Friday 1 June 2018

The donkey and the bear - is it really that long!

When artificial intelligence finally surpasses humanity over any number of given tasks and can repeat those tasks, all without human intervention, then we’ll have arrived at the door-jamb of obsolescence, and I can hand over my drafts, so allowing for the odd corrective tweak.  Now, after firmly hoisting myself at the end of part ii, it’s time to move swiftly through part iii.  


Trubrexaggedon - part iii


Looking across the globe the realms of political square dancing seem to be going through a slight pinprick of turmoil.  If I had to pick a point in time, in which the general air of pensive foreboding hangs like a spectre of damocles (like ids at a hip and fun party, celebrating a victory shredding even the barest of safety nets from the most vulnerable in society) then that date hovers somewhere between the years 1928 & 1933.

Many part-time wielders of power (prostrating themselves in gratitude after reaching the executive level washrooms, come slinging out time in the public realm) appear furiously intent on appeasing their zealous, increasingly public, lever pulling power-tuggers, whilst trying to ensure voters vote the way that’s expected of them, but ideally, not having them vote at all.  However, even if the electorate did vote there are always ways to get around that particular bit of planking in the eye - democracy, or no democracy.  Pfft.  As we’ve seen throughout history, all that’s needed is a popular media uprising and soon enough people will trot out that hackneyed phrase “there’s no smoke without fire,” with a third of the readers vehemently, or partially at any rate, believing the regurgitation, and laws changing accordingly. 


Not quite the same as unleashing an army of killer nanobots in need of some real world testing, but it certainly does come a close second.  And why stop at nanobots when robots are becoming increasingly more flexible and heartwarmingly helpful - here, here, and oh yes, here.  After all, where there's a will and funds, and the funds for slaughter are always certainly there, then the ways are becoming practically limitless.

Mix into that heady sloop of rabid squirrels: sudden jolts of climate change, a seasoning twist (or two) of global hunger, an asteroid strike, a sprinkle of world-wide terror, and a stroke of light apocalyptic proportions - adding a dash of quintessential piquant essence.  Naturally, we haven’t quite finished.  Something interesting yet old, such as a new antibiotic-resistant plague, which is also 100% multi-vector communicable, and has at least a 98.5% fatality rate.  That would of course see off most of the populace making the rest, for those that survive, far more amenable and suitably cowering under a bounty of weapons pointed in their direction by autonomous entities a far better prospect to look forward to, for those inside a nice and intact dry base of operations.

Where was I?  Ah yes, the donkey and the bear.

The ongoing, self-inflicted car crashes on either side of the pond (the usa and uk for those in any doubt), show no signs of immediately petering out, or really being nipped in the bud.  It reminds me of, just for a split second after you leave a club, that you truly believe that you can fly, before gravity rudely distributes your body all over the floor.  But let’s not dwell on past memories, moving on.

Considering the scale, there doesn’t seem to be that much news regarding the panama, paradise, or even peculiar papers anymore which considering the large scale filching, is to be expected.  If we take a brief step back, we can really feel deep down that there’s probably going to be a third instalment.  Waiting, pensively.  Over there.  Just beyond that flaming horizon.

With nobody really brought to book (apart from the icelandic premier and i’m not even sure he counts) and the ongoing deaths of investigative journalists it looks as though justice is being shoved firmly back into its box, whilst being sat on by law.  No doubt justice’s full force will be wheeled to bear when an impoverished and poverty struck person decides they need to nick a loaf of bread, or face starvation.  That will teach them. Have their face firmly rubbed in it and displayed across the press, as a freak for public excoriation.

Considering the zeal with which some of the press salivate over any chance to castigate members of the workshy caught pilfering a bottle of water from the local branch of poundlight, due to a lack of rainfall and the local council having to choose between: ensuring the public fountains & water taps are kept running, or keeping the public libraries open for a few hours.  In their great wisdom, the council decided that on leaving the public libraries open!  Not only would that provide an avenue for people to read about how wonderful it was to drink water, but they could also find out how glorious it would be to actually eat food consisting of nutrients and micro nutrients, building to that delirious result of mouthwatering taste, instead of their usual bowl of grey dust.  Surely that would be far better than actually having someone lean over a tap, trying to get some temporary relief?  And if they’re dead from starvation, well it’s a job for the obituary column.

Gargh, the donkey and the bear!

If we look back at all those countries which have either expressed a wish to, or attempted to remove themselves from the petrodollar and take on a different currency, such as the euro, or in the case of libya whilst under the firm control of gaddafi, form a new continent-wide currency to replace the dollar as favoured currency to trade in oil, then without exception, the drums of war started to peal, and the labelling of those countries as dangerous to the utter existence of all around them reached a roaring crescendo - well, that is in the usa media and political circles.  But those countries didn’t really have the clout of somewhere like, china.  Yes, China - and this is something which completely passed me by, and I didn’t see on any of my newsfeeds - on the 26 march 2018 started trade in yuan-dominated oil futures contracts.  Some hail this as the beginning of the end of the petrodollar, whilst others believe such talk is overblown and the petrodollar dominance will be fine for years to come, which it could well be.  But over time all things change, and the fate of the us dollar will be the same as all others before it, bulldozed by the onward march of history.  For many in the usa and other countries around the world, let’s hope it’s a nice and orderly transition of influence and not a worst case scenario.  An event, i have no doubt, that will be ably presided over by the 45th potus, and  the coterie of mountebanks.

Oh dammit, i nearly forgot. The donkey and the bear!


A while stuffed polar bear is astride a laughing donkey - think of donkey from shrek

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