A Digital Cyberwar and a Dismal Artificial Intelligence Future

In a 22 minute segment from “Last Week Tonight,” John Oliver did an epic takedown of the myth that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are moderating influences in the Trump administration. The clip is a great reminder that President Kushner is responsible for brokering peace in the Middle East, the opioid crisis, and criminal justice reform, in addition to being the point person for both China and Mexico. Kushner 2017: Change Led By Someone with No Political Experience Whatsoever!

Vladimir Putin, Official Winner of the World HackFest: The Denmark military claims that Vlad the Hacker goes by KremlinDoxTsarBro and has been infiltrating email accounts in Denmark’s defense and foreign ministry for the past couple of years. Never fear, dear Danes, Vlad is an equal opportunity hacker who is also targeting Emmanuel Macron, now one of two candidates vying for the French presidency. Security researchers have noted that Macron is being digitally attacked by the same Russian group that targeted Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Putin and Russian state-run media are rooting for Macron’s opponent, Marine Le Pen, who wants France out of the EU. She is also eerily Michael Flynn-like in her stance on Vlad’s intervention in Syria. Vlad the Hacker (along with the Kremlin writ large) has been accused of a systemic cyber campaign to diminish the West’s trust in its institutions. It may be only a matter of time before these digital intrusions result in real bullets flying.

Trumpism, The Always Evolving Doctrine: While walking around the swamps of Washington DC, President Trump has started donning flip flops so he is ready to quickly change his position on any given issue at any given moment. Earlier this week, Trump and Press Secretary Sean Spicer were adamant that the spending bill would include funds for the border wall with Mexico. But last night Trump began to pull that from his list of demands, seemingly reinforcing the old adage that “he who cares less always wins.”

One senses that Democrats might be hoping that Trump and the Republicans will self-immolate by allowing the government to shut down on their watch. Trump is also reported to be announcing this week that his administration will seek to cut corporate tax rates from 35 percent to 15 percent. For any other candidate with a populist following, this very pro-Wall street move would be damning, but so far it seems that for Trump’s base he can do no wrong.

Canada Launches Universal Basic Income Pilot: The Canadian province of Ontario will launch a trial run of universal basic income with about 4,000 participants this summer, making it the first North American government in decades to test a policy meant to address poverty, bloated bureaucracy, and the rise of precarious work. Participants ages 18-64 living on a low income will be randomly chosen for the pilot and will include a mix of those who are working in low-paying jobs and those who receive social assistance. Recipients will receive unconditional monthly payments beginning this summer. Single people will receive up to C$16,989 (US$12,570), while couples will receive C$24,027 (US$24,027). These amounts are a slight increase for those currently receiving social assistance or disability support, but come with less monitoring and administration. Those who return to work will have the amount of their basic income reduced by 50 cents for every dollar they earn.

Trump Issues First Tariffs on…Canada?: Speaking of Canada, the Trump administration choose Canadian lumber as the first foreign imports to be slapped with tariffs. A whopping 24 percent tax will be imposed on lumber entering the United States. The decision could stoke fears of a trade war between the US and Canada, two of the world’s largest trade powers. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the tariffs, announced Monday evening, were being imposed after trade talks on dairy products fell through. The announcement comes as the US, Canada, and Mexico prepare to renegotiate NAFTA.

Protesters Shut Down Highway to Caracas: Using one of the most effective protest tactics, on Monday demonstrators in Venezuela cleared out the main highway to Caracas, turning the road into a public plaza in defiance of President Nicolas Maduro’s government. In the provinces, it was a deadly day as two people were killed, bringing the total to 23 deaths in almost a month of nationwide unrest. The current protests are the most intense the country has witnessed since 2014. But while those protests were led by youth who built flaming barricades in the street, this month’s movement includes thousands of older protesters, who say they are fighting not for themselves, but for their children and grandchildren.

Jack Ma is the billionaire CEO and founder of Alibaba, China’s Amazon-like company. Ma is echoing Elon Musk that artificial intelligence could bring on more of a Skynet future than an utopian one. Ma went so far as to claim that robots won’t just take low-skilled jobs but that in 30 years, “the best CEO of the year very likely will be a robot.” He also said that AI will likely create more pain than happiness and greater social conflict. Ma is no stranger to controversial statement-making. Earlier this year at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he said the US had wasted “over $14 trillion in fighting wars over the past 30 years rather than investing in infrastructure at home.” He also claimed that some counterfeit goods are of better quality than the real deal.

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