Care for your Mother...earth!

Hacking democracies:

The integrity of democratic electoral process is vulnerable to the  marketing strategies employed in the consumer marketplace.

Dirty politics:
allegations of corruption,fraud,cheating, ...and rigging of elections

The sheeple are gullible/suggestible and easily manipulated/influenced by  marketing techniques. 
Capturing votes in an election campaign is no different than persuading people to buy a brand of soap/soup!

How AI algorithms sway election results:
(cyberbots and cyberwarfare)

It wasn't just the Russians who meddled in  the 2016 US presid3ntial election.
Other corporate "sabateurs-for-hire" also had a hand in corrupting the election process.

http://time.com/5216680/cambridge-analytica-christopher-wylie-predecessor-poisoned/

Whistleblower Christopher Wylie told the U.K.'s Guardian, which broke Wylie's confession that he used the illegally harvested private information of more than 50 million Facebook users for a Bannon-run company called Cambridge Analytica to target voters on behalf of Donald Trump's 2016 U.S. election campaign.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/17/data-war-whistleblower-christopher-wylie-faceook-nix-bannon-trump

https://globalnews.ca/video/4107898/christopher-wylie-says-canadian-company-aiq-worked-on-software-to-find-republican-voters-2

Facebook's Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which the personal data of millions of Americans was allegedly misused by a consulting firm working for Donald Trump's 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, is renewing calls for a tech sector code of ethics.

http://www.cbc.ca/listen/shows/the-current

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-43558876

***************
When does persuading others in the course of pursueing one's own interests become unethical?
Is anytjing "off limits" in selling a political candidate to the public?
Or is everything fair game in love and political warfare?

Blue Dot

http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/videos/cosmos-a-space-time-odyssey/the-pale-blue-dot-3593.aspx

What kind of world are we shaping for ourselves?
The choices we make today will determine our tomorrow.

America vs the rest of the world

Two roads diverged....

the USA vs the rest of the world : two different responses to the pressing issues of our time: wch path will have the better outcome for humanity?

The institutionalization of Trumpism (implementing policies and consolidating power)

Trump's policies are isolationist,selfish, competitive,and protectionist in extreme. Trump is taking America to the limits of "individualism" (self-absorbed culture)and turning it into an island. Extreme individualism says its acceptable to act with selfish disrespect toward others (exploiting others in pursuit of one's own goals) . Single-minded focus on one's own interests/desires makes it difficult to form lasting cooperative (mutually beneficial)relationships with others. Without the social supports of community, isolated individuals suffer anxiety, aloneness, depression. True fulfillment comes from looking after not just one's own interests but also caring for the needs and interests of others.

Trump's top-down leadership style: his authoritarian managerial skills are not compatible with running a democracy. (not a team player; not receptive to input from advisors) He is consolidating power in the executive branch while ignoring constitutional checks and balances ,and the oversight function of congress. (by invoking his powers as Commander in Chief he is able to bypass all such safeguards)

Trump exemplifies the politics of fear and division.

Trump's policies are isolationist,selfish, competitive,and protectionist in extreme. Under Trump's leadership, the USA is increasingly isolating itself from the rest of the world:

UN General Assembly condemns US unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel

the nations of the world proceed with commitment to mitigate climate change despite US withdrawal from the Paris Accord.

The US seeks to renegotiate all its trade agreements in its own favour without consideration for the interests of its trading partners.

The US seeks to drastically restrict immigration and build a wall to barricade itself against the migrant hoards.

US reduces its contribution to the operating budget of the UN.

************************** If it is truely Donald Trump's intention to achieve "greatness" for America,... this is not the path to greatness. How about the wealthiest country in the world showing some magnanity! What happened to "noblesse oblige" and "giving back "? Relationships mean giving and not just taking.

In the meantime China seeks to further its interests by moving in the opposite direction : pushes for free trade, globalization, and multinationalism/multilateralism. China takes the longview by increasing investment in foreign aid, (investing in the infrastructure of other countries)and is winning a lot of influence and goodwill globally.

...and Canada takes the moral highroad and seems like a sanctuary of sanity in a world gone mad. Canada embraces the ideology that a civilized and just society does not ignore the suffering of downtrodden people

We are about to witness a tumultuous period in human history. We will all be caught up in the apocalyptic drama as these opposing forces and competing ideologies play themselves out on the world stage. If any good comes from the Trump fiasco, its that its put the focus on whats wrong with American society and what needs fixing. Hopefully this will motivate a transformation and create a new healthier social order.

My bet is that America will find itself on the wrong side of history. History will show that the best way forward for humanity is to tear down divisions/barriers and to embrace inclusivity. Clearly humanity is moving on and leaving America behind. History will show that the best adaptation was in building bridges¤(cooperation,inclusivity) ;not walls (competition, exclusivity) !

These two distinct approaches are perhaps best exemplified by the Dalai Lama's description of two kinds of selfishness: (see Dalai Lama's definition of true/prudent "selfishness")

"If you try to subdue your selfish motives and develope more kindness and compassion for others,ultimately you yourself will benefit more. So sometimes I say the "wise selfish person" should practice this way. Foolish selfish people are always thinking of themselves,and the result is negative. Wise selfish people think of others,help others as much as they can,and the result is that they too receive benefit." --Dalai Lama

"If you just want to Walk Fast, Walk Alone! But if you want to Walk Far, WalkTogether!" --Steve Jobs

¤ "building bridges" means building mutually- beneficial relationships based on what we share in common. Relationships mean giving and not just taking.

****************** Listen to comedian Ron James:

https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=ahRVKC0rBMk&sns=em

https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=x3OueiVvvsE&sns=em

are we really any smarter than a rat?!

Subject: the feeding frenzy of commercialism/consumerism is about to begin : we are entering a season of extravagant /profligate consumption and self- indulgence.
>
> The problem is we live in a culture that glorifies consumerism and we don't think that we need to live within a finite budget and a finite carbon footprint.
> We are about to enter a season of rampant consumption and marketing hype.
> Retailers will be gearing up for the big Xmas season.
> We will be bombarded with messages to shop, spend, borrow, and buy,buy,buy--influences wch are difficult to ignore and resist.
> We have to resist the "culture of commercialism" in wch we are immersed.  Contrary to societal pressure the ideal holiday is not one surrounded by a glut of consumer goods; rather it is time and activities shared with family members.
>
> Don't be fooled by  "deals" and "bargains".
> The best way to save money on a "sale" is to not buy it!
> Black Friday should be rebranded  as
> " buy-nothing-day"!
> Don't buy into the buying and consumption frenzy this holiday season.
> We each need to reduce our carbon footprint.
>
> > > *************** > >
>
> warning to humanity--a second edition:
>
> http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/14/health/scientists-warn-humanity/index.html
>
> The letter essentially says that if there is not a groundswell of public pressure to change human behavior, the planet will sustain "substantial and irreversible" harm.
>
> we need to decrease our consumption and decrease our population

Trump exercises America's military might to advance American interests

America enters the Syrian quagmire vis-a-vis Russia and Iran based on "gasing incident"

America's cruise missile attack targets Syrian airbase suspected of being the launch source of chemical weapon attack on anti-Assad rebels.
America's involvement complicates a messy situation in the region.

What was the real motive behind the turnaround in Trump's policy toward Syria?
Makes one wonder if it was just a very expensive publicity stunt! --nothing more than a symbolic flexing of American military muscle. Most likely motivated by self-interest-- intended more for his domestic audience as a distraction and to  bolster his unfavorable popularity rating.

How is it that only 9 people were killed in such a massive attack...unless they had advance warning....or missed the target completely!

Targeted airfield is back in operation!
After being targeted by 59 cruise missiles, Syrian airbase is still up and running!
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/images-damaged-syrian-air-base-strike-released-46672099?yptr=yahoo

How is it that the airbase runway is not cratered and rendered nonfunctional?
If the intent of the strike was to render the airfield nonfunctional, the  costly effort was a clear failure!

How is it that Russian and Syrian reaction is no more than "obligatory outrage"?
There has been no retaliatory military response!

It will cost about $60 million to replace the cruise missiles that the U.S. military rained on Syrian targets Thursday night.
Each Tomahawk missile,( made by Raytheon Co.) costs $1 million, according to experts.

The better way to help Syrian people would have been to apply that 60 million to help the refugees. 60 million in humanitarian aid would have accomplished a great deal more. It certainly would have earned Trump a lot more good will!

******************
Let me explain it for you . . .

Muddle East – An American Perspective

We support the Iraqi government in the fight against the Islamic State.
We don't like IS but IS is supported by Saudi Arabia, whom we do like.

We don't like President Assad. We support the fight against him but  not IS which is also fighting against him.

We don't like Iran but Iran supports the Iraqi government against  IS.

So, some of our friends support our enemies and some of our  enemies are our friends and some of our enemies are fighting against our other enemies whom we want to lose but we don't want our enemies  who are fighting our enemies to win.

If the people we want to defeat are defeated, they might be replaced by people we like even less.

And all this was started by us invading a  country to drive out terrorists who weren't actually there until we  went in to drive them out.

Do you understand now?

Might this be "Plan-et B, C,and D"?

Might this be "Plan-et B, C,and D"?

NASA announces finding 3 earth-like planets in habitable zone around a red dwarf Sun(Trappist 1) just 40 light years away.

ttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/02/22/nasa-announcement-live/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/02/22/nasa-announcement-live/#update-20170222-1936

*******************

A Single Star Is Home to At Least 7 Earthlike Planets (3 of wch are potentially life-supporting)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/nasa-announces-single-star-home-194245041.html

NASA Announces potentially life-supporting earth-like exoplanets orbit nearby star

Feb 22, 2017

The largest known system of Earth-like exoplanets has been found orbiting a dwarf star in the Milky Way. At least three of the seven rocky exoplanets could have oceans of water, making it possible that the system could harbour life. The discovery lends weight to the growing belief among some astronomers that our galaxy could be teeming with Earth-like worlds.The first exoplanet – a planet orbiting a star other than the Sun –was discovered 25 years ago, and since then, astronomers have identified thousands of such objects. Most are Jupiter-like gas giants because huge exoplanets are much easier to detect than smaller Earth-like worlds. However, improved techniques and new telescopes have led to the discovery of Earth-like exoplanets with the potential to harbour life.In 2010, an international team of astronomers began using the TRAPPIST telescope in Chile to search for Earth-like exoplanets orbiting small stars nearby in the Milky Way. They were looking for tiny drops in the intensity of a star that occur when an exoplanet's orbit takes it between the star and Earth. Such "transits" of small exoplanets are much easier to see with dwarf stars because the change in intensity is large.

Rocky compositions

Just 40 light-years from Earth, they spotted a star they called TRAPPIST-1 that appeared to be transited by several exoplanets. Now, further observations –including 20 days of continuous monitoring using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope – have revealed seven exoplanets in the TRAPPIST-1 system. The exoplanets have orbital periods ranging from 1.5–20 days. All seven objects appear to be similar in size to Earth, with radii ranging from 0.77–1.13 Earth radii. The team was able to determine the mass and density of six of the exoplanets, which suggests that they have rocky compositions.TRAPPIST-1 is about 80 times more massive than Jupiter. So instead of resembling the Sun and its planets, the system is similar to Jupiter and its four Galilean moons – according to team member Michaël Gillon of the University of Liege in Belgium. Gillon says that three of the planets orbit within the habitable zone of the star, which means that they could have liquid water and even life.TRAPPIST-1's nearness to Earth combined with the fact that the exoplanets are relatively large compared with the star means that it should be possible to study the exoplanet atmospheres. This would provide important information about chemical composition and the possibility of life.

Climate studies

According to Amaury Triaud of the University of Cambridge in the UK, the team is now trying to work out if the exoplanets are shrouded in envelopes of hydrogen – which would suggest that they are not Earth-like. The James Webb Space Telescope – to be launched in 2018 – will have the capability to study the composition of the exoplanet's atmospheres and even their climates. "We could know if there is life in TRAPPIST-1 within a decade," says Triaud.TRAPPIST-1 is described in Nature. Hear Sara Seager explain how astronomers are searching for life on exoplanets in this podcast: Searching for life on other planets.

About the author

Hamish Johnston is editor of physicsworld.com