by ridley | Aug 10, 2024 |
Freedom folk spend should spend less time worrying about AI and more time influencing it.
Pure libertarians have a key part to play in the direction of artificial intelligence, but few of us seem to be intentionally playing that part. A Startpage internet search for the word “A.I. libertarian” yields few meaningful results.
Our role should be to help ensure the “Zero Aggression Principle” is followed – or at least represented – in AI development and behavior. For uninitiated readers, the “ZAP” is the idea that you shouldn’t initiate force against others. Reasonable self defense is allowed, but don’t *start* fights.
This concept is always open to interpretation and definition-debate. But it serves as a first rate starting point for any ethical framework….especially the ethical frameworks in development for strong AI programs. The more closely people follow the ZAP, the less threatening they tend to be. So it is with animals. And so it will be with the powerful silicon intellects which are starting to appear on the scene. AI’s programmed to follow the ZAP will likely be the ones best suited to treat others well without submitting to mistreatment or abuse.
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by ridley | May 5, 2024 |
https://forum.shiresociety.com/t/free-talk-live-sponsor-roger-ver-arrested-in-spain-on-u-s-tax-evasion-charges/13808
by Mr Penguin | Apr 21, 2024 |
Around ~250 supporters turned out for Ian’s sentencing hearing between day 1 & 2 with some overlap
Ian Freeman, Minister of the Shire Free Church, Free Talk Live Co-host, libertarian activist, and major activist for peace and spreading cryptocurrency was arrested in 2021 during the Crypto6 incident where various libertarian and cryptocurrency activists were wrongly arrested and fraudulently defamed by the federal government. His arrest eventually led to a trial after refusing to accept a plea deal for crimes not actually committed. Since then the district court has slandered his name and repeated lies. That is to say just about every other word if not more from federal authorities and prosecutors mouths has been a lie. Evidence presented didn’t align with the story told and for the most part if properly understood proved Ian’s innocence. The court seemed to agree to one degree or another with convictions on only ~8 of ~27 counts, one charge dropped entirely for lack of evidence, and a sentence that is less than half the minimum allowed. That is despite the crimes Ian was convicted of he’s been sentenced to a ‘mere’ ~8 years. Of course this is ~8 years too many given the fraudulent claims of the federal government, but none-the-less. Ian will likely serve 4 1/2 years with various good time credits.
While the trial is over the appeals are not and in the mean time the authorities have decided to move Ian from a jail in New Hampshire to a prison in Massachusetts. That is he is no longer at the Merrimack County Spiritual Retreat. He is now at the Devens Spiritual Retreat. Ian is in the low security part of the prison, so he’s got a room and cell mate. This is one up from the camp where Aria is housed. He can’t just walk away as might be possible if he was in the camp (not that he would).
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by ridley | Feb 8, 2024 |
New Hampshire’s legislature has again voted on a measure which would let the NH electorate vote in a referendum on independence from the U.S. In 2022, very similar legislation received:
– 13 votes by state reps.
This time, the bill received:
– 24 votes by state reps.
Initially it appears few mainstream media have reported the latter number or the increase. But you can see the vote here for confirmation; this is the legislature’s official channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQHnyO93Vng
The vote occurs at 5:08:00
Here is the report on the less-successful 2022 effort: https://www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-house-secede-united-states/39400488?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot#
Around that time, a scientific poll by SurveyUSA indicated 42% support for an independence referendum, among NH residents…another under-reported number:
https://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=f4ec3bab-2167-4e8e-ab64-671c1b4a5ddd
by ridley | Jan 27, 2024 |
Austin’s border militarization is wrong; so is U.S. interference. NH should divorce both governments.
(Above) New Hampshire independence advocates rally before a hearing on secession legislation (Photo by Joa Orga).
In a memorable sci-fi moment, elderly politician Chrisjen Avasarala warns interstellar envoy James Holden of danger. She expects a murderous local faction will try and get him on their side. “Do not,” she says, “put your dick in it.”
Those of us in America who advocate a “national divorce” should consider her advice – and historical precedent – before we “jump to the side…of Austin’s aPARtheid.” Every state and empire involved with this ugly confrontation will lie, steal, cheat and at least occasionally kill. That’s what states and empires do, even when they’re not trying to build the next Berlin Wall or accrue millions of destitute migrants at taxpayer expense. So how should Concord react? How should secession advocates react? It, and we, should let the non-aggression principle be the guide.
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by aria | Jan 5, 2024 |
Jeremy Kauffman, Founder Of The Decentralized Blockchain-Based Free Speech Platform LBRY
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking since my arrival at Fort Devens to serve my 18 months of government-mandated vacation, and one of my favorite things to remember is that final week of Porcfest, where I spent time with my liberty family a mere two days before starting my prison sentence. I have, of course, been aware of certain issues that developed after that year’s final Porcfest day–notably, after the Soapbox Idol event. After all, I was there as a judge, and I saw it all first-hand, with better-than-front-row seats, and I really only have one question:
Is this how we treat heroes of the liberty movement?
To call Jeremy Kauffman divisive is as much of an understatement as calling me controversial, but on one point there can be no division or dispute. Jeremy built LBRY, a real-life tool that is immune to government censorship as no other platform has ever been, and from that spawned Odysee, a web-based front-end to the protocol that brought much of this unrestricted content to the masses. What Ross Ulbricht did to make drug use safter, Jeremy did to help protect information from overbearing states (and what state isn’t overbearing?). If this was his only contribution to bettering the world for liberty, I would argue that it is more than enough, but he has not been content to merely hand over a widely used censorship-resistant video and file sharing protocol and platform, has he?
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