More and more the near and lasting future might well be forms of "techno-feudalism" where the lords and ladies live ensconced in their castles, well-fed, well-served, surrounded by knights, venturing out past the serfs only in fine armed coaches when they visit other strongholds of an AI supported Epstein class.
Executives are at risk because of their attitude toward the rest of us while they gouge out profits from the nation that gave them everything they have. Anyone who can afford to transition their home or business to renewable energy, please do. The less we give these crooks the better.
Yes, I feel so sorry for the legions of assholes who have ignored 40+ years of warnings and fuel shortages, kept building gross, wasteful suburbs, demanded parking, refused to build sane public transport out of fear of minorities have access to their neighborhoods, and went out and bought gas guzzling vigra trucks so their empty, unexamined lives would feel like they had some meaning.
Fuck 'em.
Fuck them for supporting America's brutality in the interests of being able to fart out as much carbon as they can, as if it was some sort of stupidity contest that 3/4 of America was desperate to win.
The price they pay now isn't jack shit compared to what the people in the Global South are going to be paying.
At any point, lazy, stupid America could have weened itself off oil over the last half century.
A half century of selfishly ignoring the problem, ignoring the people murdered, tortured, and poisoned by our government so they could have cheap gas.
I’m a bit freaked out the autonomous AI security bots are coming soon from the billionaire crowd and they will be able to point at public sentiment and violence to justify it
That horrifying Black Mirror episode with the robot dogs seems plausible in less than 5 years, with the billionaires in their bunkers after a series of assassinations. No joke, its terrifying
They know their ways of doing business and existence as billionaires itself is clinically antisocial and unsustainable. But their greed is insatiable. I am increasingly afraid of what it's going to look like when society boils over.
"In April, Chevron executive Andy Walz told CBS that ordinary people worried about gas prices “should try to drive less; they should try to conserve energy.”"
This is basically the same advice Carter gave in the 1970's.
Honestly, I’ve never heard an oil executive tell people to drive less. It’s a strange thing for them to say, but on the surface level it is good advice if you have public transportation available. Which is of course a problem if you’re more rural and… more likely Republican. But cutting back on summer vacation travel will have a negative effect on local businesses.
Around here there are big white SUV's with PROTECTIVE SERVICES on the side that I am sure are ferrying bigwigs around.
I live at just to the south of the "North Shore" on Lake Michigan north of Chicago. From what I see here there has been no impact at all of high gasoline prices. Every day I find idling cars sitting in parking spaces with either the driver on the phone or the car empty while the driver has gone inside to pick up an order.
On the freeway, people are driving way over the speed limit as always, a sure way to waste gasoline and the aggressive driving that has so many people putting STUDENT DRIVER - PLEASE BE PATIENT stickers on their cars continues.
BTW - speaking of the unjustified profits being made by the oil companies and thinking of Bezos, Musk, the 1% etc. I propose there be a tax for the sole purpose of paying the legal fees for anyone pulled into court accused of a crime. It is insane that while we claim "innocent until proven guilty" we require that assumed innocent person to come up with all the funds to defend him/herself while pitting against the unlimited funds available to government prosecutors to try for a conviction. The Public Defender system is a joke.
Here in Illinois, Kat Abughazaleh has had charges dropped against her and her codefendants who protested at the Broadview ICE facility. They are free, great, but with at $250,000 legal bill.
This makes me think about the push to let private aircraft cloak themselves on ADSB and other live flight tracking software, up to and including using legal threats against skywatchers who post open source location info
i don't want drones on the golf course. golfing should be peaceful and quiet, with a few birds singing. I'm in texas, i'll shoot down drones without a thought.
Good, let them pay through the nose for their security. They can live their lives panicking about shadows and looking over their shoulder. No moment of rest for all their money.
It’s not just unpopular corporate executives seeking security, taxpayers in Florida may be footing the security bill for our outgoing governor. Check out this episode of Seeking Rents by independent journalist, Jason Garcia.
Maybe if we didn't feel raped by the industry they wouldn't need the bully guards?
More and more the near and lasting future might well be forms of "techno-feudalism" where the lords and ladies live ensconced in their castles, well-fed, well-served, surrounded by knights, venturing out past the serfs only in fine armed coaches when they visit other strongholds of an AI supported Epstein class.
That's definitely what they're aiming for. They're deluded that it will work out for them.
It’s what they aspire to.
Executives are at risk because of their attitude toward the rest of us while they gouge out profits from the nation that gave them everything they have. Anyone who can afford to transition their home or business to renewable energy, please do. The less we give these crooks the better.
Yes, I feel so sorry for the legions of assholes who have ignored 40+ years of warnings and fuel shortages, kept building gross, wasteful suburbs, demanded parking, refused to build sane public transport out of fear of minorities have access to their neighborhoods, and went out and bought gas guzzling vigra trucks so their empty, unexamined lives would feel like they had some meaning.
Fuck 'em.
Fuck them for supporting America's brutality in the interests of being able to fart out as much carbon as they can, as if it was some sort of stupidity contest that 3/4 of America was desperate to win.
The price they pay now isn't jack shit compared to what the people in the Global South are going to be paying.
At any point, lazy, stupid America could have weened itself off oil over the last half century.
A half century of selfishly ignoring the problem, ignoring the people murdered, tortured, and poisoned by our government so they could have cheap gas.
Fuck 'em. They 100% deserve it.
Great reporting
I’m a bit freaked out the autonomous AI security bots are coming soon from the billionaire crowd and they will be able to point at public sentiment and violence to justify it
That horrifying Black Mirror episode with the robot dogs seems plausible in less than 5 years, with the billionaires in their bunkers after a series of assassinations. No joke, its terrifying
They know their ways of doing business and existence as billionaires itself is clinically antisocial and unsustainable. But their greed is insatiable. I am increasingly afraid of what it's going to look like when society boils over.
"In April, Chevron executive Andy Walz told CBS that ordinary people worried about gas prices “should try to drive less; they should try to conserve energy.”"
This is basically the same advice Carter gave in the 1970's.
I recall that going great for him
Honestly, I’ve never heard an oil executive tell people to drive less. It’s a strange thing for them to say, but on the surface level it is good advice if you have public transportation available. Which is of course a problem if you’re more rural and… more likely Republican. But cutting back on summer vacation travel will have a negative effect on local businesses.
“Let them eat dust.”
As executives drive by in their EVs saving the environment.
Delay, drive less, dog it
Around here there are big white SUV's with PROTECTIVE SERVICES on the side that I am sure are ferrying bigwigs around.
I live at just to the south of the "North Shore" on Lake Michigan north of Chicago. From what I see here there has been no impact at all of high gasoline prices. Every day I find idling cars sitting in parking spaces with either the driver on the phone or the car empty while the driver has gone inside to pick up an order.
On the freeway, people are driving way over the speed limit as always, a sure way to waste gasoline and the aggressive driving that has so many people putting STUDENT DRIVER - PLEASE BE PATIENT stickers on their cars continues.
BTW - speaking of the unjustified profits being made by the oil companies and thinking of Bezos, Musk, the 1% etc. I propose there be a tax for the sole purpose of paying the legal fees for anyone pulled into court accused of a crime. It is insane that while we claim "innocent until proven guilty" we require that assumed innocent person to come up with all the funds to defend him/herself while pitting against the unlimited funds available to government prosecutors to try for a conviction. The Public Defender system is a joke.
Here in Illinois, Kat Abughazaleh has had charges dropped against her and her codefendants who protested at the Broadview ICE facility. They are free, great, but with at $250,000 legal bill.
This makes me think about the push to let private aircraft cloak themselves on ADSB and other live flight tracking software, up to and including using legal threats against skywatchers who post open source location info
i don't want drones on the golf course. golfing should be peaceful and quiet, with a few birds singing. I'm in texas, i'll shoot down drones without a thought.
Drones are aircraft and if you shoot one the faa is going to get wildly pissed off at you.
Good, let them pay through the nose for their security. They can live their lives panicking about shadows and looking over their shoulder. No moment of rest for all their money.
Funny how the ultra-rich assume that the solution to most problems the rest of us face always involves some form of austerity.
It’s not just unpopular corporate executives seeking security, taxpayers in Florida may be footing the security bill for our outgoing governor. Check out this episode of Seeking Rents by independent journalist, Jason Garcia.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/seeking-rents-the-podcast/id1634609124?i=1000768419160