Reads of the Week: Feb. 19-25
Nuanced news you can use, straight to your inbox, highlighting what you may have missed this week.
Welcome to Nuanced News, a weekly look at the content that encourages you to think in unique ways about a complex world. I avoid the mainstream news events if I can, and I may not agree with this content. In some cases that’s why I select it. Got something to share? Tell me in the comments!
Politics: Inside the Dissident Fringe, Where the New Right Meets the Far Left, and Everyone’s Bracing for Apocalypse
If you read one article this week, make it this one. James Pogue, a journalist akin to Hunter S. Thompson in many respects, finds himself in Wyoming, descending into a gathering of well-funded dissidents on both ends of the political spectrum. What they believe about America is worth considering. These are some of the most successful people in our current economic system, one driven by technology and venture capital. Why would these be the sorts of people to flee to rural Wyoming in fear of our system completely collapsing?
The Nuance: The horseshoe theory is the view that both the far left and far right are closer than they might seem. This detailed piece outlines why and how it plays out. The nuance to draw from this piece is that we all have our ideological biases, but we can find surprising amounts of agreement with each other all the same. I look at that optimistically, but this article outlines the potential for more disastrous outcomes.
Politics: Will the Left Stand Up to the Deep State?
A second political piece from me this week, but this one is actually more about history. It outlines the original Church Commission, and how not too long ago, progressives were in the sights of the FBI and other federal law enforcement groups. They find themself with different targets today, but the acquisition of state power is still the question we must answer on both ends of the aisle. This article argues that this should be a bipartisan effort, even if the left has obtained more alignment with the same institutions that once hunted their ideological predecessors.
The Nuance: Once power is acquired, it is rarely given back. Some will appeal to any group that’s convenient if it means acquiring more of it. Will we allow this from federal agencies because attention has been aimed at white supremacy, Christian nationalism, or whatever other unpopular fringe group? How can we hold institutions accountable from a place of principle and not events that appeal to our fears and biases? In today’s media environment, these are unpopular but nuanced questions.
Culture: Roald Dahl Books Rewritten to Remove Language Deemed Offensive
Much-beloved and curmudgeonly author Roal Dahl has been in the discourse this week as his books are edited by Puffin. These edits are being made to soften language like “fat”, “ugly” and “female” to fit in nicer with today’s progressive publishing standards. After a degree of backlash, they announced that they would keep the original editions available as well.
The Nuance: Florida has been under fire from the liberal side of our media sphere for banning books in school, and for good reason. But ask yourself, is posthumously editing an author’s works to make them more progressive much better? How would Dahl himself feel about this? Should we all re-read 1984 before continuing further? I see the benefit of a nuanced approach when discussing this issue.
Tech: Planning for AGI and Beyond
I love a good corporate piece, mostly to see how it is mocked or warped over time by profit incentives and governance changes. AI is certain to change our world, but in this piece, OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman goes a step beyond to the concept of artificial general intelligence, a truly sci-fi notion. Corporate communications, which runs through hours of marketing and legal review before publication, should always be taken with a grain of salt. But as the leader of the AI movement as it currently sits, his thoughts are important to sift through.
The Nuance: Altman is an ambitious fellow. ChatGPT is certainly interesting, but the way he is officially prepping the runway for artificial general intelligence seems a bit preemptive. Is this actually about increasing awareness, or is it about increasing investor interest? Nevertheless, skeptically reading this article has left me cold about our society’s ability to adapt to this tech politically, socially and economically.
Honorary Mentions
Pentagon Spent At Least $1.5 Million on Missiles to Down Three High-Altitude Objects
Pricey stuff. Looks like we won’t find out much about whether it was worth the cost.
If you’ve asked yourself “What is going on?” in the past few weeks, you aren’t alone. This think piece dives deeper into the consequences of misinformation and disinformation on society.
My class required AI. Here's what I've learned so far.
This is an early study on attempts to maximize learning outcomes using early AI tools. A deep read, but an enlightening one.
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