Tootfinder

US political contradictions; knowledge systems
As Trump at least partially succeeds in constructing an alternate reality for his most ardent followers, it's tempting to think of his dogma as false, in contrast to some imagined "truth" which his non-followers are smart enough to believe in. But a more nuanced view of knowledge would admit that different groups of people have different shared truths, constituting different knowledge systems which each deviate from what's objectively measurable in different ways, and in fact they each accept different standards of what is objective, so there's not really a single "ground truth" we can even compare to to determine which of these knowledge systems is "more correct" (similar problems arise even if we only care about "more useful").
To make this more concrete, we can see that e.g., competing quantum physics theories, or likewise competing religious beliefs, have no reasonable basis on which to judge between them, either in terms of "truth" or "utility." So the Trump-dogma knowledge system, although bad, morally repugnant, etc., can't so easily be dismissed as "false" in my view. "Distorted" or "malignant" or "evil" or "contradictory" are better monikers, in my opinion.
But what I'm even more interested in thinking about is: in what ways does the current American liberal "common sense" knowledge system already bear the scars of past fascist lies & contradictions? I can think of a few:
"Columbus was an explorer."
This is "factually accurate" in the same way some of Trump's propaganda is, but it's also a cruel distortion of "Columbus was a child murderer," and it's a misrepresentation that serves an evil purpose, yet which is widely taught in elementary schools today.
Another: "dropping atomic bombs on civilians in Japan was necessary to end WWII."
Perhaps in the future we'll have "family separation & the 2025 ICE crackdowns were necessary to end the immigration crisis," although I dearly hope not.
"Reparations for slavery aren't reasonable," is yet another...
I'll close this rambling with a question: what other fascist lies have you noticed that are normalized in America right now from past Trump-like leaders (or even from less overtly fascist institutions)?

"We need to avail ourselves of GenAI to enhance knowledge distribution": Empowering Older Adults through GenAI Literacy
Eunhye Grace Ko, Shaini Nanayakkara, Earl W. Huff Jr
https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.06225

"We need to avail ourselves of GenAI to enhance knowledge distribution": Empowering Older Adults through GenAI Literacy
As generative AI (GenAI) becomes increasingly widespread, it is crucial to equip users, particularly vulnerable populations such as older adults (65 and older), with the knowledge to understand its benefits and potential risks. Older adults often exhibit greater reservations about adopting emerging technologies and require tailored literacy support. Using a mixed methods approach, this study examines strategies for delivering GenAI literacy to older adults through a chatbot named Litti, evaluat…

Please, tell me again how anarchism is chaos.
If this whole sorry episode of human history shows us one thing, it’s not that “we don’t need leaders” but that the very concept of “leaders” is incompatible with the future of our species. Advanced civilisation cannot survive under these primitive hierarchies that concentrate inordinate amounts of power in the hands of a relative handful of individuals. Look at the sorry state of these danger clowns.
Either we find ways to devolve po…

Robert Reich (@rbreich@masto.ai)
Attached: 1 image Musk vs. Trump https://robertreich.substack.com/p/sunday-thought-ab9?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

The latest in the #WordPress drama...
https://joost.blog/path-forward-for-wordpress/

A new path forward for WordPress, and for the open web
Back in December, I wrote about the state of leadership in the WordPress ecosystem. I shared how too much power rests with one person, and how the lack of clear governance puts contributors and businesses alike in difficult positions. That post ended with a call: we need to lead. That wasn’t rhetorical. It was a ... Read more

"So let’s get one thing out of the way: I think “AI literacy” is a dangerous device of neoliberal education and it deserves to be dismissed out of hand."
"Using AI is not about communicating. It’s about avoiding communicating. It’s about not reading, not writing, not drawing, not seeing. It’s about ceding our powers of expression and comprehension to digital apps that will cushion us from fully participating in our own lives."

Against AI literacy: have we actually found a way to reverse learning?
So let’s get one thing out of the way: I think “AI literacy” is a dangerous device of neoliberal education and it deserves to be dismissed out of hand.

Leaders We Deserve
invests in candidates who reflect our generation and its values
matching them with the resources they need to run strong campaigns,
win, and change the face of power.
Think EMILYs List for young, progressive courageous candidates.
Leaders We Deserve invests in young people, knocks down these barriers, and elects more young people to office.

About Us | Leaders We Deserve
Young Progressive candidates face systemic barriers. At every level of government, the average politician is older than the average American. Our political system is stacked against young people – in favor of those who are older, …

Bei dem Begriff "AI Literacy" handelt es sich um ein Oxymoron:
https://open.substack.com/pub/themindfile/p/against-ai-literacy-have-we…

Against AI literacy: have we actually found a way to reverse learning?
So let’s get one thing out of the way: I think “AI literacy” is a dangerous device of neoliberal education and it deserves to be dismissed out of hand.

A New Path Forward for WordPress, and for the Open Web (JOOST.BLOG, 6 Jun 2025)
#edtech

A new path forward for WordPress, and for the open web
Back in December, I wrote about the state of leadership in the WordPress ecosystem. I shared how too much power rests with one person, and how the lack of clear governance puts contributors and businesses alike in difficult positions. That post ended with a call: we need to lead. That wasn’t rhetorical. It was a ... Read more

Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang
said he’s reached out to Elon Musk
in hopes of collaborating on the creation of a new political party,
Yang, along with mutual friends, believes the Tesla CEO has what it takes to form a new faction that propels America’s strongest leaders. ($$$$)
When asked if Musk has responded to his inquiry, Yang told the outlet “Not yet, but I assume he’s been very busy.”

Andrew Yang reaches out to Musk to collaborate on new political party
Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang said he’s reached out to Elon Musk in hopes of collaborating on the creation of a new political party...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was quickly met with sharp questions and criticism Tuesday
by lawmakers who pressed him about his early moves to deploy troops to Los Angeles,
fire key military leaders
and purge diversity programs.
They expressed bipartisan frustration that Congress has not yet gotten a full defense budget from the Trump administration.
“Your tenure as secretary has been marked by endless chaos,”
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., told Hegseth.

Hegseth faces Democrats in Congress for first time since Signal leaks
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been met with sharp questions and criticism by lawmakers who demanded details on his moves to deploy troops to Los Angeles. Lawmakers also expressed bipartisan frustration Tuesday that Congress doesn't yet have a full defense budget from the Trump administration. The hearing before the House Appropriations defense subcommittee was the first time lawmakers have been able to challenge Trump’s defense chief directly. After persistent questioning about the cost …