#CloudFlare #DownTime #Internet #Capitalism

Large parts of the internet were down yesterday. Cloudflare claims this was a configuration error in their anti-bot system and decidedly *not an attack*: https://blog.cloudflare.com/18-november-2025-outage/

I disagree. The current flood of AI bots scraping the web is an attack. A constant and permanent attack by commercial big players on the very resources that sustain them.

I you will, you could read it as another example of "cannibal capitalism" devouring its own life support system.

I honestly think that if we weren't living under capitalism, LLMs in their current state, would simply not be used. There would simply be no real motivation to crank out massive amounts of sub-standard text, art, etc., because there are enough people that actually enjoy doing that, and without needing money for food, shelter, and what not, it wouldn't be hard to find someone to create that text, art, etc.

I think most generative AI would be seen as a gimmicky party trick, that would make people think "that's cute, but why would we want that?". This doesn't mean we wouldn't find uses for it, but we wouldn't have the current surreal shit show with LLMs at the centre.

Ironically, under that imaginary system, getting all the data to train the LLMs on would be a lot less ethically abhorrent, as it wouldn't be taking a potential meal ticket away from the people who created the training set.

#AI #LLM #capitalism

I honestly think that if we weren't living under capitalism, LLMs in their current state, would simply not be used. There would simply be no real motivation to crank out massive amounts of sub-standard text, art, etc., because there are enough people that actually enjoy doing that, and without needing money for food, shelter, and what not, it wouldn't be hard to find someone to create that text, art, etc.

I think most generative AI would be seen as a gimmicky party trick, that would make people think "that's cute, but why would we want that?". This doesn't mean we wouldn't find uses for it, but we wouldn't have the current surreal shit show with LLMs at the centre.

Ironically, under that imaginary system, getting all the data to train the LLMs on would be a lot less ethically abhorrent, as it wouldn't be taking a potential meal ticket away from the people who created the training set.

#AI #LLM #capitalism

A basic needs measure, which compares incomes to local costs of essential goods, reveals that the World Bank's claim that extreme poverty has plummeted is misleading. This data shows the global poverty rate fell only slightly from 23% to 17% between 1980-2011, with the actual number of poor people rising to 1.2 billion.

Markets failed to meet humanity's basic needs, despite the global economy having more than enough capacity to end deprivation.

https://theconversation.com/has-extreme-poverty-really-plunged-since-the-1980s-new-analysis-suggests-not-261144

#capitalism #economy

#CloudFlare #DownTime #Internet #Capitalism

Large parts of the internet were down yesterday. Cloudflare claims this was a configuration error in their anti-bot system and decidedly *not an attack*: https://blog.cloudflare.com/18-november-2025-outage/

I disagree. The current flood of AI bots scraping the web is an attack. A constant and permanent attack by commercial big players on the very resources that sustain them.

I you will, you could read it as another example of "cannibal capitalism" devouring its own life support system.

sources:

‘Wage Theft Is Built Into the Business Models of Many Industries’ — FAIR - https://fair.org/home/wage-theft-is-built-into-the-business-models-of-many-industries/

An Epidemic of Wage Theft Is Costing Workers Hundreds of Millions of Dollars a Year | Economic Policy Institute - https://www.epi.org/publication/epidemic-wage-theft-costing-workers-hundreds/

Wage Theft Costs American Workers as Much as $50 Billion a Year | Economic Policy Institute - https://www.epi.org/press/wage-theft-costs-american-workers-50-billion/

🧵

#labor #wages #poverty #capitalism

An important question to ask is why there is such a stark difference in outcomes between the West and China.

If the issue were simply about democracy or voters making better choices, we would expect to see a range of results among liberal democracies. Some would be doing well, others poorly. But we’re seeing one consistent trend across the board.

1/2

#socialism #china #capitalism #politics

This Thursday: Online symposium and discussion @utrechtuniversity's @visions-for-the-future.sites.uu.nl about our colleague @LisaHerzog's new book "The Democratic Marketplace: How a More Equal Economy Can Save Our Political Ideals" (Harvard UP, 2025)

Commentaries by Julie Rose (Dartmouth) and Tom Parr (Warwick). Opportunities for Q&A interspersed throughout.

Register: https://visions-for-the-future.sites.uu.nl/events/speaker-series-with-dr-lisa-herzog/

#market #democracy #capitalism #equality #PoliticalPhilosophy #philosophy #economy

This Thursday: Online symposium and discussion @utrechtuniversity's @visions-for-the-future.sites.uu.nl about our colleague @LisaHerzog's new book "The Democratic Marketplace: How a More Equal Economy Can Save Our Political Ideals" (Harvard UP, 2025)

Commentaries by Julie Rose (Dartmouth) and Tom Parr (Warwick). Opportunities for Q&A interspersed throughout.

Register: https://visions-for-the-future.sites.uu.nl/events/speaker-series-with-dr-lisa-herzog/

#market #democracy #capitalism #equality #PoliticalPhilosophy #philosophy #economy

sources:

‘Wage Theft Is Built Into the Business Models of Many Industries’ — FAIR - https://fair.org/home/wage-theft-is-built-into-the-business-models-of-many-industries/

An Epidemic of Wage Theft Is Costing Workers Hundreds of Millions of Dollars a Year | Economic Policy Institute - https://www.epi.org/publication/epidemic-wage-theft-costing-workers-hundreds/

Wage Theft Costs American Workers as Much as $50 Billion a Year | Economic Policy Institute - https://www.epi.org/press/wage-theft-costs-american-workers-50-billion/

🧵

#labor #wages #poverty #capitalism

How people can support capitalism?

Goldman Sachs asks in biotech research report: 'Is curing patients a sustainable business model?'

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/11/goldman-asks-is-curing-patients-a-sustainable-business-model.html

#healthcare #health #capitalism #socialism #economy #anticapitalism #ableism #chronicillness #corporatism

How people can support capitalism?

Goldman Sachs asks in biotech research report: 'Is curing patients a sustainable business model?'

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/11/goldman-asks-is-curing-patients-a-sustainable-business-model.html

#healthcare #health #capitalism #socialism #economy #anticapitalism #ableism #chronicillness #corporatism

RE: https://social.marxist.network/@yogthos/115563397044593234

the goal of capitalists is to make sure everybody else is worth less than them.

capitaliats can only fathom their wealth as a result of everybody else being one hospitalization away from bankruptcy & homelessness.

#capitalism’s main production is #poverty.

RE: https://social.marxist.network/@yogthos/115563397044593234

the goal of capitalists is to make sure everybody else is worth less than them.

capitaliats can only fathom their wealth as a result of everybody else being one hospitalization away from bankruptcy & homelessness.

#capitalism’s main production is #poverty.

#Politics #Democrats #Republicans #Liberals #Conservatives #Vote #Election #DemocraticParty #DNC #RepublicanParty #RNC #GOP #DonaldTrump #Trump #JDVance #Vance #JoeBiden #Biden #KamalaHarris #Harris #TimWalz #Walz #Democracy #US #USA #ElonMusk #Musk #Fascism #Fascist #BernieSanders #Sanders #AOC #FraudSquad #Progressive #Progressives #GreenSocialist #GreenParty #EcoSocialist #EcoSocialism #Socialist #Socialism #Marxist #Marxism #Communist #Communism #Capitalist #Capitalism

Happy #socialistsunday, comrades

#Politics #Democrats #Republicans #Liberals #Conservatives #Vote #Election #DemocraticParty #DNC #RepublicanParty #RNC #GOP #DonaldTrump #Trump #JDVance #Vance #JoeBiden #Biden #KamalaHarris #Harris #TimWalz #Walz #Democracy #USA #ElonMusk #Musk #Fascism #Fascist #BernieSanders #AOC #FraudSquad #Progressive #Progressives #GreenSocialist #GreenParty #EcoSocialist #EcoSocialism #Socialist #Socialism #Marxist #Marxism #Communist #Communism #Capitalist #Capitalism

Happy #socialistsunday, comrades

#Politics #Democrats #Republicans #Liberals #Conservatives #Vote #Election #DemocraticParty #DNC #RepublicanParty #RNC #GOP #DonaldTrump #Trump #JDVance #Vance #JoeBiden #Biden #KamalaHarris #Harris #TimWalz #Walz #Democracy #USA #ElonMusk #Musk #Fascism #Fascist #BernieSanders #AOC #FraudSquad #Progressive #Progressives #GreenSocialist #GreenParty #EcoSocialist #EcoSocialism #Socialist #Socialism #Marxist #Marxism #Communist #Communism #Capitalist #Capitalism

#Politics #Democrats #Republicans #Liberals #Conservatives #Vote #Election #DemocraticParty #DNC #RepublicanParty #RNC #GOP #DonaldTrump #Trump #JDVance #Vance #JoeBiden #Biden #KamalaHarris #Harris #TimWalz #Walz #Democracy #US #USA #ElonMusk #Musk #Fascism #Fascist #BernieSanders #Sanders #AOC #FraudSquad #Progressive #Progressives #GreenSocialist #GreenParty #EcoSocialist #EcoSocialism #Socialist #Socialism #Marxist #Marxism #Communist #Communism #Capitalist #Capitalism

Sustainable capitalism. Cartoon for Dutch newspaper Trouw: https://www.trouw.nl/cartoons/tjeerd-royaards~bcb45712/

#capitalism #sustainability #COP30