NO, THE OTHER AI

Artificial intelligence is all the rage. The big companies are all tripping over themselves to be the first to implement the next big AI functionality. They will do this once they figure out what AI actually is and how it works. I wouldn’t be surprised to see an ad for Cheerios, now with AI. Many of the developers of AI are predicting a science fiction doom and gloom zombie robot takeover of the planet. Let’s hope they are wrong.

Meanwhile, we have the other AI to worry about. In this latter case, the A and I stand for Abortion and Immigration; topics that may decide a presidential election. On the first of the two, abortion, a slow but methodical plan was implemented and the decades-long established law outlined in Roe v. Wade was overturned by a Supreme Court created with questionable motives, corrupt financial incentives, and a sinister presidential appointment strategy.

Even though the vast majority of Americans favor the right to privacy guaranteed under Roe and its legal position that makes using a woman’s body to grow a new human a personal matter, a group of men disagreed. These were not even members of the Supreme Court but male politicians including a male president who appointed members of that court to assure the unfavorable outcome. That same president who, with the assistance of Mitch McConnell and others, selected one-third of the Supreme Court to tip the scales.

That same individual has vowed to continue his assault on privacy and promote the morality guidelines of the 1873 Comstock Act. This was an anti-obscenity bill and the plan is to use it to attack contraceptives and other fertility-related drugs being sent across state lines by classifying them as “lewd material.”

The front runner for the Republican Party in this upcoming election has sided with the Heritage Foundation to expand the fight that started with the overturning of Roe. In the crosshairs are abortion, contraception, invitro fertilization (IVF), access to reproductive healthcare, equal protection in cases of sexual and gender-based violence, and workplace discrimination. An authoritarian theocracy is the goal. To that I would say, “Roe, Roe, Roe, your vote.”

The “I” in AI here is immigration. While immigration is both desirable and necessary, a series of global events has forced mass migration of people fleeing poverty, famine, violence, and authoritarian rule toward countries seen to hold greater promise. This is a complex global problem requiring comprehensive action. Band-aid solutions like building a wall are not the answer. Abandoning democracy in favor of authoritarian rule as an answer to this crisis would be like recommending euthanasia as a cure for cancer.

For those with simple minds, simple solutions are a panacea. If your only tool is a hammer all your problems look like nails. Separating children from their families and other draconian tactics don’t solve the problem. They create obstacles, not solutions. If almost certain death and misery await your return to your place of birth your desire to survive is your motivation.

We can increase the number of judges to process asylum applications, streamline the application process to provide more opportunities for legal immigration and disincentivize illegal immigration with speedy deportations. We could work with other countries to provide alternatives to the United States as a sole opportunity. We could also work with other world leaders to isolate those countries that are making life so miserable for their citizens that their only alternative is to leave and seek a better life elsewhere.

Strengthening border security, fighting transnational crime, improving relationships with border communities and law enforcement, deporting criminals, and prosecuting those who facilitate illegal entry are but some of the things that need to be addressed with a comprehensive plan.

There are solutions to the immigration problem but the kneejerk proposals coming from the radical right are not the correct ones. Somewhere between the ultra-conservative and the ultra-liberal ideologies lies a workable compromise. We just need to elect enough rational individuals who will work together to find a meaningful compromise. We need immigration but we need a system that works, and the current one is broken.

The sad part in all of this is that much of this dictatorial takeover is being done out in the open. The ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation has published its plan to replace democracy with authoritarian rule. The plan is called Project 2025 and it calls for a dictatorial take-over of our federal government on January 21, 2025. Their 900-page dossier outlines how they plan to fire thousands of current civil service employees only to replace them with human robots. These will be people who will do their bidding; no intelligence, AI, or otherwise is required. They only need to follow the commands of Mein Fuhrer, I mean the president. The plan further calls for the dismantling of the Department of Education and the crippling of other regulatory agencies with budget cuts mandated by sweeping tax cuts.

According to one analysis, “Project 2025 is more than an idea, it's a dystopian plot that’s already in motion to dismantle our democratic institutions, abolish checks and balances, chip away at church-state separation, and impose a far-right agenda that infringes on basic liberties and violates public will.” Abortion and immigration are but two rungs on the ladder to dictatorial rule. Trump’s claim that he only plans to be a dictator on “day one,” would be almost laughable if it wasn’t a diabolical plot coming from a man who idolizes the presidents of North Korea and Russia.

Abortion and Immigration are the A & I that we need to prioritize with our vote in this all-important presidential election. If crime in your neighborhood is an issue, perhaps the best solution would not be to buy a pit bull that will also attack its owner.