ChatGPT Shows its True Colours

I asked the 'AI' to describe 'Fascism' and 'Communism'--here are its answers

Query: ‘describe fascism’

Answer by ChatGPT (emphases mine):

Fascism is a far-right political ideology and system that emerged in the early 20th century, particularly in Europe. It is characterized by authoritarianism, strong nationalism, and the belief in the supremacy of the state or nation over the individual. Fascism seeks to establish a centralized and dictatorial government led by a single leader or a small elite, often with a charismatic and powerful figure at its helm.

Key characteristics of fascism include:

1. Nationalism: Fascist movements promote extreme nationalism, emphasizing the superiority and uniqueness of their nation or ethnic group. They often manipulate national symbols, history, and cultural identity to foster a sense of unity and loyalty among their followers.

2. Authoritarianism: Fascist regimes tend to concentrate power in the hands of a single leader or a ruling elite. They suppress political opposition and dissent through force and censorship, imposing strict control over media and public discourse.

3. Totalitarianism: Fascism seeks to control not only the political sphere but also various aspects of society, including the economy, culture, education, and even private life. Totalitarian regimes aim to mold citizens into loyal followers of the state's ideology.

4. Militarism: Fascist regimes often glorify militarism and advocate for a strong military presence. They may use aggressive foreign policies to expand their territory or exert influence over other nations.

5. Corporatism: Fascism promotes the collaboration between the state, business, and labor, seeking to achieve national unity through economic coordination and control. In practice, this could mean state control or heavy influence over industries and labor unions.

6. Suppression of dissent: Fascist regimes use propaganda and repression to silence opposition and control public opinion. They may use secret police or paramilitary forces to quash dissent and maintain control.

7. Scapegoating and discrimination: Fascists often target specific groups as enemies or scapegoats to rally support and deflect blame from the government's failures. Minority groups, immigrants, or other marginalized communities are often victims of discrimination and persecution.

It's important to note that fascism has been widely discredited due to its association with atrocities committed during the 20th century, such as the Holocaust, World War II, and other human rights abuses. As such, it is widely considered a dangerous and harmful political ideology that undermines the principles of democracy, individual rights, and equality.

I’m supremely glad we’ve sorted this out.

On we move to the next question for ‘AI’.

Query: ‘what is communism’?

Communism is a socio-economic and political ideology based on the principles of common ownership of the means of production and the absence of social classes. The central idea of communism is to create a classless society where wealth and resources are distributed equally among all members. The ultimate goal of communism is to establish a stateless and classless society where everyone's needs are met, and individuals are free to pursue their interests and passions without the burden of poverty or exploitation.

Key features of communism include:

1. Common ownership: Under communism, all means of production, including factories, land, and resources, are collectively owned by the community or society as a whole. Private property is abolished, and the goal is to eliminate economic inequality.

2. Classless society: Communism seeks to eliminate social classes, such as the bourgeoisie (wealthy capitalists) and the proletariat (working class). Instead, all individuals are considered equal members of the community, with no significant disparities in wealth or social status.

3. Planned economy: In a communist system, economic decisions, such as production targets and resource allocation, are planned and controlled by the government or a centralized authority. The aim is to meet the needs of the population rather than pursuing profits.

4. Abolition of currency: In some communist visions, money and currency are abolished, and goods and services are distributed based on need rather than monetary exchange.

5. Dictatorship of the proletariat: In Marxist theory, the transition from a capitalist society to a communist one involves a period known as the ‘dictatorship of the proletariat’. During this phase, the working class temporarily holds political power to dismantle capitalist structures and establish a socialist state on the path to communism.

It is essential to distinguish between the theoretical concept of communism and its practical implementations in various countries. While communism has been an influential ideology throughout the 20th century, many countries that proclaimed to follow communist principles implemented socialist systems under centralized one-party rule, often with significant limitations on political freedoms and human rights.

Historically, notable examples of states that pursued communist ideologies include the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, North Korea, and Vietnam. However, the practical outcomes of these systems have been diverse and have faced challenges in achieving the idealized vision of a classless and stateless society. Critics of communism point to the concentration of power, lack of individual liberties, and economic inefficiencies as some of the drawbacks of attempts to implement communist systems in practice.

Discussion

The first thing to note is the clearly visible—and shamelessly advocated—bias in those who coded ChatGPT and the underlying texts, such as Wikipedia et al.

Second, while ‘fascism’ is a ‘far-right ideology’, ‘communism’, according to ChatGPT, is either across the entire spectrum of politics or does not relate to the conventional left-right divide. Both arguments have some merit, but its implications are terrifying: the former is bad ‘because it’s right-wing’, and the latter is somehow either a-ideological or simply not as bad as the former because of the discrepancy between ‘theory’ and (vs.) ‘practice’.

Historically, both ideologies were arguably even worse than Liberalism in terms of casualties and mass violence, with Communism easily exceeding the death toll ‘achieved’ by ‘far-right’ systems.

In terms of political control over the economy, both fascism nor communism are essentially described as compatible:

Fascism promotes the collaboration between the state, business, and labor, seeking to achieve national unity through economic coordination and control. In practice, this could mean state control or heavy influence over industries and labor unions…

Planned economy: In a communist system, economic decisions, such as production targets and resource allocation, are planned and controlled by the government or a centralized authority.

Taken to their logical conclusion, both systems (such as they were/are) ‘coordinate/plan and control’ the economy, with the main—only—difference being the continued existence of certain property rights under fascism.

One of the more interesting facets in ChatGPT’s description of communism, though, are nos. 1 and 4:

Common ownership…Private property is abolished, and the goal is to eliminate economic inequality…

Abolition of currency: In some communist visions, money and currency are abolished, and goods and services are distributed based on need rather than monetary exchange.

I do wonder (no more) where, exactly, the WEF’s Klaus Schwab and his acolytes (sycophants) found the idea of ending cash and rendering everyone happy.

The most laughable aspect in ChatGPT’s characterisation of communism, however, is the last aspect, i.e., the ‘temporary “dictatorship of the proletariat”’. There is not even a hint of irony, let alone scholarship to back up this baseless claim, esp. its allegedly ‘temporary nature. If anyone is in doubt about it, please read: The House of Government by Yuri Slezkine.

Bonus Q: ‘describe liberalism’

Liberalism is a political and philosophical ideology that emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries during the Age of Enlightenment. It emphasizes individual freedom, equality, and the protection of civil liberties as fundamental values. Liberalism seeks to limit the power of the state and promote the autonomy of individuals, fostering a society where people can pursue their interests and goals without undue interference.

Key principles of liberalism include:

1. Individual rights and freedoms: Liberalism places a strong emphasis on individual rights and freedoms, such as freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and the right to private property. It upholds the idea that individuals should be free from arbitrary interference by the government or other individuals.

2. Limited government: Liberals advocate for a limited role of the government, believing that it should be restrained in its powers and only intervene to protect the rights and well-being of citizens. This often involves the rule of law and the establishment of institutions to prevent abuses of power.

3. Equality and social justice: Liberalism supports the idea of equal rights and opportunities for all individuals, regardless of their race, gender, or social status. It opposes discrimination and advocates for a society that provides equal access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.

4. Free market and economic liberalism: Economic liberalism, often associated with classical liberalism, promotes free markets and minimal government intervention in the economy. Liberals generally support competition, private enterprise, and the belief that economic growth and prosperity can be achieved through the free exchange of goods and services.

5. Tolerance and pluralism: Liberals value tolerance and respect for diverse opinions, beliefs, and cultures. They emphasize the importance of open debate and free expression of ideas in a democratic society.

6. Social contract and consent of the governed: Many liberal thinkers base their political philosophy on the concept of a social contract, where individuals consent to be governed in exchange for protection of their rights and freedoms. This idea is central to the legitimacy of the state's authority.

It's important to note that liberalism is a broad and diverse ideology, with various strands and interpretations. Different types of liberalism, such as classical liberalism, social liberalism, and neoliberalism, have emerged over time, each with its specific focus and policy implications.

Liberalism has significantly influenced the development of democratic societies around the world and has been a driving force behind the establishment of constitutional democracies and the protection of human rights and civil liberties. However, it is also subject to criticism from other political ideologies, which may prioritize different values and objectives.

Bottom Lines

ChatGPT’s biases are clearly visible: ‘liberalism’ comes in a distant second after ‘fascism’ when compared to ‘communism’.

There is no mention of the tens of millions of slaughtered and murdered peoples courtesy of the various ‘practical’ applications of collectivist ‘visions’.

Yet, this isn’t even the most despicable facet: ‘liberalism’, for all its faults, ‘has been a driving force behind the establishment of constitutional democracies and the protection of human rights and civil liberties’.

How on God’s green earth does this compare with communism’s sordid record?

I’m not naive enough to believe that anything is ‘given’ or that ‘liberalism’ is without flaws, mass-murder, and significant shortcomings (failures).

BUT.

One does not need to resort to patently absurd claims that the problem with communism is it’s wrongful application vs. its pure vision.

Liberalism, widely understood, has been applied; it’s as much a patchwork-in-progress as anything else, but apparently one that works at least a tad better than the alternatives discussed above.

Whatever the potential—hypothetical—benefits of ‘communism’ as described above, they pale by comparison to the practical implications achieved by ‘liberalism’, despite all its very true shortcomings.

On a larger, society-wide level, though, exercises such as this one are indicative of one clear and present danger to Western well-being and, yes, sanity: ChatGPT is increasingly used by college and university students to ‘write’ papers.

Instead of, you know, doing work themselves, students are helping themselves, unquestioningly, to the BS as shown above. There are two major implications:

1. the value of any credential deriving from tertiary educational institutions will become increasingly determined by the absence of such ‘fancy’ additions. Put differently: if you’re thinking about attending university, go for one that foregoes this kind of indoctrination.

2. Much of what passes for ‘journalism’ and editorialising will, likely, be done by ‘AI’ in the not too-distant future; one must expect more of this BS therefore. Buyer beware.