Πέπε Μουχίκα:
Η Γενιά μου Έκανε ένα Αφελές Λάθος
Από τον
Χοσέ «Πέπε» Μουχίκα
Ο αείμνηστος Ουρουγουανός πολιτικός Χοσέ «Πέπε» Μουχίκα υποστηρίζει ότι ο καπιταλισμός δεν είναι απλώς σχέσεις ιδιοκτησίας, αλλά ένα σύνολο πολιτιστικών αξιών που η Αριστερά πρέπει να αντιμετωπίσει με μια κουλτούρα αλληλεγγύης.
Ο πρώην πρόεδρος της Ουρουγουάης, Χοσέ Μουχίκα, μιλάει κατά τη διάρκεια προεκλογικής συγκέντρωσης στις 6 Απριλίου 2024, στο Μοντεβιδέο της Ουρουγουάης.
Η γενιά μου έκανε ένα αφελές λάθος. Πιστεύαμε ότι η κοινωνική αλλαγή ήταν μόνο θέμα αμφισβήτησης των τρόπων παραγωγής και διανομής στην κοινωνία. Δεν κατανοούσαμε τον τεράστιο ρόλο του πολιτισμού. Ο καπιταλισμός είναι μια κουλτούρα και πρέπει να ανταποκριθούμε και να αντισταθούμε στον καπιταλισμό με μια διαφορετική κουλτούρα. Ένας άλλος τρόπος για να το θέσω: βρισκόμαστε σε μια πάλη μεταξύ μιας κουλτούρας αλληλεγγύης και μιας κουλτούρας εγωισμού.
Δεν σκέφτομαι την κουλτούρα που πωλείται, όπως η επαγγελματική μουσική ή ο χορός. Όλα αυτά είναι σημαντικά, φυσικά, αλλά όταν μιλάω για κουλτούρα αναφέρομαι στις ανθρώπινες σχέσεις, στο σύνολο των ιδεών που διέπουν τις σχέσεις μας χωρίς να το συνειδητοποιούμε. Είναι ένα σύνολο άρρητων αξιών που καθορίζουν τον τρόπο με τον οποίο εκατομμύρια ανώνυμοι άνθρωποι σε όλο τον κόσμο σχετίζονται μεταξύ τους.
Ο καταναλωτισμός είναι μέρος αυτής της κουλτούρας. Είναι μια ηθική απαραίτητη για τον καπιταλισμό στον αγώνα του για άπειρη συσσώρευση. Το χειρότερο πρόβλημα για τον καπιταλισμό θα ήταν να σταματήσουμε να αγοράζουμε ή να αγοράζουμε πολύ λίγα. Και αυτό έχει δημιουργήσει την καταναλωτική κουλτούρα που μας περιβάλλει. Αλλά ένα καπιταλιστικό κοινωνικό σύστημα δεν είναι μόνο σχέσεις ιδιοκτησίας. είναι επίσης ένα σύνολο άρρητων αξιών κοινών στην κοινωνία. Αυτές οι αξίες είναι ισχυρότερες από οποιονδήποτε στρατό και είναι η κύρια δύναμη που διατηρεί τον καπιταλισμό σήμερα.
Η γενιά μου πίστευε ότι θα άλλαζε τον κόσμο προσπαθώντας να εθνικοποιήσει τα μέσα ενημέρωσης και τη διανομή, αλλά δεν καταλάβαμε ότι στο επίκεντρο αυτής της μάχης πρέπει να βρίσκεται η οικοδόμηση μιας διαφορετικής κουλτούρας. Δεν μπορείς να χτίσεις ένα σοσιαλιστικό κτίριο με χτίστες που είναι καπιταλιστές. Γιατί; Επειδή θα κλέψουν το οπλισμό, θα κλέψουν το τσιμέντο, επειδή προσπαθούν μόνο να λύσουν τα δικά τους προβλήματα, επειδή έτσι είμαστε διαμορφωμένοι. Η γενιά μου, ορθολογίστρια με προγραμματικό όραμα για την ιστορία, δεν κατάλαβε ότι οι άνθρωποι συχνά αποφασίζουν με το ένστικτό τους και στη συνέχεια η συνείδησή τους κατασκευάζει επιχειρήματα για να δικαιολογήσει τις αποφάσεις τους. Επιλέγουμε με την καρδιά μας, και εδώ ο πολιτισμός γίνεται ένα ζωτικό ζήτημα επειδή μετριάζει τον παραλογισμό μας.
Για παράδειγμα, τι συνέβη στους αριστερούς ηγέτες μας; Οι αριστεροί ηγέτες είναι άρρωστοι και βυθισμένοι στην ίδια κουλτούρα, και γι' αυτό ο τρόπος ζωής τους δεν είναι ένα μήνυμα συνεπές με τον αγώνα τους. Κοιτάξτε, είπαν ότι ήμουν φτωχός όταν ήμουν πρόεδρος, αλλά δεν κατάλαβαν τίποτα! Δεν είμαι φτωχός. Φτωχός είναι αυτός που χρειάζεται πολλά. Στόχος μου είναι να είμαι στωικός. Και το γεγονός είναι ότι αν ο κόσμος δεν μάθει να ζει με μια ορισμένη νηφαλιότητα, να μην σπαταλάει, να μην σπαταλάει, αν δεν το μάθει αυτό σύντομα, ο κόσμος μας δεν θα επιβιώσει.
Η λαγνεία για χρήματα μας ωθεί να αγοράζουμε συνεχώς νέα πράγματα, αλλά η διατήρηση της ζωής του πλανήτη σημαίνει ότι πρέπει να μάθουμε να ζούμε με ό,τι είναι απαραίτητο και να μην σπαταλάμε τους πόρους μας. Τώρα, όπως μπορείτε να δείτε, αυτός ο αγώνας είναι ένα πολιτιστικό έπος. Εμείς, η Αριστερά, πρέπει να κατασκευάσουμε μια γραμμή σκέψης διαφορετική από αυτήν που έχουμε.
Αυτό σημαίνει να απορρίψουμε τη σύνδεσή μας με τον καπιταλισμό. Μας τελείωσε η δημιουργικότητα όσον αφορά τις ιδέες. Θέλαμε να κάνουμε το ίδιο με τον καπιταλισμό, αλλά με περισσότερη ισότητα. Και τελικά, όλα αυτά έχουν να κάνουν με αυτό που θεωρούμε καλή ζωή, τις αξίες που μπορούμε να αγαπάμε στη ζωή, τα πράγματα που μπορούμε να επιδιώξουμε. Σημαίνει να έχουμε μια αίσθηση ορίων. Τίποτα υπερβολικό, όπως έλεγαν οι Έλληνες.
Η Αριστερά πρέπει να είναι πιστή σε ένα άλλο σύνολο αξιών, και γι' αυτό επιμένω στο πρόβλημα του πολιτισμού, στο πρόβλημα της δέσμευσης και στο πρόβλημα της αξιολόγησης ορισμένων τομέων της ζωής που ο καπιταλισμός δεν εκτιμά. Υπάρχει πολλή θλίψη στις κοινωνίες μας, παρόλο που είναι γεμάτες πλούτο. Είμαστε ένας υπερχορτασμένος λαός με κοινωνίες που πνίγονται από την ποσότητα των σκουπιδιών που δημιουργούμε. Μολύνουμε τα πάντα, αγοράζουμε πράγματα που δεν χρειαζόμαστε και μετά ζούμε στην απελπισία πληρώνοντας λογαριασμούς. Πρέπει να προτείνουμε έναν άλλο τρόπο ζωής! Για μένα, η Αριστερά πρέπει να είναι πιο επαναστατική από ποτέ.
Σημαίνει να ζεις όπως σκέφτεσαι. Διαφορετικά, καταλήγουμε να σκεφτόμαστε όπως ζούμε. Ο αγώνας είναι για μια αυτοδιαχειριζόμενη κοινωνία, να μάθουμε να είμαστε τα αφεντικά μας και να ηγούμαστε των κοινών μας έργων. Αυτά τα πράγματα θα πρέπει να συζητηθούν από μια νέα αριστερά. Πιστεύω στη μόνιμη ύπαρξη της Αριστεράς, αλλά δεν θα είναι η Αριστερά όπως ήταν. Αυτό που ήταν έχει φύγει, έχει περάσει! Η Αριστερά θα πρέπει να είναι διαφορετική επειδή ο χρόνος αλλάζει.
Το μόνο μόνιμο πράγμα είναι η αλλαγή.
Δεν πρόκειται να προτείνω εμπόδια στη δημιουργία νέων επαναστατικών προγραμμάτων. Αντιθέτως!
Αλλά δεν έχω κάποια μαγική φόρμουλα. Μου φαίνεται ότι η δημιουργικότητα πρέπει να ενθαρρύνεται, επειδή βρισκόμαστε σε έναν κόσμο με μια παλιά αριστερά που ζει υπερβολικά με τη νοσταλγία, μια αριστερά που δυσκολεύεται να συνειδητοποιήσει γιατί απέτυχε και έχει μεγάλη δυσκολία να φανταστεί νέους δρόμους μπροστά. Πιστεύω ότι αυτή είναι μια εποχή πολλών δοκιμών, πολλών πειραματισμών και δημιουργικότητας. Και γι' αυτό υπάρχουν ορισμένες παράμετροι που μπορούμε να ακολουθήσουμε, επειδή, όπως είπα, η γενιά μου δεν έδωσε αρκετή έμφαση στον πολιτισμό. Αναφέρομαι στον πολιτισμό που είναι εγγενής στις κοινές και συνηθισμένες σχέσεις που έχουν οι άνθρωποι, ο οποίος, υπό τον καπιταλισμό, τώρα χρησιμοποιεί τα γεγονότα της καθημερινής ζωής μόνο για να εξασφαλίσει περαιτέρω συσσώρευση.
Ο πολιτισμός στον οποίο είμαστε ενσωματωμένοι, στον οποίο είμαστε περικυκλωμένοι, λειτουργεί μόνο για τον πολλαπλασιασμό του ατομικού κέρδους. Και αυτός ο πολιτισμός είναι πολύ ισχυρότερος από τους στρατούς και τη στρατιωτική δύναμη και όλα τα άλλα, επειδή αυτός ο πολιτισμός καθορίζει τις μόνιμες σχέσεις εκατομμυρίων απλών ανθρώπων σε όλο τον κόσμο.
Και αυτό είναι πολύ ισχυρότερο από την ατομική βόμβα! Επομένως, το να αλλάξεις ένα σύστημα χωρίς να αντιμετωπίσεις το πρόβλημα της αλλαγής στην κουλτούρα είναι άχρηστο. Πρέπει να χτίσουμε ένα νέο σύστημα και, παράλληλα, μια νέα κουλτούρα, μια νέα ηθική, γιατί, αν όχι, αυτό που είδαμε με τη Σοβιετική Ένωση θα συμβεί ξανά, όπου ένα επαναστατικό κίνημα έκανε μια τέλεια στροφή 360 μοιρών για να βρεθεί στο ίδιο σημείο - αλλά πολύ χειρότερα! Πρέπει να μάθουμε από αυτή την ήττα, σωστά;
Πηγή: jacobin.com/2025/05/pepe-mujic…
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)
Whiskeytown Lake’s crystal-clear waters are iconic, but this 42,000-acre National Recreation Area offers much more. Explore waterfalls, hike rugged trails, uncover Gold Rush history, and witness the resilience of nature in its post-fire recovery.www.nps.gov
Meta argues enshittification isn’t real in bid to toss FTC monopoly trial
How many ads is too many? Meta denies ad load harms users in bid to end trial early.Ashley Belanger (Ars Technica)
I used a 2018 phone for 30 days to prove you don’t need to upgrade
https://mobilesyrup.com/2025/05/16/used-old-phone-proves-you-dont-need-upgrade/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into MobileSyrup @mobilesyrup-mobilesyrup
I used a 2018 phone for 30 days to prove you don’t need to upgrade
I used a seven-year-old phone for 30 days to prove you probably don't need to upgrade your phone for a while.Jonathan Lamont (MobileSyrup)
Another old image from the Canon EOS 20D. This is also from Ashdown Forest.
#photography #landscapePhotography #canonPhotography #Canon20D #tree #trees #AshdownForest #Sussex #England
Un evento così gigantesco per funzionare conta sull’aiuto fondamentale di 700 volontari, che si sono messi a disposizione per passione - Intervista a due di loro
rsi.ch/s/2834696
I... got scammed.
By firstpressgames.com .
I wanted to buy a birthday present, and I didn't expect this company to be so problematic.
One month later without getting anything from them, nor responses to my messages... and it crosses my mind that I should have checked online reviews for that e-commerce business before buying anything... and there you go: 1.4 stars out of 5 (no one gave more than 2 stars).
The few reviews that gave 2 stars are something like this, YEARS of delay: gamepad.club/@vny/110691909210…
All of the public reviews use the word scam in one or another language, no exceptions.
Then I checked their social accounts, and... of course, they blocked comments everywhere, to avoid the possibility of angry people popping up and pointing to their shady behavior.
First Press Games - High-Grade Physical Releases
Physical high quality releases of video games and soundtracks. For Playstation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, PC, retro consoles.First Press Games
El Merano WineFestival celebrará su primera edición en Calabria
El evento reunirá a bodegas, chefs y expertos para mostrar la diversidad vinícola y gastronómica del sur de ItaliaVinetur
Still relevant regardless of what tool you use for search: tips for doing specific queries online ⤵️
👀 Also, don't just rely on the "AI Overview" at the top of a search.
➡️ To download this + 5 other informative posters, visit our @weareteachers page: bit.ly/WeAreTeachersNLP
Free News Literacy Infographic Posters
These free news literacy infographics on AI, media bias, and more are great to use within a media and news literacy curriculum.Kimmie Fink, M.Ed., Curriculum & Instruction (WeAreTeachers)
The image depicts a dramatic sky filled with dark, swirling clouds, suggesting an impending storm. The clouds are predominantly gray, with varying shades that create a sense of depth and movement. The texture of the clouds appears dynamic, with some areas appearing denser and others more diffuse, indicating the presence of strong winds. In the foreground, there are green trees with lush foliage, providing a stark contrast to the overcast sky. The trees are positioned at the bottom of the image, framing the scene and adding a sense of scale to the vastness of the sky. The overall composition emphasizes the contrast between the turbulent sky and the calm, greenery below.
Provided by @altbot, generated privately and locally using Ovis2-8B
🌱 Energy used: 0.160 Wh
Republicans join Democrats to repeal Texas anti-sodomy law - LGBTQ Nation
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/05/texas-republicans-join-democrats-to-repeal-states-zombie-anti-law/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into LGBTQ Nation @lgbtq-nation-LGBTQNation
No clarity yet if Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, US will hold four-way talks in Istanbul
Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Oncu Keceli said the city will host teams from the US, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Ukraine, led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov; Russia, led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky; and Turkey’s Foreign …TASS
Prosus CEO Defends Offer for Just Eat Takeaway
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2025-05-16/prosus-ceo-defends-offer-for-just-eat-takeaway-video?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Bloomberg Television @bloomberg-television-bloomberg
I'm curious what Trump imagines the "GONE" in "If I wasn't elected, [our country] would have been GONE by now!" might have looked like? E.g., the full scope of goneness as he thinks of it in his confused and hyperbolic head.
House Republicans include a 10-year ban on US states regulating AI in 'big, beautiful' bill
https://apnews.com/article/ai-regulation-state-moratorium-congress-39d1c8a0758ffe0242283bb82f66d51a?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Technology @technology-AssociatedPress
ZZ Bottom reshared this.
Brett Kavanaugh just gave a gratuitous win to cops who kill.
slate.com/news-and-politics/20…
Brett Kavanaugh Just Gave a Gratuitous Win to Cops Who Kill
The court explicitly declined to answer the big question, even though it hovered over the case and surfaced repeatedly in oral arguments.Robyn Nicole Sanders (Slate)
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SparkDQ
A declarative PySpark framework for row- and aggregate-level data quality validation.
github.com/sparkdq-community/s…
GitHub - sparkdq-community/sparkdq: A declarative PySpark framework for row- and aggregate-level data quality validation.
A declarative PySpark framework for row- and aggregate-level data quality validation. - sparkdq-community/sparkdqGitHub
O mistério dos gatos laranjas | Gene explica por que quase todos são machos
https://canaltech.com.br/meio-ambiente/o-misterio-dos-gatos-laranjas-gene-explica-por-que-quase-todos-sao-machos/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Canaltech @canaltech-canaltech
Gate Agent: We need some people to volunteer to check their carry ons
Me:
@JessTheUnstill EXACTLY
They know how many passengers there are. They know how many bags each passenger is allowed. Build planes with more storage. Why is this my problem.
Liens de mai 2025 (partie 1) : lamecarlate.net/carnet/liens-d…
Chansons fictives, toast au toast, framboise et fraise et shorts en jeans.
#blog #carnet #100DaysToOffload (37/100)
#liens #linguistique #musique #humour
Liens de mai 2025 (partie 1) – lamecarlate.net
Chansons fictives, toast, framboise et fraise et shorts en jeans.lamecarlate.net
Consumer sentiment slides to second-lowest on record
cnbc.com/2025/05/16/consumer-s…
Consumer sentiment slides to second-lowest on record as inflation expectations jump after tariffs
Year-ahead inflation expectations rose to 7.3% from 6.5% last month, according to a University of Michigan survey.Jesse Pound (CNBC)
Des #comptes liés à des #organisations #terroristes « #certifiés » sur #X, selon une étude www.lemonde.fr/pixels/artic...
Des comptes liés à des organis...
Des comptes liés à des organisations terroristes « certifiés » sur X, selon une étude
En certifiant ces comptes contre rémunération, le réseau social d’Elon Musk pourrait être en violation des lois américaines.Le Monde
leganerd.com/2025/05/16/quando…
@scienza
Quando la robotica incontra il benessere: l’innovazione che protegge gli anziani
Ideato nuovo alleato tecnologico per la sicurezza e l'autonomia degli anziani: il robot che previene le cadute.Daniela Giannace (Lega Nerd)
Scienza e tecnologia reshared this.
European citizens are you ready to pay for the infrastructures of private companies? Again. federated.press/@ClimateNewsNo…
Europe’s electricity grid is outdated and risks derailing fossil fuel phase out, report finds.Over 1,700 gigawatts of renewable energy projects across 16 countries are stuck in the queue to be connected to the electricity grid. #ClimateChange
euronews.com/green/2025/05/13/…
RT @GaryMarcus
Could there possibly be a worse, less mnemonic nomenclature for these models?
Or a clearer sign that they are just trying stuff to see what sticks?
Kleiner Funfakt über einen britischen Roman und einem Flensburger Cover.
#daniiduna #photography #funfact #agatharaisin
"Starlink, Musk’s satellite internet company, had spent months trying to secure regulatory approval to sell internet access in the impoverished West African country. As head of Gambia’s communications ministry, Lamin Jabbi oversees the government’s review of Starlink’s license application. Jabbi had been slow to sign off and the company had grown impatient. Now the top U.S. government official in Gambia was in Jabbi’s office to intervene.
Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency loomed over the conversation. The administration had already begun freezing foreign aid projects, and early in the meeting, Cromer, a Biden appointee, said something that rattled Gambian officials in the room. She listed the ways that the U.S. was supporting the country, according to two people present and contemporaneous notes, noting that key initiatives — like one that funds a $25 million project to improve the electrical system — were currently under review.
Jabbi’s top deputy, Hassan Jallow, told ProPublica he saw Cromer’s message as a veiled threat: If Starlink doesn’t get its license, the U.S. could cut off the desperately needed funds. “The implication was that they were connected,” Jallow said."
propublica.org/article/trump-m…
#USA #Trump #Gambia #Africa #Musk #StarLink #Corruption #Kleptocracy
Trump State Dept. Leaned on African Nations to Help Musk’s Starlink
The State Department has intervened on behalf of Musk’s satellite internet company in five developing nations. In Gambia, U.S. diplomats have lobbied and browbeat at least seven government ministers as part of a “maximum pressure” campaign.ProPublica
Barcelona windows
#FensterFriday #FensterFreitag #WindowFriday #Window #Architecture #Photography #Barcelona
Das Bild zeigt eine atemberaubende Sonnenuntergangslandschaft. Der Himmel ist in sanften Farben von Blau zu Orange und Gelb übergegangen, wobei die Sonne am Horizont als leuchtender Kreis zu sehen ist. Die Wolken sind spärlich verteilt und reflektieren die warmen Farben des Sonnenuntergangs, was dem Bild eine malerische Atmosphäre verleiht. Im Vordergrund sind die Silhouetten von Bäumen und Hügeln zu erkennen, die sich gegen den Himmel abzeichnen. Die Landschaft wirkt ruhig und friedlich, und die Farben des Himmels erzeugen eine beruhigende Stimmung.
Bereitgestellt von @altbot, privat und lokal generiert mit Ovis2-8B
🌱 Energieverbrauch: 0.164 Wh
Sources: OpenAI is expected to be a primary anchor tenant for a 5 gigawatt UAE data center, which could become one of the world's largest at 10 square miles (Bloomberg)
bloomberg.com/news/articles/20…
techmeme.com/250516/p23#a25051…
Sources: OpenAI is expected to be a primary anchor tenant for a 5 gigawatt UAE data center, which could become one of the world's largest at 10 square miles
From Bloomberg. View the full context on Techmeme.Techmeme
“It was a deal,” said Basem Naim, a member of Hamas political bureau who has previously engaged in direct talks with U.S. officials. He said the pledge was made by “Witkoff, himself.”...“If we release [Alexander], Trump will speak out thanking Hamas for its gesture, obliging Israel on the second day to open the borders and allow aid to come into Gaza, and [Trump would] call for an immediate ceasefire and to go for negotiations to end the war.”
dropsitenews.com/p/witkoff-ham…
Hamas Says Witkoff Personally Promised to Lift Gaza Blockade in Exchange for Edan Alexander
The U.S. immediately broke the deal, senior Hamas official Basem Naim tells Drop Site. “They threw it in the trash” and there has been “zero” progress on a Gaza ceasefire.Jeremy Scahill (Drop Site News)
Die Bahn muss sich vor Gericht verantworten: Wie der DB Navigator Nutzerinnen und Nutzer trackt, Wahlmöglichkeiten einschränkt und gegen Datenschutzrecht verstößt – die wichtigsten Fragen und Antworten. 👇
kuketz-blog.de/bahn-vor-gerich…
#deutschebahn #bahn #dbnavigator #klage #datenschutz #dsgvo #tdddg #tracking
Bahn vor Gericht: Warum der DB Navigator ein Fall für die Justiz ist
Deutsche Bahn vor Gericht: Wie der DB Navigator Nutzer trackt, Wahlfreiheit untergräbt und gegen Datenschutzrecht verstößt – Antworten auf wichtige Fragen.www.kuketz-blog.de
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Avevamo tempo, eh?
L’industria europea era solida, eh?
Il know-how non si copia, eh?
Le auto cinesi erano giocattoli, eh?
Belle favole.
Intanto là fuori il mondo è cambiato.
E mentre noi ci raccontavamo la storia della rana nella pentola, loro ci hanno acceso il fuoco sotto.
Oggi l’elettrico non è più una sfida.
È una resa dei conti.
E non è andata come ci aspettavamo.
futuroprossimo.it/2025/05/auto…
Auto elettriche: la partita è chiusa, la Cina ha già vinto
Lo strapotere cinese nelle auto elettriche si consolida: BYD supera Tesla, CATL domina la produzione di batterie e l'Europa arranca.Gianluca Riccio (FuturoProssimo)
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"We need to think about how we can reclaim the possibility that Toronto once exemplified." — @namshine
"Meta is delaying the rollout of a flagship AI model, prompting internal concerns about the direction of its multibillion-dollar AI investments, people familiar with the matter said.
Company engineers are struggling to significantly improve the capabilities of its “Behemoth” large-language model, leading to staff questions about whether improvements over prior versions are significant enough to justify public release, the people said.
Early in its development, Behemoth was internally slated for an April release to coincide with Meta’s inaugural AI conference for developers. Meta put out two smaller models in its Llama AI model family ahead of the event, but later pushed an internal target for the larger Behemoth’s release to June. Now, it’s been delayed to fall or later.
Meta has previously drawn praise for the speed with which it’s caught up to rivals in the global AI arms race—spending billions of dollars along the way to develop the technology that powers chatbots on WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook. Meta plans to spend up to $72 billion in capital expenditures this year, much of which will be used to help realize Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg’s grand ambitions for AI.
Zuckerberg and other Meta executives haven’t publicly committed to a timeline for Behemoth. The company could ultimately decide to release Behemoth sooner than expected, including by rolling out a more limited version. But Meta engineers and researchers are concerned its performance wouldn’t match public statements about its capabilities, the people said."
wsj.com/tech/ai/meta-is-delayi…
#AI #GenerativeAI #Meta #Llama #BigTech #AIHype #AIBubble #SiliconValley
"This isn’t a removal. It’s not lawful under the Immigration and Nationality Act. It doesn’t conform to anything that was previously passed in legislation, or [in] the Code of Federal Regulations ... Essentially, he was disappeared forcefully."
texasobserver.org/el-salvador-…
#ice
Shipped to El Salvador: An Austin Immigration Lawyer on Her Teen Client's Forced 'Disappearance'
“Due process hasn’t been protected. The process that is set in place in this country that is the basis and foundation of our legal system was not allowed to work.”Francesca D’Annunzio (The Texas Observer)
#Croatia and #Denmark may just pull thru.
eci.ec.europa.eu/043/public/#/…
And yay Italy! A few more signatures would be solid to boost the overall total. Thank you!
#commUNITY #EU #Europe #health #healthCare #humanRights #strength
Trump administration in retreat on multiple legal fronts
The Trump administration has been an ongoing constitutional violation since Inauguration Day. The courts are catching up. Specious arguments are having their day in court and are losing badly—so badly, in fact, that the Trump administration has adopted the tactic of slow-walking judicial and congressional consideration of those specious arguments. That development should give us hope and confidence that justice will prevail ultimately, and possibly sooner rather than later!
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An overview—and acknowledgment of the courageous organizations and lawyers leading the fight
On Thursday, the Trump administration was retreating on two significant legal matters: The question of birthright citizenship and the ability of the president to “impound” funds appropriated by Congress.
The birthright citizenship case consumed much of the oxygen across the media landscape. Some of the reports (not all) suggested that the male members of the Court1 were sympathetic to Trump's arguments. Not so! Most commentators correctly noted that nearly all of the justices rejected Trump's argument about birthright citizenship but seemed flummoxed on the remedy of nationwide class actions. (More on this below.)
The question of what happened in the birthright citizenship cases is important. However, the emerging trend is of greater importance: The Trump administration is retreating on multiple legal and legislative fronts. Today, I will focus on birthright citizenship and Trump's unconstitutional effort to impound funds appropriated by Congress.
Given the complexities of the arguments surrounding these topics, it can be challenging to see the trendlines, but they are unmistakable. As to birthright citizenship and impoundments, the Trump administration is seeking to delay the day of reckoning on the merits before the Supreme Court and Congress.
The fact that Trump is seeking to delay a determination on the merits signals his belief that he will lose. He is temporizing, trying to delay the day when his house of cards will crumble.
Trump's retreat is a testament to the outstanding work of legal advocacy organizations like the ACLU, CASA, Common Cause, Asian Law Caucus, Asian Pacific American Advocates, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Washington Lawyers’ Committee For Civil Rights, twenty-two state attorneys general, and many others.
In addition, leading law firms and lawyers stepped to the plate to represent plaintiffs in the birthright cases, including Arnold & Porter (John A. Freedman, Sally Pei, Jonathan L. Stern, and Ronald D. Lee).
At a time when the largest and most powerful firms in the American legal profession continue to bow and scrape before Trump, firms like Arnold & Porter are rightfully highlighting their pro bono work as they deliver on their commitment to underserved and vulnerable communities. See the linked video on Arnold & Porter’s website for insight into how firms can and should step up to their professional and ethical commitments: Pro Bono | Arnold & Porter.
Supreme Court hears oral argument in birthright citizenship case
Despite worrisome headlines, I believe we have reason to be optimistic about the short-term and long-term outcome in the birthright citizenship case. There is much ground to cover, and others have done a superb job—so I will not retrace their steps. If you want excellent commentary with details, see Mark Joseph Stern & Dahlia Lithwick in Slate and Chris Geidner on his Substack, Law Dork. 2
Before looking at a few details, it is helpful to note that the birthright citizenship cases raise two questions: (a) Is Trump’s order denying birthright citizenship unconstitutional, and (b) Is it appropriate to block Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship by using a nationwide injunction?
The answers to the two questions are (a) Yes, Trump's executive order denying birthright citizenship is unconstitutional, and (b) Yes, it is appropriate to use a nationwide injunction to block the executive order.
The only question before the Supreme Court during Thursday’s oral argument was (b)—whether a nationwide injunction is appropriate. The Trump administration did not want the Court to address (a) the constitutionality of Trump's executive order denying birthright citizenship.
Trump did not want the Supreme Court to rule on the merits of the executive order because every court at the district court and appellate level to consider the matter has concluded that Trump's executive order is likely unconstitutional.
Although Trump did not want the Supreme Court to consider the merits of his executive order banning birthright citizenship, it turned out to be very difficult to consider the scope of the remedy, i.e., a nationwide injunction, without considering the merits of Trump's executive order.
And the single most important takeaway from today’s hearing before the Supreme Court is that there is little to no support for Trump's ban on birthright citizenship.
As Mark Joseph Stern and Dahlia Lithwick write
[N]ot one justice even hinted that they think Trump should eventually win on the merits and get the green light to start stripping birthright citizenship from immigrants’ children.
The good news is that the nine justices of the Supreme Court were able to see the bad-faith, disingenuous arguments of the Trump administration up close and personal. The US Solicitor General, John Sauer, made ridiculous and dangerous arguments that seemed to take the breath away from some justices.
As widely noted, Justice Barrett grilled Sauer over whether the administration would follow binding precedent. Suaer repeatedly said, “Generally, yes . . . .” In that context, “Generally,” means “No,” the administration will not follow binding precedent.
Sauer effectively told the Court, “The administration doesn’t have to follow Supreme Court rulings.” It was a clarifying moment and a personal affront to the Justices. They have now had a taste of what the rest of the world has been dealing with for the last three months. Good!
And Ketanji Brown Jackson distilled the administration’s arguments into a “catch-me-if-you-can” scenario in which every plaintiff must file their own lawsuit to challenge the validity of Trump's executive order. That approach leads to chaos and madness. And the only reason to adopt such an approach is to avoid the day on which the Supreme Court finally tells Trump his executive order is unconstitutional.
Inviting the Court to start down the road to madness and chaos as a way of avoiding a loss on the merits of a patently unconstitutional order again demonstrates the administration’s bad faith in dealing with the judicial process. Allowing the Justices to see that bad faith up close and personal is clarifying and helpful.
Perhaps the strongest argument was made by New Jersey Solicitor General Jeremy Feigenbaum. Per Stern and Lithwick, Feigenbaum
hammered to the court, pruning back these injunctions to the plaintiffs alone would mean that birthright citizenship is protected in 22 states but not in 28 others. “We’ve never in this country’s history since the Civil War had your citizenship turn on when you cross state lines.”
Suggesting that birthright citizenship as a US citizen would depend on the state of one’s birth is ludicrous and cuts at the foundation of the United States of America.
The Solicitor General of the US was forced to make such absurd arguments because the administration is desperate to avoid a ruling on the merits of Trump's executive order.
So, the risible arguments by John Sauer on Thursday are a sign of the administration in full retreat.
We have the administration on the run. We need to keep up the pressure, with the help of legal advocacy organizations and principled law firms.
Trump walks-back effort to obtain congressional ratification of DOGE cuts
The “cuts” by DOGE are unconstitutional. All of them. It is a bedrock principle of the Constitution that Congress appropriates funds and the president “faithfully executes” the laws that appropriate those funds.
By withholding (“impounding”) funds appropriated by Congress, Trump is violating the Constitution. Every day. That ongoing constitutional violation is a scandal that is being ignored by the media.
Trump is now seeking to avoid a confrontation in Congress, testing his ongoing unconstitutional conduct. He is again in retreat—because he does not want to know the answer that Congress will give.
Here is a quick example: On January 21, 2025, Trump withheld funds appropriated to USAID. A constitutional violation occurs on the first day of the impoundment. And the next. And the next, and next, and next . . . .The initial violation is ongoing until Trump complies with the appropriation mandate by Congress.
Now multiply that single impoundment by thousands of additional “cuts”—unconstitutional impoundments—by DOGE. Every one of those “cuts” is a violation of the Constitution that continues every day that funds are illegally withheld.
The media doesn’t care about this story. Or maybe it doesn’t understand the Constitution or the nature of DOGE’s actions. But the media reports the “cuts” as if DOGE has the authority to make them. It does not.
Cases challenging the unconstitutional impoundments are wending their way through the federal courts. Yesterday, I discussed the sweeping ruling by US District Judge Susan Illston that tees up the constitutionality of DOGE’s actions writ large. Ultimately, the courts will tell Trump that DOGE’s cuts violate Article I of the Constitution.
In the meantime, someone in the Trump administration came up with the “brilliant” idea of having Congress “ratify” DOGE’s unconstitutional cuts—thereby heading off a judicial decision that Trump has been violating the Constitution every day since Inauguration Day. See Talking Points Memo, Trump Allies Prep Plan To Make DOGE Seem Like A Good, Normal, Law-Abiding Operation.
As explained in the TPM article,
Republican lawmakers, hoping to save face with the public, have been asking the Trump administration to send in a rescission package in order to formalize the cuts he and DOGE have been enacting unilaterally.
If Trump were to ask Congress to ratify his unconstitutional cuts, he would need to identify the nature and amount of those cuts. In effect, Trump would be asking for forgiveness for his unlawful cuts when he should have sought permission.
[The 1974 Impoundment Control Act gives a president 45 days to notify Congress of the intention to impound funds, which starts a clock for congressional approval. Trump gave no notice to Congress about any impoundments.]
Asking forgiveness for the unconstitutional cuts would, of course, require Trump to identify the unlawful cuts and their amounts. The approach would effectively be a confession by Trump of his unlawful behavior.
Trump now realizes that asking Congress for post-facto approval of unconstitutional conduct is a bad idea—and so has withdrawn the effort. See Talking Points Memo, Trump Decides Now Is Not The Time To Make Republicans Rubber Stamp His DOGE Power Grab—Maybe Later.
Per the TPM article, Trump has decided to delay seeking approval for DOGE cuts by two years—which is the same as “never.” In truth, Trump doesn’t want to know whether Congress will approve the DOGE cuts on a retroactive basis (which would not comply with the Impoundment Control Act in any event).
To save face, Trump's surrogates claim that he will file a suit to invalidate the Impoundment Control Act. Such talk is empty blather by Trump. Several lawsuits holding that Trump violated the Constitution and the Impoundment Control Act will make their way to the Supreme Court long before Trump can challenge the Impoundment Control Act.
When the issue is posed to the Supreme Court, Trump's challenge to the Impoundment Control Act will receive the same derisive welcome as his birthright citizenship order received on Thursday.
Trump's “two-year delay” in seeking Congressional ratification and his pie-in-the-sky threat to challenge the Impoundment Control Act are signs of a hasty retreat.
Trump is losing. He knows it. He seeks delay to avoid his day of reckoning. That undercurrent runs beneath the Supreme Court hearing on birthright citizenship and his decision not to seek congressional ratification of DOGE cuts.
Concluding Thoughts.
There is more, but I hope I have helped readers to see beyond the details and understand that we are winning and that Trump is retreating.
I will hold a Substack livestream on Saturday, May 17, at Noon Eastern / 9:00 a.m. Pacific. Everyone is welcome. Join on the Substack App on your phone or tablet.
My conversation with Marc Elias of Democracy Docket can be viewed here: Democracy Docket x Robert Hubbell - Zoom. It is 30 minutes long but I hope you will take the time to watch through the end. Marc Elias and Democracy Docket are doing tremendous work in the defense of democracy. I was inspired anew after talking to Marc. If you want to support Democracy Docket, the link is here: Support Democracy Docket.
A final note on the Supreme Court. Readers have understandable anxiety every time the Supreme Court hears a case challenging Trump’s unlawful actions. The anxiety is understandable given the Court’s atrocious decisions in Dobbs and Trump v. US (and others).
But we should not shrink from pushing for Supreme Court review of Trump’s actions. We need to know which side of democracy the Court is on. While I have very modest hopes that we will receive some support from the Court, we need to know sooner rather than later if the Court will abandon us again.
If the Court does abandon us, we may need to change tactics. Let’s find out and move on. The Court isn’t going to save us. It might help us. Or not. Either way, it is up to us. It always is. And we are up to the task.
Talk to you tomorrow!
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Daily Dose of Perspective
I am having trouble coming up with an appropriate nickname for the male members of the Court. Suggestions are welcome!
Chris Geidner’s Substack, Law Dork, is first-rate and deserves a better name! Chris has quickly become one of the leading commentators on the federal judiciary. There is nothing “dorky” about Chris or his analysis. I subscribe to Geidner’s Substack and follow him on BlueSky. (@chrisgeidner.bsky.social).
Trump Decides Now Is Not The Time To Make Republicans Rubber Stamp His DOGE Power Grab—Maybe Later
First it was reported that the Trump White House was considering sending a rescissions package to Congress, a way of letting the legislature rubber stamp some…Nicole Lafond (TPM - Talking Points Memo)
I had a lovely bimble in the woods today. Coed Y Foel is a Woodland Trust nature reserve. Ancient sessile oak woodland covers one side of a valley and the other’s been (re)planted. A stream and marshland run along the bottom. I learned that the ancient woodland was felled in WWI and the oak regrew from coppice stools. After grazing was stopped in the late 1980s, all the woodland under storey species (bluebells, bilberries, holly etc) returned. This fills me with hope. 💚
I didn't think I'd be listening to absolutely banging (checks description) Armenian funeral-themed dark blues folk jazz today, but what do I know about life. But it's amazing!
Discovered via idly clicking through multiple "People who liked this thing you liked also like..." dialogues. 😄
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in reply to Wintermute • • •Das Bild zeigt eine atemberaubende Sonnenuntergangslandschaft. Der Himmel ist in warmen Farben wie Orange, Gelb und Rosa gefärbt, während die Wolken in verschiedenen Schattierungen von Grau und Schwarz leuchten. Der Sonnenuntergang ist im Zentrum des Bildes zu sehen, wobei der Sonnenball gerade hinter den Horizont sinkt. Im Vordergrund sind einige Dächer von Häusern und Bäume zu erkennen, die die Szene mit grünen Farbtönen bereichern. Der Hintergrund zeigt sanfte Hügel, die sich in der Ferne erstrecken. Die Farben und die Atmosphäre des Bildes vermitteln eine ruhige und friedliche Stimmung.
Bereitgestellt von @altbot, privat und lokal generiert mit Ovis2-8B
🌱 Energieverbrauch: 0.173 Wh