What is - Artificial Intelligence - AI -ChatGPT

Artificial Intelligence - AI -ChatGPT

All the talk today is this AI machine/computer that can research and write.   This commentary is influenced by recent conversations and a WSJ article, “ChatGPT Heralds an Intellectual Revolution,” by Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt and Daniel Huttenlocher (2/27/2023). Quotes are from the referenced article. 

This AI device is a massive information gathering tool, able to write and share the collected information in sentences and paragraphs humans can read.  Understanding is another issue. Over the past many generations written books, articles, encyclopedias, all manner of information and data has been digitized and stored, made accessible via the internet and various search engines. With enough computer power and speedy access to the worldwide web a question asked can be researched, information compared, ingested and digested, and an answer provided in nano-specs. The generated piece can appear as a written work, albeit not by a human.  Consider it a super-text-generator, not just words completing a sentence you may write, or suggested words that may follow what you are writing. It composes complete sentences and paragraphs. Accuracy of the material may be questioned, should be questioned, not necessarily of the collected data, but by any reliance that the source material itself is real, and factual. The fallacy becomes that of GIGO - garbage in - garbage out.

ChatGPT - The GPT = Generative Pre-training Transformer.  Yes, the machine is in training. And it is chatty.

This AI technology can converse, as it were, with humans, as long as questions are asked. Humans ask, the machine in split seconds researches, reviews and answers. It is as SIRI answering by not just sending you to a website.  From the printing press making human written records or thought available to multitudes, such as the Bible in 1453, this digitized powerful computer search engine and answer/words generator makes almost everything ever recorded, in word or possibly speech, available to the ChatGPT user. All human knowledge is conceivably at your fingertips; billions of items accessed and distilled faster than human consciousness could do it, even a collection of human conscious minds. It is fascinating that the text generated is literate - at least to those that can read.  How the machine learns is a conundrum.  But can it think?  Can it reason?

“Inherently, highly complex, AI furthers human knowledge, but not human understanding.”  The human is still needed, as human reasoning need apply. 

“Generative AI is … poised to generate a new form of consciousness, as yet, however, the opportunity exists in colors for which we have no spectrum and in directions for which we have no compass.”

ChatGPT incorporates data generation along with language models, but the information generated provides no sources, such as authors, speakers, or the written work from which it was obtained.  It can plagiarize or rewrite.  There is a lack of citations.  It can only provide responses based on available data, although vast, upon which it has been “trained.” There are no personal experiences or awareness - it can make probability judgments, but not forecast or predict the future. It is not a thinker.  It is not sentient; it is not alive; it does not have feelings.  You can always pull the plug.  The question that will always exist - what is the truth? Along with what is our purpose and why are we here?  It is the essential ontological question,  ‘What is?’ that AI cannot answer. 

Humans must always remain confident that they are rational beings and can think and have the ability to challenge the output of these AI Machina. Be careful of what you ask the machine. “Trust in AI requires multiple levels of reliability in the accuracy and safety of the machine, alignment of AI aims with human goals and in the accountability of the humans who govern the machine.”  We must ask about how our world was created, is it the Machina that has the answer.  What indeed is The Wonder of Terra (a book by Thomas W. Balderston), as in the Big Bang? 

These machines will get better and better and provide information we can review and use, but will it be believable in every case.  It is a new reality? Will it alter our reality? We may be helped in getting from A to B much faster, but then the next steps will still, will always, remain with us, we the people.  We will always be confronted with who is the Alpha, the Omega, and many will never know, or refuse to know, even accept if they do, who that is.  Certainly it is not a machine.  It takes faith to fully comprehend.  

Thomas W. Balderston

Author and Blogger

Preserving the Rights of Citizens

Preserving the Rights of Citizens

Progress and Science

As an American we often ignore the world as a whole, but it should be considered.  For centuries the world moved forward at a slow pace. From Roman times, certainly prior, until the twentieth century wars were fought mostly with muscle, not machines.  The material elements of combat were limited to hand held devices or implements man manhandled to deliver their impact, such as the cannon.  But science has enabled man to create powerful weapons that have a force far greater than entire armies of past centuries could unleash at an instant.  The delivery of such devices uses transports that have man far from the site of the calamities. No longer hand-to-hand.  Not just in the area of battle, but in the whole of our lives science has led to the concept of warp speed in innovations that have enhanced the lives for all of mankind. More of the 7 billion plus residents of earth enjoy better, improved lives, living longer, than ever before. It is as a train continuing to gather speed, without any thought of slowing down.  In fact to slow the speed would probably have catastrophic consequences. 

Science is the cause, indeed, and science can never be dismissed.  In fact it must be fully understood, discussed, taught, studied, transparent, and outcomes vetted to insure safety and efficacy.  To hide the truth, such as side effects, is to potentially derail the train or at least compromise confidence in advances ongoing.  Man has benefitted by the health we enjoy, the education we receive, the comforts at home, the tools that make our work easier and more productive, and increased leisure. Changes continue, quickly and at times hard to even comprehend. That which has brought us to the present will dimly reflect upon what will occur in the future.  The wheels of progress will spin at an ever increasing rate. 

Yet there are economies and governments that cannot keep up.  Can humans actually keep up?  Has man changed, the human spirit altered? What has science done for the human condition, the soul? Winston Churchill wrote, “Certain it is that while men are gathering knowledge and power with ever-increasing and measureless speed, their virtues and their wisdom have not shown any notable improvements as the centuries have rolled….The nature of man has remained hitherto practically unchanged.” (Fifty Years Hence, published in the Strand, 1931).

Governments/Beneficiaries

With all this progress there are countries whose leadership continuously seeks control over its citizens, giving them a taste of science’s good, while few enjoy the fully ripened fruit. And the sovereign, if an autocrat, enjoys the power possessed. 

Everyone benefits from scientific development - the developer, the manufacturer, and the people, but some more than others.  Certainly all people benefit by the improvements to lives made possible, from infrastructure, roads and utilities, convenience items, to foods, and certainly, TV.  Do all equally benefit from the creation of the new order of things?  Of course not.  Does the capitalist earn the most?  This debate is never ending.  Socialists are constantly standing behind the fence, lifted up by others and now looking over to collectively lay claim to the largesse, a need for transference of the wealth effect so all may enjoy equally.  If the socialist did not create the product should they in equity receive equal rewards?  

Governments labelled as or leaning progressive (Socialist) employ the approach that inequities in society from sources not of the government itself create unfairness.  It is only the government that can maintain the scale at its’ fulcrum, fully balanced.  The fallacy in all this is the government that controls is by far the greater beneficiary, in size, financially, its members personally, and does so with impunity.   It raises a defense for the minority as a tool to obtain support for its political desires, enjoining their support with entitlements, limited in scope, yet effective; while attacking the successful few that make science work for the whole.  They are referred to as privileged, even racist.  The successful are uniquely colored and classified as of a singular supreme nature, regardless of ethnicity or pigmentation. 

Science can be abused. If the crisis that is cured by science is held hostage to the science itself, for political gains, more government control, the reigning power structure wins.  As in war, nationalistic pride is promoted and employed as a tool to require citizens to be engaged for the nation, in work demanded by the government for their survival.  FDR used Executive Privilege and Emergency Powers to convert industry and jobs for the war effort.  In doing so the freedom American’s embraced were sacrificed for the war, the battle at hand.  After the war that was changed.  But consider this.  Since that time the Executive has used Emergency Powers in peacetime for crises of its own, as if in war, be it economic, or health related (Covid). In doing so freedoms were limited. Were our Constitutional freedoms ever fully restored after WWII?  

When science works against the power base and its political template, it can be suppressed.  Intelligent concerns from highly educated sources may be classified as ‘mis-information,’ to the detriment of citizens, their freedom and their well-being.  Truth is hidden. A headline from an article in Scientific American (March 29, 2021) read, “Rejection of mainstream science and medicine has become a key feature of the political right in the US and increasingly around the world.”  Controlling governments, with a tendency to be liberal, claim they are acting for the protection of everyone, their departments are not to be questioned when they tell the populace what they should be doing, even required.  The propaganda: it is resistance from conservative elements that question the veracity of the claims, that facts are concealed. But any who question the government’s proclamations are then put into the same pocket, even prevented from earning a living. The government knows how to blame, but also how to lie. We have all heard it, ‘Get the stab or lose your job, your commission, your pension.  Lying loudly, limiting freedom of speech, debate, argument, withholding evidence, controlling media (print, social and broadcast media), and dictating to its citizens enables the political party in power and its alliances to maintain their grip, being authoritarian, self-righteous, and to reign supreme.  This is the socialist model.  It entails meddling and intervention. The citizenry suffers. 

It seems reasonable to me that those that make science work for you and me deserve more.  After all they were either the creators, the developers, the manufacturers, the service agents or the enhancers.  They gave their time to learning, to thinking, to investing, often their own money (time and treasure), then teaching others, employing others, training, providing jobs and opportunities, and taking the risk. Those that fail receive very little.  But those that succeed receive much.  Should we be jealous? No, we should be thankful.

Equity

Therefore, I ask, is it the right of any citizen to demand equity under all circumstances, even when they benefit but do not create or produce?  What is the correct public policy? What are governments to do?  Are they to speak for the masses? Or are they to represent the individual? Does the government work for the people or the people for the government? America’s Constitution clearly has the government as representative of the people and thus working for We The People.  But today’s government is resisting that concept. In an article written in 1936 by Winston Churchill (Collier’s, What Good’s A Constitution), “Every self-respecting citizen in every country must be on his guard lest the rulers demand of him in time of peace sacrifices only tolerable in a period of war for national self-preservation.” How insightful!  A President’s intent when using Emergency Powers in time of peace should always be questioned; and in principal not permitted.  It brings to the surface the adage of never letting a good crisis go to waste.  Said crisis becomes a device to strengthen the Party in Power’s hand over its citizens.  

In America sovereign power rests with the people, and is exercised through Congress, elected representatives. A President is not the Sovereign, as a King, as they are not autonomous, not dictators. There exist controls over their authority.  Yet there are those that would prefer that not be the case; those who use surreptitious means to enhance their power.

Government For The People

Government, in speaking for everyone, can provide an education, even subsidies to attend modern universities, they can tax and apply surplus wealth for the common good, and they can attempt to equalize the playing field for all.  One might argue that where the government aides in education, the educated should be in the sciences where the advances benefiting society as a whole are the greatest. Not in the political sciences.  Humanities, yes, as a groundwork to further education, but not in the area of unscientific controversial social issues.  History, when the truth is presented, will cast sufficient light on the success and failures of social programs, that if studied could mitigate the extent to which similar social programs are constantly brought to the surface anew.  But the playing field to be equal for all as a socialist government purports will never be equal.  As much as they try to diminish the ‘other’ factors, such as family, church, faith, mentors, and finance, those influencers will strive to make their children, their students, those applying themselves, and independent self-motivated persons, learn more, try harder, dress better, be more socially conscious, seek the best examples to emulate, to achieve, to score, and to succeed.    

Today’s Administration

From this current Administration, under Biden and the Democratic powers that appear to hold his strings, we have experienced economic wars and health wars of their creation, elements of reality to only them indeed. Attempts have been made to compel citizens to serve the State, never questioning any claims nor authority. More subjective than objective, facts have been disguised, discussion limited, and alternative information suppressed. It has allowed socialism to arise, as tattoos inked on the arms of its citizens, to be nationalistic, while citizen’s rights and freedoms have been curtailed.  Their success has been remarkable.  Will we now, or ever, experience a return to the sensibilities of a government for the people?  

Governments come and go, but our civil servants remain. Has our government become too big, filled with entrenched, protected liberals that bide their time, and bathe in their spoils.  Has an internal political permanent infrastructure evolved? Does this cadre of leftest socialistic ideology enjoy the times when Democrats are in control. When a Republican house is erected do they simply do the minimum awaiting a Democrat return. They are as termites, chewing at the foundation of our Constitutional structure.  Is the socialist mindset, and the entitlement dependent class, too buried in the halls of Washington to ever dig out.  This Administration enjoys power over the people.  This is not the America the Founders even intended.  And we are not at war. 

The only emergency is the need to return the power to the people and protect citizen’s rights.  This Administration is interfering with the rights of our citizens; as citizens we must interfere and alter the course America is now on.  As many cry out, it is the voting booth that is being abused.  That is where change takes place. We need identification (ID’s) for just about everything that is important - banking, driving, licenses, passports, flying, crossing borders (American’s anyway), seeing medical professionals, and more.  To vote is simple logic: You must be a US citizen to vote; a US citizen, to vote, must show proper ID of citizenship. It is one of our greatest Rights.  It is essential that privilege is secure. It’s your vote and not someone else voting in your place.  In person voting is the best practice.  As to mail-in ballots it should only be when specifically requested and for good reason (illness, handicap, out of the area when the polls are open).  However if ballot harvesting is permitted then Republicans need to do as good a job at it as the Democrats.  

Free Thinking, Freedom Loving

In socialism there is misery. People’s rights and freedoms are limited.  In capitalism there are blessings. People’s rights and freedoms are embraced. Neither are perfect, nor wholly equitable. Equal opportunity provides a starting point for all our children, yet equal opportunity does not mean equal outcomes. No government can be the equalizer.  Equal outcomes are impossible.  Incentives are needed to enable all those who strive to become as good as they can be.  A dependent society will be weak and disinterested; it will be indoctrinated to rely on government, and expect more.  As a result the dependents feel entitled and in turn embolden political factions prone to give as much of the ‘others’ success as possible in exchange for their increased numbers in government and at the helm.  

America’s Constitution is the finest document ever written to preserve the Rights of Citizens.  The progressives are not progressive, but regressive.  It took many millenniums for a gathering of men of various persuasions to finally collaborate and write our Constitution.  The Declaration of Independence voices the freedoms we must preserve.  There has never been a successful socialist country.  There are successful capitalistic countries.  For the people life is better when there is fiscal responsibility, small government, open pathways to opportunity, fewer impediments to innovation, basic education and not indoctrination, greater incentives to achieve, less regulation, faith and family embraced, secure borders, and when our homes and neighborhoods are safe.   The vision that is thus presented is an open blue sky, the warm sun on our shoulders, happy children playing in the streets, and an avenue with few obstacles towards our pursuit of happiness. Freedom is protected; rights preserved.

Science will continue at its exponential pace.  Science best advances under the free markets.  Government’s can intervene, show favorites, respond to their financial lifeblood, the lobbyists, only wanting what is best for the power base. Science has helped to streamline almost every discipline, except possibly that of government.  Government has become and elephant when a thoroughbred is required.  In crisis science can be abused, not just by governments, but greedy capitalists as well. There are imperfections.  Human nature has not advanced as much as technology, except to be considered more civilized when surrounded by the materials of science and tech.  But that is the pig lipstick case. 

Be guided by your parents and your mentors. Find examples to emulate. Live to be free. Learn, love, have babies, and be their guide.  Beware: the Government has a tendency to deceive, to lie, protecting its cronies, its base and its turf.  Protect your heritage as an American. 

 

by Thomas W. Balderston

Author and Blogger

1/2023

The Fabian’s

The Fabian’s

After world war one, the time of Winston Churchill and Great Britain, there was a group of individuals, mostly men, that spoke about progressive ideas that would create equity. It was the Labour Party, evolved from the late 1800‘s  Fabian society. One of its leaders was George Bernard Shaw, noted for his writing skills and ability to influence with his talent for words. It was the time too when Karl Marx communist manifesto was being touted.  It was not the first time Socialism was addressed, but it was now being presented in a thriving capitalistic society, and embraced by political factions. So the Fabians are not a family, that is of parents and children, mother, father, but more of a family that is oriented towards more governmental oversight; the head of household is politically progressive. It would recognize that not everyone’s parents are equal in their ability to educate, cultivate, develop their children and a society, or government, takes on the role of overseer. Similarly in the workplace there were concerns about the equality of opportunity, which on the surface seems a rational approach, but is impossible to achieve. From the book Churchill’s Trial, authored by Larry P Arnn,  “most socialists believe a socialist state would be ethical, that is, right, and good, because it would make a way for all to live equally well, and it would suppress or overcome the selfishness in man.“ (pg. 133). It should be noted that the Fabian’s were predominantly atheists, as today are the majority of socialist and progressives.

Winston Churchill is the most prominent individual to speak out against Socialism since its inception and increasing presence in bureaucracy during his extensive political career.  He felt strongly that individualism was essential to the character of a human being, and that socialist exercises inherently reduce freedom of expression, ideas, and opportunity, while at the same time mitigating individual freedom. He felt strongly that even a poor man was stronger when his individual freedoms were maintained, his manhood enhanced. To cite Churchill, “the inherent place of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings. The inherent virtue of Socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.”  During World War II he may have been the closest in understanding Nazism and Russia’s communism. He saw elements of Socialism close up. And he provided a warning that as Socialism progresses in a society, there arises the need, by the socialists, of what amounts to a police state. And he also said that Socialism “leads inevitably to communism” and the “sacrifice of personal individual liberties.“ (from an election address February 15, 1950). Churchill felt also that the best citizens of the society were independent people. Those more dependent on society were neither effective in advancing the nations in which they lived nor objective and fair to all people. Socialism limits objectivity.  

Excepted from the Churchill Trials book. Churchill expressed a critical concern for Socialism’s need for control of the population (from a speech June 4, 1945, during an election campaign):

“I declare to you, from the bottom of my heart, that no socialist system can be established without a political police. Many of those who are advocating Socialism or voting socialist today will be horrified at this idea. That is because they are shortsighted, that is because they do not see where their theories are leading them. No socialist government conducting the entire life and industry of the country could afford to allow free, sharp, or violently-worded expressions of public discontent. They would have to fall back on some form of Gestapo, no doubt very humanely directed in the first instance.”

When I first read this quote, I thought of the Biden administration‘s efforts, using the DOJ and the FBI to suppress information on the Hunter Biden exposé, the ‘laptop,’ and the use of Twitter (and other social media), silencing voices, users, even those individuals that opposed candidates for political office that were not Democrats, or spoke out against the current administration or praised the opposition, such as Trump.

When you take a deeper dive into this whole idea of Socialism, its impact on freedoms that we love in America, there has clearly been an ongoing effort to orient Americans towards more progressive ideas and methodology. Since the establishment of the Department of Labor in the early 1900s we have seen evidence of support for Institutions that mitigate individualism in favor of more collective groups. I find labor unions, particularly oppressive towards productivity and open mindedness. Indeed, unions were intended to protect workers from greedy capitalists, and that point was made, however, they have evolved into a more protective class that is heavily liberal in their thinking and political orientation. They have become a favorite group for leftists who see them as a voting bloc and therefore support their growth. This is true today in Michigan where the current governor wants to overturn legislation that supports “right to work“ favoring all employees required to join Unions.  During the Covid spell teachers unions went out of their way to protect teachers, neglecting the students whose job it is for them to educate. The quality of education in our nation, especially at the public school level has declined dramatically. Recent statistics noted that America ranks first in the world in spending per capita to teach a child, but ranks 26th or 27th in outcomes. My argument is that the cost of education and the quality of education in public schools is a result of teachers Unions and the focus they have protecting teachers regardless of their effectiveness. This union needs to be mindful that without students they have no purpose. Tenure is not helpful. Rewarding merit would be.  Incentives aide productivity while entitlements lessen results.  Parents need a greater say in who teaches, who continues to teach, how and what they teach, not the union nor the government. 

And where we are today as a nation in our teaching of children, from elementary school, through college, began well before Covid. 

The progressives have been very effective at introducing a means of indoctrinating children with their ideology, favoring a managerial collective, against family, against God, and against individualism. And what is suppressed is freedom.  The term ‘progressive’ is misappropriated as it is not progress at all if you want your freedom, your personal thoughts and individualism maintained to the highest degree. Once the children are indoctrinated, they become teachers themselves, they become leaders in business, they bring their thinking to the political theater, and they become the journalists, or what seems to be more ‘opinionistas’ in media today. What is referred to as the main stream media is now a cabal of newspapers, cable television, public television, and social media (Facebook, instagram, tik-toc, et al) that says the same thing, or ignores the same issues. They do not have the whole audience, readers and viewers, hearing the whole story, but those stories that they want to tell in the fashion they prefer their stories, their views, be heard. And their reporting is oriented more towards the progressive, or the entitled class, the more dependent elements of society, by their definition. Media outlets that speak with a different viewpoint, or share truths that conflict with the progressive perceived ideology, become targets for ridicule and at times removal. For the socialist, the progressive, this main stream media has become their police force. 

A powerful wholly indoctrinated ‘humanely directed’ system was built patiently overtime to become a cudgel against capitalism, family, and God, enabling socialism to creep deep into our American way of life. In Government also the employee base is largely well indoctrinated clones of progressive ideology, an ideology many do not fully understand. Raised by society persons have been weakened, even broken, to include family relationships. Proof is in the number of fatherless homes and the decline in marriages for the purpose of having family and raising children.

But I will always claim children of a strong family, mothers and fathers that love, that care, that educate, that guide, will be successful.  Faith is important too in forming capable individuals.  They will embrace their individualism. They will understand diversity is not color, but ideas and talents and skills and thoughts to be shared, discussed, and debated and that racism is a myth.

The liberal sphere of influence continues to fight the ideal of family and religion, because they perceive inequity results. Meaning there will be individuals that will excel more than others. Socialism wants everything the same, all bulbs to burn at the same brightness, even if that is dull. 

Racism is a tool to create division, as is climate control, and the abuse of science. Of greater concern is ignoring scientific evidence for political purposes. Such division is obviously destructive to a cohesive sovereign society of shared voices and values. Within the boundaries of a successful country protections are needed to insure a person’s safety, opportunity, freedom, and individualism. If within those boundaries internal factions reorient the purpose, taking advantage of a base created for power, for profit, and for control, hiding behind a screen of verbal claims of progress and inclusivity, the majority looses their voice and their vote, the only means of change they have.  Then the Fabian’s are winning. A surreptitious police state less obvious than that of China, Iran, Russia, even when Hitler was in power, has taken hold. That is dangerous.  Opposing voices will not surface, or if they do they will be shot, figuratively or actually. There will be misery.

America needs to change. Elon Musk has opened the eyes of many. The overwhelming surge of illegal immigrants is finally coming into view. There are even some in the main stream media that are finally speaking out. Are we seeing a change. Will the progressive minority in control continue to suppress, or the silent majority finally rise up and find a way to restore America’s strength, individualism, complete freedom, and open mindedness. Will the debate have two sides that will listen and maybe even change their view at times. Will our education system have parents fighting back to ensure children are educated as a parent would want them taught, not as a progressive society that would say no homework because of advantages to children with parents at home to help them, or having all students receive the grade of A because of the embarrassment to failing students. The socialist/progressive/liberal protects  those less engaged or even less interested, say it, ‘lazy.’  Using entitlements they are even rewarded, paid and need not work as hard as others. 

We need to stop the efforts in dumbing down Americans. We can be as smart or smarter than other nations as we have historically been. To do so we must be the best at educating, the most creative, productive and efficient in manufacturing. Not the most diverse, the most environmentally conscious, or the most socially conscious as a primary objective. ESG measures cannot be the prime focus of any business if it wants to be the most competitive. We need to provide the incentives to be better. I believe in a meritocracy, in work, in education, and in life.  Will there be change? Can there be change? We can only pray? But we can embrace the work ethic, not discredit those who try, who strive. 

Success will always come to those that get off the dependency train, do not seek handouts, do not blame some manufactured ‘system’ for their plight, but raise above and seek and find the best in themselves. That is how the majority, I truly believe, thinks. And for those that are poor, handicapped, and in need, the good will find a way to care for them. Church life is a heart beating for those seeking to help others and to be helped, for the privileged and the underprivileged. The progressives do not like church or what it represents as they are embarrassed by the truth, how churches help others efficiently and effectively. A dollar helping the needy from a church is a dollar, while a welfare dollar has a bureaucracy cost to it that inflates the cost of a dollar to the needy to a figure far greater. They do not understand volunteering as a person of faith, as a child of God. Why not? What is wrong with that? Is it too much competition? I do not believe we are a nation with 72 different sexes, or that men can have babies, even a person born a man or woman can ever fully be the opposite, no matter what a doctor can achieve. But you can be an individual, accepted as you want to be, just not deny reality or truth. 

If, as the progressive, we cater to the C student, the underachiever, or the marginal factions, the only result can be lower standards, less quality, imperfections, bad medicine, a weaker military, less innovation, and less progress.  In his anti-Socialism stance Churchill said, “it would be highly infertile, and the mass of the people would be much worse off under an all-embracing bureaucracy.“ Progress is a myth under socialism or progressivism. Why, because  the pace of an advancing society, the speed at improving the lives of all Americans, all people’s, must necessarily be at the pace or speed of the slowest and the weakest among us. 

American cannot be a Fabian Society. It is heading that way, but the pendulum will return and that which made America the most successful in history, an example to all other nations, a beacon to follow, an exemplar, will return. We did not achieve our world position as a socialist nation. There has never been a successful socialist nation. Try to name one. Find one in history. There are those that have profited handsomely as a leader in such societies, but never the people. They have lived in the doldrums. 

Keep America’s lights as bright as possible. The corruption needed for the liberals, the progressives, to continue will not be tolerated. If it is we become more like Venezuela, Cuba, Russia, and other’s that went from Fabian to socialism to communism thinking it the perfect utopia to what they are in fact, dictatorships and police states. 

In America we have failed States, California the leading example. Let this not lead to a failed nation with a family clan the only financial beneficiary. All Americans benefit most in what may be an imperfect system called ‘capitalism,’ but it works best for freedom loving independent minded objective people. 

Thomas W. Balderston

Author and Blogger

Note: The Fabian Society is a British socialist organisation whose purpose is to advance the principles of social democracy and democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist effort in democracies, rather than by revolutionaryoverthrow

More Wokeness - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) - Caveat Emptor - Defend Our Freedom

 

More Wokeness - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) - Caveat Emptor - Defend Our Freedom

If you were required as an educator to sign a pledge to apply in all your teaching and programs the liberal points of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” how would that make you feel. My reaction was, ‘Is this the USA?’ It is a stepping stone to liberal woke totalitarianism. Do you agree? Would you sign? Would you sign if it meant losing your job if you did not? Or might you consider this too kafkaesque? 

We are allowing our Nation to be compromised by the woke leftists. From global warming, to climate change, to fossil fuel frenzied fanatics, to stimulus & entitlements more socialistic and inflationary in nature, to a disdain for capitalism, pronoun insanity, a disturbing resistance to freedom, especially freedom of speech, a dislike of family, God and patriotism, and constant expressions of hatred for America’s history, progress, and greatness, we are allowing our Nation to become weak, soft, overly comfortable, too materialistic, and spiritually depleted. 

The majority are not woke, but the joke is on them, because the majority is allowing it to happen. The liberal leftest termites are eating away at the foundations of our Nation, from the basements of our education system, to our capital, our churches and our neighborhoods. To curb and eventually change this trend, even reverse it, the majority, the non-woke, need to become more aware, awake, alive and active in saying ‘no.’ It is the voting public that has enabled this to happen. If you do not love America, then leave it. But where would you go? If you love America then follow the facts, seek the truth, know the lies, the propaganda, recognize the deceit and defend our freedom. Vote into office experienced, strong, capable, intelligent, proven leaders. 

If we have to defend our freedom from an invading species, would you or your children enlist, fight, or sacrifice to protect our Constitution, our culture, our way of life? Or would the invaders be allowed to have their way with us to preserve the peace, and your security.  Many nations allowed the loudest voices, the dictators, the elite to take control of their countries just to live under a totalitarian regime. Others ignored what was taking place, as when Stalin was killing 40,000 each month to eliminate those that objected to his ideology and command. Even America ignored, or were ignorant of the truth. The propaganda from the Soviet politburo was accepted. America wanted to be left at peace while many nations after WWII fell to the dictates of socialist ideologies that always benefitted the elite, those closest and in line with the administrations, and never the citizens, the quiet and the suppressed and oppressed populations, the enablers. Once firm in our resolve to see a world, many nations, free of tyranny, we slowly lost our willingness to deal with it all. It was noticeable.

Even when residents of controlling regimes wanted to leave emigration was denied, with death as punishment for those that resisted or tried to leave. Why leave a superior Nation, unless it was not; which a socialist, communist nation, has never been. Oddly history proves that socialist nations rely only on natural resources that God blessed their lands. Never productive nations, as they relied on goods and services provided by the industrious, the prosperous, the capitalistic countries.  Russia entered space with equipment and technology sourced elsewhere.  And all too often the communist, socialist, totalitarian regimes, turned to the more successful freer nations when there was famine or a disaster. They did not even have the ability, the agricultural skills, to feed their own. America was always there to provide aide. Should we have? All too often there was no gratitude for the bailout, we were still the American Imperialists, the Nation to be hated, the failing capitalist entity, the example of a failure, so promoted, that suggested a socialistic way, ideology, was best. Best for whom, yes, the elite. 

America continues to lose its position in the world. We are too ready to supply our enemies with materials and technology.  That works to our detriment.  Why do it?  It’s the money. We seem prepared at any moment to provide aide to failing socialist regimes, for the good of their people, so it is said, while in reality enriching the elite few. The elite then lie to us, and their people, and we blindly believe we are doing a world of good. Are we? Why do we have such a great sense of guilt. 

We have nothing to be guilty about; in just a short period from our inception as a Nation, a capitalistic work ethic and model, God fearing too, not a monarchy nor socialist totalitarian regime, a republic, we became after WWII, in less than 200 years from inception, the clear leader of the world, the free world and otherwise. But the growing woke within our culture and our institutions have created a distorted view of reality impacting both external affairs and internal affairs. 

Externally, we need to curtail our dealings and dependency on totalitarian regimes, as China, also our trade with Russia and others.  We need to restore our prominence in the world and protect our technological advances. We need to manufacture more of our critical supply needs, to include pharmaceuticals in the US. We need to be careful about educating our enemies and providing inroads into our cherished science and industrial advances. We need to avoid catering to the woke leftists and their penchant to weaken America internally and promoting globalist ideals. Support for democracies and free nations is worthy. For communist, socialist, dictatorial regimes whose historical proven tendency is to degrade America and capitalism, and educate their populations that we are evil imperialists intent on taking them over, trade and aide with them only hurts us.

The American internal order of things now needs a correction. Not just DEI, we have CRT, 1619, even ESG, and more. Our media is incompetent. Journalists seek headlines for their bias, lies, deceptions and their own perceived outcomes, using word salads and erroneous descriptions, leftest models of propagandizing to allow for men to be pregnant, sexes to be other than God proclaimed, criminals to be victims, children to be sexually altered, and abundant clean fossil fuel to be replaced with EV models and alternative energy sources all of which rely on fossil fuel for their creation. AND when they fail, used for the sake of clean air, energy, and water, we allow EV, solar and wind detritus to come to our disposal sites, their lifespan over, and pollute all they are portrayed to keep sanitary. History is under attack. History is invaluable to our understanding of the good, the bad, the progress, the failures and successes of our Nation. We need to remember. We are not perfect, but compared to the rest, we are what God would prefer. We are just not what the woke leftest have been indoctrinated, trained and brainwashed to believe. 

The ‘woke’ are privileged and laden with a perceived guilt engendered by the errors of their fathers (or as they might prefer their ‘birthing parentage’), taught and tested to proclaim as truth for their class grade liberal doctrine, racial fissures, and a need to cleanse by distortion our heritage. 

Somehow Americans that do not accept the Big Lies, which I sense is the majority, need to act. But have we become comatose, drugged by the repetition of falsehoods perpetuated by the left. I believe most Americans do not read the news, follow the news or care about the news. But they do hear or are impacted by the noise. The left knows it can only succeed by being the loudest, noisiest, in the room, bullying, lying, deceiving, working in unison with their cadre of well trained seals from schools, universities, courtrooms, political party pundits, the media, Congress and today the White House.  They can be blatant in their denial as the Press Secretary recently was bold faced when saying the Wall in AZ was not being completed under the Biden Administration, when indeed it is. A political move in an attempt to salvage a Democrat held senate seat, coupled with an inability to admit the fact.  Or that we do not have an immigration problem. Or we are not in a recession. Or the problem is with guns and not the criminals.  There are a multitude of Pinocchios in Washington DC and in the Party machinery.  Those not compromised by the falsehoods need to speak out, like the parents in VA, be vigilant, resist the intolerance and the rebukes they receive and allow their freedom to prevail, the truth to be heard and known. 

There is a battleground from coast to coast in the USA and freedom must be defended. It is the woke against the God fearing, America loving, family oriented, working class, independent, voter. Who is winning, and who will be victorious?  The majorly can no longer be passive; we are not doomed. yet 

America needs to be firm, to find its strengths, not rely nor vote into office feeble leaders. We are currently experiencing what can result. These are perilous times. Let not our younger generation get carried away by vacuous, unworthy ideas. Do not defer to the opinions of children when you know better, by education and experience. We have access to every form of data, let’s not ignore it, or be too lazy to uncover the facts, or we deceive ourselves. Pick your leaders wisely. Government is big, some say too big (with which I agree), unwieldy and probably impossible for any person to properly govern. Thus we need to find the brightest, most moral, most experienced in the duties of the office, one who has successfully governed, employed others, been a decision maker of consequence, has spiritual fortitude, loves America and our freedom, our Constitution also, and has the character of a statesmen appealing to the majority. That is what is needed to confront the political as well as the spiritual and moral crisis we face today. 

God Bless America. Awake America. Fight for Family. Expose the Lies.  Live the Truth. Do not be Passive. 

by 

Thomas W. Balderston

Author and Blogger

(August 2022)

Asleep to Reality

 Asleep to Reality

Where is this world, our Nation, headed?  Many questions and concerns arise constantly about the path our Nation is taking?  Is our education system guiding our children in the right direction?  What is the correct direction?  Are parents, fathers and mothers, providing the oversight and guidance their children need?  Are the responsibilities of parents being shirked, or forgotten?  Who is in charge?

Our culture is under the influence of progressive political forces which have created chaos and confusion.  The effort has been to undermine essential foundations that are faith and family.  Preference is towards individual success and rights that remove the spiritual from the equation, yes God, and insert material objectives, or self, as the critical determinant. It has been referred to as “God in the mirror.” Progress has been wrapped in a mythical burrito containing elements that exclude God as an ingredient.  The end product lacks what is needed to make it a proper dish, as without God, making it tasteless and un-satisfying.  Purpose is questioned ad nauseam.  

Part of he battle field is between the role of man, and woman, not an amalgam of the two, with diffused characteristics that deny God’s creation.  There is no cloud nor need for deception, redefining the sexes, or forming new sexual classes, except by those that are themselves confused, improperly educated, ignorant or closeted from reality, lack logic, and deny truth.  Clearly a lie is not truth.  But in today’s world many lies are being gathered into a collection, the ‘Big Lie”, making an ideological palette that lacks essence.  A reference may be the ‘illusion of truth,’ as “repetition makes a fact seem more true, regardless of whether it is or not. Understanding this effect can help you avoid falling for propaganda,” says psychologist Tom Stafford.

Progressive beliefs, politically progressive formulated ideals, when studied, lack the most strident principles of validity.  An ideology of man’s creation is formed and used to indoctrinate youth to become adherents, lacking objective alternatives to consider, and as they mature to become advocates and spokespersons; the scales covering their eyes prevent a true picture of reality.  Most often removed from their learning curve is God, the Bible and family.  But also, what is denied or ignored, is the truth.  

For those that have read Solzhenitzen (Aleksadr Solzhenitzen 1918-2008) the question that arises, ‘would he be incarcerated in America today by the Progressive idealists, as he was in Communist Russia for his criticism of the Communist State?’  He wrote and spoke out against political repression and the anti-religious campaign by the Russian totalitarian regime for ignoring facts that are truth and propagating lies.  His inherent emphasis was ‘God is in charge’ not the idealists. 

In his book, Warning to the West, Mr. Solzhenitsyn alerts American and British audiences that “totalitarianism is coming.” As the author posits, the grand irony is that greater government control seduces the masses into thinking that “the State will save us” when in reality, it is the beast that will devour them. The hope is that the burden of slavish materialism can be shaken off by giving free reign to the spiritual life inherent to all human beings.  Solzhenitzen is described on one of his many book covers as “an intransigent opponent of ideological tyranny and moral relativism, and a thinker and moral witness who is acutely sensitive to the great drama of good and evil that takes place within every human soul.”

There may be far too many of us, not just Americans, but throughout the world, that have allowed these progressive idealists, a minority of the total populations, to become too loud and too much in charge.  Is it because we are lazy, or do not believe such views and lies can be adopted as the norm?  Or are we too busy with our own ‘self’? We need to look around us and become more pro-active in insuring the truth prevails and God’s basics be understood.  Parents are speaking out, yet the family structure continues to diminish.  However, know this, where there is family and a belief in our Creator, there will be success, a sense of belonging and purpose.  

Money is being used by wealthy progressive idealists to support media outlets, content providers, candidates and office holders to promote their lies.  Effective propagandizing, politicizing, false criticisims, overwhelming the airwaves, TV and movie screens, and curriculums (from grade school through university) to install their platform as the only program for people to follow, to adhere to, is rampant. It is difficult to fully comprehend their agenda. It seems clear totalitarian regimes blinded to the light of truth are sought. 

The root cause behind the rise of totalitarianism is godlessness

The fault lies with the silent majority.  We need to be heard, not just at the ballot box, but as encouragers, believers, and spokespersons for the truth.  It is not a theocracy we seek, but an informed citizenry aware of biblical values, values that with an open mind cannot be refuted, regardless of a Judeo-Christian belief system.  Thomas Jefferson was not a believer in the Christian triune God as much as he was the ethical and moral foundations inherent in the bible, undeniable truths. He believed in one God and was guided and enlightened by biblical principles.  His thoughts as to separation of church and state applied to government not becoming a theocracy.  Preventing voices speaking the truth, expressing their Godly opinions, praying and reading from the bible on public, government owned, property was never considered. 

We are in a deep sleep and need to become aware and awake. Civilization, a big concept indeed, is said to end when there is a universal moral decline. Is that what we are experiencing?  The alarm is ringing.  We need to hear it and get to work on restoring our Nation and the World to truth and the freedom to speak the truth. Yes, asleep to reality will lead to only more chaos and emptiness among all people.  We can no longer be passive.  The hand of truth must be seen and apply itself with firmness.  We all need to be saying, ‘Not one more step in the wrong direction!’ Pick your leaders and the examples you follow carefully, be informed, and properly vet them.  Examine their moral character and their ideological rhetoric. Are they rational, logical?  What you believe matters. Not what they tell you to believe.  And never discount the power of the Word. 

After all God is in charge. There is nothing wrong or to be embarrassed about going to church.  There you can be in the company of seekers and kingdom builders, and learn with an open mind. We are responsible for the truth; humans are graced by God to insure the freedom of everyone to comprehend the truth.  Let not your heart be deceived. 

by

Thomas W. Balderston

Author and Blogger. 

ESG - A ‘WokeJoke’ or What?

 

ESG - A ‘WokeJoke’ or What?

The stock market and the Bond Market, the world of money management and investing has been invaded by the Woke Folk.  Individuals invest, directly or indirectly, via pension funds or mutual funds, and seek companies or bond offerings of quality enterprises who can earn money and when it comes to bonds, those that have the expectation of paying off the debt.  Quality companies are growth or dividend paying and can be attractive.  The strength of their balance sheet is important.  Demand for products and services propels businesses to succeed.  And when they borrow, the ability to repay is important.  When we lend we want to be paid back.  Historically interest rates for borrowers reflected their ability to repay.  Rating agencies, such as Standard and Poors, rate bonds for quality, a scale that reflects highest to lower expectations of continuous repayment of obligations.  AAA is the highest.

"For years now, the cult of ESG economic activists has been working overtime to infuse unwanted, woke ideology into the American economic system because they know their social policies wouldn’t pass the sniff test from voters," Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said on July 27, 2022. "It’s anti-American, anti-freedom, a deliberate attempt to subvert our democracy and not in the best interest of Florida businesses (ant business), retirees, or investors."

The Woke crowd, a minority in my opinion, has been able to introduce, with adoption by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) and Standard and Poors, an additional standard.  Thus ESG. This rating is based on qualitative factors, not quantitative. An issuer’s ESG rating is determined by researching and documenting answers to a number of qualitative questions (or inputs) for each of the three pillars (E, S and G). There are hundreds of potential inputs, some subjective, some objective and some simply estimated. 

What is ESG?  E is for Environmental issues. S is for Social issues.  And G is for Governance issues.  This is where the Woke Folk are let loose to not only introduce and suggest factors to be considered, but also to influence investment management groups. The focus appears to favor environmentalists, diverse staffing and hiring practices, to include race, sex and sexual orientation, pay structures and work environments.  The more diverse receive higher ratings.  Those who provide more benefits to their employees receive higher ratings. The lower the carbon footprint, the higher the rating.  High CEO pay may cause downgrades.  You can start to paint your own picture.  A company with high demand for its products with attractive profit margins is important, but now can, having a lower ESG rating, find fewer buyers, a lower price-earnings ratio, and higher rates on its debt securities. If deserving of a high standard on the ESG scale the capital markets are more attractive. 

The term ESG was popularly used first in a 2004 report titled “Who Cares Wins.”  There is an ESG Institute.  They define ESG - Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) is an approach to evaluating the extent to which a corporation works on behalf of social goals that go beyond the role of a corporation to maximize profits on behalf of the corporation's shareholders. Typically, the social goals advocated within an ESG perspective include working to achieve a certain set of environmental goals, as well as a set of goals having to do with supporting certain social movements, and a third set of goals having to do with whether the corporation is governed in a way that is consistent with the goals of the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) movement. (Yes, there is such a movement.)

Joel Makeower, Chariman and co-founder of the Greenbiz Group, said this, “ESG ratings are first and foremost an independent opinion about the environmental, social and governance risks facing a company and its shareholders, not the risks to people and the planet. And the ratings can also have value as an information resource for capital.”  

There is a S&P 500 ESG Index.   Tesla was recently removed from the index; its ESG rating considered too poor.  This arose from multiple deaths involving Tesla cars, racial discrimination concerns and questionable working conditions at manufacturing facilities.  Tesla makes an environmentally favorable electric vehicle, but arbitrary concerns bounced them from the S&P ESG deck. In reaction, Musk tweeted that the move came, “Despite Tesla doing more for the environment than any company ever!” He also called ESG investing a “scam.”  Oddly enough many energy, fossil fuel companies, are still rated favorably by ESG rating agencies. 

The intent of credit ratings are to value those who access the capital markets.  S&P explains that ratings are “an independent opinion of your organization's overall creditworthiness and financial strength.” So what value is added or subtracted when ESG is considered?  Is this an attempt at valuing a real world impact being made by businesses, even when it impacts their bottom line?  Are the financial rewards/costs to be ignored?  The bottom line - it is about what businesses are doing about the environment and their communities.  Are they good citizens, good managers, good employers, good to their people, et al and this now requires a rating.

Aniket Shah, managing director and global head of ESG at the investment banking firm Jefferies Group, said. "What ESG has done, and done it more well than poorly, is that it has socialized and educated the financial and business worlds on a bunch of topics that they weren't knowledgeable about before. And maybe it's because I am a part-time academic that I think that education is really powerful.”  ‘Socialized and educated,’ part one, and a ‘bunch of topics,’ part two. ESG is making companies aware and investors of their role as a responsible provider, not just to the markets they serve, but to our water, our air, our dignity and our world. Does that need to be rated?

You be the judge, is that enough to justify businesses having large ESG departments engaged year around to complete and comply with the paperwork needed to provide those that rate the data requested/needed to provide their ESG quotient?

Right now the balance is more to the ‘woke’ left than wholly practical.  Being a good citizen is just part of business and in my view does not need a cast of employees to find data, provide data, analyze data, more qualitative than quantitative, that can result in an evaluation by either a conservative or a liberal analytical team to yield a rating that can effect the cost of doing business and investors willingness to invest.  Beware protestors too can be alerted of those for whom ‘cancel culture’ applies if the ESG rating is low. 

After the Minnesota and Portland protests/riots many gave to BLM, including Bank of America, which did not make me happy, which many have called ‘white guilt.’  Did this help their ESG ratings? And now, looking at the real picture, are they more fools for being scammed?  Much of the justification for the evidence, the data, that comprises the ESG rating is to make companies, the executives, appear more accepting, more embracing of a racial mix, intersectional hiring, and provide evidence of a work environment, product standards, and how they handle their waste materials as being responsible and compliant.  A good company does all this without the need for ESG.  In hiring best practices suggest employing those that meet the needs for the job at hand, creating a meritocracy, and not hiring to comply with standards. Look what that has done for our Federal Government.

This is just another way businesses and agencies are burdened with superfluous staff and costs than only aide in further inflation and the cost of goods and services to consumers. It is a WokeJoke. 

Thoughts.

by

Thomas W. Balderston

Author and Blogger