Monthly Archives: July 2026

DO TOOLS, RATHER THAN USERS, DO DAMAGE?

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#tools #weapons #AI #logic #damage #evil #CommonGood #IndividualEvil
The T-shirt reads: “If guns kill people, I guess pencils misspell words, cars drive drunk and spoons make people fat.”
There’s a lot of illogic to unpack there, but let’s try to imagine.
Do people actually blame the tools for the damage THEY do? One could carry this idea into the future. If something good happens, the person did it. If something bad happens, the tool (read: AI, for example) did it.
There currently are people in very high places who use that illogic. Sometimes, if a tool isn’t available to blame, another person usually is.
Here’s how the real logic goes: if you have a tool that you can use for good, by all means use it for that. But, if that same tool can be used for evil, it’s on you to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Tools are tools. Most do good, but also inflict damage. Which way it goes depends in whose hands the tool resides.
How do we keep damage from occurring? It’s not always possible, but we can attempt to mitigate, if not eliminate, damage.
We can try to keep “tools” out of the wrong hands.
It’s not always possible, but we can try.
Then, we can teach our children the proper use of tools. Just because we can make a tool do something, doesn’t mean we should – or even consider it.
Tools were designed to accomplish things that we cannot do with our bare hands. Most animals have the equipment to do damage or good with their bodies alone. We humans, who also invent tools, need tools to accomplish necessary things.
AI is, or will become, a great tool. But, in the wrong hands, can also do damage.
In fact, it will be like the gun mentioned above. Do we want to use AI as a weapon or as a constructive tool?
We, as a people, will have to decide that.
By the way, guns can be used constructively in sports, hunting etc. They can even be a good self-defense weapon.
But, they can also kill unnecessarily.
When they kill unnecessarily, they have ended up with the wrong people. We have to do everything possible to make sure guns and the wrong people are parted.
We used to ask whether a gadget was a tool or a toy. In today’s world, we have to ask whether a gadget is a useful tool or a weapon.
Let’s use every tool in our box in its designed constructive way. Let’s not use them to deliberately injure people or property.
Writing implements don’t misspell, but AI can. Cars don’t drive drunk, but AI can make self-driving cars move erratically if not functioning properly. Eating utensils do not make one fat, unless they are used (by people) too often.
So, let’s tool up for the common good, not the individual evil.
Peter



‘BOGEYMAN ISSUES’ DON’T SOLVE PROBLEMS

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#bogeyman #BogeymanIssues #politicians #farmers #farmland #voting #China
A politician criticizes his or her opponent for allowing, or at least not being concerned about, China buying up farmland in their state.
Were that true, a governor or state legislature might be hard-pressed to stop it.
A quick fact check showed China purchased no farmland in said state, though it has purchased other non-farm properties there, and farmland elsewhere in the U.S.
It seems to be one of those “bogeyman issues” a politician likes to use to rile up his or her base and avoid talking about issues people really care about.
There might be two reasons farmers might sell their land to China. Either: farmers are going bankrupt because the cost of raising a crop might be more than they get for the crop in the marketplace.
Or, farmers want to retire, and their kids do not want to take over the farm.
The “bogeyman issue” of China interferes with real discussions about government policies that might help farmers.
The farmers trying to make ends meet between costs and crop prices would be helped by the government trying to keep prices down. Starting wars in the Middle East raises prices for fertilizer and diesel fuel, which most farm equipment runs on.
Shutting down USAID, which not only helped starving people around the world, but also gave U.S. farmers a stable market for their products, also did no favors to farmers.
That indicates that government may be contributing to farmers’ distress, rather than trying to help it.
Then, there’s the matter of passing family farms to the next generation. Studies show that only between 15 percent and 35 percent of students who study agriculture in college go on to become hands-on farmers.
Most of the others pursue careers in other parts of agribusiness.
Farming life is hard. One has to love it to deal with so much they can’t control, like the weather, climate change etc.
If students with an interest in agriculture would rather pursue careers in which they might sit at a desk or in a lab, rather than be out in the hot sun working a field, how can you blame them?
It would be tough for any government to incentivize agriculture students to take over farms.
For the retired or retiring farmer, much of his or her nest egg rests in his or her land. If farmers can sell their land for a decent price, regardless of the buyer, why wouldn’t they?
It all goes back to politicians not wanting to discuss issues that affect most people, or that most people care about.
The “bogeyman issues” may get a small percentage of the electorate’s attention, but they do not contribute to solving real problems.
When going to the polls, ask yourself what Person X, presuming he or she is an incumbent or has served in other capacities, has done for you and your needs.
Then, listen to what their opponents say THEY will do for you and your needs. If you don’t like Person X, give Person Y a try.
If Person Y is elected, and doesn’t at least try to fulfill what he or she said he or she would do, then vote for someone else the next time.
Politicians all face realities that inhibit them from being able to do all they promised. But, if they appear to be doing all they can to do so, they deserve the seat.
Whatever your persuasion, you must vote whenever you have the opportunity. Not voting at all is sure to give you someone you don’t want – like a “bogeyman.”
Peter

‘IF IT IS TO BE, IT’S UP TO ME’

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#GenZ #GenX #YoungAdults #elections #RunningForOffice #FutureLeaders
The ominous headline reads: “No one’s coming to save us.”
One might think the story was about disaster victims.
But, The New York Times story by Emma Schartz and Pooja Salhotra is about Gen Z folks (young adults) who are running for political office and, in many cases, winning. They are beating, in many cases, much older opponents.
The article was also published July 1, 2026, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The point of the story is that since growing up through the COVID-19 pandemic, these young folks are finding that the government, usually run by much older people, is not working for them.
Therefore, they are taking matters into their own hands.
Another interesting point in the article is that they are not all of the same political persuasion. There are Charlie Kirk conservatives and Democratic Socialists in this mix.
If you are older, perhaps the age of their parents or grandparents, do you feel threatened by these young folks taking over?
If so, relax. This is a good thing.
We’ve been hearing a lot about youth and their mental health recently. Some older folks are scratching their heads, because they believe the kids never had it so good. But, in fact, this is the first generation not expected to do as well as their parents financially and, perhaps, otherwise.
With artificial intelligence either already here or on the horizon, their future looks even more uncertain.
Their regular use of devices is not helping in many cases. We need kids to be technologically literate. We need innovators to innovate. But, for some, online addiction and bullying are real issues. We need them to interact more with people live, rather than through a device.
When kids go through what they are going through, or have gone through, it’s really good that many of them are stepping up to control not only their own lives, but to help others.
Their elders, rather than fearing this phenomenon, should instead go quietly into retirement and let the kids take over.
Certainly, kids don’t always adopt the same attitudes, viewpoints and worldview of their elders.
But, that is part of maturing. It’s part of becoming an adult. It’s part of becoming less dependent on mom and dad.
Of course, there are those who can’t seem to find their way out of their parents’ basements.
But, this article makes it clear that there are future leaders out there, like James Thibault. He’s running for re-election as a Republican state representative in New Hampshire at age 20.
And, Melat Kiros, 29. She’s already beaten 15-term Democratic incumbent Diana DeGette, 68, for a Colorado congressional seat nomination.
If you have a Gen Zer, or young Gen Xer in your family who is not satisfied with the way things are going for them, refer the Times article to them.
Providing they don’t have a disability – or, even if they do – they, too, can take matters into their own hands. They CAN run for something.
Feel free to help them as needed, but also cut them enough slack to make their own decisions about who they want to be.
Yes, indeed, as the movie title says, “The Kids Are All Right.”
Peter