The Deep Fake Deep Scare

Posted: 9/14/2019  Updated: 10/8/2019

Update Of 10/8/2019

According to this MIT Technology Review article

Forget fake news—nearly all deepfakes are being made for porn about 96% of identified deep fakes on the Internet are porn related based on a report from DeepTrace.

However, it just takes one or a few well done deep fake political propaganda videos released at the right time to have a potentially serious impact on public opinion at least temporarily. Just remember the infamous 1964 Daisy Ad during U.S. Senator Goldwater’s presidential election campaign.

Original Post

A new hysteria is in the making and gaining momentum: The enormous threat of Deep Fakes for democracy and society! I am already peeing in my pants just thinking about it (caution: irony, satire)!

This is a whole lot of baloney and hot air! How stupid do these incessant, busybody scaremongers think We The People are? We The People will quickly learn how to deal with this issue! It is, of course without any question, important to warn about deep fakes and to thoroughly research the issue!

Otherwise, almost als always, follow the money trail! Fear & sex sells! 

I have to thank Andrew Ng for bringing this issue to my attention (S2).

Sources (S):

1. This Deepfake of Mark Zuckerberg Tests Facebook’s Fake Video Policies  A fake video of Mark Zuckerberg giving a sinister speech about the power of Facebook has been posted to Instagram. (6/11/19)
2. he Batch: Autonomous Nuclear Weapons?!, Fighting Deepfakes, Recognizing Chimps, Automating Fast Food (9/11/19)

The Slow, But Peaceful Revolution In Germany

Posted: 6/4/2019

The latest elections to the European Parliament confirmed again that massive changes are underway in the political landscape of Germany over the last two decades or so.

German citizens have begun to realize that indeed change is possible by elections and by forming new political parties to upset the political status quo! We the People are in charge of our destiny!

The two traditional peoples’ parties (i.e. CDU and SPD) of Germany that have dominated and governed the country since 1948 are reduced to almost a shadow of their former self.

One huge stumbling block remains the awful chancellor Angela Merkel who has long outlived her welcome! Any respectable, responsible politician would have voluntarily resigned as chancellor years ago! History will treat the 16 years of Angela Merkel very unkind, I am afraid! She has single handedly and with a single focus converted Germany into the successor state of the GDR! She has managed to transform the Christian Democratic Party  into an environmental party surpassing the Greens! Quite a sad feat!

This slow revolution in German politics will go down in German history like other turning point events, e.g. the peasant revolt, Hambacher Fest, Revolution of 1848, Weimarer Republik, Frankfurter Paulskirche ...

Do Online Petitions Promote More Democracy?

Online Petitions

There are a number of websites out there that offer any individual to set up a petition addressing concerns they care about. One of these websites that I have recently learnt about is Care2, which appears to be geared towards, e.g., animal rights activists.

Even the White House offers a petition website. Is this where President Obama derives his legitimacy from when he wants to rule without the Congress?

I have seen another one seemingly run by MoveOn.org a radical big government group.

An Alternative To Opinion Polls

We all know that e.g. opinion polls on current topics of the day are being taken notice of but I venture to say their influence on the legislative or regulatory process of big government is minimal.

Tools Of Collectivists

My first impression is that online petition are more prominently used by leftist, statist, socialist type of organisations. Which would kind of make sense, because these groups want government to intervene on their behalf.

We The Ignored, Silent Majority Of The People

We The People should not be accepted that constantly vested and entrenched interest groups have an outsize influence on the outcome of the political process in our capitals.

We the often ignored, Silent Majority of People should not only have a say during infrequent voting.

Tools For More Individual Liberty And Small Government

I think it should be possible for We The People to employ online petitions for these purposes as well. This tool should not be left to leftist big government advocates.

I have to do some more research as to whether any online petition websites out there run by  oriented towards classical liberals.

Some Serious Concerns

• Are there already too many online petition websites out there?
• Who is behind the website?
• Which one’s are trustworthy?
• Which one’s are utilized or followed by which people?
• What kind of quality controls are in place?

To Be Explored

I will try to start a couple of petitions of my own and see what happens. I intend to keep you posted about that.