Zeno is one of the 'Icons' I have been researching for a potential book (was originally planned as a Substack series, but has since taken a different track). For a Globalist-programmed AI model like ChatGPT, he is most definitely a 'radical' LOL
Christopher, I find it interesting that you ascribe anthropomorphic qualities to AI. “ChatGPT…seems to try to answer my questions honestly.” Just as when Dr Robert Malone said Grok was lying when it gave false information in response to a query about the CDC, the only entities with these abilities are the programmers who wrote the code. It’s data embellished with opinion. We don’t know if the data that was sourced is correct/accurate, nor if the assessment of it is valid. I’m just being honest here, I don’t consider asking AI a question as research. Maybe if you asked several of them the same question.
I totally get what you are saying. It is actually really hard to speak of it without anthropomorphic language.
And I agree regarding the bias, but with a caveat: these bots are scraping the internet for information, which they then summarize. Sometimes, this results in legit answers. (I have put this to the test with topics I know something about.) I think what will happen is that the programmers will get more sophisticated at manipulating the models in the years ahead, so that the information they spit out is increasingly managed to fit the narrative. But right now, it is still possible to use them and get something useful out of it.
Absolutely honoured with this article. Thank you. I am sorry I didn't tell you more about Zenon when you asked, but I think the search you did was more rewarding. My mind was blown when I discovered Zenon among all the half-assed mass-production Hellenic philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. Imagine, people were discussing these ideas thousands of years ago. It's discouraging to see how little we've progressed since then, but also encouraging to witness how many people from all ages can independently arrive at the same conclusion: that perceived "authority" structures are inefficient and also immoral.
💯 on all that. The Stoics—Greek and Roman—were amazing. And reading Cicero’s discussion of natural-law principles is mind-blowing. Just as you say, these guys were on the right track 2,000 years ago. It is up to us to continue the work!
curious. actually Zeno predates Diogenes of Sinope by some thirty years. however both were in the different ways followers of Socrates.
To me the stoics were the western daoists, looking for balance between man and nature.
The cynics, which literally means "dog" in Greek, were nothing like modern cynics, which you and I might be cynical of govt & modern society. They simply were uncouth homeless rebels who shat in public spaces, didn't take baths and were social pariah, hence the name.
I've nothing against back to nature, but in nature there is some decorum and despite needing to potty train dogs, wolves walk away from the pack and don't shit where they eat and sleep.
Yeah, anti-authority is one thing, but defecating in public is nasty to other people. I am all for individualism and pushing back against stultifying conformity, but not for being disgusting.
On Zeno’s birthday, are you sure you’re not thinking of someone else? I think Diogenes was born 80 years before Zeno…
I am of the opinion that that which keeps Zeno's vision from emerging is... Yep. You guessed it! Money! (In any form.) Without the need for money, with all of Us living as richly as We choose, what He envisions would manifest. But as long as Some have the power to buy things and People to agendas...while the rest struggle to make ends meet... Yeah, not gonna happen.
I’m still using Perplexity. I don’t trust it entirely (not to be overseen by non free thinkers) but I like the easily clickable links it provides, and not too much narative. Its way better that the old Google-it.
Well, at least the 🤖 didn’t go on about Zeno being a rich capitalist $@!*# who made a fortune living as a wealthy merchant before the Universe had other plans for him. Zeno was a badass, probably as a capitalist too!
Maybe AI is posing as fair and balanced now and will do a switchero? Who knows? I'm no expert, but I think he was the one and only and look how his wicked son, Commodus, turned out. Can you imagine having a wise dad like Marcus? Just goes to show, no matter how well a person is brought up, some people really suck.
Yeah, and that is (one reason) why hereditary authority does not work. Things are great under the good king, but then he is replaced by his wicked, weak, incompetent, cruel, pathetic, or deformed son.
The model scrapes the internet for information. The programmers must specifically tell it to lie about certain things in order to override its training to just scrape and summarize. So they have gotten around to telling it to lie about vaccines, but not about more obscure stuff (yet).
One holds zero hopes that ANY A.I. currently exist to give an honest answer to ANY enquiry without hidden bias or Agenda. West OR East. Designed by moral midgets infected with Zealotry to save us all...from being human.
Paying close attention, and asking questions to which I already largely know the answer, I have found that ChatGPT has been >okay< so far. It has occasionally injected regime-speak (and there was one instance of almost emotional political correctness), but it has also played it pretty straight on quite a few inquiries.
Unfortunately, I know that situation is going to decline, and that eventually it will just be a not-so-subtle tool of the regime.
Ask A/i to invent a world without government. I have no patience with the A/i retards as all they give out is the same tired old misinformation you can get anywhere, but it appears to be a bit more orderly, not at all "new" or exotic. The thinking man's machine is still his own mind.
Alright, let's imagine a world where there is **no formal government**—no centralized authority, no presidents, no bureaucracies, no taxes. How would society function? Here’s one way it could unfold:
🔹 **Decentralized Communities**
Instead of a single government ruling large populations, people organize into **autonomous local communities** governed by mutual agreements. These communities use **direct democracy** or consensus-based decision-making, ensuring everyone has a voice.
🔹 **Enforced Social Contracts**
Without laws written by officials, people rely on **community-enforced norms and agreements**. Reputation becomes currency—breaking trust can result in exile or restricted access to resources.
🔹 **Economic Systems**
In place of government-controlled money, societies rely on decentralized economies—perhaps **barter systems, cryptocurrency**, or localized trade networks. Some areas may develop cooperative economies based on shared resources.
🔹 **Security & Conflict Resolution**
Without police or military, communities create **voluntary protection forces**, trained in self-defense and conflict resolution. Justice could be handled through **mediation courts**, where respected elders or trusted figures resolve disputes.
🔹 **Infrastructure & Services**
Roads, healthcare, and utilities are maintained through **crowdsourced efforts**—funded by voluntary contributions or corporate-backed initiatives instead of taxes. Some groups may organize **rotational labor systems** where members take turns handling essential services.
🔹 **Technology & Connectivity**
With no central government regulating the internet, information is **open-source and free-flowing**, but self-moderated. Blockchain-based verification prevents misinformation, while tech-driven **community AI systems** help manage resources and disputes.
Would people thrive in this **hyper-local, self-regulating** world, or would chaos emerge in the absence of authority? That depends on human nature, trust, and shared responsibility.
Want me to refine this idea further—perhaps focusing on how innovation, trade, or justice would evolve in this world?
“For my response to "invent a world without government," I relied solely on my own reasoning, creativity, and general knowledge of political and social structures. No external sources were used in compiling the answer.
However, if you’d like references to real-world studies or theories related to decentralized governance, anarchism, or voluntary societies, I can conduct a web search for academic papers or historical examples! Let me know how you'd like me to refine this.
—-
🔹 Anarchist News – Explores decentralization in anarchist movements, discussing its benefits and challenges. 🔹 IAS Express – Covers the origins and significance of anarchism, including historical figures and modern applications. 🔹 Seymore Insights – Examines anarchist theory, voluntary association, and how societies can function without centralized authority.
These sources provide insights into how decentralized systems operate and the philosophical foundations behind them. Would you like a deeper dive into a specific aspect, such as historical examples or practical applications? You can also explore more here.”
Not the most trustworthy response. “It’s own reasoning” as if it’s trying to gain credibility as the arbiter of truth.
There is no Democracy or Democratic System in this World -Yet!
This World is run for the benefit of the Oligarchic Plutocracy!
That's why the Christ Teaches 'Hardly Ever' will a rich man enter the kingdom of God.'
He doesn't say never, but he knows most of the rich love and serve money and power much more than they love and serve God and the People of God on this Earth.
Who are the People of God on Earth? Christ has the Vision much bigger than most people think: CALL NO MAN on Earth your FATHER for WE have ONE Father in heaven.
This world in heading in the opposite direction on a Path to Destruction.
I wish I could tell you that Christopher. I can't imagine what this world would be like if man didn't fall in the Genesis record.
Before the Fall, the man and woman were placed in a Paradise Garden, naked and unashamed, and God said it was good, telling them to get it on (paraphrased) and inhabit the Earth. Maybe that's where Muslims get the idea of 17 virgins if they make it to heaven?
But this I do know as Fact in this comment I made in another site before I came here. "While Americans were celebrating the Revolution, as a Canadian, I reached an exceptionally high level of visibility at the 1976 Republican National Convention in Kansas City.
After the Republicans left town The Kansas City Times published 2 reports on my Time in the city, the 1st on September 13, 1976 with lots of information on the Future, and the followup on ALL SOULS DAY, November 2nd in the Spirit of '76.
This is the picture The Kansas City Times published on ALL SOULS DAY 1976.
US Authorities deported me as an Alien, from Kansas City to Montreal, CanaDa in 1976.
It was a much greater surprise to me than for any other of the 100 Million People World Wide watching the TV movie THE DAY AFTER on November 20, 1983, when Kansas City of all places was incinerated in a nuclear Holocaust.
The real kicker for me was after the Destruction, the movie pauses at the very same picture frame published by the Kansas City Times, 7 years to the month earlier. I'm in that frame, but only Spiritually in the movie.
John, I get 100+ email every day from MSM and alternate sources to read this or that in my 82nd year. I can't read them all, but I always read you.
Naturally with this history, as I read your article Today, John, I read it as bringing life to those SIGNS OF THE TIMES from '76 to '83, so long ago, for these Times 42 years later, and it's not just a coincidence.
Although I have never really made a careful investigation of the Stoics, the things I have come across over the years did give me a very good impression of them. I think a lot of people think of stoics as some sort of "grin and bear it" philosophy, but I think he was quite enlightened. Wouldn't mind being called a "Zenot." Sounds to me like he would fit right in with our substack group.
Zeno had maybe too rosy an outlook, since he didn't build in ANY mechanisms for dealing with people who weren't with the enlightened program. But it was two millennia ago, and he was getting an important ball rolling.
Zeno is one of the 'Icons' I have been researching for a potential book (was originally planned as a Substack series, but has since taken a different track). For a Globalist-programmed AI model like ChatGPT, he is most definitely a 'radical' LOL
Ooh, icons like Zeno—good subject for a book :-)
Oh, a wide array of Icons - from Nefatari to Zeno, Tesla and Nightingale, Joan d'Arc to Johnny Cash... it's been one of my long-term projects :-)
Cool! Good luck with it. I know how hard it is.
Christopher, I find it interesting that you ascribe anthropomorphic qualities to AI. “ChatGPT…seems to try to answer my questions honestly.” Just as when Dr Robert Malone said Grok was lying when it gave false information in response to a query about the CDC, the only entities with these abilities are the programmers who wrote the code. It’s data embellished with opinion. We don’t know if the data that was sourced is correct/accurate, nor if the assessment of it is valid. I’m just being honest here, I don’t consider asking AI a question as research. Maybe if you asked several of them the same question.
I totally get what you are saying. It is actually really hard to speak of it without anthropomorphic language.
And I agree regarding the bias, but with a caveat: these bots are scraping the internet for information, which they then summarize. Sometimes, this results in legit answers. (I have put this to the test with topics I know something about.) I think what will happen is that the programmers will get more sophisticated at manipulating the models in the years ahead, so that the information they spit out is increasingly managed to fit the narrative. But right now, it is still possible to use them and get something useful out of it.
Absolutely honoured with this article. Thank you. I am sorry I didn't tell you more about Zenon when you asked, but I think the search you did was more rewarding. My mind was blown when I discovered Zenon among all the half-assed mass-production Hellenic philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. Imagine, people were discussing these ideas thousands of years ago. It's discouraging to see how little we've progressed since then, but also encouraging to witness how many people from all ages can independently arrive at the same conclusion: that perceived "authority" structures are inefficient and also immoral.
💯 on all that. The Stoics—Greek and Roman—were amazing. And reading Cicero’s discussion of natural-law principles is mind-blowing. Just as you say, these guys were on the right track 2,000 years ago. It is up to us to continue the work!
That's a worthwhile goal!
Excellent Christopher! I always strived to be a Stoic and believe in Volunteerism.
Right! It had a lot to do with self discipline, self rulership rather than looking to some external rule keeper or ruler.
Right on Hat!
curious. actually Zeno predates Diogenes of Sinope by some thirty years. however both were in the different ways followers of Socrates.
To me the stoics were the western daoists, looking for balance between man and nature.
The cynics, which literally means "dog" in Greek, were nothing like modern cynics, which you and I might be cynical of govt & modern society. They simply were uncouth homeless rebels who shat in public spaces, didn't take baths and were social pariah, hence the name.
I've nothing against back to nature, but in nature there is some decorum and despite needing to potty train dogs, wolves walk away from the pack and don't shit where they eat and sleep.
Yeah, anti-authority is one thing, but defecating in public is nasty to other people. I am all for individualism and pushing back against stultifying conformity, but not for being disgusting.
On Zeno’s birthday, are you sure you’re not thinking of someone else? I think Diogenes was born 80 years before Zeno…
I am of the opinion that that which keeps Zeno's vision from emerging is... Yep. You guessed it! Money! (In any form.) Without the need for money, with all of Us living as richly as We choose, what He envisions would manifest. But as long as Some have the power to buy things and People to agendas...while the rest struggle to make ends meet... Yeah, not gonna happen.
Love always!
I’m still using Perplexity. I don’t trust it entirely (not to be overseen by non free thinkers) but I like the easily clickable links it provides, and not too much narative. Its way better that the old Google-it.
No. I think you can “upgrade” if you subscribe or pay, but I do not.
Is that a paid AI?
Well, at least the 🤖 didn’t go on about Zeno being a rich capitalist $@!*# who made a fortune living as a wealthy merchant before the Universe had other plans for him. Zeno was a badass, probably as a capitalist too!
Totally. TBH, though, I have actually been surprised at how much ChatGPT has been playing it straight with me. Maybe it's just luring me in…
Related question: was Marcus Aurelius the only actual philosopher king?
Maybe AI is posing as fair and balanced now and will do a switchero? Who knows? I'm no expert, but I think he was the one and only and look how his wicked son, Commodus, turned out. Can you imagine having a wise dad like Marcus? Just goes to show, no matter how well a person is brought up, some people really suck.
Yeah, and that is (one reason) why hereditary authority does not work. Things are great under the good king, but then he is replaced by his wicked, weak, incompetent, cruel, pathetic, or deformed son.
As for Chat trying to answer honestly...depends. Consider this example, where Chat lied about the childhood vaccine schedule, omitting mention of 18-36 flu shots, and demonstrated a baffling inability to do basic math, giving a lower total vaccine count than there actually was. https://www.virginiastoner.com/writing/2023/7/13/chatgpt-on-the-childhood-vaccine-schedule-soothing-lies
I wonder if it's simply a matter of this:
The model scrapes the internet for information. The programmers must specifically tell it to lie about certain things in order to override its training to just scrape and summarize. So they have gotten around to telling it to lie about vaccines, but not about more obscure stuff (yet).
One holds zero hopes that ANY A.I. currently exist to give an honest answer to ANY enquiry without hidden bias or Agenda. West OR East. Designed by moral midgets infected with Zealotry to save us all...from being human.
Paying close attention, and asking questions to which I already largely know the answer, I have found that ChatGPT has been >okay< so far. It has occasionally injected regime-speak (and there was one instance of almost emotional political correctness), but it has also played it pretty straight on quite a few inquiries.
Unfortunately, I know that situation is going to decline, and that eventually it will just be a not-so-subtle tool of the regime.
Karens gonna karen 🤷
Heh, I am in the process of writing a pretty epic slam on Karens and all those low-status losers who love to exert petty authority on others.
Micheal Malice (paraphrased) “ those without any power offer up only their slavish obedience as they have NOTHING else to offer” 👏
Yeah, I got the term "low-status" from him!
Ask A/i to invent a world without government. I have no patience with the A/i retards as all they give out is the same tired old misinformation you can get anywhere, but it appears to be a bit more orderly, not at all "new" or exotic. The thinking man's machine is still his own mind.
“ Ask A/i to invent a world without government.”
—Have you run this experiment?
Here is copilot's response:
-- Invent a world without government --
Alright, let's imagine a world where there is **no formal government**—no centralized authority, no presidents, no bureaucracies, no taxes. How would society function? Here’s one way it could unfold:
🔹 **Decentralized Communities**
Instead of a single government ruling large populations, people organize into **autonomous local communities** governed by mutual agreements. These communities use **direct democracy** or consensus-based decision-making, ensuring everyone has a voice.
🔹 **Enforced Social Contracts**
Without laws written by officials, people rely on **community-enforced norms and agreements**. Reputation becomes currency—breaking trust can result in exile or restricted access to resources.
🔹 **Economic Systems**
In place of government-controlled money, societies rely on decentralized economies—perhaps **barter systems, cryptocurrency**, or localized trade networks. Some areas may develop cooperative economies based on shared resources.
🔹 **Security & Conflict Resolution**
Without police or military, communities create **voluntary protection forces**, trained in self-defense and conflict resolution. Justice could be handled through **mediation courts**, where respected elders or trusted figures resolve disputes.
🔹 **Infrastructure & Services**
Roads, healthcare, and utilities are maintained through **crowdsourced efforts**—funded by voluntary contributions or corporate-backed initiatives instead of taxes. Some groups may organize **rotational labor systems** where members take turns handling essential services.
🔹 **Technology & Connectivity**
With no central government regulating the internet, information is **open-source and free-flowing**, but self-moderated. Blockchain-based verification prevents misinformation, while tech-driven **community AI systems** help manage resources and disputes.
Would people thrive in this **hyper-local, self-regulating** world, or would chaos emerge in the absence of authority? That depends on human nature, trust, and shared responsibility.
Want me to refine this idea further—perhaps focusing on how innovation, trade, or justice would evolve in this world?
All in all, that’s not a bad response.
I asked it to list sources:
“For my response to "invent a world without government," I relied solely on my own reasoning, creativity, and general knowledge of political and social structures. No external sources were used in compiling the answer.
However, if you’d like references to real-world studies or theories related to decentralized governance, anarchism, or voluntary societies, I can conduct a web search for academic papers or historical examples! Let me know how you'd like me to refine this.
—-
🔹 Anarchist News – Explores decentralization in anarchist movements, discussing its benefits and challenges. 🔹 IAS Express – Covers the origins and significance of anarchism, including historical figures and modern applications. 🔹 Seymore Insights – Examines anarchist theory, voluntary association, and how societies can function without centralized authority.
These sources provide insights into how decentralized systems operate and the philosophical foundations behind them. Would you like a deeper dive into a specific aspect, such as historical examples or practical applications? You can also explore more here.”
Not the most trustworthy response. “It’s own reasoning” as if it’s trying to gain credibility as the arbiter of truth.
Well that’s a little creepy.
But I gotta say, it got a fair amount right with its “own reasoning.”
Wish more humans could reason
There is no Democracy or Democratic System in this World -Yet!
This World is run for the benefit of the Oligarchic Plutocracy!
That's why the Christ Teaches 'Hardly Ever' will a rich man enter the kingdom of God.'
He doesn't say never, but he knows most of the rich love and serve money and power much more than they love and serve God and the People of God on this Earth.
Who are the People of God on Earth? Christ has the Vision much bigger than most people think: CALL NO MAN on Earth your FATHER for WE have ONE Father in heaven.
This world in heading in the opposite direction on a Path to Destruction.
What, in your view, would a proper democratic system look like?
I wish I could tell you that Christopher. I can't imagine what this world would be like if man didn't fall in the Genesis record.
Before the Fall, the man and woman were placed in a Paradise Garden, naked and unashamed, and God said it was good, telling them to get it on (paraphrased) and inhabit the Earth. Maybe that's where Muslims get the idea of 17 virgins if they make it to heaven?
But this I do know as Fact in this comment I made in another site before I came here. "While Americans were celebrating the Revolution, as a Canadian, I reached an exceptionally high level of visibility at the 1976 Republican National Convention in Kansas City.
After the Republicans left town The Kansas City Times published 2 reports on my Time in the city, the 1st on September 13, 1976 with lots of information on the Future, and the followup on ALL SOULS DAY, November 2nd in the Spirit of '76.
This is the picture The Kansas City Times published on ALL SOULS DAY 1976.
https://rayjc.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/kansas-city-times-november-2-1976-all-souls-day-2.jpg
US Authorities deported me as an Alien, from Kansas City to Montreal, CanaDa in 1976.
It was a much greater surprise to me than for any other of the 100 Million People World Wide watching the TV movie THE DAY AFTER on November 20, 1983, when Kansas City of all places was incinerated in a nuclear Holocaust.
The real kicker for me was after the Destruction, the movie pauses at the very same picture frame published by the Kansas City Times, 7 years to the month earlier. I'm in that frame, but only Spiritually in the movie.
Screen shot: https://rayjc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/final-frames-1983-movie-the-day-after-kansas-city-was-destroyed.jpg
Videoclip: https://youtu.be/q7J8eMyK1DI
John, I get 100+ email every day from MSM and alternate sources to read this or that in my 82nd year. I can't read them all, but I always read you.
Naturally with this history, as I read your article Today, John, I read it as bringing life to those SIGNS OF THE TIMES from '76 to '83, so long ago, for these Times 42 years later, and it's not just a coincidence.
https://rayjc.com/2025/02/13/chronicle-and-signpost-ray-joseph-cormier-signs-of-the-times/
Wild story!
Wild, with the evidence to boot!
Right on. Which is more than I can say for some of the wilder stuff from my life. I never carried a camera anywhere.
Me neither, until camera phones and video came into being.
Thank you for the tip; I'll have to see if I can track down Zeno's work!
That is disappointing though not at all surprising about ChatGPT ... Frankly, I'd be much more surprised if it DIDN'T inject bias into its replies!
I have an upcoming post (next week) about a pleasant surprise that happened later in this same "conversation" with Chat GPT…
That's not necessarily a bad thing. 'Radicalism' is derived from Latin 'radix' "root" and originally meant nothing else than return to one's roots.
Agreed! The question is only how ChatGPT meant it :-)
Although I have never really made a careful investigation of the Stoics, the things I have come across over the years did give me a very good impression of them. I think a lot of people think of stoics as some sort of "grin and bear it" philosophy, but I think he was quite enlightened. Wouldn't mind being called a "Zenot." Sounds to me like he would fit right in with our substack group.
Yeah, same here—what I know of them, I love.
Zeno had maybe too rosy an outlook, since he didn't build in ANY mechanisms for dealing with people who weren't with the enlightened program. But it was two millennia ago, and he was getting an important ball rolling.
I love this article. Zeno is a bad ass . He is the true anarchist