"Ending civilization" is a moving goalpost. No, AI won't be The Black Death, nuclear war, or a gamma ray burst. Job loss (and everything that comes with it) is its own kind of devastation, especially when entire communities are impacted.

Sure, it's possible that a fraction of the jobs lost are replaced by "AI managers" or something similar. But massive knowledge worker unemployment will absolutely devastate the economy, and become a destabilizing factor.

Your life situation != everyone's life situation

In the US, if you don't own a home with a driveway, it's very difficult to charge overnight. Dense urban housing and most apartments/condos residents don't have access to overnight charging.

DC "fast" charging exists, but it has limitations. It's electronic payment only. Most DC chargers are unmanned, so physically-limited drivers can't get assistance (like they can at gas pumps). "Fast" charging is bad for battery health. Cars without a garage need to be preconditioned before charging.

The killer is the speed: DC charging is incredibly slow compared to putting 10-20 gallons of gasoline into a vehicle, much less 2-5 gallons. It's one thing to be a single white male in a posh suburb, with unlimited time and flexibility. It's another to have impatient kids in the car, to be in a bad part of town, or to be a vulnerable person, forced to wait 10+ minutes to get *hopefully* enough charge.

Those problems *need* to be addressed before EVs are for "everyone" in America. Take your entitlement elsewhere.

This 100%.

It's easy for thin people to be Body Nazis, declaring everyone overweight to be morally deficient. Their "just lose weight" mantra is an oversimplification based on ignorance and resentment. Both the food industry and our biology are working against us.

It's like saying "just stop smoking", "just stop being poor", "just stop being sick", etc. They're easy words to say, but difficult to implement.

I remembered a lawsuit in America about a pet chip where the company (HomeAgain?) refused to provide the needed information. I couldn't find the original, but there's a class action settlement. While googling, I found a another pet microchip tracker went bankrupt. They're completely shut down, and this chips are useless.

Chipping pets is a good idea... if the infrastructure is secure and stable.

Not-so-fun fact: 87% of US citizens can be identified with gender, ZIP code, and full DOB.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/a...

Can I point out something obvious? It's not 1974 anymore.

Lighting technology has advanced. Battery technology has advanced. Retro-reflective tape and markers are incredibly cheap and effective. Small $1 AA or AAA flashlights can output more lumens than the 2D lights of '74. Worst case, a smartphone can be used as a reasonable light.

Since 1974, the US has stopped putting lead in gasoline. We enforced smoking bans. We allowed women to have the same financial rights as men. And we can try permanent DST again.

The science fiction comic book "Transmetropolitan" covered this in issue #8 "Another Cold Morning".

It's a standalone story, that deals with being revived in the future. It's a truly heartbreaking story.

(Disclaimer: The writer - Warren Ellis - is a bit *ahem* problematic in the comics community. No shame if you decide not to support him monetarily.)

A number of people in support groups and self-help groups swear by ChatGPT.

I do my best to gently dissuade them, but it usually lands on deaf ears.

You described benefits to people who are struggling as "hand out money and resources to an elite group". And then you tried to weasel your way out by claiming "everyone is elite". Benefits to SNAP recipients is very different than tax breaks for millionaires.

Your literal next sentence was "No wonder I don't miss it". You dismissed the harm being done to 'those people', so you could make it about yourself.

You're not the victim. You're punching down, and then trying to play a DARVO card after being called out.

Even the libertarian role-model Ayn Rand accepted government assistance for herself.

If you're truly taking delight in the harm of others, you should seek qualified mental help.

#Privileged or #Mom'sBasement?

People aren't getting paychecks, and some who are working without paychecks may not get back pay. SNAP ("food stamps") payments aren't going out, so people are going to go hungry.

Those missed payments have bigger impacts. People who don't have money or benefits can't make purchases*, which impacts grocery stores and other retailers.

Change the graph to "% of homes with SNAP" to understand the scale of hardship you're (gleefully?) advocating: https://databayou.com/communit...

* Paying interest on food and other necessities is a losing proposition.

Since we depend on nature, there's very little room for error.

Invasive species are a great example of consequences that are (often) unintended.

TIL!

Thank you internet stranger!

Your wish has been granted!

They're called "featurephones" and (many) resemble early 2000's cellphones.

For someone wanting a smartphone, a good case goes a long way. I've dropped my iPhone 14 onto pavement several times with zero damage.

The person I was responding to had a straw man of "let the market decide".