markjgsmith

Linkblog

2024/08/06 #

  • Worst far-right violence should be treated as terrorism, says ex-police chief - I’m definitely not a defender of thugery and violence, but at the same time it’s clear that there are many communities that for whatever reason are not able to process the level of change they are being subjected to. The crack down is a short term solution, and of course you have to make sure people are safe, but I hope accompanying this they announce some programs that explore long term how to bring communities that are divided closer together, and ways to stop the festering of resentment. The violence is terrible, but at least you can see where the difficulties are. If all this gets pushed further underground, it might end up being worse long term, for everyone involved. www.theguardian.com #

  • No 10 criticises Elon Musk for ‘civil war is inevitable’ post on England riots - Very interesting that Elon is getting involved here. It’s obviously a difficult situation and police are no doubt doing the best they can, but I think it might be short sighted to rebuf this attention. We’ve had riots in the UK several times before, the difference here is I think the wider context and environment is unparalleled. I’m betting that the AI revolution we are in is freaking people out. They don’t want to be left behind, or find themselves at the bottom of an impossible heap to climb just to live a normal life. Yes the tools create the problems or at least give them a way to surface, but they can also be part of the solution. It’s time to be creative about how we respond. www.theguardian.com #

  • The debauched rise of New York’s wildest bar - The story of one of New York’s most infamous bars where people from Warhol to Lennon went to hang out. I wonder what the equivalent is these days. My sense is that things these days aren’t as drug fueled as they used to be, which is definitely a good thing. Rogan’s got his comedy club which seems to be attaining legendary status. There are quite a lot of Bitcoin related hangout places being setup. What other cultural institutions are springing up these days? www.theguardian.com #

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