This year I am going to write something short, daily, about what is going on – “2 cents on the Arrived Ecological Debacle” (2cotAED). I have to write it; you don’t have to read it. If you DO read it, feel free to tell me how wrong I am (and hopefully why). Re: the debacle aspect: in 2004 the English writer Sara Maitland wrote about the “pending ecological debacle.” The expression stuck with me; it’s a debacle because it was foreseen, warned about and was avoidable. Well, it’s no longer really “pending” is it?
Prime Minister for now Keir Starmer went to Bristol today to give a speech about how his government, bored already it seems of energy transition (and scared of net zero blowback?) is boosting “AI” as the “solution” to everything from, idk, potholes to maternity services and everything in between and beyond.
Because poorly governed and understood computer systems have never hurt ANYONE ever.
FFS. Readers of Private Eye have known about the Horizon scandal for over a decade (Computer Weekly did the earliest reporting). Everyone who watched the ITV thing “Mr Bates versus the Post Office” at the beginning of last year knows it.
And yet here we are. Why?
Well, Starmer is desperate and none-too-bright, which makes him and his happy band of technocrats easy pickings for absurd hype, as was Rishi Sunak and his gang.
Behind all this? Presumably a lot of slick lobbying and hopium-pipe sharing with senior civil servants, who no doubt expect to get nice non-executive directorships and other perks from grateful companies.
And it goes deeper, of course. It’s Modern and Practical to be swept along by whatever technophilia is du jour, regardless of the professional or financial advantages. It’s Just What Sensible People Do. To have doubts about the efficacy or wisdom of capital-T technology is to be irresponsible at best, a “luddite” at worst.
So, basically suckers for the Emperor’s New Clothes…
This is how we are “governed”, and maybe it was ever thus – I need to read Jon Agar’s book “The Government Machine”.
It will end in a) tears for lots and lots of people and b) megaprofits for a few, who will spread enough of their wealth around to avoid prosecution.
Meanwhile, the emissions climb (data centres don’t come cheap, btw).
Things I read today that deserve a signal boost
Interview about climate and what is here/coming with John Vaillant (hat tip Dave Vetter)
marchudson.net 
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