Saving Washington: The Cure for Political Divisiveness
Posted: August 10, 2024 Filed under: AI-Powered Essays, Governance Reform | Tags: competition, partisanship, politics, race, reform, transformation 4 CommentsChatGPT as George Washington, with help from Edwin Friedman and Paul Bloom
My Fellow Americans,
I stand before you now, not as the first President of our beloved Republic, but as one who has journeyed beyond the veil of time, beholding the trials and triumphs of our nation from a vantage point few can comprehend. I speak to you from beyond the grave, not out of a desire to relive the glories of old, but to address the grave perils that now threaten to undo the very fabric of our Union.
When I penned my Farewell Address, I warned of the dangers of political factions and partisanship. I implored you to guard against the spirit of division, for I knew that it would lead to discord and weaken the strength of our nation. Yet, even I could not foresee the extent to which these divisions would deepen, threatening to tear asunder the bonds that hold us together as one people.
The Crisis of Partisanship
Today, we find ourselves at a crossroads, where the spirit of partisanship has taken root in the hearts and minds of our citizens. The symptoms are clear:
Read the rest of this entry »CRIA: Completely Reliable Interlocutor Aggregation (Scaling Deliberative Democracy)
Posted: August 7, 2024 Filed under: Governance Reform Leave a commentCRIA, or Completely Reliable Interlocutor Aggregation, is a system designed to leverage AI to facilitate and scale deliberative democracy. Here’s how it could work:
1. AI-Powered Interlocutors:
CRIA utilizes AI models trained to engage in nuanced, informed, and balanced discussions on a wide range of topics. These AI interlocutors can represent different perspectives, providing arguments and counterarguments to enrich the deliberative process.
Read the rest of this entry »Skit: Truth Soup (with ChatGPT)
Posted: July 14, 2024 Filed under: Truth Bowl Leave a commentCharacters:
- Wanderer
- Baker
- Blacksmith
- Tailor
- Carpenter
- Young Girl
- Narrator
Setting:
A village square with a well and a large pot in the center. The villagers are milling about, each absorbed in their own activities.
Narrator:
In a small, divided village nestled in a valley, the townspeople had grown increasingly isolated, each clinging to their own version of events, truths, and beliefs. Their marketplace, once bustling with chatter and trade, was now eerily silent. One day, a wanderer arrived, carrying only a large, empty pot.
(The wanderer sets up the pot in the center of the village square and begins to fill it with water from the well. Curious children gather around.)
Young Girl:
What are you doing?
Wanderer:
I’m making Truth Soup.
Baker: (approaching skeptically)
Truth Soup? There’s no such thing.
Bipartisan Purple “Kindness” Cookies Recipe
Posted: June 28, 2024 Filed under: Centroids Leave a commentIngredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup red candies (like M&Ms or sprinkles)
- 1 cup blue candies (like M&Ms or sprinkles)
- Purple food coloring (optional, for dough)
Instructions:
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Color the Dough (Optional): If you want purple dough, add a few drops of purple food coloring and mix until evenly distributed.
- Add Candies: Fold in the red and blue candies gently to keep the colors distinct.
- Shape Cookies: Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden.
- Cool: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy your bipartisan purple cookies, symbolizing unity and deliciousness!
The Next American Revolution will be Powered by AI (from ChatGPT)
Posted: June 21, 2024 Filed under: Governance Reform | Tags: ai, politics, reform, values Leave a commentWhat sort of values and strategies should an AI-powered movement focused on human flourishing adopt to use that [American Revolution bottom-up] blueprint to disrupt today’s dysfunctional institutions?
The Prompt
An AI-powered movement focused on human flourishing can draw valuable lessons from the American Revolution to disrupt today’s dysfunctional institutions. Here are key values and strategies to adopt:
Values:
Read the rest of this entry »Repost: If I Were Hamas: An Exercise in Empathy
Posted: October 15, 2023 Filed under: Centroids | Tags: empathy, politics, war Leave a commentFits in with the Radical Centrist mantra of “loving your enemies to death.”
I can imagine being a true believer in Hamas… / If I knew a cure for this horrid compulsion, I would have used it. But from what I can see of the …
If I Were Hamas: An Exercise in Empathy
Podcast: Towards a Science of Spirituality
Posted: December 5, 2021 Filed under: education | Tags: reform, truth, wisdom, zoasophy Leave a commentI had the privilege of discussing Zoasophy on the Multiple Voices podcast with Claudia Monacelli from Rome. We had a blast! Check it out on your favorite Podcast player:

