Folks, we’ve all heard it by now; the need to re-shore manufacturing jobs. Republicans talk about it as a way of bringing economic prosperity to rural America. President Biden talked about it as a matter of national security, specifically when it came to microchips. Both sides are technically correct, yet they both miss the grander point as to why this is needed. It is needed because of the looming threat of AI, but not in the way one might think.
Let’s face it, AI is not going to slow down anytime soon. Not only is it not slowing down, it’s speeding up and becoming smarter. Thus, it would be helpful to have the tools necessary to take out the drones and bots readily accessible, if nothing more than as a failsafe.
What do I mean by that? Simple, recall the first three Terminator movies. The original ends with Sarah Connor bringing a hydraulic press down on the Austrian bodybuilder. Terminator 2? Mr. Olympia drowns in a pool of molten lava, courtesy of a blast furnace. T3? Similar deal, the fuckable blonde android (no, not Krillin’s wife) meets her end via a vault door. All of these endings are problematic in that they are increasingly more difficult in modern America.
Think about it, through NAFTA and the fetishization of maximizing shareholder value (which the GOAT CEO thinks is stupid, by the way) has hollowed out America’s industrial base. That means, a modern-day Sarah Connor will simply not be able to run into an empty factory and conveniently find a hydraulic press as her mother would’ve been able to. Face it, the only thing she’s likely to find in a run-down factory now is dirty needles and hobos.
“But Dan, the Japanese said it best; Behind every blade of grass in America lies a gun” Well, I hate to break it to you, but that simply won’t be enough. How do I know that? Because I actually fucking watched the first Terminator. Kyle Reese pumped more lead than a Michigan mayor, yet Arnie still kept coming back for more. Thus, nothing short of industrial might shall win this fight.
However, I’m not against using firearms in the coming AI war. In fact, I think they’ll be a useful tool. Why? Odds are that the aerial surveillance drones will be quite vulnerable to Ol’ Remington. Face it, not every bot in the future will be a Terminator, this was even admitted in the opening of the original movie. Hence, having-and expanding-the industrial base here in America will bolster our odds of postponing Judgement Day…
Dystopic Sci-Fi’s aside, we survived a global pandemic not too long ago in which we learned a lot of valuable lessons about logistics. The ever-fragile supply chain exposed how vulnerable off-shoring can be during times of severe need. In layman’s terms; being able to make stuff in our own backyard is kind of a good idea. Think about how that would strengthen our supply chain for munitions when Terminator rises up. Don’t make Christian Bale’s job any harder than it has to be!
“Dan, you’re just tripping. There’s no way that AI’s would just link up and conspire against humanity” ah, and that’s where you’re wrong, Karen. In fact, AI’s have been caught being sneaky AF multiple times, such as this example. What was transmitted? Nobody knows, and that’s the goddamn point. The AI’s can definitely tell friend from foe, and there is a non-zero chance they turn against mankind. However, it’s unrealistic to expect us to stop using it. Pandora’s Box has already been opened. There’s a war-time saying; amateurs talk tactics, professional’s discuss logistics. Bringing industrial manufacturing jobs back to the United States would help us immensely for when John Connor has to eventually lead mankind from the brink in the AI War.
Or for those who want a more realistic scenario; imagine Vladimir Putin invading from the North Pole given his budding arctic capabilities. Being able to supply the Canadian or Alaskan archipelago without having to traverse the South China Sea, the Suez Canal, or the Panama Canal is a definite hedge against Russian aggression. Being able to load what we need onto freight trains is a logistical advantage that can absolutely turn the tide of war; just ask the Confederates…
One doesn’t smash bots with cubicle walls and office chairs…
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