Doubt there's a straight line from LLMs to ASI, gonna need some new architecture.

People often make good decisions, self-interested representative politicians and oligarchs can be relied upon to make good decisions for themselves (mostly, looking at you Musk). See the comment on Athenian democracy above.

You're right, it is that way now. But it's not intrinsic to hierarchy, just to the current system.

As a counterexample, not as an endorsement, consider feudalism (the old form, not technofeudalism. While psycho/sociopaths have an advantage reaching the top, there is a reasonable chance that their children will not be sick in the same way.

Also Athenian Democracy, where people were randomly selected to form ruling council, judiciary, and assembly, so only as likely as the populace prevalence to be a psychopath. That system lasted for hundreds of years, including being taken over by (probably) sociopaths and returning afterwards to democracy.

Which is why (the abysmal wages) tipping culture needs to stay in the US.

So, my perspective is, we should be optimistic and confident, but we must not be complacent and passive.

I can get behind that. I certainly don't intend to do nothing. 'Oh, the Aussie Trump' has passed my lips more than once.

You raise good points of which I am not unaware, although I'd suggest (technofuedalist controlled) social media is more a threat, and sadly more intractable, than Murdoch et.al. today (not sure what scope you meant by mass media).

When everyone in my house is using it, finally. Signature look of relief.

So, exercise, clean diet and stay lean. Sounds maintenance heavy.

I was thinking just patch it out entirely, then you have no need to maintain a fork, just a script. Yours sounds fun too, but it's not like it's actually connected to anything at this stage, worth keeping in mind if it ever does become something.

FFS, just make a patch.

I'm reasonably sanguine, compulsory voting counts for a lot and Pauline is extremely prone to foot cannoning, see her recent Press Club speech for examples.

All over the world people have been disregarding populist candidates like Pauline.

Not wrong, but all over the world does not have compulsory voting (AU and Belgium only I think). For all we have some vociferous reactionary racist gobshites, it's a small minority and we have a lot less of an apathy failure to vote problem to balance it. Add to that a high proportion of immigrants, a solidly left leaning younger demographic and Trump's example and I don't see much traction, no matter how much Murdoch media beats it's drum. At worst they'll become a very junior coalition member, which will likely do more harm than good to the right wing in the long run.

Ah, Cooper, good memories.

Are you sure? From the perspective of the worker / peasant, we're working way more hours and days currently than ever in history.

All the gains of automation have been sacrificed on the altar of increased 'productivity' so a very few can have numbers go up in an account.

NaibofTabr raises the point that war is not as constant, but it was seasonal then, now it is year long, and for the last 20+ years the world has never been at peace, with ever more destructive weapons.

You can point to the rise of science and medicine and claim capitalism did that, but you can just as easily claim that was the work of well minded individuals, then claimed by capitalists.

Standard of living has increased, but is that due to capitalism or the rise of population and the wealth of ideas that comes with it?

It is far from clear.

“Maxim 29: The enemy of my enemy is my enemy's enemy. No more. No less.” - The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries - Howard Tayler

Seems like a great candidate for streaming.

So, sites are now self-selecting to not be used.

"Those who would trade liberty for security, deserve neither and will lose both" - KMFDM, Shake the Cage, by way of Ben Franklin.

In this case hallucinations actually help...

nice double entendre :)

Yup, I got mine on day one (spam that F5 ppl) and it was here on the second day, surprised me, pleasantly, they said a week.