Police Union Furious Over Trump's Jan. 6 Pardons & AI is Using Nearly 2 Quadrillion Gallons of Water
What I’m Discussing Today:
Kareem’s Daily Quote: A deep dive into the quote that is the foundation of our political and moral culture.
Massive Police Union That Endorsed Trump Slams Jan. 6 Pardons: They supported Trump and now he turns on them. Anyone surprised he treats them the way he treated his wives?
California police officers are still stopping, searching Black drivers at higher rates: The devil’s greatest trick is to make us believe systemic racism, misogyny, and anti-LGBTQ+ don’t exist.
Kareem’s Video Break: This haunting video has remained with me for weeks since I first saw it.
Apple Pulls AI-Generated News Alerts After Wacky Headline Screw-Ups: AI still requires intense human oversight in some areas, especially communication, where errors can have devastating consequences.
California wildfires raise alarm on water-guzzling AI like ChatGPT: The shocking amount of water AI uses, and how Trump just made it worse.
This Makes Me Smile: Mississippi Lawmaker Introduces ‘Contraception Begins at Erection Act’: Political theater at its best.
Kareem’s Sports Moments: This pool shot is a geometry lesson you won’t forget.
The Band (with The Staple Singers) Sings “The Weight”: In tribute to the recently departed Garth Hudson, watch them sing one of their greatest songs.
Kareem’s Daily Quote
It is the greatest good to the greatest number of people which is the measure of right and wrong.
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), English philosopher, social reformer, jurist
Although the above quote is how most people remember Bentham’s philosophy, the actual quote is “It is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong.” Or, as Spock says in the movie The Wrath of Khan when he sacrifices his life to save the crew of the Enterprise, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”
Jeremy Bentham founded the doctrine of Utilitarianism based on this simple ideal and it has been a guiding principle for many people, societies, and countries. It’s worth noting that Bentham’s application of this concept led him to advocate for the separation of church and state, equal rights for women, animal rights, and the decriminalization of homosexual acts as well as the abolition of slavery, the death penalty, and physical punishment, especially against children. His influence resulted in the reform of schools, prisons, and legal institutions including Parliament.
That’s what can happen when that principle is applied through reason. However, when it’s embraced by the irrational, the “greatest good” may be the most dangerous and destructive concept to moral, social, and political behavior ever. The problem: It is a convenient justification for people to perpetuate the most heinous and immoral actions.
The Greatest Good can be used like Silly Putty, reshaped to meet any need. It allows people to excuse awful, selfish behavior with the cavalier “It’s for the greater good.” One way you know when you’re using this ideal as a justification is when doing something also greatly benefits you. For example, a person owns a company in a small town that employs many locals. They knowingly pollute the local land with their chemical process, but they keep it hidden with the excuse that the expense would cause them to reduce their workers, which would hurt the economy. Of course, the company owner keeps their profit, which is the greater good for them. The person justifying their action doesn’t care about what’s right, only what’s right for them.
When Trump was president for the first time and he learned how serious COVID-19 was, he chose to lie to the public about its seriousness. He deliberately told the public that it was no more dangerous than the flu, even though he knew it was five times more deadly. His explanation: “What I went out and said is very simple: I want to show a level of confidence, strength as a leader.” Ironically, what he did was just the opposite. He panicked in fear of how it might affect his poll numbers but defended his actions with the “greatest good” excuse. Except it wasn’t.
This dodge isn’t just for politicians. Each of us faces moral choices daily. Sometimes we know what the right thing to do is but we twist the Silly Putty of our conscience to come up with a “greater good” excuse that allows us to do what we know is wrong, but when sprayed with enough “greatest good” deodorizer, it smells right-ish. Sadly, we can convince ourselves that any action—no matter how despicable—is for the greatest good and then replace guilt with false piety.
We also have to be aware that “the greatest number” includes everyone, not just members of our family, church, political party, race, gender—or bank account. When we become less inclusive, we are now determining who’s worthy of happiness. We can’t make everyone happy, but we can provide opportunities and support so everyone has an equal shot.
It takes an authentically good person—and an authentically good country—to apply this principle correctly. That’s how a society betters itself. If that’s their goal.