[ExI] ai in education

[Keith Henson]

"they follow legal orders only"

Unfortunately, that's a squishy term.  Was it legal orders to kill the
boat survivors?  Or a war crime?  I don't expect an answer.

Perhaps as important as or more important than the military is the
population reaction to the masked SS type force.  I don't know enough
about pre-war resistance (White Rose) to the rise of the Nazies but it
was obviously not as effective as the resistance to the excesses here
(so far).  That resistance has at least slightly changed policy.

I worry, like John, about the Constitution being ignored if certain
aspects of the government can do so.  Some dictator-run countries have
fine constitutions that are ignored.  The Jan 6 riot was certainly an
attempt to do that.  Didn't work, but the Constitution held on by a
thread because the Vice President took his oath seriously and was not
intimidated by the crowd erecting a gallows.  I generally did not
think much of Pence, but I admire him for this.

I understand why people who think they are facing a bleak future
support irrational leaders, for example, consider where MAGA is
strongest.  I don't know what to do with this.  Perhaps I should
discuss it with an AI.  They sometimes have good insight into human
problems.

Keith

On Fri, Mar 13, 2026 at 10:07 AM <spike at rainier66.com> wrote:
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> From: John Clark <johnkclark at gmail.com>
> Sent: Friday, 13 March, 2026 5:54 AM
> To: spike at rainier66.com
> Cc: ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>; Keith Henson <hkeithhenson at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [ExI] ai in education
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> On Thu, Mar 12, 2026 at 4:00 PM <spike at rainier66.com> wrote:
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> >…Now I will ask you about a hypothetical of my own, one I wish was also impossible but unfortunately it is not. What if in 2028 He Who Must Not Be Named decrees that the presidential election has been canceled, the Constitution has been suspended…
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> > John why do you suppose that has never happened?
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> >…We've been lucky….
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> On the contrary.  It is because of the constitution.  Do you trust the constitution John?  We do.  Do you trust the constitution more than you trust AI?  I do.
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> > I can offer an answer: the constitution is the source of power for POTUS.
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> >…That's exactly what I was afraid you were going to say….
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> Your fears are fully justified.
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> >…but I was hoping I would be proven wrong…
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> Your hope is in vain, you are proven wrong.
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> >… but you also believe it is impossible to suspend a piece of paper called "the constitution"….
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> You are right on that.  The constitution has proven robust at every challenge.  It is the law of our land.  It empowers our nation’s leaders.  It works.  It is a really great piece of paper John.  Its design is amazing in its complexity and sufficiency.  It distributes power in such a way that it creates a marvelous balance.  Inspired by the Magna Carta and carefully crafted by the top minds of the day, the constitution is a gift.
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> >…because the piece of paper happens to say that it can't be suspended….
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> It does say that.  It has the military and the militia seeing to it that it is not suspended.  Aren’t you glad we have a military and a militia?  So are we.  They protect the constitution, so the constitution can protect us.  I rejoice in that piece of paper.
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> >… I have no choice but to reluctantly deduce that you value tribal loyalty more than critical thinking….
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> The constitution has nothing to do with tribes.  I do hold a firm belief in the durability of the constitution, which has held for well over 200 years, thru plenty of presidents who would be king if they could do it.  As an obvious test case, note that the current POTUS has been POTUS before.  He didn’t suspend the constitution that time, or take over the government that time.  So why do you worry now?
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> > I am quite confident the military would not join him in a coup to take over the USA.
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> >…Why on earth would you be "quite confident" of that?
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> I have known high ranking military officers personally, well enough that they talk to me as one of their peers and trusted friends (I have never served in uniform.)  If it makes you feel any better, the current POTUS (and at least four of his recent predecessors) have been very unpopular with the brass.  Some of them have an attitude similar to yours and (the possibly AI created) James Carville, but they don’t talk politics at work.  They don’t talk politics at all, except to family and very trusted friends.
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> In a corporate leadership structure, the same applies: I worked with a guy for over two decades and had no clues where he was on the political spectrum, nor did he have any idea about mine.  We had both been retired 20 yrs before we discovered a common bond: libertarian thru and thru.  Corporate discipline means never discussing politics, sex or religion at work, or even with colleagues.
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> The military brass will follow legal orders, but not illegal ones.
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> >… so he has already fired any General who has not shown unwavering fealty to him regardless of how brave he is or how skillful he may be at strategy or tactics or logistics….
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> They will follow legal orders only John.  It would help if you get to be friends with a military guy, even a retired one.  Bird colonel or above if you can.  A navy captain is the USN’s equivalent of a full chicken colonel.  Find one, get to be friends, talk and listen.
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> >… to me it's starting to look like the Iran war that he started is going south, it could be his Waterloo….
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> Well there ya go.  If so, your troubles are over, ja?
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> >…In the past every military action that the government instigated started off as being very popular although as it dragged on it usually became less so; but this time it started out as already being unpopular, and that is unique. It has nowhere to go but down.
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> John K Clark
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> You might be right.  If so, you and (the possibly AI generated) James Carville shall rejoice.  I will not, however.  My fond hope is that Iran’s military forces can be neutralized by their having fired everything they have.  We shall see.
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> spike
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