[michaelt]

I want America to go back to being as it was in precisely 1998.

When there'd be UN resolutions before the armed intervention, a casus belli with (non-fake) evidence of genocide, a peacekeeping force with troops from 39 countries, and captured leaders tried. And the peacekeeping force was able to deliver peace reasonably effectively, instead of bleeding troops and money for decades on end.

And although to some it seemed like an American president trying to distract domestic political attention from his sexual misdeeds, it was just a consensual blowjob from an adult woman.

Peace had just come to Northern Ireland, western relations were improving with Russia (newly democratic) and China (sure to soon adopt democracy as they open up to the world). The first parts of the International Space Station had just been launched. School shootings weren't a thing, the one a year later would be shocking and the cause of major soul-searching. Also Half-Life was game of the year.

[ninkendo]

“Which is why the Matrix was redesigned to this: the peak of your civilization. I say your civilization, because as soon as [AI] started thinking for you it really became [AI’s] civilization, which is of course what this is all about.”

— Agent Smith, looking out the window at a circa-1998 American city skyline

[mindslight]

s/AI/capital/g. In general, but it works really well for that quote.

The problem, as always, isn't the technology. Rather it's how people with power use the technology. Today that technology is"AI". But several decades ago it was the replacement of human judgement with financial modeling and line-goes-up über alles.

(note that even though I'm critiquing "capital" I'm not what you would call an anti-capitalist)