This Carbon Based Life

By David Glenn Cox

“One has to bear in mind that one of the tactics of revolution is to destroy one’s predecessors in authority at any cost or hazard.”
― Herbert Hoover

The Trump regime is following some well-worn paths. The regime starts a war of conquest with Iran with a battle plan of just shoot everything. As fuel prices begin to spike the regime opens the tap on the strategic petroleum reserve. Desperate to hide the damage done to the American people. The arsenal is soon depleted and the oil reserve has run dry.

Now, as Wall Street gets its wake-up call. The Treasury Suckretary, Scotty Bessent, begins quantitative  easing. A program instituted after the 2008 financial collapse. In other words, they’re applying the medicine before the sickness hits. To keep the Wall Street party going for just one more day. And when the crisis comes? There’s no medicine left and the cupboard was bare, so the poor dog got none. Shoot first and aim later. Cutting down the fruit orchard just to gather up firewood.

There’s a hole in Wall Street’s arm where all the money goes. The future is in AI data centers, like it or not, and for most part, the answer is not. It reminds me of WOW potato chips. The Republican Congress in 1998, after a long and contentious battle, allowed potato chips made with the chemical olestra onto the market. Ain’t it great? Potato chips that won’t make you fat! Ain’t it great? Only one little slight drawback: the chips could cause violent diarrhea. But hey, you don’t want to get fat, do you? After years of lobbying and tens of millions of dollars spent on Capitol Hill, the customers didn’t like the bargain.

Already, videos on YouTube advertise “No AI.” It’s called AI slop, and the public doesn’t like it. And AI is so good and so competent that AI has even reached “This Carbon-Based Life.” The AI gods posted an AI bio of me as someone who writes cultural and political essays and sings gospel tunes. AI confused me, Trump critic, with another David Cox gospel singer and blended us together. The future appears to be a dangerous place. As Beethoven was a St. Bernard dog from the 1992 hit movie.

But the data centers that the Gold Rush crew wants to build are equally unpopular with the public. Mr. Trump throws down the gauntlet. Anyone who wants AI data center in their backyards running up their electric bills and sucking up their water, are fine God-fearing, honest Americans. Anyone who doesn’t are filthy communists out to destroy this country, and our very way of life! All to keep the party going until the end. The Titanic house band is playing “Nearer My God to Thee” on the foredeck. Don’t worry, they’ll learn to love AI, eventually! Especially after we cram it down their throats.

Times are so good that I got an unsolicited letter from my credit card company yesterday, offering to finance a new car for me up to $50,000. What a deal! And at a friendly 18% kin-folk interest rate too. Back in the old days, you had to ask a bank for money. That’s service with a smile! The snare now chases the prey. Anyone who would lend  $50,000 to a senior living on Social Security is out of their fucking mind or desperate. I vote desperate. New cars aren’t selling, and new home sales fell in July. No problem; it was only the height of the home-buying season. That number should be going the other way, but it isn’t.

That Donald Trump is out of his mind thing has finally reached consumer’s pocket books. Yesterday, I saw a can of mixed nuts at Kroger for $17.95. Now that’s really nuts! A bag of Fritos for $6.50. Not a big bag, mind you, just a regular bag of Fritos. Yeah sure, I should buy a house and a new car when I literally can’t afford a can of mixed nuts. Quantitative easing, keeping the easy credit coming, pulled directly out of thin air. Were I stupid enough to sign on the dotted line for a new car. The bank would borrow the money from the FED at 5% and finance me at 18%. Understand?

As long as the easy credit money keeps flowing, everyone is happy. Open 24 hours! Borrow any amount! Even paupers can drive new cars! Say, do you need ten billion dollars for an AI data center? Why didn’t you say so! Step to the front of the line! Just a few questions first. You want to finance ten billion dollars for fifteen years on a groovy data center? How long will it take to build? You’re not exactly sure. How long can you expect this data center to be cutting-edge and state-of-the art? Oh, five years, huh! Then you’ll have to tear this one down and build a new one, I see. Well, I don’t see any problems with your loan then.

Now, it was at this point in 1929, when Joseph P. Kennedy sold all of his stocks and got out of the stock market entirely. Later, they called him a financial wizard and a genius. Gosh, how did he know? Do you think he was a genius, or was everyone else just drinking the Kool aid? Burning through all the firewood before winter hits.

In the words of Bob Dylan, “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall.” Sooner or later, if they dance to the music, the pipers must be paid. Their goal is to out earn, by out running their debt. To keep the illusion of “good times” going so they keep on loving Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump often brags about how the economy has never been better! That’s nuts! That’s $17.95 mixed nuts!

The president defect’s new girlfriend makes headlines. The president’s wife has disappeared from the White Palace. There was a time in this country, trust me, there was. When a President openly having an extramarital adulterous affair could have detrimental effect on their presidency. (See: Bill Clinton). But that was then, before the media became a purchasable commodity. Of all of America’s common fantasies, the greatest is their belief in a free media. I watched an OX news clip, (We’re smart, so you don’t have to be!) Their guest was reading their honest, unrehearsed, unbiased opinion directly from a teleprompter. I could see it reflected in her eyeglasses and in her drywall delivery. Reading from a script and calling it news. Way, way different from the way they cover the news in North Korea.

“I was lying in a burned out basement

With the full moon in my eyes

I was hopin for a replacement

When the sun burst through the sky

There was a band playing in my head

And I felt like getting high

I was thinking about what a friend had said

I was hopin it was a lie

I was thinking about what a friend had said

I was hopin it was a lie”  – Neil Young