In todays news...

[DefTrap]

I'm automatically cancelling anyone who even mentions woke and snowflake. And of course cancel.

[JackyJoll]

I'm automatically cancelling anyone who even mentions woke and snowflake. And of course cancel.

And “automatically,” if you mean business.

[Saga Lout]

I'm automatically cancelling anyone who even mentions woke and snowflake. And of course cancel.

You appear to be threatening to c*nc*l yourself.

[Potter]

He cancelled his own tour after claiming that some of the venues pulled out after he repeatedly targeted an individual trans person online. He also described trans people as 'mentally ill' and 'a minority group of freaks and weirdos'.
All this from a black, gay, former drug addict with mental health issues who has previously complained of receiving online abuse because of his sexuality and ethnicity...

It doesn't matter is he wasn't a "black, gay, former drug addict with mental health issues", he shouldn't be mean to trans people.

There is nothing wrong with being black.
There is nothing wrong with being gay.
There is nothing wrong with being a former drug addict.
There is nothing wrong with having mental health issues.
There is nothing wrong with being trans.

The suggestion that because he was some of those he should be defined by it and therefore shouldn't be mean to trans people, is a non sequitur.

He just shouldn't be mean to trans people, no need to mention the rest.

[Potter]

Plus that is different. When you would sneak out with you gun and do what ever you we're doing ,you probably knew you we're being a little naughty, the school promoting the idea would allow the child to think it is fine to walk around shooting stuff with guns, plus it is a major safeguarding issue letting children use guns, i'm amazed you cannot see this!

Who in their right mind sneaks out with a gun to be a bit naughty? The mens rea of this speaks a lot about your mindset.

[Felix]

Oops

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65344370

[Hoonercat]

He cancelled his own tour after claiming that some of the venues pulled out after he repeatedly targeted an individual trans person online. He also described trans people as 'mentally ill' and 'a minority group of freaks and weirdos'.
All this from a black, gay, former drug addict with mental health issues who has previously complained of receiving online abuse because of his sexuality and ethnicity...

It doesn't matter is he wasn't a "black, gay, former drug addict with mental health issues", he shouldn't be mean to trans people.

There is nothing wrong with being black.
There is nothing wrong with being gay.
There is nothing wrong with being a former drug addict.
There is nothing wrong with having mental health issues.
There is nothing wrong with being trans.

The suggestion that because he was some of those he should be defined by it and therefore shouldn't be mean to trans people, is a non sequitur.

He just shouldn't be mean to trans people, no need to mention the rest.

It was mentioned to show his hypocrisy, nothing else.

[Potter]

He cancelled his own tour after claiming that some of the venues pulled out after he repeatedly targeted an individual trans person online. He also described trans people as 'mentally ill' and 'a minority group of freaks and weirdos'.
All this from a black, gay, former drug addict with mental health issues who has previously complained of receiving online abuse because of his sexuality and ethnicity...

It doesn't matter is he wasn't a "black, gay, former drug addict with mental health issues", he shouldn't be mean to trans people.

There is nothing wrong with being black.
There is nothing wrong with being gay.
There is nothing wrong with being a former drug addict.
There is nothing wrong with having mental health issues.
There is nothing wrong with being trans.

The suggestion that because he was some of those he should be defined by it and therefore shouldn't be mean to trans people, is a non sequitur.

He just shouldn't be mean to trans people, no need to mention the rest.

It was mentioned to show his hypocrisy, nothing else.

What hypocrisy? Should black people be more nice to trans people than white people because they are black?
Or does black = trans = gay, etc....or something...

I'm not actually looking for an argument, but I thought it was worth pointing out the flaw in the logic.

[Screwdriver]

No I think after probably less than 5 seconds research, I conclude this particular chap is a bit of an asshole. Near as dammit stalking those trans people he has issues with.

I have no problem with any of those groups who are practising their identity politics, doesn't affect e in the slightest.

Until of course it does start to affect me, then I believe I should have the right to object to anyone who wants to inflict their obsession upon me. Depersonalising the issue(s) and looking at the wider picture, I think it is right that people should be able to freely discuss their objections to men competing in women's sports or the increasingly widespread psychosis regarding gender identity being forced upon children.

Right now, as we speak, people are being jailed for daring to express an opinion. That is fantastically dangerous for any society. Free speech is the greatest achievement for any true democracy and these new controls over social media/mainstream media have eroded our rights** as independent free thinking citizens to the point where we either toe the party Line or risk persecution.


**yes this is largely in America currently but history tells us if it is happening there, sooner or later this mental illness, amplified by social media, spreads over here like an electronically transmitted virus.

Which reminds me, if anyone is still wondering why much smarter people than I are also deeply concerned with the rise of A.I. - that sort of positive reinforcement is a biggie. These A.I. can be taught (like children) to believe or accept this type of mental illness and further reinforce the "new normal" using extraordinarily subtle psychological techniques. In other words, we are right at the edge of a precipice where human society can be manipulated or become brainwashed and controlled by the use of disinformation, censorship as well as other less subtle methods including restrictions, financial penalties and prosecution under yet to be ratified laws...

[weeksy]

Which reminds me, if anyone is still wondering why much smarter people than I are also deeply concerned with the rise of A.I. - that sort of positive reinforcement is a biggie. These A.I. can be taught (like children) to believe or accept this type of mental illness and further reinforce the "new normal" using extraordinarily subtle psychological techniques. In other words, we are right at the edge of a precipice where human society can be manipulated or become brainwashed and controlled by the use of disinformation, censorship as well as other less subtle methods including restrictions, financial penalties and prosecution under yet to be ratified laws...

Or the reverse could happen and it could just as easily be wonderful?

[Screwdriver]

Or the reverse could happen and it could just as easily be wonderful?

Indeed and I might discuss it in a thread about Elon Musk except mine has been banned and I refuse to engage in one which insults Elon right off the bat.

It could be "wonderful" but since it is quite vastly unfathomable, some simple safeguards really ought to be in place before it is released into the wild. Elon was kicked out of the startup (with Open AI) because he was insisting on such safeguards (you know, like a big physical off switch) in case Ai starts doing stuff we (humanity) don't like.

No such security overrides are in place.

...because the people running it think the ability to switch off a rogue machine would infringe on it's inhuman rights. Elon was accused of being "specist" at the time. Now we get to wait until it's too late before we discover what sort of intelligence it might become.

Is there any evidence either way? Wonderful or disaster?

[weeksy]

Isn't that what we do with every child born?

They could be a nurse or a serial killer. You don't know. But we still allow people to make more

[Cousin Jack]

Democracy can only work if free speech is protected. Over the last few years that right of free speech has already been eroded by " protected characteristics".

I think everyone should have the right to offend anyone else.

[Gregor]

If you have to be told not be a cunt, then an advert on ITV between some brain dead telly programme ain't gonna make you less of a cunt.

I dunno, I stopped climbing electricity pylons

[Screwdriver]

Isn't that what we do with every child born?

They could be a nurse or a serial killer. You don't know. But we still allow people to make more

Yes but what we don't do is let them play with nuclear weapons for example.

Nor do we ask for their advice on matters of deep social significance. The other issue being, who exactly are the "parents"? What are they teaching this massively intelligent and powerful "child"?

Humans can never shake off their hunter gatherer roots and have an extraordinary talent for turning any technological advance into a weapon. Concord was a failure not because of any lacking in its amazing performance and technological supremacy, it simply did not have a viable role as a weapons system.

The rate at which these latest incarnations of AI are developing themselves is breathtaking and while I may be a notorious cynic, we won't have to wait too long to find out what the result of that development may be.

Another reason I remain skeptical is look what "we" did right after the COVID pandemic. Biological "research" agencies wasted no time at all in developing a more deadly version of the virus. It beggars belief but after all the denials of "gain of function" research being the actual cause of the last pandemic, it has been applied to each of the variants to make them more deadly specifically to humans, "just in case" they need to know what might happen.

I wouldn't blame anyone for shouting "conspiracy theorist" (just this once) because such an idea is so preposterous. Do yourselves a favour though and you will discover it is true and those are the same mega rich elites, political and corporate entities who are driving the quest for a self aware AI.

[Count Steer]

Isn't that what we do with every child born?

They could be a nurse or a serial killer. You don't know. But we still allow people to make more

Some of them could do with a 'big physical off switch' though.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I wouldn't blame anyone for shouting "conspiracy theorist" (just this once) because such an idea is so preposterous. Do yourselves a favour though and you will discover it is true.

It isn't though.

Gain of function research. True. Not at all specific to Covid as it happens. AFAIK Obama actually paused it in the US some years before the pandemic and Trump let the pause slide, but I might have thar wrong.

The rest is you just adding whatever interpretation you feel like.

[Screwdriver]

It isn't though.

Gain of function research. True. Not at all specific to Covid as it happens. AFAIK Obama actually paused it in the US some years before the pandemic and Trump let the pause slide, but I might have thar wrong.

The rest is you just adding whatever interpretation you feel like.

That's a great parody of a "Snopes" debunking. True, it is not necessarily COVID "specific".

Also true, they are doing gain of function research on the SARS-CoV_2 variants in order to make them more deadly to humans.

[Yorick]

Getting away from the dross and back to today's news

A right pair of twats...

Judge Shane Collery KC said the pair "plainly believed you knew better" than other people and were thinking "to hell with everyone else".

"You have to be punished for the chaos you caused and to deter others from copying you," he said, as he sentenced them at Southend Crown Court.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-65263650

[Mr. Dazzle]

That's a great parody of a "Snopes" debunking. True, it is not necessarily COVID "specific".

Also true, they are doing gain of function research on the SARS-CoV_2 variants in order to make them more deadly to humans.

The bit which makes it a conspiracy theory is your suggestion that "the elites" are er...conspiring...in the background to some greater purpose as part of the story. No-one denies the facts.