It's Coming

It’s Coming

            Robert A. Levine

We can’t hold it back any longer. The fact must be faced that in less than a week, the most important election of our lifetime will be upon us. This is not hyperbole, but merely reinforcement of the facts. One of the candidates, Donald Trump, has already made it clear what he will do if he wins the election. American democracy will be transformed forever. Trump has vowed to go after his political enemies and put them in jail, using the apolitical Justice Department. He intends to fire civil service workers who he feels are not loyal to him and won’t do his bidding, upending civil service regulations. People in the civil service are supposedly neutral and can’t be fired arbitrarily. Environmental and health regulations will be eliminated, making companies responsible for controlling their own emissions and toxins.

Trump has also declared that he will bring our military forces into the cities to fight crime and deal with civilian demonstrations that he doesn’t like. He said as well that he will use our military forces against the Mexican cartels, a stark violation of Mexican sovereignty. Foreign alliances such as NATO and those in the Indo-Pacific will be abandoned and deals will be sought with autocrats like Putin. Imported goods will be burdened with high tariffs, raising the prices for American consumers and spiking inflation. Taxes on high earners will be lowered again, increasing the U.S. budget deficits and national debt. Economists have estimated that Trump’s programs will raise the national debt by over $7 trillion in the next decade (compared to $2 trillion for Harris’ programs). Spending on Social Security and Medicare will be cut and Obamacare will be eliminated completely. Illegal immigrants will be deported at a great cost, and at a great loss to our labor force in the agriculture realm, landscaping, meat packing, construction and so forth, jobs Americans won’t take, particularly as our population is declining.

The presidency will become the primary lever of government, overriding the courts and Congress. If not in name, America will be run by a dictator in practice, with no interest in the niceties of democracy. The election now appears too close to call, though many prognosticators feel it is leaning towards Trump. Americans do not seem to realize or care how a new Trump administration would be a disaster for the nation.

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Avoiding the Future in Election Campaigns

Avoiding the Future in Election Campaigns

                        Robert A. Levine   10-22-24

Election Day is fast approaching, and the candidates are mostly avoiding the issues that will decide America’s and the world’s future. This may be because these problems do not resonate with voters the way past concerns do, even though they are actually more important. The focus of the candidates is on the economy, inflation, immigration and crime. Global warming, pollution, and plastic poisoning are barely being considered by Trump and Harris, the major party candidates. In fact, Trump has dismissed climate change as an issue, stating that global warming is a hoax. He believes that we should use as much fossil fuel as we can- “Drill baby, drill.”

The economy and inflation have improved considerably recently and should not be on the front burners as election issues. Immigration is now under control, and candidates ignore the fact that the nation needs immigrants for agricultural, meat processing, hospitality, caretaking and construction jobs. Our population is declining and there are not enough births to replace the people who are dying. We need immigrants if our economy is to keep growing. As for inflation, we have a lower rate than any of our western European counterparts, so we are not doing too badly. Many of these inflation problems have been because of supply chain difficulties and the Covid pandemic which cannot be blamed on the politicians. And crime among immigrant groups has been shown to be lower than among America’s overall population, so this should not be an issue even though Trump and his minions are using individual cases to blame Harris and the Democrats for a so-called crime epidemic.

This year, the world bypassed the agreed upon limit in temperature rise from the Paris Conference. We have gone 1.5 degrees C worldwide above pre-industrial levels, which was the limit set as the target at the Paris Conference for the year 2100. Most nations have already exceeded the targets they set for themselves and continue to use more fossil fuels. This generates greenhouse gases and raises worldwide temperatures. Electricity needs are rising because of industrial growth globally and the use of artificial intelligence which means more energy must be produced.

Plastic pollution is also increasing worldwide, resulting in more plastic infesting all species. In humans, nano and microplastics have been found in placentas, breast milk, vascular atherosclerotic plaques, brain tissue and virtually all organs. Of great concern is the fact that plastics carry EDCs- endocrine disrupting chemicals, which affect both men and women’s ability to reproduce. Sperm quantity and quality have diminished considerably along with women’s reproductive ability. These problems have been noted in multiple species. If plastic production and use is not curbed, it is possible that fertility in humans and other species will be cut dramatically, with a marked drop in population.

These are the issues that the presidential candidates should be addressing and emphasizing. If global warming and plastic pollution are not controlled, human life may become extinct with no one to rant about inflation and immigration anymore.

www.robertlevinebooks.com.

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Election Day 2024

Election Day 2024

            Robert A. Levine  October 9, 2024

The odds are strong that Election Day next month will not provide an answer for us about who has been elected president. Days or even weeks will be necessary to learn the final tally of the votes and who was the winner. With so many districts in so many states tied or within the margin of error in the preelection polls, it is likely that these states and districts will be contested, and recounts will be demanded after the vote. Fraud will be claimed by the Trump team and possibly by the Harris team as well. The campaign itself has been flooded with lies and misinformation, particularly by Trump and his supporters.

Trump has been trying and succeeding in getting his sympathizers as administrators and/or vote counters in many districts, and it would not be surprising if he would up winning the vast majority of all these districts. Administrators favoring Trump have been actively attempting to restrict probable Harris adherents from voting, asking for proof of citizenship, residency, etc, to try and make it more difficult for these people to register and vote. And how trustworthy will the vote counting itself turn out to be.

While the Harris team may ask for recounts in some districts that appear to favor Trump, if Trump loses, he will certainly demand recounts with his observers present in districts and states where he was defeated by close margins. Even if Harris wins overwhelmingly, which at this point appears unlikely, Trump will say the election was rigged and find some way to contest the results. Election Day will take several days or weeks to play out, with the possibility that some violent Trump supporters will attempt to stage a coup to get Trump back in office. Trump and his minions have no love for the Constitution, particularly if it prevents Trump attaining office again. In a negative sense, this Election Day will be a special one in our history, and no one should be surprised by whatever happens.

www.robertlevinebooks.com

Buy The Uninformed Voter on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or at your local bookstore

Election Day 2024

Election Day 2024

            Robert A. Levine  October 9, 2024

The odds are strong that Election Day next month will not provide an answer for us about who has been elected president. Days or even weeks will be necessary to learn the final tally of the votes and who was the winner. With so many districts in so many states tied or within the margin of error in the preelection polls, it is likely that these states and districts will be contested, and recounts will be demanded after the vote. Fraud will be claimed by the Trump team and possibly by the Harris team as well. The campaign itself has been flooded with lies and misinformation, particularly by Trump and his supporters.

Trump has been trying and succeeding in getting his sympathizers as administrators and/or vote counters in many districts, and it would not be surprising if he would up winning the vast majority of all these districts. Administrators favoring Trump have been actively attempting to restrict probable Harris adherents from voting, asking for proof of citizenship, residency, etc, to try and make it more difficult for these people to register and vote. And how trustworthy will the vote counting itself turn out to be.

While the Harris team may ask for recounts in some districts that appear to favor Trump, if Trump loses, he will certainly demand recounts with his observers present in districts and states where he was defeated by close margins. Even if Harris wins overwhelmingly, which at this point appears unlikely, Trump will say the election was rigged and find some way to contest the results. Election Day will take several days or weeks to play out, with the possibility that some violent Trump supporters will attempt to stage a coup to get Trump back in office. Trump and his minions have no love for the Constitution, particularly if it prevents Trump attaining office again. In a negative sense, this Election Day will be a special one in our history, and no one should be surprised by whatever happens.

www.robertlevinebooks.com

Buy The Uninformed Voter on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or at your local bookstore

Artificial Intelligence and Global Warming

Artificial Intelligence and Global Warming         

Robert A. Levine

Artificial Intelligence has been considered a danger to human survival by some of its creators and independent analysts, though other researchers see it as a major positive development for humanity. Whether AI is truly an existential risk or not, there is no disagreement on the fact that AI and data centers consume huge amounts of electricity. The demand for electricity will only grow as AI usage expands in the years ahead, both in the United States and in nations around the world. The increased need for energy means that the threat of global warming may be disregarded in the race for AI companies and nations to stay ahead of the pack in further development of AI.

It appears that new solar and wind derived energy can not keep up with the heightened demand for energy created by the growth of AI globally. In the United States, this is leading to the reactivation of nuclear plants like Three Mile Island that were previously closed down, done in conjunction with major tech firms like Microsoft. The power companies who will be running these old nuclear plants believe that with new techniques they can operate nuclear plants safely. However, it may take several years for these plants to be functional again, and even then, it is uncertain whether they will be sufficient to meet the nation’s energy needs. The possibility of increasing the use of fossil fuels may be a consideration in the future if more energy is needed. And though AI is the primary consumer of new energy, increased industrial production also requires more energy.

More of a problem exists in China, India and the less developed world, where coal is still a major source of energy. China is the world’s largest user of coal, responsible for more than half of global coal consumption for the last decade. Notwithstanding their being the leader in the use of renewable energy, their coal consumption has increased yearly, setting new records in 2022 and 2023. China and the U.S. are in a race to develop the most advanced AI and data centers, making it likely that China will rely on coal to meet its new AI energy demands. India is also pursuing development of AI and will also be using coal to power their AI and data centers as well as their burgeoning industry. But it’s not only India and China that will be using coal to power their AI and data centers. All of the underdeveloped world wants to hop on the AI bandwagon, which means more use of dirty energy.

Even now, the world has surpassed the limits on global temperatures that were agreed upon at the Paris Accords, and yearly temperatures are continuing to rise. Aside from the effects of the heat on human and other life, the higher temperatures have been responsible for multiple weather disasters which will only continue to get worse. Is it worth it for the benefits that AI may or may not bring to increase global warming and climate change?

www.robertlevinebooks.com

Buy The Uninformed Voter on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or your local bookstore

Artificial Intelligence and Global Warming         

Robert A. Levine

 

Artificial Intelligence and Global Warming

Artificial Intelligence and Global Warming         

Robert A. Levine

Artificial Intelligence has been considered a danger to human survival by some of its creators and independent analysts, though other researchers see it as a major positive development for humanity. Whether AI is truly an existential risk or not, there is no disagreement on the fact that AI and data centers consume huge amounts of electricity. The demand for electricity will only grow as AI usage expands in the years ahead, both in the United States and in nations around the world. The increased need for energy means that the threat of global warming may be disregarded in the race for AI companies and nations to stay ahead of the pack in further development of AI.

It appears that new solar and wind derived energy can not keep up with the heightened demand for energy created by the growth of AI globally. In the United States, this is leading to the reactivation of nuclear plants like Three Mile Island that were previously closed down, done in conjunction with major tech firms like Microsoft. The power companies who will be running these old nuclear plants believe that with new techniques they can operate nuclear plants safely. However, it may take several years for these plants to be functional again, and even then, it is uncertain whether they will be sufficient to meet the nation’s energy needs. The possibility of increasing the use of fossil fuels may be a consideration in the future if more energy is needed. And though AI is the primary consumer of new energy, increased industrial production also requires more energy.

More of a problem exists in China, India and the less developed world, where coal is still a major source of energy. China is the world’s largest user of coal, responsible for more than half of global coal consumption for the last decade. Notwithstanding their being the leader in the use of renewable energy, their coal consumption has increased yearly, setting new records in 2022 and 2023. China and the U.S. are in a race to develop the most advanced AI and data centers, making it likely that China will rely on coal to meet its new AI energy demands. India is also pursuing development of AI and will also be using coal to power their AI and data centers as well as their burgeoning industry. But it’s not only India and China that will be using coal to power their AI and data centers. All of the underdeveloped world wants to hop on the AI bandwagon, which means more use of dirty energy.

Even now, the world has surpassed the limits on global temperatures that were agreed upon at the Paris Accords, and yearly temperatures are continuing to rise. Aside from the effects of the heat on human and other life, the higher temperatures have been responsible for multiple weather disasters which will only continue to get worse. Is it worth it for the benefits that AI may or may not bring to increase global warming and climate change?

www.robertlevinebooks.com

Buy The Uninformed Voter on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or your local bookstore

Artificial Intelligence and Global Warming         

Robert A. Levine