Surplus electricity would lower bills for both households, which have been particularly affected by rising prices, and different industries which have also had to contend with AI for capital.

In my view, support for him outside of New York matters even if he doesn’t win, insofar as his candidacy itself has made a difference, at least at the Democratic party. Other candidates could win primaries, as he did, and succeed, and even the establishment type might see the voter pool and promote some of the policies he stands for.

I agree; we need a democratic economy and the US-led system is not it. Note that I didn’t state that the US should wield the financial power associated with the status of its bonds; I merely stated it currently does enjoy that power and that giving it up by paying off its debt would be detrimental to the US itself.

Paying off the US debt would mean paying back existing bondholders without issuing new bonds. After all existing bonds have been paid back, there would not be any US bonds in circulation, and the US bond market would be no more.

US bonds are the backbone of the global financial system. If they were to disappear overnight, it would be a financial apocalypse. On a larger timeframe, I suppose the global financial system could readjust, but I can only speculate as to how it would do so and what consequences would follow.

In any case, paying off its debt would be detrimental to the US, because global demand for its bonds results in higher bond prices and thus lower bond yields. In other words, the US pays less interest than it otherwise would because its bonds are so sought after. By paying off its debt, the US would not pay any interest whatsoever, but it would lose a great deal of power abroad.

Wouldn’t it be the other way around? I think Musk would rather have TSLA bagholders shareholders prop up his private companies, of which he likely owns a higher percentage than Tesla. The pitch could be that xAI has what Tesla needs for some of the vaporware he keeps promising and that Tesla should therefore acquire xAI.

I don’t think so, at least when it comes to US citizens, because deportations would cost them and spark controversy for no benefit. I think they’d prefer to keep these deeply indebted people in the US as indentured servants willing to work for pennies and too poor to engage politically.

You’ve conjured images in my mind. I wish you hadn’t.

I can’t even believe the trump admin is going after tech giants.

I share the disbelief. I think it is mostly a power play against not just Google, but all tech giants, which must be watching this closely, given most of them operate in a similarly anticompetitive manner: kiss the ring or else. The Trump administration could give Google reprieve in exchange for axing DEI further and helping push their political agenda.

I can’t imagine anything the admin does will be good for society so maybe its safe to assume they will be broken up so elon can buy a chunk?

I think so too: if Google doesn’t satisfy Trump and his administration, parts of it will be forcibly sold as private equity, outside of shareholder scrutiny and beyond the reach of the SEC. Such a private company would be easier to control than a publicly traded one.

Yeah. Over on Moronix Phoronix, every article about Rust, systemd, Wayland or –to a lesser extent– GNOME is a troll fest.

Is that the average 4chaner?

Their marriage hasn’t been the same since Bert returned from Vietnam and Earnie gave in to the voices.

TIL Epson made laptops. Having had to deal with some of their printers and scanners, I’m not inclined to learn more.

In his first term, Trump increased both the budget deficit and total outstanding debt with his unsustainable fiscal policy. Now, his antagonistic and erratic trade policy is raising Treasury yields. He and his political project are brewing the very debt crisis they keep fearmongering about. The solutions they contemplate, like currency devaluation, messing with the Federal Reserve, perpetual or century bonds and a partial default on repayment obligations to China, further erode trust in the global financial system that underpins American power.

I think this is unironically what they are going for everywhere: delegating regulation to industry, as is the case to some extent in aviation. If they get their way, they won’t need approval from the NHTSA or any other agency, because they will self-approve and likely even shape regulation themselves.

/s Meanwhile, in some Signal group: “Should we suicide her or do you guys figure she might have some ICE-worthy tattoos?”

On the one hand, scurvy is not a concern, because it is very unlikely to develop it, even with a bad diet, as far as I know. On the other hand, it might not be possible, economically viable or environmentally sound to add vitamin C to water in the way fluoridation is; I don’t know enough to judge here.

It’s fascinating how some people, however fringe, believe both:

• that there is a Deep State or some other form of conspiracy that controls hurricanes and people’s minds; and
• that Trump –or anyone else for that matter– can rein in such a powerful, almost omnipotent force.

Trump could blame Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve. In fact, Trump is already pressuring him, writing or at least posting the following:

This would be a PERFECT time for Fed Chairman Jerome Powell to cut Interest Rates. He is always “late,” but he could now change his image, and quickly. Energy prices are down, Interest Rates are down, Inflation is down, even Eggs are down 69%, and Jobs are UP, all within two months - A BIG WIN for America. CUT INTEREST RATES, JEROME, AND STOP PLAYING POLITICS!

For anyone who doesn’t know: this is a clever reference to the myth of Midas’ Touch that I’m totally stealing.