How AI companions enable the junk-food version of happiness sold by materialistic, externally-oriented societies.
Recent Items
Friday, June 19, 2026
People Are Marrying Holograms and Making Friends with Chatbots. But Can AI Bring True Happiness?
Topics: Dubious statistics, Guest Post, Social values
Posted by Yves Smith at 9:55 am | 17 Comments »
Links 6/19/2026
Topics: Links
Posted by Conor Gallagher at 6:57 am | 37 Comments »
Iran War: “Deal”Coming Unglued; Iran Suspends Start of Negotiations Due to Israel Attacks in Lebanon; Israel Openly Defying US on “Deal” Lebanon Commitments: Iran Reported to Close Strait of Hormuz
Today’s Iran war news: The “deal” goes pear shaped as Israel continues its attacks in southern Lebanon and Iran halts the talks as a result.
Topics: Doomsday scenarios, Economic fundamentals, Energy markets, Media watch, Middle East, Politics
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:54 am | 100 Comments »
Colombia’s Trump-Endorsed Presidential Candidate Just Pledged to Wage All-Out War on Left-Wing “Enemies” If Elected
In a country that has endured decades of civil war and unrest, such a threat should not be taken lightly.
Topics: Guest Post
Posted by Nick Corbishley at 6:45 am | 3 Comments »
Report Details ‘Human Rights Crisis’ Wrought by Trump ICE Surge in Minnesota
Human Rights Watch published a blistering analysis of ICE abuses in its Minneapolis raid in late 2025.
Topics: Guest Post, Income disparity, Legal, Politics, Social policy, Social values, Surveillance state
Posted by Yves Smith at 3:24 am | 5 Comments »
From Bilderberg to Dialog: How Peter Thiel’s ‘Secret Society’ Signals a New Elite
The Dialog leak reveals an elite network built on historical precedent, signaling a tech oligarchy unafraid of public scrutiny
Topics: Coffee Break, Politics, Surveillance state
Posted by Curro Jimenez at 2:00 pm | 14 Comments »
How Local Communities Are Challenging Big Tech Data Centers’ Noise, Pollution and Rising Electricity Bills
Opposition to data centers and AI is rising, both at the community and the consumer level.
Topics: Energy markets, Environment, Free markets and their discontents, Global warming, Guest Post, Income disparity, Politics, Real estate, Regulations and regulators, Ridiculously obvious scams, Social policy, Social values, Technology and innovation
Posted by Yves Smith at 10:00 am | 5 Comments »
Links 6/18/2026
Topics: Links
Posted by Conor Gallagher at 6:56 am | 52 Comments »
Iran War: Trump Capitulates in “Deal” Signed Thursday, Commits to Israel Withdrawal from Lebanon; Considerable Obstacles Remain to Agreement; Oil Cliff in Play, Increasing Iran Leverage
Today’s Iran war update: Trump surrenders to Iran, with Iran set to extract even more if negotiations progress.
Topics: Commodities, Doomsday scenarios, Economic fundamentals, Energy markets, Guest Post, Media watch, Middle East, Politics
Posted by Yves Smith at 4:40 am | 219 Comments »
‘It’s Like Hell’: 60 Lawsuits Detail Alleged Medical Neglect at ICE Detention Center
Medical and court records show ICE denied medical care to cancer patients, pregnant women and those with life-threatening chronic conditions.
Topics: Guest Post, Health care, Income disparity, Legal, Politics, Regulations and regulators, The destruction of the middle class
Posted by Yves Smith at 2:19 am | 4 Comments »
“This Wealth Tax Won’t Work”
Sadly, trying to tax wealth directly is not what it is cracked up to be. But there are other approaches that are viable.
Topics: Guest Post, Income disparity, Politics, Social policy, Social values, Taxes, The destruction of the middle class
Posted by Yves Smith at 1:40 am | 17 Comments »
Coffee Break: Is Mark Zuckerberg Pulling Meta’s Business Into a Death Spiral?
Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg has seemingly pushed the company to the brink, squandering billions on harebrained tech, destroying the engineering culture that built his Facebook empire, losing badly in the AI race, and enshittifying their core products.
Topics: Coffee Break
Posted by Nat Wilson Turner at 2:00 pm | 26 Comments »
Many College Students Already Have Well‑Formed Cheating Habits – That, Not AI, Is the Real Problem
Cheating by students seems to have risen over time. Is that due to greater ease, falling values, or perceived competitive pressure?
Topics: Guest Post, Social values
Posted by Yves Smith at 9:58 am | 36 Comments »
Links 6/17/2026
Topics: Links
Posted by Conor Gallagher at 6:55 am | 80 Comments »
Iran War: US Pundit Freakout Over “Deal,” Evidence of Disagreement Over Terms, Bodes Ill for Signing; More on Oil Cliff Risk Versus Hormuz Opening
Today’s Iran war news: Trump’s deal is starting to come unglued as more detail on the oil cliff shows the risk is very much in play.
Topics: Commodities, Doomsday scenarios, Economic fundamentals, Energy markets, Investment outlook, Media watch, Middle East, Politics
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:54 am | 147 Comments »



