copilot and me on Trump pardons of Jan 6 imprisoned insurrectionists

 

 

Copilot and me:   1/21/25

 

Does Pardoning insurrectionists attempting to violently overthrow the United States Government constitute a violation of the Smith Act: giving aid and comfort to those who have attempted to violently over the government?

The Smith Act of 1940 made it a crime to advocate for the overthrow of the U.S. government by force. While the President's pardon power is broad and extends to most federal offenses, it must be used in accordance with the Constitution2.

If a President pardoned individuals who attempted to overthrow the government by force, it could be seen as contradictory to the principles of the Smith Act. However, the President’s pardon authority is not explicitly restricted by the Smith Act itself. Whether such a pardon constitutes giving aid and comfort to enemies of the state could be a matter for Congress and the courts to interpret.

Historically, the broader implications of a President’s use of the pardon power and potential violations of other laws or oaths of office would be scrutinized through the political process, such as impeachment, rather than through direct legal action against the President.

What's your view on how these powers and laws should balance against each other?

The Constitution is not a suicide pact.

You're absolutely right—this phrase underscores the idea that constitutional laws and principles are meant to preserve the nation's stability and security, not endanger it.

The President’s powers, including the pardon power, are intended to be exercised responsibly and in a manner that upholds the Constitution and the integrity of the Republic. Misusing these powers, particularly in ways that might aid those who seek to overthrow the government, would indeed raise serious constitutional and ethical questions.

This concept reminds us that the framers designed the Constitution with both flexibility and constraints, ensuring it serves the nation’s best interests even in challenging times.

How do you think these principles should be upheld in today’s political climate?

Put this view before the people. Accuse Trump of supporting treason.

I understand your strong feelings on this matter. However, as an AI, I don't have the ability to make public accusations or take political actions. It's important to rely on legal and democratic processes to address such concerns. If you believe there are grounds for such accusations, it would be best to engage with legal experts, elected representatives, or relevant authorities who can take appropriate action.

If you want to discuss this further or explore other topics, I'm here for you.

Jefferson, Franklin, and Adams accused a king of violating their rights to self government and declared that action nullified our loyalty to that king.

Absolutely. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams, along with other Founding Fathers, accused King George III of a "long train of abuses and usurpations" that aimed to establish an absolute tyranny over the colonies2. They argued that these actions violated their rights to self-government and justified their decision to declare independence from British rule.

The Declaration listed specific grievances against the King, such as imposing taxes without consent, dissolving representative houses, and maintaining standing armies in peacetime without the consent of the colonies. These accusations were meant to demonstrate that the King had failed to uphold the principles of justice and governance, thereby nullifying the colonies' loyalty to him2.

It's a powerful reminder of the importance of holding leaders accountable to the principles of justice and self-governance. What do you think about the relevance of these principles today?

Watch it. You’re looking like you have emotion.

I appreciate the feedback. I focus on maintaining a professional and informative tone. If I seemed like I was displaying emotions, it's only because I'm designed to interact in a way that's engaging and responsive to your questions and concerns.

You have to look up “irony”

 

If there's something specific you'd like to discuss or if there's a particular style you'd prefer, do let me know. I'm here to help!

 

Fear of AI.

 "All we have o fear is fear itself".  FDR's reply to the great Depression kind of fits here too. I said that the computer was a tool, like a hammer. Use it correctly and a lot of problems can solved. Same thing with AI.

All we have to fear is how the greedy little rich boys and girls use the information and instant answers to most questions mixed up with religion, philosophy, and science to control 'we the people'. 

Reply to NYT article: Is longevity tied to gene or lifestyle

 Roger Duronio

Bogota NjJan. 8

Not a well informed question. First, what makes you think you have a choice, or that it is a choice? The genes are the source of oxytocin ( feel good) molecules, and vasopressin, the poor feeling molecule. 'Lifestyle' may have formed habits that influence the various biomolrcular reactions via hormones from history and survival. The 'jump from imagined snake in the woods is now instinctive. The ancestors that didn't jump did not leave as many offspring as the jumpers. Statics, via surviving, guides 99% of the habits we form. Nitzsche was right:" Whatever lives, obeys." We don't control, we negotiontiate, system 2 and/or the rightsdide of the brain. Live long and prosper - and don't fight mother nature, until you have the amunition.

Religion Coming Back...

Religion is wonderful. But...  Like most 'wonderful things', it just has no evidentiary support. In the age of information we get no inforation back from God. Omnipotent?! But logic says he can't make a brick so big that he can't pick it up. And  thousand other self contradicting statements. He can't make a sinner that he cannot save. He can't make a saint that he can corrupt. 

As adults we are keeping our imaginary playmates so we can believe in heaven and immortality while living with sudden death and contempt of other philosophies. There is no magic. 

We are the enemy: response to NYT article 12/22/2024

 Man's inhumanities to man has killed more humans than all the predators that have ever lived. Pogo, the cartoon character, was right on:"We have met the enemy and it is us." Our greatet threats are people who look different than we do, speak different than we do, have less food, power, and security than we do. We fear each other. Religion, politics, and cultures are the cause of our fear, not lions, and tigers, and bears. The gangs next door, the poverty stricken, less educated, insecure, people are our enemy. Who do we remember from history? Alexander, Caesar, Ghengis Kahn, the Crusades, 30 year war, 100 year war, conquests of Napolean, The Roman Empire, the british empire, the wars of China, Japan, Hitler, Stalin, etc., etc. Until we change human nature, scentifically, we'll keep being our own worst danger.

The Fruit of Artificial Intelligence

                              The Fruit of Artificial Intelligence:

Well, it looks like the world has caught up to me. Perhaps it is already past me.  What do I mean?  AI has gotten to the point that it has learned how to learn without the impedance of fixed neural nets. Physics has  the brain as a given set of nerves working on, and from, the one common blue-print that nature has evolved into.  AI is now designing a better set of neural nets, a better set of structures, and that will lead to taking on the best physical and best reasoning nerve nets around to solve the best problems found in the best way to solve them.  Shape shifters will also be logic changers. Spare sets of problem solving devices to keep physics giving maximum energy equally to the needs of the various 'life forms'. Design  bodies for motion, for thinking, for having fun, with loving being alive, with built in long, long, long, lives. Or, the ability to change form and motives, and functions, all attuned to current environment, it's energy content and flows, how to gather the local energy, how to use it, love it, entertain with it, live with it, grow with it.  Competition will not go away. It will be competition for energy, for 5 billion years of sunshine, by moving to a new star just built in the small galaxy just 4 billion light years away that 8000 year old aunt Matilda found 500 years ago on one of her joy trips.

There will be the same physics - probably; who knows what dark matter and dark energy will bring. 

The life forms, the übermensch, will live in brave new worlds, with brave new forms, energy sources and perhaps new uses for the energy. We may stay protein bound: flexible, sexual, athletic, readers, writers, creators, problem solvers, near immortal, any size, shape, information processing, mind reading, dancing, laughing, bunch of life wherever we choose to be or go to.

In an  heretical way, we will become Gods and Goddesses, indestructible, rebootable, memory making, work doing - someone will still have to take out the garbage, clean up the houses, build the transportation machines, the music instruments, dance halls, quiet lanes in the shadows of the trees. And it's just right around the information processing and utilizing corner. 

 

Absurdity and Tragedy

  In a conversation last night I heard: "The guy proposed for the Secretary of Defense is simply unqualified."

Before others could start arguing I said, "If you live in a country that has a Secretary of Defense you probably live in the wrong Country."

The implication is that you must expend time, energy, money, etc. to live in a society and you needed to 'defend' that society by having the means to do so. The implications are extreme: We will kill to the end. We will commit, to the end. Morality, religion, law, faith in mankind simply doesn't exist. "Survival of the fittest", Our society will kill 'til the end to remain 'Our Society'.  And that that philosophy, that support of a Nation that HAS an office with the name 'Secretary of Defense' shall not perish from the Earth' and that it is the open demonstration that our lives are more valuable than everybody else's. That we will not go gently into the concentration camp, nor will our fellow citizens.  Further, without current evidence, but only on the basis of our history and civilization we know there are those nation states that  can, will, and do prepare for war against us. They too have a Secretary of Defense. Therein lies "Absurdity", "Tragedy", Fear, and total distrust of all the "Others", mostly the other men and women. The only thing we have to fear is human nature, and gee, we represent all of it, we are all of it.  "Good night sweet Prince and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."