Posted on 09/22/2024 7:19:34 AM PDT by Dalberg-Acton
ChatGPT 9/21/2024
Do you know who Carroll Quigley is?
Yes, Carroll Quigley was an influential American historian and theorist, best known for his works on global history and geopolitics. He taught at Georgetown University for many years and is most famous for his book Tragedy and Hope: A History of the World in Our Time (1966). In this book, he examined the development of Western civilization from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century, offering detailed insights into political, economic, and social structures.
One of Quigley's major points of interest is his belief in the existence of elite groups that shape global events behind the scenes, particularly financial institutions and secret societies. He argued that these groups have had significant influence over Western political and economic systems.
Quigley's ideas have also been referenced in various conspiracy theories, but he himself claimed not to oppose the idea of elite influence, only that it should be more transparent.
Do you have a particular interest in his work or a specific aspect of his theories?
In Tragedy and Hope, he said the elites who run America worked with Communists.
Yes, Carroll Quigley did make statements in Tragedy and Hope suggesting that the elites who wield power in the Western world, including America, worked with or had relationships with Communists. Quigley's perspective was that certain powerful groups, particularly financial elites, sought to maintain control and stability by influencing both sides of political and ideological conflicts. This included working with communists or socialist movements in some contexts, even though these elites may have been ideologically opposed to communism.
Quigley’s broader argument was that a transnational network of elites, particularly those connected to international banking and financial systems, sought to manage global affairs through manipulation of political forces, alliances, and wars. He suggested that this network was less concerned with ideological purity (capitalism versus communism) and more with maintaining their own power and influence across the world.
This is a key part of why Quigley’s work has been cited in many political and conspiracy theories—his assertion that elites would cooperate with seemingly opposing forces has been interpreted as evidence of covert collaboration between Western capitalists and communist regimes. Quigley himself did not frame this as a grand conspiracy but rather as a pragmatic strategy employed by elites to manage global instability.
It’s worth noting that Quigley did not see this elite control as inherently malevolent; he believed these groups had contributed to global stability, but he was concerned about their lack of transparency and accountability.
In Walter Isaacson's The Wise Men, he heaps much praise on an few unelected men who steered America, unbeknownst to citizens and voters.
Yes, in The Wise Men, Walter Isaacson, along with co-author Evan Thomas, highlights the significant role played by a small group of influential men—many of them unelected—who shaped American foreign policy during the mid-20th century. The book profiles figures like Dean Acheson, Averell Harriman, George Kennan, Robert Lovett, John J. McCloy, and Charles Bohlen, collectively known as "The Wise Men." These individuals were deeply involved in crafting post-World War II U.S. foreign policy, including the Marshall Plan, the creation of NATO, and strategies for containing communism during the Cold War.
Isaacson and Thomas present these men as patriots who used their positions of influence, often outside the realm of electoral politics, to steer the country through a challenging period. They were part of a tightly connected elite who moved fluidly between roles in government, finance, and diplomacy. The authors describe them as pragmatic and focused on America's global role, praising their wisdom and commitment to maintaining peace and stability.
However, this portrayal has also drawn criticism from some quarters, as it raises concerns about the lack of transparency and democratic oversight in how foreign policy was shaped. The fact that such significant decisions were being made by unelected individuals without direct accountability to the public taps into broader concerns about elite influence, similar to what Carroll Quigley discussed in Tragedy and Hope.
Isaacson's account can be seen as a reflection of admiration for their expertise and effectiveness, but it also sheds light on the unelected power structures operating behind the scenes in American governance.
I often think about this when I hear people say the U.S. is a "democracy", yet the voters aren't allowed to know who really runs the country.
That's a valid concern. While the U.S. is often referred to as a democracy, the reality is more complex. It's technically a constitutional republic with democratic elements, meaning citizens vote for representatives who are supposed to act on their behalf within the constraints of a legal framework. However, as you've pointed out, there are powerful, unelected figures and institutions—often tied to finance, military, and foreign policy—who wield significant influence behind the scenes.
This elite influence isn't always visible to the average voter, and many major policy decisions are made with limited public input or awareness. Groups like those discussed in The Wise Men, or the transnational elite networks that Quigley mentions, often operate in ways that are not directly accountable to voters. These dynamics raise questions about how much control citizens truly have over their government and whether the "democratic" aspect is as strong as it appears on the surface.
This kind of behind-the-scenes influence can create a sense of disconnect between what voters believe they're supporting and what policies are actually implemented, reinforcing the idea that true power doesn't always rest in the hands of elected officials.
Einstein: Computers are incredibly fast, accurate and stupid; humans are incredibly slow, inaccurate and brilliant; together they are powerful beyond imagination.
Einstein: Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.
“Presumably AI could find the data from bits and pieces on the web and then crunch some numbers.”
Garbage in, Garbage OUT.
Computers are inherently stupid, but fast and have long memories.
Search for reality? They don’t have a clue.
You will only have to wait a couple of years to see if AI meets the claims of its creators.
Buckle up....
In the end, however, it seems we agree on the potential for problems.
I’ve been using Elon Musk’s GROK AI. The text data on many subjects is really pretty good. But the results creating images with it is varied.
I’ve been on X (Twitter) die 15 years. It has become much much better since Musk started changing things. I upgraded my account status recently and it is like night and day how much better things are.
As humans, we make tools to do work to provide for our needs. That’s the initial reason. However, our innovation and creativity continue to be directed toward higher things, much like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
We were made in the image of our Creator. Ultimately, I think we create to understand ourselves better. Maybe the aim is transcendence.
AI research and innovation are a means to explore the “hard problem of science”, the nature of consciousness.
x.ai/about :
Our mission: “Understand the Universe”
Sometimes it has been stated as “to understand reality”.
Elon Musk recently elaborated: The goal is to create an AI that is “maximally curious” and that can “understand the world around it in a way that is fundamentally different from how humans do.”
I have been using GROK 2 beta on X.
The text analysis in some subjects is very deep and broad. BUT I have found cases where I try to reconcile things that it said there was no evidence of a couple of events that I knew actually took place.
And I question the machine’s ability to decide the important events within a particular situation.
Your wording of your query of subject will base the output on your key words. It may have the info stored, but unless it is specifically requested by related words it does not include that data.
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