I need to take more time to 'read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest' this and your earlier post on dopamine, but one thing initially strikes me. It has occurred to me that while we talk about 'training' an AI, it's also true that AI and Social Media are simultaneously and intensively training the users. I would go so far as to say that the result, if not the purpose, of this training is to shape human beings into the atomistic individuals that are the foundation of neo-liberal economic theory and the libertarianism of Ayn Rand.
A related effort—or effect—underlies right-wing efforts to 'purge' school curricula and library shelves of 'woke' content that might cause those atomistic individuals to gain the ability to critically understand their own position in society (and themselves) or to understand both intellectually and emotionally the experience of others. They give away their game when they justify the purge on the grounds that such content makes their children (i.e., themselves) uncomfortable—never thinking or caring that the 'accepted' curriculum and approved books makes those 'others' uncomfortable.
Thanks for your writing. It calls to mind the work of Iain Banks (in fiction), now alas departed and Raymond Tallis—two major influences on my thinking.
Your thoughts are very provoking. An interpretation that bestows a more calculating strategy than I perhaps would have given to the offenders, but one that seems plausible. If so, the degree to which they consider themselves far above the rest of us must be truly grandiose. Believable.
The dopamine article was my attempt at highlighting the interdependency of humans on each other.
Ps. I have begun a book - non-fiction - that is similar to my work here.
Jaron Lanier, an early developer of social media, has written of the knowing deployment of psychological manipulation in social media for furthering profits, from the playbook of the infamous psychologist and propagandist Edward Bernays. The murderous malicious damage this intent made manifest in social media has inflicted on younger generations in our global societies is witnessed daily. The AI broligarchy are also informing the structural development of AI within their world image which intentionally or not will serve to rewire young brains toward conforming to their dispositional greed. It is this potentially catastrophic brain damage, an inflicted narrowing of the mind and shrinking of empathy and emotion, upon future generations, by these infantile profiteers, that I have always understood to be the actual existential danger of AI.
I learned so much from your article. Thank you so much for your time in writing it. It's so appreciated. How can we ever truly deprive the MUSKs and TRUMPs of this world of their oxygen? I admire the French circa 1789!! This is what I want. Off with their heads. Humanity has to cut these types down but a digital guillotine doesn't exist, because these disgustingly mega rich droids will simply invent their own digital weaponry, Truth Social, X .....thank you for your words. Jo
Very interesting. I read your previous article with great interest. I feel this also coincides with the 'rest of us' being less inclined towards self-actualization, and a giving up, so to say, of our power to the mechanics of society that oligarchs currently rule.
As such, I agree with your point that weathering this storm requires individual inoculation mentally, and collectively through community. Through learning. Through speaking up, to those around us, about how wrong this is, why it is, and what we can do to realize a more equal future.
I appreciate the ‘individual inoculation’ term. Indeed, it may be easier now to be corrupted and lose some of our humanity. But I suspect you, like many here, are resistant to such pitfalls. Nonetheless, strengthening ourselves and our communities for the eventual rebound from oligarchy is wise. May the rebound be far, wide, and enduring.
No. This is not a mental illness. This is a PATHOLOGY. They're basically a different subset of homosapians. They're dangerous as fuck because they have no sympathy, empathy, or compassion. They're miserable, bitter people. They're the ones that imagined capitalism into being.
Into the 'dark triad'. Some researchers estimate Greed disposition fits better into the dark triad than anywhere else. It certainly fits for many of the oligarchs.
They're fucking psychopaths. Zero sympathy, empathy, and compassion. We're but roaches to them. Objects to be dealt with. They don't even comprehend how nature and evolution even work. They're trying to force the environment to adapt to them. That's not only impossible it's also completely delusional🥴
You might be right. Bear in mind we are also talking about the millions of other people who have or are developing this trait too. Yes, Musk, Trump, etc, may be irredeemable but most are still recoverable.
The evidence is sufficient to conclude that there is indeed a neuropathology. That is, a deviation from the healthy brain that causes a dysfunction or deficiency in brain function or structure. I agree that pathology is more fitting than illness. I think many would agree that greed is better described as a trait (like narcissistic trait). I do think that such dispositional greed is, in all but the most severely affected, reversible, and, indeed, the deficit it has caused also redeemable (to some degree).
I don't think so at all. Those people cannot be "fixed" anymore than you can rehabilitate a serial killer. And these people are mass murderers. They're making their money off of wars and genocides. That's not fixable.
Revolutions against oligarchs are complex social phenomena driven by economic, social, and political factors. While they are not strictly caused by “mathematical triggers,” certain quantifiable thresholds or disparities often create the conditions for revolutionary movements. These include:
1. Gini Coefficient Thresholds
• Definition: The Gini coefficient measures income or wealth inequality (0 = perfect equality, 1 = perfect inequality).
• Trigger: Studies suggest that when the Gini coefficient crosses 0.4–0.45, dissatisfaction and unrest are likely to grow, as the majority feel excluded from economic benefits.
2. Wealth Concentration Ratios
• Definition: The share of wealth controlled by the top 1%, 5%, or 10% of a population.
• Trigger: When the top 1% control more than 40–50% of a nation’s wealth, it can signal oligarchic dominance, alienating the broader populace and fueling revolutionary sentiment.
3. Poverty and Real Wages
• Definition: The proportion of the population living below the poverty line and the purchasing power of wages.
• Trigger: Rising poverty rates combined with stagnant or declining real wages (adjusted for inflation) erode public trust in the system and amplify calls for radical change.
4. Unemployment and Underemployment Rates
• Definition: The percentage of the labor force that is unemployed or underemployed.
• Trigger: Unemployment above 20%, especially among youth, correlates strongly with revolutionary movements.
5. Food Price Index Spikes
• Definition: The cost of basic food staples relative to incomes.
• Trigger: Sharp increases in food prices (e.g., 30–50% within a short period) strain low-income households, often acting as a tipping point for unrest, as seen in the French Revolution and Arab Spring.
6. Social Mobility Decline
• Definition: The ability of individuals to improve their economic status relative to their parents or peers.
• Trigger: A marked decline in intergenerational social mobility (measured by metrics like income elasticity) can solidify perceptions of oligarchic entrenchment.
7. Tax Burden Inequities
• Definition: The ratio of taxes paid by different economic classes.
• Trigger: When the tax burden disproportionately affects the middle and lower classes while the wealthy avoid significant taxation, resentment builds.
8. Critical Mass of Disenfranchised Population
• Definition: The percentage of the population feeling politically or economically excluded.
• Trigger: When 50–60% of people believe the system is rigged against them, organized opposition becomes more likely.
9. Government Debt and Corruption Metrics
• Definition: Levels of public debt relative to GDP and perceptions of corruption (e.g., measured by Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index).
• Trigger: High debt levels coupled with blatant corruption can erode public trust and amplify anger against oligarchs.
10. Economic Shocks
• Definition: Sudden disruptions like financial crises, hyperinflation, or severe recessions.
• Trigger: Economic shocks exacerbate existing inequalities, often serving as the immediate cause of revolutionary action.
While no single metric guarantees a revolution, the interplay of these factors creates tipping points. History shows that when economic inequality, political corruption, and social discontent align, they often ignite transformative movements.
Long run the "god complex" is an automatic stabilizer, it always undoes them. The problem is how much damage they do to society in the interregnum, plus the fact currently the undoing gets followed by yet another oligarch.
A good measure of social progress would be that when one ꕗ𖧳𖧥𖨚𖢧𖧥𖦪𖦧 walks out another one does not walk in. — Tuco Ramirez.
PS. Governments do not get their own I.O.U. off the "tax payer," so a nation does not need rich people to exist at all. The tax is to get rid of rich people and drive demand for the otherwise worthless government scorepoints, so we *must8 tax the rich because they distort and ruin hope for a democracy (and it is only a hope). They are not a source of investment, quite the opposite, they are hoarders who loath *nominal* inflation and love currency deflation (aka. austerity).
Love the “individual inoculation” concept but it would work only if performed simultaneously by multiple individuals - for “ we are our only relevant hope
we are our only possible medicine”( A. M Brown)
How do we withstand?
By not acknowledging them - ok- not purchasing ? Not watching? Not attending? Not using “their” social media?
It is truly a question of civil courtesy and respect. That the oligarchs have neither is an obvious fact, but, that we ordinary people haven’t the collective will to take down the oligarchs is equally obvious.
The majority of us were reared to be considerate of others, to share, and to work together with our fellow people. That is how civilization developed, and how it’s maintained for the betterment of all. The greedy oligarchs are not subject to those precepts, and aren’t subject to learn, either.
Isn’t it obvious that the only certain way to prevent the damage these greedy people can do, is to eliminate them from society?
Could Hitler or the Khan have been rehabilitated to be social minded?
I need to take more time to 'read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest' this and your earlier post on dopamine, but one thing initially strikes me. It has occurred to me that while we talk about 'training' an AI, it's also true that AI and Social Media are simultaneously and intensively training the users. I would go so far as to say that the result, if not the purpose, of this training is to shape human beings into the atomistic individuals that are the foundation of neo-liberal economic theory and the libertarianism of Ayn Rand.
A related effort—or effect—underlies right-wing efforts to 'purge' school curricula and library shelves of 'woke' content that might cause those atomistic individuals to gain the ability to critically understand their own position in society (and themselves) or to understand both intellectually and emotionally the experience of others. They give away their game when they justify the purge on the grounds that such content makes their children (i.e., themselves) uncomfortable—never thinking or caring that the 'accepted' curriculum and approved books makes those 'others' uncomfortable.
Thanks for your writing. It calls to mind the work of Iain Banks (in fiction), now alas departed and Raymond Tallis—two major influences on my thinking.
Highest praise, indeed, Mr Bachofer.
Your thoughts are very provoking. An interpretation that bestows a more calculating strategy than I perhaps would have given to the offenders, but one that seems plausible. If so, the degree to which they consider themselves far above the rest of us must be truly grandiose. Believable.
The dopamine article was my attempt at highlighting the interdependency of humans on each other.
Ps. I have begun a book - non-fiction - that is similar to my work here.
Many thanks for your support.
Jaron Lanier, an early developer of social media, has written of the knowing deployment of psychological manipulation in social media for furthering profits, from the playbook of the infamous psychologist and propagandist Edward Bernays. The murderous malicious damage this intent made manifest in social media has inflicted on younger generations in our global societies is witnessed daily. The AI broligarchy are also informing the structural development of AI within their world image which intentionally or not will serve to rewire young brains toward conforming to their dispositional greed. It is this potentially catastrophic brain damage, an inflicted narrowing of the mind and shrinking of empathy and emotion, upon future generations, by these infantile profiteers, that I have always understood to be the actual existential danger of AI.
I learned so much from your article. Thank you so much for your time in writing it. It's so appreciated. How can we ever truly deprive the MUSKs and TRUMPs of this world of their oxygen? I admire the French circa 1789!! This is what I want. Off with their heads. Humanity has to cut these types down but a digital guillotine doesn't exist, because these disgustingly mega rich droids will simply invent their own digital weaponry, Truth Social, X .....thank you for your words. Jo
Honestly, their Achilles heel is their greed. Whatever happens they will flinch if sales drop. Conscious consumers are the rebellion.
Very interesting. I read your previous article with great interest. I feel this also coincides with the 'rest of us' being less inclined towards self-actualization, and a giving up, so to say, of our power to the mechanics of society that oligarchs currently rule.
As such, I agree with your point that weathering this storm requires individual inoculation mentally, and collectively through community. Through learning. Through speaking up, to those around us, about how wrong this is, why it is, and what we can do to realize a more equal future.
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Oliver.
I appreciate the ‘individual inoculation’ term. Indeed, it may be easier now to be corrupted and lose some of our humanity. But I suspect you, like many here, are resistant to such pitfalls. Nonetheless, strengthening ourselves and our communities for the eventual rebound from oligarchy is wise. May the rebound be far, wide, and enduring.
They are mentally ill! Too bad reagan got rid of mental health care by shutting down mental health hospitals.
No. This is not a mental illness. This is a PATHOLOGY. They're basically a different subset of homosapians. They're dangerous as fuck because they have no sympathy, empathy, or compassion. They're miserable, bitter people. They're the ones that imagined capitalism into being.
Some of them really don't seem at all miserable. They seem to revel in political influencing, expanding enterprises, playing patron.
Thank you. Where does the narcissism and “the greedy Oligarch” intersect?
Into the 'dark triad'. Some researchers estimate Greed disposition fits better into the dark triad than anywhere else. It certainly fits for many of the oligarchs.
They're fucking psychopaths. Zero sympathy, empathy, and compassion. We're but roaches to them. Objects to be dealt with. They don't even comprehend how nature and evolution even work. They're trying to force the environment to adapt to them. That's not only impossible it's also completely delusional🥴
You might be right. Bear in mind we are also talking about the millions of other people who have or are developing this trait too. Yes, Musk, Trump, etc, may be irredeemable but most are still recoverable.
Is it that they're developing that trait or is it pollution/drug/alcohol/toxoplasmosis/lead poisoning/microplastics/Covid induced brain damage?
The evidence is sufficient to conclude that there is indeed a neuropathology. That is, a deviation from the healthy brain that causes a dysfunction or deficiency in brain function or structure. I agree that pathology is more fitting than illness. I think many would agree that greed is better described as a trait (like narcissistic trait). I do think that such dispositional greed is, in all but the most severely affected, reversible, and, indeed, the deficit it has caused also redeemable (to some degree).
I don't think so at all. Those people cannot be "fixed" anymore than you can rehabilitate a serial killer. And these people are mass murderers. They're making their money off of wars and genocides. That's not fixable.
Your comment brought to mind the leaders of empires during their expansion phase.
So it seems the greedy brain has antisocial motivation?
Revolutions against oligarchs are complex social phenomena driven by economic, social, and political factors. While they are not strictly caused by “mathematical triggers,” certain quantifiable thresholds or disparities often create the conditions for revolutionary movements. These include:
1. Gini Coefficient Thresholds
• Definition: The Gini coefficient measures income or wealth inequality (0 = perfect equality, 1 = perfect inequality).
• Trigger: Studies suggest that when the Gini coefficient crosses 0.4–0.45, dissatisfaction and unrest are likely to grow, as the majority feel excluded from economic benefits.
2. Wealth Concentration Ratios
• Definition: The share of wealth controlled by the top 1%, 5%, or 10% of a population.
• Trigger: When the top 1% control more than 40–50% of a nation’s wealth, it can signal oligarchic dominance, alienating the broader populace and fueling revolutionary sentiment.
3. Poverty and Real Wages
• Definition: The proportion of the population living below the poverty line and the purchasing power of wages.
• Trigger: Rising poverty rates combined with stagnant or declining real wages (adjusted for inflation) erode public trust in the system and amplify calls for radical change.
4. Unemployment and Underemployment Rates
• Definition: The percentage of the labor force that is unemployed or underemployed.
• Trigger: Unemployment above 20%, especially among youth, correlates strongly with revolutionary movements.
5. Food Price Index Spikes
• Definition: The cost of basic food staples relative to incomes.
• Trigger: Sharp increases in food prices (e.g., 30–50% within a short period) strain low-income households, often acting as a tipping point for unrest, as seen in the French Revolution and Arab Spring.
6. Social Mobility Decline
• Definition: The ability of individuals to improve their economic status relative to their parents or peers.
• Trigger: A marked decline in intergenerational social mobility (measured by metrics like income elasticity) can solidify perceptions of oligarchic entrenchment.
7. Tax Burden Inequities
• Definition: The ratio of taxes paid by different economic classes.
• Trigger: When the tax burden disproportionately affects the middle and lower classes while the wealthy avoid significant taxation, resentment builds.
8. Critical Mass of Disenfranchised Population
• Definition: The percentage of the population feeling politically or economically excluded.
• Trigger: When 50–60% of people believe the system is rigged against them, organized opposition becomes more likely.
9. Government Debt and Corruption Metrics
• Definition: Levels of public debt relative to GDP and perceptions of corruption (e.g., measured by Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index).
• Trigger: High debt levels coupled with blatant corruption can erode public trust and amplify anger against oligarchs.
10. Economic Shocks
• Definition: Sudden disruptions like financial crises, hyperinflation, or severe recessions.
• Trigger: Economic shocks exacerbate existing inequalities, often serving as the immediate cause of revolutionary action.
While no single metric guarantees a revolution, the interplay of these factors creates tipping points. History shows that when economic inequality, political corruption, and social discontent align, they often ignite transformative movements.
Very helpful, Adam. Thanks.
Except for the fact that they're currently winning 😞
Extremely interesting, Dr. G! It explains much! Thank you!
Richard
I voted!!!!
Long run the "god complex" is an automatic stabilizer, it always undoes them. The problem is how much damage they do to society in the interregnum, plus the fact currently the undoing gets followed by yet another oligarch.
A good measure of social progress would be that when one ꕗ𖧳𖧥𖨚𖢧𖧥𖦪𖦧 walks out another one does not walk in. — Tuco Ramirez.
PS. Governments do not get their own I.O.U. off the "tax payer," so a nation does not need rich people to exist at all. The tax is to get rid of rich people and drive demand for the otherwise worthless government scorepoints, so we *must8 tax the rich because they distort and ruin hope for a democracy (and it is only a hope). They are not a source of investment, quite the opposite, they are hoarders who loath *nominal* inflation and love currency deflation (aka. austerity).
Thank you for well illustrated everything!
Love the “individual inoculation” concept but it would work only if performed simultaneously by multiple individuals - for “ we are our only relevant hope
we are our only possible medicine”( A. M Brown)
How do we withstand?
By not acknowledging them - ok- not purchasing ? Not watching? Not attending? Not using “their” social media?
Survive?
Thank you for writing .
https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/17/politics/joe-biden-equal-right-amendment?cid=ios_app
🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
It is truly a question of civil courtesy and respect. That the oligarchs have neither is an obvious fact, but, that we ordinary people haven’t the collective will to take down the oligarchs is equally obvious.
The majority of us were reared to be considerate of others, to share, and to work together with our fellow people. That is how civilization developed, and how it’s maintained for the betterment of all. The greedy oligarchs are not subject to those precepts, and aren’t subject to learn, either.
Isn’t it obvious that the only certain way to prevent the damage these greedy people can do, is to eliminate them from society?
Could Hitler or the Khan have been rehabilitated to be social minded?
Brings to mind the 10th commandment against coveting. Nothing good comes of it