The manipulations of Wikipedia have been a topic for debate on the internet for years; I note that the Wiki admins (whoever they may be) sure know about and thus acquiesce to the capture of certain pages, in addition to the biased editing of certain political articles and subjects.

However, Wikipedia is not the only disinformation racket in town — and maybe not the biggest one.

https://instapundit.substack.com/p/googles-ai-debacle?r=9bg2k
Why is Google creating pro-Nazi and pro-Confederate propaganda?
by Glenn Reynolds aka Instapundit, where he also posted a shorter version.
https://instapundit.com/633948/

The viral graphics that Google’s Gemini AI generated have been the subject of mirth and mockery for a couple of days, and he includes a lovely collection of them.

Glenn cites, and quotes, a couple of his colleagues who expand on the motif of how Google has destroyed the public’s trust in its properties — and not just the Gemini project.
Both of the references should be read in toto; they are also cited by Strom below.

https://twitter.com/TheYootopian/status/1761460491065377023
Gemini’s Problem: Google’s LACK of diversity
“There is a broad assumption that Google Gemini’s clearly biased results are an artifact of Artificial Intelligence gone wrong, and that the issues are combinations of bad parameterization, flaws with the algorithms, and other technology root causes. But the fact is: Gemini’s problems are NOT technology related. Gemini is performing completely as expected. This is what it was meant to do.”

https://twitter.com/mjuric/status/1761981816125469064
(also linked as a Powerline headline pick)

“I’m done with @Google. I know many good individuals working there, but as a company they’ve irrevocably lost my trust. I’m “moving out”. Here’s why: …. (excellent analysis)
…In this brave new world, every time you run a search you’ll be asking yourself “did it tell me the truth, or did it lie, or hide something?”. That’s lethal for a company built around organizing information.”

The Instapundit post also links to an analysis by David Strom at HotAir on the importance of the story as something other than a reason to point and laugh at the Wokerati.

https://hotair.com/david-strom/2024/02/26/googles-gemini-failure-an-analysis-n3783536
“You ask one question and get results to another Google decided you should have asked. Google Gemini revealed to all the world just how biased its search engine is…It literally never occurred to Googlers that others might disagree, so when they tested the product out the answers seemed obvious to them….It ain’t no algorithm issue. Google wants to give us its version of reality, not reality itself. ”

I will add that I was very proud of our son who was hired by Google straight out of college, and extremely glad that he left the company a few years ago.

The manipulations of Wikipedia have been a topic for debate on the internet for years; I note that the Wiki admins (whoever they may be) sure know about and thus acquiesce to the capture of certain pages, in addition to the biased editing of certain political articles and subjects.

However, Wikipedia is not the only disinformation racket in town — and maybe not the biggest one.

https://instapundit.substack.com/p/googles-ai-debacle?r=9bg2k
Why is Google creating pro-Nazi and pro-Confederate propaganda?
by Glenn Reynolds aka Instapundit, where he also posted a shorter version.

The viral graphics that Google’s Gemini AI generated have been the subject of mirth and mockery for a couple of days, and he includes a lovely collection of them.

Glenn cites, and quotes, a couple of his colleagues who expand on the motif of how Google has destroyed the public’s trust in its properties — and not just the Gemini project.
Both of the references should be read in toto.

https://twitter.com/TheYootopian/status/1761460491065377023
Gemini’s Problem: Google’s LACK of diversity
“There is a broad assumption that Google Gemini’s clearly biased results are an artifact of Artificial Intelligence gone wrong, and that the issues are combinations of bad parameterization, flaws with the algorithms, and other technology root causes. But the fact is: Gemini’s problems are NOT technology related. Gemini is performing completely as expected. This is what it was meant to do.”

https://twitter.com/mjuric/status/1761981816125469064
(also linked as a Powerline headline pick)

“I’m done with @Google. I know many good individuals working there, but as a company they’ve irrevocably lost my trust. I’m “moving out”. Here’s why: …. (excellent analysis)
…In this brave new world, every time you run a search you’ll be asking yourself “did it tell me the truth, or did it lie, or hide something?”. That’s lethal for a company built around organizing information.”

I will add that I was very proud of our son who was hired by Google straight out of college, and extremely glad that he left the company a few years ago.

The Instapundit post also links to an analysis by David Strom at HotAir on the importance of the story as something other than a

You imply that Ukraine ceased to be an internationally legitimatate state when Yanukovych was ousted.

That is the hill you have chosrn to die on.

No slight of hand, sophistry, or too clever by half arguments about principles. Your arguments rationalize intentional aggression of a “stronger” empire against a smaller neighbor.

It is patently absurd, few nations in the rest of the world take this position.

Plain enough for you?

The Ukraine constitution is very clear under what circumstances the President can be removed from office.
The Rada did not follow the methods outlined in the constitution.
Therefore his removal was illegal.

Can we agree on that?

Turtler justifies the removal under the pretext that he abandoned his post and the emergency nature at the time, but I still think that’s a stretch.

Had they removed him under the then current constitution, his power would have reverted to the prime minister– who was also absent.
So the Rada first had to pass a law reverting to the 2004 constitution which passed the power from the president to the chairman of the Rada. Is that how it works in a democracy? Pass a law and the constitution changes in the matter of a few hours?

I think it’s a stretch to conclude Yanukovych “abandoned” his office when he was gone for exactly one day. And it was likely had he returned he would have been assassinated, since that was the threat by members of the Rada.

As I wrote previously, one of the mp’s, talking to a journalist, gave Yanukovych three options: 1. resign; 2. take it to the court (which would have been the legal method; 3. or suffer the Nicolae Ceausescu fate– (executed by firing squad after a summary trial).

There was already a legal way to transfer power– representatives from EU countries, opposition leaders and Yanukovych had signed an agreement for his ministers to be replaced by opposition parties and early elections to be held. That was rejected by Right Sector leaders.

The Fight for Ukraine: Last Days of the Revolution

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7e6B64Iqqg&t=1274s

If you fast forward to around the 10 min. mark.

There was a survey conducted in April 2014 by Kiev International Institute of Sociology among residents of the Donbas and while only 29% were strongly in favor of separating and joining Russia, 68% were strongly in favor of joining the Eruasian customs union. 68% also thought nationalist/radicals/Right Sector were a threat.

So we have a rift in the space time continuoum in Ukraine in 2014. A Putin minion was ousted, (having lost his support from eastern Ukraine after shooting political opposition) and Vlad retailates by formenting civil war in eastern Ukraine, then 8 years later Vlad takes the war to the entire country. Agree on those facts?

Now taking the leap that because Yanukovych fled to Russia, Ukraine is no longer a “legitimate” country and therefore all treaties, borders, etc. are up for Russia to disposition as Vlad decides is, ah, preposterous.

But I am not a historian or diplomat, nor are you. It doesn’t take a Turtler to see it or explain it.

You do realize that elections and the rule of law are elastic things in totalitarian societies and that in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine under Yanukovych ideals for democratic and representative government and the transfer of power were and are less than optimal?

You have given others quite a trove to fisk if they have time and inclination. Not my day job.

I think what we’re seeing are the limits of human rules-based order. As much as we try and be consistent, sometimes we just have to use brute force. This is happening in all our institutions– but this war is certainly front and center. It’s one of the central complaints conservatives have with what is happening to the constitution and the lawfare gaining traction in this country, IMO.

The constitution is a pact we have made with each other and sets the limits of our interactions. We used to have a common understanding of where the limits were. That has changed. The left, stymied for so many years from implementing rules far beyond the limits loosely agreed to, have just re-defined the meaning of the terms. For a time the debate was between a living constitution and a strict interpretation view.

Now that the world is under a narrative based reality– just change the meaning of a word and presto, a whole new set of rules. Good is bad, bad is good, there are 73 genders– you get the picture.

The West is never going to agree that Ukraine is a new nation springing from the Maidan revolution. This would expose the failures of what happened.

Anyway, that’s my view of the event.

You did notice that Yanukivych lost his support in eastern Ukraine (Donbas and Luhansk) after he used the Russian approach to protestors? How could that happen?

Totes fine Brain E?

Or was that the US Capitol Police approach?

As to the Britannica article, there was a lot more going on than the story reports. I would say the Rada never voted to impeach Yanukovych and even if they had it first would have required the courts to be involved and a 3/4 vote of the Rada. The vote held to remove Yanukovych for abandoning his position did not reach that level.

MP Hovrilov, speaking to a journalist gave Yanukovych three options on Feb. 21– resign, take the case to court or suffer the fate of dictators and be assassinated.

Here is a BBC report after the Maidan riots/overthrow of Yanukovych. The article I linked to yesterday from Feb. 23, 2024 is just a confirmation that was suspected at the time, that rioters also had snipers and were shooting at both Berkut and protesters.

Snipers at Maidan: The untold story of a massacre in Ukraine – Newsnight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJhJ6hks0Jg

Wow, this Gemini thang’s certainly cutting edge!

+ Bonus (more “Competing Narratives”)…
“Shocking moment mob threatens to BEHEAD terrified woman after accusing her of wearing a dress with ‘blasphemous’ text on in Pakistan”—
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13125779/mob-threatens-behead-woman-dress-blasphemous-Pakistan.html
Coming soon to a neighborhood near you?

And from the “Heh” Files….
https://www.foxnews.com/media/ap-report-laken-riley-murder-omits-suspects-immigration-status-focuses-dangers-women-jogging-alone