Despite what you may have learned in school, we don’t have a big enough Federal government. OK, we can hear the groans, but consider this. Every year we read about major theft, total mismanagement, gross incompetence and other unproductive actions taken at the national level. It doesn’t seem to matter which Political Party is in control. This is a systemic problem and we all pay the price. Sometimes it causes us to pay higher taxes than necessary; sometimes we see catastrophes that should not have happened; sometimes it’s a gross miscarriage of justice. The point is: we make rules (laws) and staff key positions with “qualified” individuals. But the problems not only remain–they increase in number and impact. Let’s talk two current disasters that need controls NOW. Bitcoin is out-of-control to the extent that the government doesn’t regulate it; commerce does. Enough said. Artificial intelligence–once thought to be an incredible quantum leap forward–is now a cause for alarm. Every comment from the tech world warns us that AI–if left to its natural evolution–will eventually destroy us. The Federal Trade Commission should have its arms around both concepts. But–outmanned with only 1,200 staffers–and outflanked with virtually no tech experts, the FTC has little hope of holding back the profit tide of involved companies whose very existence is tied to either or both of these developments. We seem to have outraced the finish line established by what we termed “reality” only yesterday. If harnessing new technologies is not within our reach maybe they should be shelved temporarily. Think of an atomic bomb in each country. Imagine what the potential for harm is and picture unrestrained profit/power/money motives for using that bomb. A potential Hiroshima in your neighborhood??
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