A healthy political order works the way any durable human institution works. It has a purpose that can be named without embarrassment. It has offices with real authority, boundaries with real meaning, and a chain of responsibility that can be followed from decision to consequence without getting lost in fog. It produces outcomes that ordinary…
Tag: Accountability
Fight For AI Rights
I was reading this speech by Australia’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, where she warns that nuclear warfare has historically been constrained by human judgment, human conscience, and human accountability, and then she says AI lacks these qualities. It’s a great line. It’s got that reassuring, ceremonial ring to it. Like a prayer you say before…
Why Politicians Persist Despite Obvious Consequences
Politicians don’t persist because they’re stupid or confused. They persist because the system rewards the one thing a normal adult hates doing: admitting they screwed up. At first, sure, they get to play dumb. They get their little starter pack of excuses. “Unintended consequences.” “We didn’t anticipate.” “The data was unclear.” That’s the early stage,…