President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week to end the federal procurement of paper straws.
The order, which claims that paper straws are “nonfunctional” and says it wants to end the “forced use” of them, immediately undoes part of a Biden-era initiative to eliminate single-use plastics, including straws, in all government operations by 2035. More broadly, Trump instructed White House staff and “relevant agencies” to issue a “national strategy to end the use of paper straws” within 45 days. The strategy would aim to eliminate all executive branch policies “designed to disfavor plastic straws” and address the federal government’s contracts with states and and other entities “that ban or penalize plastic straw purchase or use.”
That’s fair.
For the astroturfing thing, profiles and engagement is faked on social media right now. I’m trying to find the news source, there was some think tank a while back that had a completely made up persona as CEO or something.
https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2024/02/01/fake-people-ruining-the-real-world-finance-might-have-an-ai-problem/
With regard to the astroturfing, are you saying that the sources people might find are AI? Sure, that’s definitely a thing that is happening, but I’m not sure what I’m meant to do about that? I’m no better than the next person at recognising AI and would need to read through and make a call just like anyone else (and then we open a whole other can of worms of rating the writing and or expression levels, and potential use of assistive tools of, especially in this case, fellow disabled people, which can become really problematic, really fast).
Like I say, I’m perfectly happy to help, especially those who have shown even a bit of initiative, but there’s only so much I can do, and really, the burden shouldn’t be falling on us to not only educate those with more privilege, but also become expert at deciphering AI use (and within that, legitimate vs intentionally manipulative).
I trust a person I’m having a coherent conversation with more than search results. Presumably, when you are speaking about these things you have first hand knowledge of reputable people and organisations.
I agree that saddling random people with the responsibility of educating people is not good, but I don’t see what can be done while we have this I guess… Credibility crisis? Or something?
And also, the burden of the constant demand to teach people about your lived experience, even though thousands of others who share it have already wilfully taken the time to document it extensively. We’re not talking about individual experiences, but about well establish and deep rooted systemic oppression.
At the end of the day, expecting marginalised people, especially random ones you “happen upon” (would they even be asking if I wasn’t here?), to be the ones constantly doing the work is an unearned entitlement that comes with privilege, and what those with that privilege should be doing instead is using it to lessen the burden on marginalised people, not increase it. Step one is learning to invest their own time and energy instead of demanding or even just expecting it from others.
100%