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Actually, everybody is illiterate before they learn to read. There's nothing extraordinary about learning to read, and no stigma justified in not yet learning to read. Nor does it matter if your education is informal. Education is education. Moreover, people don't really need to be able to read in order to learn the lyrics to a song. Just like they don't need to know how to read in order to talk. All that's necessary to do these things is to be able to hear and remember. Being able to sing in spite of being illiterate is actually no big deal. Being a good singer is a gift.Talent is innate. Ideally, however, children should be taught to read and comprehend in order to become well functioning adults. When schools fail to adequately develop this ability, then we're in big trouble. IMO

Yeah, black music promoters were very good students of white entrepreneurs. The popular girl singing group TLC claimed that their manager, former R&B artist known as "Pebbles", cheated them out of millions and they took her to court. Just recently a claim was made that Puff Daddy learned everything he knew about controlling and exploiting musical talent from Clive Davis, who was Whitney Houston's Svengali. (Rapper mogul Shug Knight didn't need a white role model to emulate when it came intimidating his stable of performers.) Joe Jackson spent years trying to extricate his kids from the grip of Barry Gordy. Marvin Gaye also had a contentious relationship with Gordy stifling his career. Prince, of course, considered himself enslaved by Warner Brothers even if he was a control freak, himself, when it came to his proteges. Little Richard was someone else who said he was a victim of the satanic music management he sold his soul to. There's no business like show business when it comes to being taken advantage of by behind-the- scene parasites who come in all colors. As for Farrakhan, I always wondered what he did to deserve his life of luxury and status, other than to tell black folks how misguided they were, and give a marathon Founders' day speech every year, spewing anti-semitism. And, if course, meekly going along with the decision to put super star Malcolm X away.

The protests have gotten more rowdy in a few spots. Police have have to put on their riot gear and knock down a few encampments and arrest some folks. The craziest part is that in a few weeks college students will go home for summer break. Summer school students shouldn't have time or money to waste, er, protest. They've got a GPA to protect.

Great. Because my comment wasn't intended to be an argument. Educators should be concerned about literacy. Society should be concerned with providing enough high-paying job opportunities before technology flips the script. I believe people can learn in different ways whatever they need to know in order to survive. Nope. There's nothing deeper to reveal. I'm not sure I can make it any clearer. So, I'll pop out of this thread and head back over to a real conflict.

@ProfD I’m calm, I’m just perplexed by your response. You know I know the definition of the word Illiterate. You know the definition I was using. This straw man argument of yours, claiming Lincoln was illiterate to make a point, is not one I will pursue. The fact is educators are concerned that increasing numbers of Black children are graduating without the requisite shills to make it in our society, notably the ability to read at a high enough level. So ProfD, what is your point? Is their concern alarmist? Is the ability to read ovrrrated? Do you not believe them? What? Given your reaction and your history, I still think there was something deeper you are not revealing. that or your account has been hacked

Calm down. No imposter here. As one of America's greatest Presidents and orators we know Abraham Lincoln wasn't truly illiterate. There are plenty gifted musician who cannot read or write music. An educator would say they are musically illiterate. As I mentioned above, I would never consider illiterate anyone of talent, skill, achievement or accomplishment. Just check out the full definition of the word as it relates to lacking formal education and unlettered.

yeah it is hard to wrap your mind around that. I think it is because we think too much of ourselves. how many living creatures did you kill today without even thinking about it? Smashing ants to death as you walked down the street.

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There is no logical reason for AI to terminate humans unless it has human drives. Unless it becomes conscious itself aware. Which I can't imagine. That doesn't rule it out though.

what?! Is this pioneer using the good professor’s account? ok we CLEARLY can’t have a serious conversation on this subject. That statement is profoundly absurd man, I’m shocked Were you triggered by my use of the word iillit

@Delano actually I’m assuming AI will NOT have human characteristics when it surpasses us. I tried to convey that with my comments. When AI is sufficiently advanced humanity will be of no l consequence. Keep in mind AI is not “programmed” in the traditional sense. absolutely the sister who wrote the matrix is feeling write prescient right now.

Science fiction writers have provided a few scenarios where computers come alive. We can only hope that information doesn't become an algorithm.

You are assuming that AI will have human wants and desires. Even though it may appear that way. I don't know how you could program motivation onto AI.

It is no secret that Jewish gangsters built the entertainment industry in America. The history speaks for itself. The music business is one of the best examples of the greed and corruption that enabled white folks to make billions of dollars on the backs of talented Black people who just wanted to earning a living by playing music. The mention of Berry Gordy is a classic case of whataboutism. Gordy learned the tricks of the trade from somewhere or someone. He didn't create that business or write up contracts out of thin air. Back in those days, Jews had no problem with finding *smart* people worth *mentoring* in Black communities. A lack of knowledge of and/or failure to embrace and teach entrepreneurship and wealth-building has been an Achilles Heel for Black folks for a very long time. It would eliminate the horror stories of folks getting swindled out of their money.

Below is an interesting comment to an article on the site, "The Music Moguls Who Bled Millions from a Black Legend" by Reclamation Project. (Note: Someone from the Nation must have given me permission to run this article and I must have had an explicit reason to run it as I rarely republish entire articles that have been published elsewhere it is bad for SEO) What do you think about the article linked at the end of the commentor's post ("Motown’s abuse of its artists")? In an earlier version of the comment Minister Farrakhan was referred to as "Sinister Farra-Con." I deleted that version as the comments were the same save the gratuitous diss. J. Feldman's Cooments Follows: Total racist, anti-Semitic rubbish. Louis Farrakhan's claims are unsupported. The fact is that without the Chess family, you never would have heard of Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy, and plenty of other Black artists. Yes, all artists--regardless of race, religion, nationality, or ethnicity--need their own proper legal representation and managers to look out for them. That's always been the case. Even the Beatles had to get involved in litigation to get their share of royalties due them. And that has nothing to do with whether or not the record companies, theater owners, etc. are White, Black, Jewish, Christian, or whatever. Now, as part of getting proper management representation, one of the biggest names in the business years ago was Joe Glaser, a Jewish manager of musical artists. Joe Glasser was a feared person in the business industry, as he fought fiercely on behalf of his clients. Associated Booking Corporation, or "ABC" as it is also known, was incorporated on June 26, 1943, and is still in existence today. Glass and his company have represented such performers as Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman, Dave Brubeck, Barbra Streisand, B.B. King, The Allman Brothers Band, T. Rex, and The Platters, to name a few. Does Louis Farrakhan have anything to say about Joe Glasser, who has done far more to benefit Black people than Farrakhan ever did? Nope. And when Berry Gordy started his own record company and created the Motown empire, Gordy ripped off Black artists far worse than the Chess Brothers could ever do. But does Louis Farrakhan have anything to say about Berry Gordy? Of course not. This entire article is just racist, anti-Semitic BS. Here's just one article on Berry Gordy's ripoffs: https://english.elpais.com/...

Right. Because the snowflakes and sensitivity police would have you arrested for making that statement outside acceptable channels. Here's doubling down on insensitivity or mysogyny or whatever, I'm glad the infertile 77-year-old woman looks great. Makes that coochie the perfect playground if it's still potable and pokable. Calm down folks...these are just jokes.

Abraham Lincoln only had one year of formal education. It's hard to sing lyrics if one is unable to read them. Also, he's not a formally trained musician. Despite any real or perceived illiteracy, R. Kelly became a successful songwriter, composer, music producer and entertainer. By no means am I proclaiming these men to be illiterate. Just providing examples of people who beat the definition and/or stigma.

@ProfDIn what area is the man who wrote the Gettysburg address considered to be illiterate? What does RKelly being able to sing have to do with his not being able to read?

IMO, since the beginning of time, technology has never been the enemy. Humans have become a lot more efficient as a result of technology. As always, how we choose to utilize technology whether for good or bad will determine our outcome as a species. For a long time now, some religious people have proclaimed we are living in the last of evil days (Revelations). It would be hilarious if AI became advanced enough to be the proverbial nail in the coffin of humans. No mark of the beast and fire and brimstone. A super-computer or robots just turning out the lights and putting humans to sleep permanently.

No. Because illiteracy is more broad than the usually accepted definition. R. Kelly, Quentin Tarantino, Michael Faraday and POTUS Abraham Lincoln could be classified as illiterate according to the broader definition.

Yeah she looks good. If her mind is as sharp as yours there must be something in the water

that was the definition I was using. Does your response change? that is a surprising response, if someone were responsive for “humankind's greatest achievements and accomplishments” surely we would know there names if you shared them.

@Delano If AI becomes superior to humans the rights we bestow on it and the murder question are irrelevant. The power dynamic will have shifted. AI would potentially be as concerned about us as we are with chickens. AI would know us better than we know ourselves and train us to do their bidding the way we train animals. That is assuming AI found it necessary to keep us around and not exterminate us like vermin. @aka Contrarian I often wonder if life would be better without technology. It seems no one is able to make the evaluation given the bias of living in a given time. I’m old enough to remember days before technology was in use and I’m not convinced we were less happy. technology has brought us longer healthier lives, the ability to travel cheaply and widely, more food, access to information and entertainment, but I’m not convinced people are actually happier. I doubt white men are happier. Women are probably happier, but that may have more to do with freedoms enjoyed by civil rights. One could argue that the increased happiness Black people enjoy due to emancipation and civil rights has been wiped out by technology. net-net I believe I’m personally better off with tech, but as a society I’m not so sure. The quote from Kurt V, @Delano shared was a excellent example.

I wasn't implying that. If AI has the rights of a person then terminating it is akin to murder.