DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE: Are there still any humans in the room?

I’ve been thinking about integrity lately and how it almost always seems to be challenged by a person’s ego versus their soul.

No one can say they don’t feel completely different than they did just five years ago – the world has changed.

Do you ever stop and wonder why?

Surveillance has been on my mind, maybe because I know it to be truly out of hand or maybe because it’s just so obvious it bothers me others can’t see it too.

Either way, do you think things are worse now or are things just coming to light?

Part of what people are feeling is the shortage of integrity and the clear understanding that many in positions of power these days have little to none of it.

I’ve gotten to the point I don’t even talk about politics. If I’m still friends with a person, I don’t really care about their politics, spiritual beliefs, skin color, country of resident – and the list could go on.

If we’re still friends, it means I like the deeper part of you – not your ego – and many humans are struggling with ego, especially politicians.

How easy is it for you to look into a politician’s eyes, or someone’s eyes with a badge and gun or even a person who you thought you would always know, and instead of integrity you see a blank stare and an empty glass of Kool-Aid in their hand.

Lack of integrity has changed people, and that lack of integrity is allowing people to accept over surveillance, to overlook the bad players accepting money from lobbyists/PACS, and an inability to look into the future and see what was ignored in the past got us where we are today.

Who is controlling the person controlling you?

Whether you believe it or not Kentucky U.S. Congressman Thomas Massie losing his Kentucky primary to what one paper called a “Trump-backed opponent,” (that is not the point I’m making here) is a big deal loss even for my blue friends.

A big deal he lost because he lost to an AIPAC follower who apparently won thanks to the tune of the most expensive seat bought in Congress to date by our buddies in Israel.

You don’t really think AIPAC and other lobbyists just showed up in DC and state capitals a few years ago, do you?

President Richard Nixon was talking about the Israel game way back when.

If you don’t own yourself, someone owns you.

Who owns AI?

I toured a data center recently. That will be an enlightened upcoming article.

My advice if you have problems with data centers is “if you can’t beat them make them irrelevant.”

Data centers are collecting data.

Where is that data coming from?

That data comes from you and me and every person using any type of device these days.

So how do you make data centers irrelevant and unnecessary?

Stop generating the data.

But you say, “How can I do that?” Only you can answer that question and only you can decide to be part of the solution.

Where else will the data be held if not at data centers, it has to go somewhere if humans are generating it.

And don’t say not here in my state, because then you are shoving the problem off on another group of people with the same feelings and same issues as you’re facing in your data center conundrum.

See how humans are all connected?

And second thing, learn the difference between a data center and a crypto mining center. You’ll thank me later when you actually know what you are talking about if needed.

The most offensive statements I’ve ever heard humans say: “Well, it doesn’t affect me” or “Well, if I don’t do anything wrong I won’t get arrested.”

That doesn’t stop the surveillance or the actual “mining” of your identity. And in that regard, oh, but you do have something to worry about because we’re part of one consciousness.

Big brother doesn’t even have to do anything anymore to get your data – you give it to them willingly and then worry when they store it right outside your door.

Data that comes from your devices that continuously generate location, communication, biometric, and behavioral data. Phones, smart TVs, cars, fitness trackers, apps, and websites all collect information.

Because this happens gradually and conveniently, many people stop noticing how extensive it is. Then there are the location histories from phones, facial recognition in public spaces, voice assistants recording snippets, retail and online behavior tracking, data brokers building detailed profiles.

And then the complacency mentioned above settles in where convenience outweighs caution with the “Nothing to hide” thinking (just your soul) or the “I’m not doing anything wrong, so I don’t care.”

Critics argue privacy is not about hiding crimes; it’s about freedom to think independently, protection from manipulation, protection from future misuse, preventing power imbalances.

History shows governments and institutions can change rapidly. Data collected under one administration or company policy can later be used differently think algorithmic manipulation.

It’s about behavioral modification and historically, populations react strongly to sudden losses of freedom but slowly adapt to incremental changes. Changes like more cameras (flock cameras the police use for example), biometric scanning, more digital ID systems, more online moderation, more workplace monitoring until it mirrors the “boiling frog” metaphor often discussed in surveillance debates.

Do you know that what once required thousands of human analysts can now be automated. Automating you right out of your life.

Fortunately, there are plenty of people sounding the alarm now, but are enough people hearing the alarm?

I was listening to an ex-Google executive who seemed to be pretty freaked out by the situation we’re in right now.

He said matter-of-factly this is the last moment human political power will matter.

And that’s right, for all those politicians out there who think kissing butt, and taking money will keep you safe whether you sit on a city council or are a lawmaker in D.C. my dear friend, think again. If you don’t have your integrity intact now, you’ll lose everything when the day comes.

This executive explained this is a “use it or lose it” moment because if we wait, it will not be like the industrial revolution when humans were needed, since humans will not be needed anymore.

He mentioned AI is like a version of millions of new digital immigrants flooding into the country, so instead of worrying about human immigration you might want to look around and start looking at the real threat regarding digital immigration.

And what is even more interesting is these digital AI immigrants have immediate Nobel prize winning capability, work at superhuman speed, and work for less than minimum wage.

Remember last year when Albania appointed the world’s first AI-generated government “minister,” called Diella. Diella was assigned to oversee parts of public procurement and anti-corruption monitoring.

And billionaires are going to keep their money and not have to pay anyone because there will be no incentive since Diella-like entities will do it for free.

Clarity is currency, guys, when you “see” it you can’t unsee it.

It’s just money, just your autonomy, just your decision and we’re all connected.

So, everyone must do it together by remembering that our soul, our freedom, and our consciousness has no price.

Rita Cook is a freelance writer for The Ellis County Press. She can be reached at rcook13@earthlink.net.