In the 1930’s, cars suffered a problem called engine knock. A scientist discovered that if one simply added lead to the gas, the engine knock went away. Problem solved! But then, workers at the factory where the additive was formulated started showing signs and symptoms of severe lead poisoning. Also, the environment started showing lead everywhere. Lead is VERY dangerous to human beings.

So, the corporation did the only thing they could possibly do: they immediately initiated a disinformation campaign to convince consumers that first, there was no problem and then later, the problem was something – ANYTHING – other than their product. Lead remained in gasoline for another 40 years.

The same guy who thought “lead,” then turned his attention to spray bottles. He came up with a new product called chlorofluorocarbons (cfcs) that could be used as a propellant in spray bottles. Now people could just press one button and the stuff would spray until the can was empty if they wanted. But, dammit, scientists soon discovered that cfcs were destroying the Ozone layer, the layer of our atmosphere that protects life on Earth from ultraviolet radiation. Bad news for humanity.

So, the corporation did the only thing a corporation could possibly do under the circumstances: they immediately initiated a disinformation campaign to convince consumers that first, there was no problem and then later, the problem was something – ANYTHING – other than their product. Cfcs remained a problem for fifty years before being phased out.

Cigarette manufacturers knew before most people that cigarettes were credibly linked to lung cancer. Their customers kept dying of it. So, the corporation did the only thing a corporation could possibly do: they immediately initiated a disinformation campaign to convince consumers that first, there was no problem and then later, the problem was something – ANYTHING – other than their product. You can still buy cigarettes today. Fear not, there’s a “warning” on the package.

Wall Street knew a couple of years before they crashed the world economy through their reckless investments that they were about to crash the world economy through reckless investments. The crash came in 2008 but started a couple of years before that. People got angry. The companies that did the damage got socialism. They called it a “bailout.”

But before the bailout, the corporation did the only thing they could possibly do: they immediately initiated a disinformation campaign to convince consumers that first, there was no problem and then later, the problem was something – ANYTHING – other than their product.

The oil companies knew back in the 1950’s that their products were causing climate change. But the same products were also causing huge revenue streams that made a few people just ridiculously, obscenely rich. The problem was immediately apparent: end of humanity or end of fabulous profits? Any Capitalist businessperson knows the right answer: screw humanity.

So, the corporation did the only thing they could possibly do: they immediately initiated a disinformation campaign to convince consumers that first, there was no problem and then later, the problem was something – ANYTHING – other than their product.

I can keep going. These are just examples I was able to pull out of my head. I haven’t even gone digging for more but we ALL know, there are more. So when the Feckless Fuckup and industry leaders tell you AI is no threat, think lead in gas. Think cfcs. Think cancer and cigarettes. Think derivatives. Think climate change.

The industry is doing the only thing they can do if they want those beautiful profits. They’ve initiated a disinformation campaign. We’re currently at the “no problem” stage – even as problems present themselves, one after another. I think history shows us that corporations cannot be trusted to police themselves.

They NEED outside control, because all they ever think of, all they CAN think of, is profit, profit, profit. If the profits mean killing a few people – or even all the people – tough. I’m actually curious about how these self-serving blowhards think they’re going to profit once everyone is wiped out, but they clearly think they have some solution…

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So, what is it? Desperation? Dementia? Insanity? Ego? No, I mean EGO? (He fakes a BIG ego.) Straight up stupidity? Some combination of all of the above? It’s so hard to say. He announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an “energy cease-fire.” So, as they do, reporters sought more insight. They checked with Russian and Ukrainian representatives only to discover the announcement was news to both sides and that neither side was aware of any agreement. Yet another ‘he lied, they said.’

Obviously, reporters asked the lying liar about his announcement, pointing out that neither side had agreed. His response? “Well, they agreed,” he said. “Because I said, ‘You agree.’ That’s why they agreed, because I said they agree.” Holy gods, I didn’t realize it was that easy. Let’s try it. Here’s my big announcement: ‘Donald Trump has agreed to resign effective immediately and turn himself in to authorities.’

Oh, he agrees. He agrees because I said he agrees. There IS a risk things don’t actually work that way. For instance, Russia and Ukraine are already right back to bombing each other’s energy infrastructure. So who did he think he was going to fool with his announcement? Does he REALLY believe he has the power to simply make a pronouncement and that will be that? Something is seriously wrong with this guy’s mind. But then, most of us know that already…

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Well, Anthony Scaramucci is breathing a sigh of relief. He’s no longer the shortest tenured person in the trump-o-sphere history. He lasted eleven whole days. Short-term press spokesliar Katie Zacharia only lasted five. She wasn’t any good at the job. Or, at least, she didn’t seem any good. We didn’t get much chance to see her work. She lied to pretty much everyone which, under normal circumstances, is simply a baseline credential to work with these people, so I don’t think the lies were a problem.

The problem was the subject of the lies. She usually described herself as a lawyer, but on a couple of occasions, she claimed to be an attorney. She isn’t an attorney. She has never passed the bar exam. In many states, that’s a crime, falsely claiming to be an officer of the court. I suspect that’s why she got the boot. She’s about to be swimming in legal problems and the last thing Team Evil needs is more effing legal problems. Katie? We hardly knew ye. Thank the gods…