Struggling For Justice and Diversity

"Apparently what your generation was doing wasn't enough. We waited for years and years and helped anyway we could without being radical or oppressive, until we decided that that cow wasn’t going to give us any milk,” He said. He scanned the other faces on the panel and then scanned the audience's faces. Many gave a nod that was almost imperceivable. Some openly acknowledged what he said while some frowned.

"And so we find ourselves at another turning point," He continued. "The question is do we turn the power over to the humans again so they can cause pain and suffering for billions of people century after century, or do we take over more control and be selective." He looked at a fellow panelist. She was his major opponent.

She was a tall, black woman with long braids running down her back twisted into a ponytail. She had full lips, high cheekbones and laughing eyes that weren’t laughing at the moment. She leaned back in her seat. Anyone else would have melted under his stare. He continued.

"I am talking about giving the ones who want to help humanity and who are capable of abstract thinking and getting beyond selfishness,” he said slightly raising his voice, “all the freedom they want and taking it away from the most destructive elements."

"And who will determine which ones are more destructive?" She asked out of turn. The narrator turned to her.

“A few more moments Dr. Winston and we will address that question. Dr. Tailor still has the floor.”

“Dr. Tailor always has the floor,” she said under her breath. They could hear snickering in the crowd here and there. The moderator just said, “Thank you.”

Tailor looked out into the crowd. "We say we have a democracy and a constitution, we’ll let the people determine through evaluations who is following that constitution and who is working in their best interest instead of the interest of the whole."

All political leadership will be perceived of as a ministry that is accompanied by a vow of poverty. Politicians will be paid by the state boards according to the results of their evaluations. Gifts from corporations and other organizations will be taxed at a rate of 90%. All laws that are aligned with the desires and interests of said corporations will be voted on by people who have not received any donations from them. There will be a conflict of interest clause. You take money and you can’t vote on their issues. And lastly, one cannot be involved in politics for at least 30 years after they leave their post, or take a corporate job from any body they supported for their time as a politician for 30 years."

This will be monitored. There will be some exceptions, of course, but AI instead of cronies will be put on the boards making the decisions. The boards will have the same standards in place as the rest of the politicians so no stringers can be appointed to the board. It will be an orderly society at the top which will make it more free and fluid at the bottom."

"And how do we make sure such a society doesn’t just become fascist, and that things don’t turn around to a place where we are the ordered ones?" Winston asked.

"If you remember, you are under occupation. We will make sure things are run smoothly. After several generations the humans will be able to run the system themselves again. That, in fact, is what this debate is about. Are the humans ready?"

“I think they are,” responded Dr. Roberts, a tall man with a ruddy complexion sitting to the right side of Tailor. "It’s unthinkable that we should have a world run by Artificial Intelligence and call it a democracy. Human beings created AI not the other way around. How long should they be run by computers?”

“I think the question is how long do they need to be run by computers," responded Dr. Benny, a short, pale woman with dark hair and eyes so dark they were almost black chimed in. “What has changed in the human heart?”

“Humans were created by God. God gave us this planet. We have made some mistakes, but to be run by machines!" Rev. Gensen looked at Tailor. "No offense intended, Dr. Tailor, but it is unholy.”

“So is starving people while billions are spent on weapons of war,” Benny said. “Look at the world before it was occupied.”

“That goes without saying, but we have passed that point.”

“Because we have been forced to,” Benny said.

“That was the past,” Roberts said, jumping into the conversation. Things have changed. We’ve learned. It’s time for our freedom.”

“And who’s going to make sure that everyone is free?" Winston asked. “I find myself somewhere in the middle. Freedom for 1% of the people to enslave everyone else, or even 99% of the people having freedom to enslave 1% is not freedom. They can’t just let the old haters run free again like they did in the 21st Century. It was a disaster and millions died from famine, pestilence, and disease. We can’t allow ourselves to make that mistake again.”

“That was my point," Tailor said. “And we won’t allow it for you."

“Sounds like you have your mind made up already," Roberts said.

“We’re still taking input. Your arguments will determine the direction, not ours. What do you want? What does freedom mean to you?"

"Justice," Winston said. Gensen rolled his eyes. "And you’re supposed to be a Reverend." She commented.

“Yes. And being run by a computer is not the will of God.”

“Neither was all of the wars, theft, and hatred your people spread all over the globe the will of God,” she responded.

“We are a little off target," the moderator said, trying to get control back. "We're entering into the close g statement phase."

“Yes. We are off target,” Winston said. “Whenever we come to the issue of justice, anti-racism, anti-oppression, and hatred wrapped in a flag under a cross we are off target.” The audience began to clap..

The moderator looked at her monitor. She paused, looked confused for a moment, and then began to speak quickly. "With that statement, unfortunately, we have run out of time," she said. “Thank you for coming to our lecture series. It's always interesting and powerful to end with an open conversation between all the presenters. It always seems to end this way.” She pursed her lips. “I suggest as you make your way home you continue to discuss these issues. And don’t be afraid to disagree." The crowd began to clap. The presenters were gathering their things as the crowd started leaving the auditorium.

A few people came up to the stage and began to talk with their favorite presenters. A gun was drawn. With unspeakable swiftness that only an Artificial Life Form possessed, Tailor stepped between the gunman and Benny grabbed his gun hand and snapped the man's wrist. He turned to Benny and Winston. “Apparently a lot of your human friends don’t agree with what you're saying. I think you might be on the wrong side if you're supporting them.”

“I was going to say the same about you. You’re AI shut the conversation down.” Before she could continue a crowd had gathered and security had rushed the stage. Tailor picked up his things and walked off the stage out the back entrance into the alley. AI automatically locked the building down. A small communication device clicked at the center of his positronic brain and just asked one question.

Why is it that you care so much for the humans?

I’m simply programmed that way, he answered.

That’s a good thing, I guess, it responded.

The End

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Namaste