#darkages

I understand that modern authoritarianism works in part by making it difficult or impossible to know what's true, and thereby undermining the very notion of "truth" itself.

And I understand that LLMs and image and video generators are also likely to make it difficult or impossible to know what's true in the near future. I can see how authoritarians might welcome their development.

What I can't understand is: How do the elites who are (or hope to be) at the top of an authoritarian regime imagine that they will be able to distinguish fact from fiction in this dark, truthless age they're ushering in?

Do they imagine they're just enormously more intelligent than everyone else? Do they imagine they will have exclusive control of the machinery of fabrication?

Or do they imagine that even they no longer require "truth" as we know it? That facts really do not matter?

#LLM #AI #authoritarianism #darkages #uspolitics #politics #plutocrats

By Azura, by Azura, by Azura, it's the Doom Slayer, standing here, next to me! #DarkAges https://gamesense.co/game/dark-ages/news/discuss/rip-and-tamriel-doom-s-praetor-armour-has-been-modded-into-oblivion-remastered-so-you-can-practice-for-the-dark-ages-by-duffing-/

People never learn.
#meme #life #darkages

The USA has officially become a deviant and dangerous christofascist theocracy.

#Fascism #Theocracy #Evil #UsPol #DarkAges

"The Trump administration will freeze more than $US2.2 billion ($3.5 billion) in grants and $US60 million in contracts to Harvard University." www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE8K... #uni #edu #science #research #darkages #coup #frauds #law

Trump slashes $US2.2 billion g...

"For countries with weaker protections for academic freedom, such a shift could serve as a justification for increased state control over universities" universitieswww.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/the-... #uni #edu #darkages #coup #frauds #law

universitieswww.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/the-si...

**Violent, dark, and dirty: What Americans think about the Middle Ages**

“_Americans are likely to have favorable views of castles and chivalry, but not the Crusades or the Inquisition_”

https://today.yougov.com/entertainment/articles/51889-violent-dark-dirty-americans-middle-ages

#Data #DataViz #Poll #History #MiddleAges #DarkAges #Medieval #Medievodons @medievodons

WTOP: Parents warned against attending ‘measles parties’ to build child’s immunity to virus

"A D.C.-area pediatrician is warning about the dangers of so called “measles parties” that are being held to build children’s immunity to the virus. This comes as an outbreak in cases has been seen across the country, including Texas, among children and adults not vaccinated against the disease."

https://wtop.com/health-fitness/2025/03/parents-warned-against-measles-parties-to-build-childs-immunity-to-virus/

#measles #stupidity #health #dummies #arghhhhh #darkages

The rise of #AntiIntellectualism, distrust of #Science - and even derision of any learning or scholarship - is the disturbing underpinning of the rise of #Fascism in our world. Just say no to the return of the #DarkAges!
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/7-anti-science-myths/

@petersuber
I've been sent this substack post too. For medical research that is precisely on these topics, what will they do?

In Ireland up to a century ago ('who fears to speak'], and Eastern Europe up to 1989, people used alternative terms to talk about topics that were officially censored. The censors would have to play linguistic whack-a-mole to suppress them.

(I've taken to using #uspol as a filter trigger, thanks to mod advice.)

#Orwell #year1984 #newspeak #darkages #CDC

@drrimmer
Let's not forget the more virulent mutations occurring in bird flu —
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00245-6

- https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/27/health/bird-flu-h5n1.html

- https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/27/bird-flue-h5n9-california
#AvianInfluenza #BirdFlu #PublicHealth #UnitedStates #DarkAges #US #WHO #ElectionConsequences #ElectionsHaveConsequences

Four bleak years is plenty of time for this to happen.
https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:3pcwwxoahgdyvbsygmpciqi5/post/3lgrifgvuw22a
#US #UnitedStates #DarkAges #USpol #USpolitics #ElectionsHaveConsequences #ElectionConsequences #HigherEducation

Burn it all down —
"The White House budget office is ordering a pause to all grants and loans disbursed by the federal government, according to an internal memo sent to agencies Monday...
...
Federal grants support a broad range of recipients and causes. They go to universities for education and research programs, and to nonprofits for health care and studies, among thousands of other purposes.
..."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/01/27/white-house-pauses-federal-grants/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzM3OTU0MDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzM5MzM2Mzk5LCJpYXQiOjE3Mzc5NTQwMDAsImp0aSI6ImZlYzlhZTI3LTQ5ODUtNGNiYi04ZWEyLWNjNWE3YWE5NDE4MiIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9idXNpbmVzcy8yMDI1LzAxLzI3L3doaXRlLWhvdXNlLXBhdXNlcy1mZWRlcmFsLWdyYW50cy8ifQ.OH6OKaNolVYueeEJz2SzVWQBrgB372ZHhXvCMTAU0zU
#Dystopia #DarkAges #ElectionConsequences #ElectionsHaveConsequences

We have the latest on Doom: The Dark Ages, including insights from developers Marty Stratton and Hugo Martin. #DarkAges https://gamesense.co/game/dark-ages/news/discuss/marty-stratton-the-dark-ages-like-nothing-players-have-had-their-hands-on-in-a-doom-game/

The Woods is a great game. I really like it.

#oakbound #oakboundstudio #warhammer #oldhammer #WarGames #fantasy #darkages #faerytale #fairytales #folklore #LotR

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3Hp2MoY9DVI

@gregggonsalves the natural evolution for people who wear guns and have death penalty. #darkages

I said today to a friend that first chapter of Hexen 2 was simply perfect: a dark-ages environment, with gray clouds and a constant feel of menace. The order three (Egyptian, Mayan and Roman/greek) while great, were a bit out of spirit.

So yes: I REALLY MISS that first chapter! #hexen2 #darkages #gaming

#Antiscience #DarkAges #Regression #Antivaxx

@dyedbird @jcrabapple

Like always, the path out of the #DarkAges desired by the wannabe God-Kings who own all the instruments of violence and war, with all the men to bear them, is written in the values of Enlightenment left to us since the Renaissance: https://inaniludibrio.com/2024/08/13/skeptical-of-god-kings/

#egalitarian

@wildebees

The #kremlin are slowly dismantling the #US government, piece by piece.

And it's "au revoir" to #PaxAmericana, and "Hello" to the new 21st century's #DarkAges.

I wonder if in the future #Mexico will be more stable than the #US?