and not getting any easier. (Did you see Britney Spears’ son promising dirt on his mom’s career in exchange for more Instagram followers? A thoroughly 2020 story.)

There’s been legislation designed to protect children online, but by 13 kids are mostly treated like adults. But Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal want to bring new protections to anyone under 16:

The Senators’ Kids Internet Design and Safety Act argues that the internet “is largely designed in non-transparent ways to ensure children interact with content that reflect the interests and goals of content creators, platforms, and marketers.”

The bill, first introduced nearly a year ago, wants kid-focused services to do away with auto-playing video, influencer marketing, or any dark pattern design that keeps them engaged.

If the KIDS Act passed, it would force every platform with children on it — YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, and so many others — to fundamentally change how they deal with young users. [By David Pierce, Protocol]

֎ The cost of higher education is ballooning. From 1978 to 2017, the Consumer Price Index grew fourfold, but the price of college increased 14-fold, according to research by Ana Hernández Kent, a policy analyst at the St. Louis Fed.

֎ Regular readers may remember mariner suggesting that job loss in the AI era may force individuals into self-managed work. According to the US Census Bureau, Americans are more entrepreneurial than ever before. There were 3.4 million applications to start businesses last year, a record number.

If the reader doesn’t subscribe to the New Yorker Magazine, mariner provides the cover of the latest issue:

Ancient Mariner

Sustainability

Posted on March 6, 2020 by skipper

Increasingly, mariner sees the word ‘sustainability’ popping up in news releases and articles. This is a good sign. It is raising the political thought that classism, elitism, nationalism and identity politics don’t really solve the problems of today’s world.

Were it not for the presence of a global pandemic, failing international economies and global warming, the idea of sustainability may not have emerged so quickly. Thinking in the abstract, as Guru is wont to do, the world may not be able to support oligarchy much longer. The liquidity and business investment value is needed to assuage true hardship experienced by everyone else in the world.

Beyond economics, global warming and pandemics don’t recognize borders or class distinctions. The politics that must deal with these subjects requires sustainability – by everyone. Sustainability is a unification word; it means the solution is more important than individual nations, individual cultures, corporations or individual political movements.

For several decades nations have been trying to deal with global warming by any means that will work other than sustainability (none do). The prime example is the fossil fuel industry dodging sustainability at every turn because its investment value will diminish greatly as the world population insists on moving to more sustainable energy resources.

As to pandemics, if properly funded and given direction, science will slowly make progress in dealing with pandemics from the perspective of sustainable practices, economics and politics. For example, it is not a sustainable behavior when items like face masks suffer price gouging under the not-so-sustainable concept of supply and demand.

One can hope sooner than later that war and its destructive conclusions will be seen as a solution that does not support sustainability.

Sustainability is an updated word that no longer means just surviving on a homestead; it also means surviving on a planet. Perhaps finally the United Nations may come into its own as THE organization responsible for sustainability. Goodness knows it has been trying.

Ancient Mariner

These days it’s a new idea: unity

Posted on March 4, 2020 by skipper

The shift to a focused democratic campaign over the last day or two has intensified the effort by voters who believe policy and fervor are the primary objectives to win the election in November. Now that there are two principle candidates, one policy oriented and the other not, one calm and the other cantankerous, it is easier for voters to merge personality, politics and purpose.

Since the campaign began, many have pondered whether the democratic party could unify itself in time for the campaign against Donald. Fortunately, the Citizen Board of Directors spoke on Super Tuesday and dismissed a billionaire and the worthy but diverse tagalongs who have good intentions but are distracted by policy as the primary reason to be nominated.

Bernie’s organization wasted no time in ramping up their activity: Mariner and his wife already have received email from private citizens and Bernie that Joe is no match for Donald and more importantly Joe does not have a platform for the future.

It is hard in this day of identity politics and populism but the democrats must try unity as a platform. Thus far in the campaign issues have been divided among progressives, moderates, millennials, Zs and old people. Always there has been only one issue: beat Donald.

Mariner mentioned in previous posts that the value of Joe is that he is like printer paper that hasn’t been printed on yet. Who dislikes clean paper? Joe is a unifier specifically because he is not a policy wonk. Everyone can vote for Joe with the confidence that he will not turn against any of the democratic visions.

What it will take to assure Donald is beaten is a massive, 100 percent turnout of democrats; none of the 20-odd democratic candidates can win without a giant turnout. Some democrats want to vote only for Bernie, or only for Elizabeth, or only for Pete, or only for Tom. This does not assure democratic victory in November. Everyone, even some republicans can and must vote for Joe – after all, he is blank paper.

Being blank paper but having all the executive powers Donald is abusing will allow the democratic vision to be installed in a comprehensive way. It is common knowledge that the Board of Directors is dissatisfied with the conflict and bickering between parties and the growing disparity between rich and poor. Plain Joe will fill positions in the cabinet with ideologues, advocates of the democratic experience, and over his tenure will promote democratic representation in state governments – without calling everyone by a diminutive nickname.

Finally, Joe will be in a position to push archaic, immoral Senate republicans out of office. Only after the Senate is overturned will the democratic ideologues be able to create a better nation.

Yes, mariner knows Joe is not exactly ambitious but anyone can vote for him without fear of reprisal – everyone will get a chance to type their own opinions on Joe’s blank page. Anyone can beat Donald with enough votes in spite of his incessant, belligerent narcissism.

Ancient Mariner

A has-been nation is on the horizon

Posted on March 3, 2020 by skipper

First, a tidbit mariner learned about ‘deep state’ from an article in the Atlantic: A former Republican congressional aide named Mike Lofgren had introduced the phrase into the political bloodstream with an essay in 2014 and a book two years later. Lofgren meant the nexus of corporations, banks and defense contractors that had gained so much financial and political control—sources of Washington’s corruption. But conservatives at Breitbart News and Fox News redefined the term to mean internal resistance against conservative (Trumpian) leadership.

– – – –

A quote from Donald on November 23, 2017: “I’m The Only One That Matters.” Donald said Of State Department Job Vacancies.

Sixty percent of top-ranking diplomats in the State Department have left; applications to join the corps has fallen by half, according to the American Foreign Service Association.

Fifty top administrators in the Department of Justice have resigned.

More than 700 employees, and more than 200 of them scientists, have left the EPA since Trump took office and appointed Scott Pruitt, who denies human activity contributes to climate change and had repeatedly sued the agency, to run it.

Most of the electorate knows Donald would like to be a dictator along the lines of Putin where the government is genuinely authoritarian regardless of its government operations and embezzlement is the prize. Donald is a distasteful subject from any direction.

But the electorate must be made aware of how seriously vulnerable the United States has become in an age of internationalism that changes by the day. The sophistication of US government operations actually is a significant weapon in a world of battling nations. The US government is (was) the glue that held together most of the western world’s liaisons, international agreements and containment of aggressive nations like Russia and North Korea.

Donald has no interest in any subject that doesn’t generate personal income or aggrandizement. He doesn’t care about global warming because he is deeply invested in international oil to a greater extent than his war against the EPA – for which the entire nation will suffer dearly over the next thirty years. Another four years may well break the nation as a player among other nations. The US will be a has-been nation.

Ancient Mariner

A New Economic Model?

Posted on March 2, 2020 by skipper

Thrice mariner has come across the mention of something called ‘Modern Monetary Theory’ (MMT). He began to research MMT and found it to be in the philosophical realm of economics. The word ‘theory’ means it hasn’t really been tried in large economies. To be simplistic, it states the government owns all money. It uses the money to manage the economy. For example, if everyone doesn’t have a job, the government allocates funds to repair that situation; if inflation begins to rise, the government raises taxes to reduce money in the economy; if there is a market need, the government underwrites the establishment of a solution to satisfy that market.

As a real world example, as mariner writes this post the federal government is preparing to fund rapid development of 5G technology to remain competitive in a new world of scary data sharing. In communist China, this is occurring as well except that it is easier to launch because all industries are beholden to the government in the first place. In the US, a democracy, it is tougher for the federal government to manage private industry, to wit, the giant data tech corporations, especially Facebook which considers its corporation a separate nation.

Again simply, economic power and decision making are transferred from corporations to the government because all money belongs to the government. If a corporation is deviant from government policy, the government can invoke taxes and legal action. MMT is the opposite of corporatism.

MMT has crept into news resources because journalists have been trying to unravel Bernie’s logic behind his vision of the economic future. Turns out he knows Stephanie Kelton, an economics professor at Stony Brook University, who is a famous proponent of Modern Monetary Theory in the US.

Mike Bloomberg’s cable education program about MMT suggests that since Nixon took the US dollar off the gold standard, there is no good way to standardize a dollar’s value to the economy. MMT, in theory, says that if a government owns all money, then decisions can be made based on a universal market value determined by the government.

Being aware as everyone should be that the global economy is showing threadbare spots and wavering under any kind of issue, everyone should be asking “What will be the economic reality for my children?” Hah! Is everyone ready to go back to college? It should be free given the paucity of comprehension and leadership among our elected officials. One certainly needs more education to know how to run this democracy – television news isn’t the answer!

Ancient Mariner

Classic American Soup: Election with Recession and a side of Pandemic

Posted on February 29, 2020 by skipper

Yesterday during South Carolina primary coverage, Tom Steyer closed his campaign for president. Two billionaires to go. (Mariner recognizes Donald as a billionaire for the amount of debt Russia is covering through Deutsch Bank. Okay, he’s a negative billionaire)

The United States elections, federal, state and local, are very much like the wild west: no rules, no law and order and money will win. The delegate method doesn’t eliminate candidates, lack of money does. Until this very day and forthwith, those without enough matching wealth will run out of financial support to sustain a competitive campaign across fifty states. The fact that three billionaires plus endless PAC support for them have so much money, they in effect are able to buy each and every vote to the tune of thousands of dollars each.

In the old days on many occasions, votes actually were bought for cash; now the television stations get the cash; the electorate, bless their soul, does what the television tells them to do.

Tom was the one billionaire who could feel empathy. He actually wants to make things better for the struggling masses yearning to survive. He is as classy as any of the candidates – but he is a billionaire. If the US is to sustain its great experiment as a nation, the citizens must play the role of the Board of Directors of the country – not allow the elite class to control things. That kind of government is called a plutocracy not a democracy.

So on to Super Tuesday. This round, like Steyer in South Carolina, has been targeted by Billionaire Bloomberg. It will be obvious on March third that commoners like Buttigieg and Klobuchar will have inadequate offenses to compete with Bloomberg. On the other hand, enough voters are involved that perhaps the role of Citizen Board of Directors may influence the contests. Let’s hope so – it’s time to settle the Bernie/Joe issue.

It is the democratic religion that whomever is nominated, be it human or a dead fish, every living democrat will appear at the voting booth to cast a vote against Donald. Mariner still contends that by the end of voting in Virgin Islands, Joe will draw more votes than Bernie. And to remind readers, Wisconsin plays a unique role in this election: the next President cannot win except that they carry Wisconsin.

As the title of the post suggests, this will be a one-of-a-kind election. Russia is helping; no one may be allowed to vote because of the pandemic and maybe can’t afford to anyway because of the recession.

Nevertheless, remember to vote on Tuesday, November third. Wear a mask.

Ancient Mariner

Of the Moment

Posted on February 28, 2020 by skipper

It is amazing how fast the economy slows down. The stock market drop is in the news, of course, but it is the retail industries that will take damaging if not fatal blows if the coronavirus spreads into communities. Restaurants, malls, movie houses, bars, big box stores, etc. all will suffer a drop in income as customers begin to curtail public exposure.

Miami public schools are investing in 200,000 tablets so that schools can switch to online classes. Mike Allan, a journalist at Axios, reminds us that children who depend on school meal programs will be vulnerable if schools close.

The virus is the headline story but it has added more burden to the world economic situation. For example, Japan and the European Union each had only one percent growth in 2019. The G20 now has a compounded issue because the virus will interfere with international manufacturing. Television news noted that Apple, maker of the iPhone, already is behind in production because China has shut down factories.

And, on a long term economic issue, as salaries remain flat housing and rental prices continue to climb and many utilities are increasing the price of service by 20-25 percent. There are very few programs that support those who can no longer afford to pay water, electric and fuel bills. Only a handful of local jurisdictions have legislation that prevents utilities from stopping services on delinquent customers.

Mariner takes note that lack of confidence in Donald’s decision-making process was a concern should he start a war. It turns out he is just as incompetent managing a pandemic. Mariner has suggested in past posts that those running for public office must pass a psychological profile exam. Dictators and narcissists need not apply.

For the few among us who have play money, the cash pouring into our ‘democratic’ political system grows astronomically as three billionaires compete for the presidency. Citizens may have noticed that the candidates with more or less normal wealth are being squeezed out of the race. Mariner sees no candidate capable of tackling the immense issues of today’s world. The choice is which one will do the least damage. Unfortunately, no matter who wins it won’t make any difference if last-century republicans still hold the Senate.

At least issues of the moment have given everyone a break from thinking about global warming, artificial intelligence and government corruption.

Cheer up, in mariner’s town this Sunday it will be 65 degrees and sunny. Spring is nigh, folks.

Ancient Mariner

Trends

Posted on February 23, 2020 by skipper

Gathering meaningful, real, honest information via Trump television is virtually impossible. A few news outlets, most are on the Internet, go to great lengths to report untainted news and news that is actually important; the only two television news outlets mariner can recommend are NEWSY and BBC, found on cable and Roku among several other sources.

Nevertheless, the world marches on and important trends are at stake in the coming months. Here are just a few:

֎ Roe v. Wade may be nearing the end of its influence. Justice Kennedy has retired and Justice Kavanaugh has replaced him. A significant abortion challenge will be heard by the court in a few weeks (June Medical Services v. Russo). Further, 39 senators and 168 representatives from 38 states are represented by counsel at Americans United for Life, a “life-affirming” law and policy nonprofit. They think the high court should overrule the landmark 1973 case Roe v. Wade.

֎ Global recession is imminent in 2020. The potential for a recession is the main topic at a forthcoming G20 meeting. The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) which is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organizations has cut its global growth forecast from 2.5 to 2.3. Further, MIT says a major downturn could be only six months away. That means it could hit before the U.S. presidential election.

֎ As important as defeating Donald may be, the nation can’t begin repairing itself until the republican Senate is overturned. In the coming election, 22 republican senators must run for reelection. At the moment, the following States have republican US Senate seats open:

Tom Cotton of Arkansas

Cory Gardner of Colorado

David Perdue of Georgia

James Risch of Idaho

Joni Ernst of Iowa

Pat Roberts of Kansas

Mitch McConnell of Kentucky

Bill Cassidy of Louisiana

Susan Collins of Maine

Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi

Steve Daines of Montana

Ben Sasse of Nebraska

Thom Tillis of North Carolina

James Inhofe of Oklahoma

Lindsey Graham of South Carolina

Mike Rounds of South Dakota

Lamar Alexander of Tennessee

John Cornyn of Texas

Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia

Michael Enzi of Wyoming

If the reader lives in a state on this list, that is important news to follow – almost as important as the Presidential election! Check local news outlets, communicate with party representatives.

֎ Another nation in South America joins violent rebellion along with Venezuela, Columbia and Brazil: Chile. Mariner has mentioned concern about losing South America as a grand, joint economic future for North and South America. In fact, economically the two continents could outperform China’s Belt and Road plan. However, Russia has a quasi-permanent toehold in Venezuela and China is an active Free Trade partner with Chile. While South America may not be a domestic headline, its future is linked to the future of the United States. Foreign policy with the Caribbean (even Puerto Rico) and South America has been dismal and self-serving. At the least, the US should be nice to avoid Russian nuclear weapons on the continent. Does the reader remember the Cuban missile crisis during the Kennedy administration? Well, they’re back . . . in Venezuela.

Ancient Mariner

Nationalism under 5G

Posted on February 20, 2020 by skipper

5G?

Fifth-generation wireless (5G) is the latest iteration of cellular technology, engineered to greatly increase the speed and responsiveness of wireless networks. With 5G, data transmitted over wireless broadband connections can travel at multigigabit speeds, with potential peak speeds as high as 20 gigabits per second (Gbps) by some estimates. These speeds exceed wireline network speeds and offer latency of 1 millisecond (ms) or lower for uses that require real-time feedback. 5G will also enable a sharp increase in the amount of data transmitted over wireless systems due to more available bandwidth and advanced antenna technology.

– – – –

A big conference will be held in Germany soon. Its primary speakers are the foreign ministers of China, Japan, India and South Korea. There is concern in Europe that the nations of Europe will never have 5G independence. Germany’s cybersecurity chief struck a pessimistic tone at a pre-Munich cyber conference: “If you talk about digital sovereignty, we don’t have it. And we’ll never have it.” There will be presentations by Pelosi, Pompeo and Zuckerberg as well. [Politico]

The idea of sovereignty may undergo significant political transformation if, as feared, whole nations are just uplinks to a few communication systems owned and operated by a few nations like China and the US. National privacy, very much like personal privacy, may not be available. In the old days the spy business used to be a face-to-face transaction but with China manufacturing its technical equipment and the US eavesdropping, no nation will have secrets.

The US already is pushing back on China for a number of manufactured items used in smartphones and cloud-based games. The US asked the European Union not to install Huawei hardware but, said the EU, what else is there? The US is behind China in 5G development.

Nations, just as with a person’s decision making, will be influenced by 5G operators who already know what the target nation is thinking, what its economic conditions are and where its vulnerabilities lie. What will this do to traditional diplomatic relationships? Will a robot wearing suit and tie replace Pompeo?

A current model may provide insight. At the turn of the millennium there were 12 significant stock exchanges around the world. The differences in time zone meant that transactional business for a given stock exchange was local and finished before other stock exchanges opened. Today, that is not the case. An investor can issue trades to any exchange in the world at any time of day. An investor doesn’t have to miss daily opportunities that would be gone had the investor had to wait until the exchange opened for business the next day.

Continuous access has the effect of leveling the monetary value of daily interactions between exchanges. It also reduces the range of highs and lows relative to other exchanges.

Applying these causes and effects to nations using 5G, the positive side may be the prevention of surprises that lead to political or military conflict. The downside may be a new form of authoritarianism – similar to the direction AI is taking with US citizens.

Ancient Mariner