Welcome back to the Stove Top weekly newsletter. As usual, each edition has a few brief stories and finishes with a mix of interesting links, hot takes, and good reads.

Enjoy.

A Privacy Trojan Horse

Section 702 is one of the most dangerous laws we have today. It officially enables US authorities to spy on foreigners to prevent terrorist attacks, but unofficially it allows the NSA to spy on US citizens without a warrant. This is what Edward Snowden martyred himself for.

That bill is up for renewal, so two competing proposals from the House Judiciary and Intelligence panels have been floated.

The Judiciary bill mandates all US intelligence agencies must obtain a warrant before searching the 702 database for information on Americans. The Biden administration called this a “red line”.

The Intelligence bill, known as the FISA Reform and Reauthorization Act, doesn’t have this warrant requirement and would vastly expand the number and types of US businesses that must assist the government’s surveillance efforts. Basically, no matter where you go, you are being spied on. Unless you are a member of Congress of course, then they need to get your permission.

Obviously, I prefer the Judiciary bill, as I believe surveillance is the greatest threat to our freedom now and in the future. There was supposed to be a vote on the bills this week, but Speaker Johnson delayed it in favor of a short-term renewal of Section 702, which, unfortunately, passed.

So, now is the time to start lobbying. If you want to prevent 1984 from happening, contact your representatives and make your case. There have been far stupider movements that have gone mainstream. There’s no reason we can’t do the same with the anti-surveillance movement.

If It Doesn’t Take Your Job…

A few days ago, I published AI Is The Most Undemocratic Technology Maybe Ever, in which I made the case that not only will AI take your job, but you have literally no way of stopping it.

What I failed to mention is that before it takes your job, it’s probably going to make your job worse.

AI is good right now, but it’s not that good. So, as more and more companies start incorporating AI into the workflow, the current human workers are going to be the ones correcting mistakes. In essence, you are providing the transition services needed to take your own job.

If you’re a writer, instead of actually writing, you’ll be editing AI-produced material (which is part of the reason the Hollywood writers went on strike).

If you’re an actor, instead of actually acting, you’ll be providing the material for deepfakes (which is part of the reason Hollywood actors went on strike).

If you’re a graphic designer, instead of actually designing, you’ll be crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s for clients’ AI-generated designs.

If you’re a drive-through worker, you won’t see anybody, but you will take orders behind a robot.

If you’re an uber driver or driving instructor, you will also be working behind a robot.

If you’re an SEO marketer, you won’t do any actual fun work, but soul-sucking and internet-destroying AI work.

I can go on and on, but you get the point.

It’s Time To Legalize Drugs

If you’re like me and enjoy recreational drugs from time to time, you probably know that fentanyl has completely ruined the vibe.

The damn thing is prevalent to the point that I don’t partake anymore:

• In the US, 73,654 people died from a fentanyl overdose in 2022.

• That’s 200 people PER DAY.

• Over a quarter of a million people have died from fentanyl since 2018.

• Only 2 milligrams of fentanyl is needed to kill you.

The prevailing narrative on solutions has centered around stopping the inflow from Mexico and China, and I think that’s definitely part of the solution. If you stop the inflow of fentanyl, then you’ll naturally have less fentanyl.

The problem, however, is that nobody is trying to take fentanyl. It’s being laced with regular party drugs like Molly. I’m not sure if you’re going to be able to stop every bit of Molly lightly laced with fentanyl.

To me, the natural solution would be legalization and dispensaries. If Molly was legal and safely available from government-approved vendors, then there wouldn’t be a fentanyl crisis. It’d die out since there’s no demand for it.

Party drugs don’t kill people. Party drugs laced with fentanyl kill people. You’re not going to be able to stop the party drugs. So why not just stop the unsafe party drugs?

Extras

• Gene editing is now a medical reality.

• More of this, please.

• China is going to end up destroying itself.

• If there’s one thing Israel/Hamas has taught us, it’s that wars are fought now fought online just as much as they are in the trenches.

• France is a surveillance state.

• The White House is coming for the patents of overpriced drugs.

• Here’s an interesting bear case for AI.

• New York is making chip moves.

• The Government-Surveillance complex is alive and well.

• Why does Europe fail to create wealth?

• There should be harsher penalties for courtroom chicanery.

• Stop attacking journalists as terrorists. 

• Pharmacies are giving your medical data to the cops.

• Your clothing hook might be spying on you.

• Israel is at risk of losing the world.

• Mind reading is so close.

• Only on the Washington Post man.

• Law 3.0 is still bad. 

• US police agencies are taking information directly from the IDF.

• Lithium-ion batteries keep getting cheaper.

• The biggest root cause of crime is fatherlessness. 

• One in five young Americans think the Holocaust is a myth.

• Your e-book is spying on you. 

• And so is your smart TV.

• Solar and wind power is going to surpass coal power in 2024.

• AI face cameras are just not the move.

Until next time, ✌️

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