Pilot's Briefing: Art History, Rule of Law, AI, Mental Health, Black History Month, Christian Nationalism, The Gulf of Stupid MAGA Tricks

the most ominous part of his report is the statement about the Trump regime's attack on the American judicial system, whereby the administration's new policy is to ignore unwanted court orders.

The Drone Pilot's Briefing on Critical Intelligence Gathered from the Back of an Albatross © jfs

Critical Developments, Observations, and Analysis

Re: Summary Letter

2/12/2025

Dear Friends and Resistance Allies:

The Drone Pilot briefed me on extraordinary articles by experts and public intellectuals in various fields, including the importance of cities in art history. The Pilot has also made suggestions for Black History Month travel and some ideas about managing our thoughts to remain sane in these challenging times.

He also brought disturbing news from democracy's front lines of attacks on human freedom by Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and the heretical wing of the American evangelical movement. But, perhaps the most ominous part of his report is the statement about the Trump regime's attack on the American judicial system, whereby the administration's new policy is to ignore unwanted court orders. Meanwhile, science in the United States remains attacked by the rather stupid withholding of funds from labs and researchers. However, brave scientists are trying to soldier on in the trenches.

I have included the details of the Pilot's Briefing below. The Pilot sends his regrets that he could not provide a more cheerful report.

Respectfully yours,

James F. Stephens, JD

Details from the Briefing

Art History

Inspired by T.S. Eliot's mesmerising Preludes, which I chanced upon reading again this week, I've been gathering together writing that captures the restless, hypnotic energy of urban life. Across different times and places, a few themes emerge. For many writers, the city is a living organism. Robert Carlyle, for example, describes London as a spirit of thought, whilst Fante’s desert waits patiently for the city to crumble as if urban life is only ever temporary. Monet, better than anyone, captures a city always on the verge of transformation with the blurred movement and swirling atmosphere of his Boulevard des Capucines.

Rule Of Law

But refusing to follow a court order crosses a very clear, very dangerous line. If Trump refuses to follow court orders, especially from the Supreme Court, we will have tipped from chaos into dire crisis.

Checks and balances require Congress to do its part. Don’t bet on it. Today’s Republican lawmakers are prostrate before the executive.

Politics and AI

Elon's bid to take control of OpenAI comes as the world's richest video game cheat is trying to win an actual "Battle Royale" for global domination. (Musk thinks the real world is a video game, so we shouldn't be surprised he cheats in life as much as he does in Path of Exile 2.) His attack on OpenAI—one day after Altman's blog warning about authoritarians using AI to control populations—comes precisely at the moment Trump is succeeding at what Rachel Maddow calls "autocratic breakthrough." Meanwhile, Musk is literally taking control of all our government data and computer systems and taking steps to (as I have warned for months), "install technologies to centralize the workings of a new authoritarian state."

Higher Education

Jeremy Day, director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Comprehensive Neuroscience Center, said on social media that NIH’s cut would “cripple research infrastructure at hundreds of US institutions, and threatens to end our global superiority in scientific research.”

Black History Month

The annual observance honors, celebrates and preserves the memory of the people who selflessly sacrificed to break racial barriers for freedom, equity, inclusion, integration and equal rights. It is more critical than ever to embrace these stories and not avoid the unpleasant past that shaped this nation, especially in the current political climate where historical truths are being violently erased and rewritten. Learning about Black history and culture shouldn't be limited to Black History Month. These cities and states are excellent places to learn more about Black history and the legendary trailblazers who have shaped Black culture, life and history in the U.S. at any time of year.

Mental Health

Cognitive distortions are when our mind puts a ‘spin’ on the events we see and attaches a not-so-objective interpretation to what we experience—it happens all the time. We all have cognitive distortions, which are simply tendencies or patterns of thinking or believing, and they are especially common in people with depression and other mood disorders. An interesting thing to note is that several cognitive distortions can work to our advantage. The key is to know when and how to do so.Here are the 10 most common (and officially recognized) cognitive distortions, with examples of how they relate to stress.

The Heresy of Christian Nationalism

In so many instances, for a watching world, there is no distinction between the supposed "ambassadors for Christ," and the sycophantic shills for a Godless President without morality or empathy. That's a problem, a disgrace—and a sin. If the American Church is indeed a collective body, then it also has a shared soul. And if it does have a soul, then that soul is surely in danger of damnation for its current offenses. It is certainly in dire need of the redemptive, reverse-direction repentance Jesus spoke of—the kind its Evangelical preachers and Conservative practitioners are so fond of demanding of those outside their doors.

MAGA's Map Madness

There is a gulf in America, alright. A gulf between order and chaos, fact and lies, responsibility and recklessness. A gulf of substance, tone, and intention. A gulf between a vision of the world driven by toxic power and greed on the one hand, and a commitment to the rule of law and global stability on the other.