While the U.S. continues playing victim to “fake news” and putting up with the digital online revolutionaries and digital uprisings (as in the Smollett case), we are pleased to report that the UK Guardian is providing great coverage of what we’ve labeled Digital Mob Rule (DMR).
Their story, “Facebook labelled ‘digital gangsters’ by report on fake news “ is first rate and you really ought to read every word of it. It’s a world-shaper.
Particularly poignant was this quote which follows an official English 18-month investigation into the leading social media giant:
““Democracy is at risk from the malicious and relentless targeting of citizens with disinformation and personalised ‘dark adverts’ from unidentifiable sources, delivered through the major social media platforms we use every day,” warned the committee’s chairman, Damian Collins.”
If you think I’m being alarmist about digital uprisings and digitalantism, we have no further to look than the abusive-path of social media demonstrated in the Jussie Smollett case in Chicago. Mindlessly parroted by the MSM.
Here we have an actor who ostensibly claimed that two white men attacked him in the wee hours of a sub-zero morning in Chicago. But now, not only have the claims (which were wrapped up in anti-Trump/MAGA hate) begun to fall apart, but a grand jury could be called to investigate, and if warranted, indict. That’s laid out in the TMA covered over here under the headline “Jussie Smollett Case to Go to Grand Jury … Doubt MAGA Comment Because Trump Folks Don’t Watch ‘Empire’ .”
The warning in the Smollett case to thinking people is that a) the social platforms (Twitter, Facebook and other what we’ve labeled social(ist) media) have a pure “ratings at any cost” business model that is gnawing on the very bones of democracy.
The second point, b) is that the executives, as revealed in the UK investigation into FB, are aware of the problems to an extent but haven’t really figured our effective tools to deal with social manipulation. Go read some of the internal FB emails published by the UK government here. Phrases like “…shut down friends to lifestyle apps…” will jump out at thoughtful readers.
There is yet-another angle to all this – one that ultimately bears on the Robt. Mueller witch hunt: Let’s see if I can state the problem clearly-enough:
“We live in a highly complexified world. Donald Trump, as an international developer, would certainly be “in bounds” looking at properties in Russia, China, or any other major power center globally. It’s what a global developer does for crying out loud.
However now, a political judgement is being attempted (ex post facto) that his firm doing its job and following a legit business model is somehow bad.
This weekend on the Peoplenomics.com side, we revealed more about the latest Judicial Watch doc.-dump Friday and it’s clear the other candidate in 2016 has “clay feet” as well.
Regrettably, what Messrs. Comey and Mueller fail to appreciate, is exactly the point of the UK’s 18-month probe. Russia may have as many “smart programmers” as we do. And this means the obvious play for Russia was to engage in some social media manipulations in order to be able to tell either winner in 2016, “See? This is what we did to get you elected. Now you owe us or we will spill this on the ‘net….” Russia would, of course, just love to ingratiate itself to either new administration.
Putin’s a good-enough chess player to see it and in his position, it’s the obvious play. It’s just not obvious to the kiddie-journos who pass as reporters today. Yeah, some of us old ugly ex-reporters had to earn our stripes the hard way: Not on looks and hype but on quality of content. Thems were the days, huh?
The problem, as I see it, is that Robt. Mueller is insufficiently political at the global level and appears to lack even a decent reporter’s understanding of how the double-ingratiation game is played between giant powers. Were Mueller’s team less political (subverted internally by junior minions with an agenda of overtly protecting HRC) they might see the larger picture of how grown-up “Heads I win, tails I win” global politics is played.
It’s become rather clear to us, given the fine work of the UK and their report that outs social media as a group of “digital gangsters” that any Mueller report that doesn’t look for similar Russian efforts to ingratiate to HRC would be unfit for issuance. Even better, would be following it all back to social source and cleaning house in social media.
More to the point, only a Mueller report that delves into the gangsterism of social media (WRT both parties) must be seen as a sham. Because when it comes to utilization of social media for political purposes, every two-bit movement, attention-starved actor, or global power player is already “in the game.” Only an utter fool can miss this larger context that reveals more than mere politicians can every admit to their constituencies. Which is? We are the blind, led by the stupid.”
Yet here’s another of the daily breadcrumbs on how this digital ingratiation plan is being worked “Australia Blames a Foreign Government for the Cyberattack on Political Parties. Laughable how lame our thinking, no? At least the Aussies see more than one party and might be uncorporate-enough to actually pull back some covers.
We’d be asking harder questions: Does Facebook collude with foreign powers, and how much of their revenue does such manipulation account for? Hard question to even raise, but there it is.
Fox meantime, reassures us Democrats aren’t done wasting your money on the Russia investigation. But again, they still don’t grok this other level of play.
Will Mueller go after the core of the digital pimples that are social media? Nope. Too much money, political horsepower, and not enough drive to reveal the bigger game in play against the civilian population.
Business Models, understand, are to social media corporations what refined uranium and plutonium are to Pantex. Both hold civilian populations hostage to powers beyond their control.
There-there, Bunkie, are you feeling better, now?
Enjoy Ure Half-Assed Holiday
Let me see here: Gold is up a bit this morning. Trading in Europe is a yawner, there is a future’s market online that showed the Dow up 19 earlier, but that’s an incomprehensibly small move.
However, it’s days like this where we can see to the heart of global markets more clearly. When we look at Europe and Asia, we see that Asia followed though with nice gains on the US manic rally Friday. But, this morning in Europe, Germany and the UK are down, while France is treading water to hold even.
I’ll give you a free bazillion dollar idea to contemplate: Look at global market action as first going with the Sun, in other words, if the US is up, then Asia will be up, and Europe will be up, and so on. But occasionally, things will reverse in our models. The US will be up, but then Japan and China will reverse and this propagates on to Europe, and from there, a US decline ensues..
Days like this, when the US markets are closed, reveal the scope and impact of the “hot money” and “algo” traders. It’s worth making a note of. We will have more on this in an upcoming Peoplenomics.com report.
Bitcoin today is clawing to stay over $3,700. Like CB Radio and such, we expect over time the cryptos will all end badly. The reason? There’s a) no intrinsic value to them and b) no guarantee of convertibility to something of value or use. Seems not to be needed on a planet full of sucker-fish, though.
At peaks of manias, such as 1929, there’s also no rhyme, nor reason to what has real value. Bubbles are irrational. Cryptos have been a huge opportunity for the charlatans of the world, though, dishonest pricks that they are.
In case you haven’t been following, there were more than 1,600 different made-up currencies in 2018 and we’re pretty sure 2,000 will be seen before this year is out.
Data is from 2018 by Mikael Häggström, used with permission.
Could this be the year the Digital Money movement blows up? Digital Tulip Mania’s unwinding it still to come.
Back to Our Half-Holiday Rant
A surprising number of businesses are open today. Including Elaine’s doctor who’s working (along with full staff, near as we could figure).
What we’re going through is the “incredible shrinking holidays.” Went from Lincoln Day AND Geo. Washington to “President’s Day” and now, looks to me like about half that’s shot. This year futures are open for a while, so longer hours and maybe a half day for markets in a year or two.
All part of the trend to make people work harder to stay even while at the same time gutting America’s heritage that (once upon a time) bound all Americans to a single national mindset and purpose.
We point to the godless social media gangsters as a root cause and the co-conspiring left as co-perps.
No mail today, but UPS and FedEx will be rolling. Most banks will be closed, most stores will be open and Federal agencies, not done screwing with giving taxpayers our money’s worth will be grabbing yet another holiday. Screwed by the fedemps who were set up by the congressoids.
BTW, Simply Nancy is trying to “disappear” that wishing everyone a happy thanksgiving for Valentines day. Nice. MCT oil, anyone? Say, you don’t think being a democrat is a symptom of a vitamin deficiency, do you? Hmm…
They “Never Stop Selling” Dept.
LGBT History Month: Test your knowledge.
Or don’t.
Maybe you could study “climate change” and deny its just the frigging the weather… Depending on how susceptible to social programming you are, natch.
Around the Ranch
Just another Monday, near as we can figure it. And annual wellness check for E. I call these “lube oil and filter” checks.
Bro-in-law and wife will be house-sitting and staying for din-din (roast ham). Hope Panama gets some pistol range time in with his lifelong companion .380. He’ll also doctor one of my 9’s with a sticking firing pin.
Got one of the weedeaters going in the Fix-It shop, the TV? New board didn’t help, so LED strips would be next (did main and T-Con already) but at some point we just gotta throw up our hands.
Then there’s the ham radio: I love getting on 20-meters where I usually get “Biggest signal on the band, old man...” reports. Sunday contacts included Croatia, the west of England (22 km from Bath), Bulgaria, a couple of stations in Italy, and Jacky down in New Zealand.
Oh, and most interesting domestically, one station set up at an ice-fishing camp and W8QLY which is the Youngstown Ohio Radio Club which is celebrating 100-years.
And that’s really something, when you think about it: Radio 100-years ago was still in diapers having recently crossed the Atlantic. This was seven years ahead of Harold Beverage inventing the antenna that bears his name to this day and the 1926 invention by Shintaro Uda of the Yagi – Uda “beam” antenna. 1926 was a hot year for antenna design.
Speaking of which, time to hit 20-meters and work a little “gray line” and blow somemore dust off the amplifier’s final tubes here at AC7X.
Moron the ‘morrow.
You know George that’s the cancer in this country,the orange clown may be an international developer but seeing he ran for president and got elected and is now being paid by the people, one has to ask is he a president or is he simply like the Clinton’s and the Clinton Foundation simply there to line his pockets,or maybe he thinks he ought to be like Amazon making $11,200,000 billion in profit yet pays nothing in taxes,as the old saying goes most times and for most of the people they get what they deserve.!!
Robert. I think Trump truly sees what many of us do, the decline of western civilization and the USA as the once heralded king of nations. I think Trump sees how the past 30 years has seen the politicians from both parties, sell off our nations lands, our infrastructures, and our factories to the highest bidder as the corporations sought international status and all the perks that provided them, like cheap labor, less environmental restrictions and a whole lot of new people to market to, all at the expense of the American generations that built our nation and the enviable place we held in the eyes of the rest of the world.
You DO know Pres Trump donates his annual salary to charity, don’t you?
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/trumpometer/promise/1341/take-no-salary/
Perhaps you’re missing the point that President Donald J. Trump has given away all of his salary as president. This has gone to various government agencies and charities.
I despised Mr. Obama for his policies and attitude. I still do, yet I’ve never insulted him the way so many are disrespecting our current president.
@ Robert
Are you actually serious in comparing President Trump to the Clintons….that is a stretch, and it seems to INSULT your own intelligence, or lack there of
Social Media working for the betterment of Person-kind (once mankind)…as many outlets push Abortion in the western countries and demand unlimited migration from the rest of the world ,to the very same Western nations that they want the birth rate to fall in.(the pale race only).
Seems to me that far to many get their ‘knowledge from social media. Might this technology ,be the sister to MK-Ultra, to a lessor degree of carnage. CIA involved in both,from my understanding.
Social media is merely a tool created by the Propagandists-that-be to herd the weak-minded sheeple. But the real question is who do those propagandist serve? Both U.S. political parties are under assault. The EU is disintegrating. The sabers of war are beginning to rattle while the top 1% continue to acquire more assets and control. ‘Modern society’ is not much better off than those living in the Middle Ages – our modern ‘middle class’ are the serfs, the top 1% the nobles and politicians the royals. The elite plays chess . . . we are their chess pieces.
God W/H you nailed it…
Digital Gangsters Threat To Democracy
How timely. I just finished reading James Rollins new book “Crucible”, a well researched fictional account of the world ahead with AI. Makes what is happening now seem like child’s play.
We are in for a wild ride.
Bob
P.S. Happy Birthday George
What Deep State???
TRUMP haters/Sheep, can’t see any deep state, never mind top State Dept officials meeting and discussing how to Unseat a duly elected President of the United States. No deep state here.
Vonn Mueller involved FBI back when Uranium 1 deal went down..still no state?
Rob Rosenstien trying to invoke 25th? Trying to wear wire in effort to catch anything said in private that might possibley be used against POTUS at later date.. No deep state here.
Lil Adam Schitt meeting with Fusion GPS peeps in public setting 2016 – no deep state? Same Fusion GPS hired by Clintons and Demorat Party for Russian Collusion dossier.
The party of After Birth Abortions – so proud of these heroic Lefists fighting for the right to Slaughter infants.
Still NOTHING on TRUMP – so sad.
Bitcoin – No Intrinsic Value, luv this statement, one of my favs.
Intrinsic Value = Value unto itself..
Compare/Contrast US Fed. Res. Note = US dollar versus BTC/Bitcoin
Unconfiscatable:
BTC – yes, USD – no
UN-Hackable:
BTC – yes, USD – no
Sovereign Money: can’t be watered down/devalued:
BTC -yes, scarce at only 21 million ever in circulation, USD – no
Financial Backing – not backed by anything like GDP, trade balances or interest rates:
BTC – no, USD- hahahahaha
I dont recall how long tulip mania lasted, nor CB radios for that matter, breaker -breaker .
Good buddy got Ure ears on? The BTC rig has been “haulin” on public highways for over 10 years and getting better and stronger every day, and its heading Ure way.
Again does not matter what you “pay” for a Bitcoin or fraction thereof, just like the talking frog…its awesome, killer Technology..U know the same place majority of profits have been found in stock market over past 10 years..
I know much like my Amish and Mennonite neighbors.. Luddites dont need no dam “new” technolgy!
The macro view of social media you pointed out speaks to what might be better termed Sociopathic Media as the leaders of these platforms exhibit sociopathic behavior in disregarding regulators and further engineering their models to deflect criticism. It’s a frightening problem with all the connotations of a new religion.
On the micro level, emotional manipulation and addiction to positive feedback are destroying millions of individuals and their ability to discern between reality and make believe.
My normal reaction to European regulators is abhorrence but in the case of Social Media, I believe they are doing the right thing (I never thought I’d say that!). If there were ever an example of Capitalism run amuck, Facebook would be the cover picture.
Sadly, many of our legislators are also sociopaths, incapable of reining in their lust for power and unwilling to place the public good ahead of their agendas. For all the brilliance our founders displayed in framing our country, I don’t think they could have anticipated this AI / Social Media thing. How it plays out in the USA may be a defining event for our country. I fear things aren’t going to end well.
Ughh…Seems to me the base is back defending our National Emergency…err Trump again. Why on Earth? Someone yesterday compared him to a multi layer chess player. He doesn’t even know what Chess is. I am sure someone did once ask him “Want to play chess Donny?” And he thought they said Chest and said “Where’s the hookers?” Yes, he is that stupid.
And it’s a enormous exaggeration to call Trump an international developer. An international failure maybe. Failed projects include Trump Airlines, Trump beverages, Trump Casino’s, His Taj Mahal casino which lost $3 billion in it’s first year, was just one of many…Trump Mortgage, Trump steaks, Trump Comms Co., Trump University, Trump Tower In Tampa which ended up with multiple lawsuits, Trump Vodka, Trump menswear and the list goes on and on….6 bankruptcies and reems of recorded video of him ranting like a 3rd grader and we still think he can go down as one of our greatest Presidents? Excuse me while I go puke.
The man is a loser to the nth degree. Why can’t anyone see this? Ask yourself this…if Obama had gotten elected President with that kind of record preceding him, would he had lasted 6 months without the GOP impeaching him? Hell no…Heck, he took a ton of flack for just being something as benign as a community organizer…Forget that Obama would have skewered if he had a record like the bankruptcies and failures that Trump survived …Obama May have been impeached for just being late on a credit card.
The fake news and rationalization for one of the worst politicians in world history is being propagated by the slyest “FOX” in the chicken coop…And you all are falling for it.
Mark, I have referred to it several times here, but one of the books that is key to understanding not only Trump but his detractors as well is?
“How we know what isn’t so…” Amazon worth every penny
I will read your book…but you just read Woodward’s book..”Fear” and Michael Lewis’s book “The Fifth Risk”. We will compare notes. There’s no there, there with Trump. What we know IS so with Trump. Just listen to him talk. He is his own worst enemy.
Mark, you may have a point here. Past behavior is a good predictor of future behavior. The Dems got PT to sign the Feb Wall Bill that added items to increase illegal immigration when he could of got a better deal in Dec by signing & avoided a shutdown. Also, he let slip by the 2 years he had to work on the wall when the Republicans had control ol both houses. PT has mismanaged his Wall promise either on purpose or because he is stupid. PT was outflanked by the Dems.
.
“Someone yesterday compared him to a multi layer chess player.”
Ummm that would be me..
And yes. I do think he has all the tools and skills of a chess master.
I for one would have given in to the puppeteers running our govt. A couple of years ago already.
DJT on the other hand has been battling non stop attacks against him his family and the projects he has proposed.
With all the allegations so far nothing except made up cheap shots has been shown.
Now with the stormy Daniels situation I would have just came out and said yes during a moment of weakness I did. I consider her a friend and had consensual sex. I think his lawyer paid to much but hey. I get it. His lawyer was looking out for his clients best interests. DJT sure didn’t want his wife and family to know he had moments of physical weakness.( being totally honest everyone has those and I know I for one wouldn’t want my family to know either if I was in his shoes. Retain his dignity and spare the hurt of his family over a physical weakness)
As far as presidents and concubine. I believe there’s only been a few that didn’t have one or several.in dc a few years ago there was a madam that luckily kept track of he congressional clients. Not even counting the stuff that lays hidden from view.
Has he failed..yup and he gained knowledge from his failures enough that I for one believe he thinks he can help out the country he loves.
And he’s facing all this misery head on for no financial from income gain that I know of.
Where he’ll get his gain is from the strong economy Supporting his inns.
I truly think your not giving him the credit he deserves.
I for one respect him for what he’s trying to do.
I think he’s gotten more accomplished without any help than any other president in my lifetime so far.
I also don’t think he will break the binds of corruption in govt. I applaud his attempts but lets be real. They are dug in way to deep and from all the attacks from every direction shows just how deep their control is.
We the people have no options but to sit back and watch as we’re being dragged down the rabbit hole.
George, agree regarding the digital threat. We just suffered it in the 2016 election. Would be nice if Trump would stop blocking the remedies.
I note that McCabe, like Mueller and Comey, were all Republicans at the time. Pretty obvious that Trump is getting rid of the Right-leaning FBI and DOJ leaders to install a Deep State. One willing to look the other way about someone throwing in with Russia to get elected.
Funny. Had never really heard of the terms “Fake News” or “Deep State” until Trump started using them as cover for his propaganda and lies. Best, Mike.
“We point to the godless social media gangsters as a root cause and the co-conspiring left as co-perps….”
Just like the ivy league MBA’s and wall street looking only for ‘bottom line’ sold their house, wife and children to China in the 1990’s and beyond…
And today we have a hard time finding a 21 year old with any skill whatsoever..
We live in interesting times.
73
WU0X
exactamente! ac7x
“We are the blind, led by the stupid.”
I actually don’t think everyone is blind.
The real criminal activities goes unchecked.
MSM was screaming its the Russians fault the moment they realized DJT was going to win. Even considering marketing.. 1st out toss it 2nd out glance and toss 3rd out scan it throw 4th hey I heard about this..
Even considering that the idea of repeating the Russians did it is not taking hold. The average citizen doesn’t really buy it. They still want change and they still see that government is owned and pimped out by the puppeteers.
The big thing is I know I feel it’s futile to try and oppose it. I doubt seriously that everyone could be voted out of office. We’re on the slippery slope and sliding.
I for one fear the slide to.
“got elected and is now being paid by the people,”
I am heard he was going to take the job but donate his pay …
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2018/10/03/trump-donates-second-quarter-salary-to-small-business-administration-white-house-says.html
But I did get a request to donate some cash to the Clinton bush foundation…
Just the fact that he’s willing to try and fix the decades of ingrained corruption.. Getting stuff done that he he said he was. All without any help or support from a congress on the beach schmoozing with the money..
Again congress has had a term in office and did nothing at all.
Similar to Elizabeth Warren, President Trump should state he is African American & claim everyone is trying to hang him like Smollett in Chicago. Things can’t get any crazier than they already are.
…And last night, I got to pull a nearly all-nighter. Aside from waking up -=grumpy=- at an unconscionable 1100hrs, at least it gave me an opportunity to watch (but mostly just listen to) the movie “Network” for the first time in 30 years.
If’fn you haven’t seen it, or it’s been a while, it is definitely a worthwhile time-sink. Nothing I’ve seen or read since the 1980s drives home George’s general point that “Everything’s a Business Model,” or today’s point that EBM drives the Media, as well as this bit of cinema…
“You have meddled with the primary forces of nature, Mr Beale, and I won’t have it! Is that clear?”
Arthur Jensen
Very prophetic.
I have the tape in my desk drawer.
I m so disgusted with our government representitives!
Our Con-gress doesn’t do anything at all for decades and decades. the only things they have any interest in is what helps the puppeteers.
They don’t write the bills they refuse to read them.
Its sickening. Our president has gotten more done without any help at all. All while being attacked from every angle. The chanting the Russians did it since the moment they realized he was going to win.
I for one won’t vote for anyone that presently holds an office.
I don’t think the people buy their rants either.
In sales the first add you toss the second out you glance and toss the third you scan and toss fourth time around..hey I heard about this. Even with the relentless attacks the people should have brighten the story line by now and they haven’t as a whole.
I am pretty sure I am not the only one totally discouraged by the mess.. That’s how DJT got the job in the first place.
Dear Mr. Ure, Does google say “Happy Birthday, George” in the question box on your big day?? (or any of the rest of you readers?) It’s been happening to me for the last 3 years,, and not to any of my friends (both).. it kinda scared me..
Anyway, here is a link to an article by Joseph Farrell,, he is taking paragraphs from a longer article by a German author,, and commenting.. Its about ‘Surveillance Capitalism’ and dovetails nicely with your rant (well justified) today.. It goes to some unexpected areas by the end.. Early on, talks about, a rectal thermometer connected to the Internet of Things (IOT),, and goes on about how every shred of our existence is being monetized by Google,, then all the rest.. What the techs have done is take our data and made a new capitalistic model,, and in the process have ruined the concept of a supply chain that is sensible, defines costs at each step, and is tied to the demands of the consumer. (and employs lots of folks)
https://gizadeathstar.com/2019/02/the-latest-new-capitalism-surveillance-capitalism/
At the end of the article, several solutions are offered.. so we are not totally without hope. Thanks for the breadth and depth that you give us everyday..
Google will do the b-day thing when you log in. Log out and it should go away – also, your search results may change
I’m sure this is true. Sadly, search results are supposed to be specific to the query, not the queror(?). I have to work really hard to get a true boolean result, even if it’s possible. Google Scholar is far more honest, but less useful outside of actual research. All of the Google wannabes are at least as bad.
We truly have no real search engine – just a sales motivator and information dragnet. The Google ID is locked to a device and you’ll need a phone number to log into any strange device. That means that I can’t log into many of my computers with Google – for better or worse, since I won’t link everything to a phone. This is what WeChat is doing in China – compiling your entire online history and sharing it with whomever it wants to.
BTW, Yahoo “mail” is trying a new web interface that’s nearly unusable. So much screen real estate is used on malfunctionality that there’s not enough visible of either the sender ID or the subject to be usable. It also limits viewing to a single day. I’ve used Yahoo for my least important comms, and now I need another place to send the near worthless stuff. It needs at least a few hundred gigs of storage space.