Topix Underground

Billionaires should not get to make policy just because they are rich. They should not get their own space programs, ships and satellites. They should not influence Congress or get to be president to benefit themselves and their friends. They should be strapped to a table and slid into the breach of a guillotine

"..“The threat is here; the time Orwell warned about is now.”

It never ceases to amaze & terrify me that in under 80 years, less than a human lifetime, we have allowed the putrid, lethal stench of fascism to return.

In the countries that destroyed it, in those that were destroyed by it, & in many others seemingly inspired by it.

And the populists will exploit the looming disaster of climate change to stoke hatred for their own narrow, short-term power & profit.."


https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/oct/07/orwellian-nightmares-george-orwell-rage-culture-rewriting-1984

Kroger's new AI monitored self checkouts works from the assumption that the customer is guilty. Although the system cuts down on theft, it's designed to help the store, not the customers who are already not getting paid to do the work the store traditionally did by hiring cashiers in the past. The AI sends store personnel to the customers checking themselves out if they have any kind of trouble scanning something. All the customer's groceries are then spread out and gone through by the store personnel. Customers are forced to use the self checkout because Kroger uses so few actual cashiers. Unless you want to wait an hour to get checked out by the only cashier at the store, you'll likely want to use the self checkout so you won't be held up until your next birthday. Maybe I'm spiteful, but I think I'll purposely mis-scan my groceries repeatedly so they'll have to come and go through all my groceries four or five times. I'll just make sure I don't have any reason to be in a hurry. Should be fun.