While this speech is long and was made way back in Feb 25 which can be an eternity in the chaotic world of “Trump Time”, the content is still relevant given current events. While Jeffery Sachs has high aspirations of thinking the global civilization is still capable of evolving into a “Star Trek” world where your status in society is determined by your intellectual ability and not how wealthy you are. That seems like a far-off pipe dream at the moment given the current global status and what is currently taking place in America. Jeffery Sachs is a Jewish American with a worldwide reputation of sound political & economic solutions so he advices the UN as well as other countries that have the smarts to ask. Which is a shame because unlike in past decades in the US, intellectuals are now viewed as the elites and not problem solvers by the American right which means a country’s fate is left in the hands of the ignorant and ill-informed when they control government. What he is saying to the EU parliament is controversial and not that flattering to America especially in foreign policy but it also well thought out with facts as he lays out the case for all sides in historical arguments and perceived threats. The recent attack on Iran has all the hallmarks of the “WMD facade” which led to the last war in the Middle East. So, the points Professor Sachs makes in his speech can be thought provoking promoting other ways of countries governing themselves and conducting foreign policy.
Sometimes the message you don’t want to hear is the very one you should hear. This is where social media and its AI algorithms can be a great disservice to the world as it is not always feeding you facts when falsehoods create much better click bait. So, I have included two informative videos one with comment on global politics and the other on how technology influences outcomes whether we like it or not. As I have long seen the negative impact with social media on society for decades where it is now used as the primary tool for targeted propaganda. The influence of AI can also pose the same threats only this threat will be a thousand times that of social media if it is just left to develop without constraints.