WHY MARRIAGE DOES NOT WORK

The Illusion of Love: Why Marriage Is Built on Unequal Ground

For centuries, society has cloaked marriage in the language of love, romance, and permanence. Yet when stripped of its illusions, what remains is not love but a set of evolutionary imperatives, different for men and women, and unequal by design.

What Drives Men

Men are hardwired to worship women. That is not a metaphor. It is a deep, emotional, and almost religious impulse, akin to the devotion described in the Ten Commandments when the prohibition against false idols is laid down. Men elevate women, not just for their beauty, but because women are the vessels of their progeny. She represents the preservation of his lineage and the transcendent beauty he sees as worthy of sacrifice.

This worship blinds men to flaws, to incompatibility, and often to reality itself. It is a devotion so total that it overrides logic, compelling men to commit themselves completely in a way no other drive can.

What Drives Women

The same instinct does not drive women. Evolution has not shaped them to worship men or view them through the lens of beauty or transcendence. For women, the evolutionary imperative is brutally practical: find a provider, ensure security, guarantee the survival of themselves and their children.

Love, as men know it, does not exist for them. What exists is calculation. A woman’s drive is to secure protection, provision, and safety. This is not cynicism; it is survival, hardwired through eons of evolutionary pressure. Anything else is illusory, a social construct built on top of biology.

The Great Imbalance

Here lies the fatal flaw in marriage: the drives do not match. Men worship, women calculate. Men are blinded by love, women are guided by provision. The result is an unequal relationship, destined for disillusionment.

The statistics bear this out. Divorce rates are high, not because people have stopped “believing” in marriage, but because the institution was always built on unequal foundations. The woman secures what she needs until she can improve; the man eventually realizes his devotion is not reciprocated.

The Cycle of Abandonment

The man, confronted with the reality that his worship has no equal return, leaves, or at least begins to search elsewhere for the object of his devotion. The woman, ever pragmatic, moves on to the next provider. Both are trapped in a cycle that exposes the fundamental truth: marriage is less a bond of love than a contract of convenience, doomed by biology to eventual collapse.

The Harsh Truth

This is not a romantic story. It is not the fairy tale that culture, religion, and tradition have layered onto the act of coupling. It is survival, biology, and evolutionary programming. Men will continue to worship. Women will continue to seek provision. And the illusion of love as a mutual, reciprocal force will continue to shatter against the hard wall of reality.

The question is not why so many marriages fail. The question is how any marriage survives at all.

William James Spriggs 

USE AI TO BREAK THE CHAINS

Break the Chains Again — Use AI to Defeat Trump

Stop calling America an “experiment.” This country was never an experiment. It was born out of slavery, chains on human beings, shackles on freedom, and the long, bloody fight to break those chains.

Now, once again, the chains are being fastened. It is not iron this time, but chains of authoritarianism, oligarchy chains forged by billionaires who believe they are our masters. And the man they’ve chosen to hold the whip is Donald Trump.

Trump is no genius. In fact, he is astonishingly ignorant, a man whose intelligence likely scrapes the bottom of the barrel. Where the average IQ hovers just under 100, Trump’s mental capacity appears closer to the 80s. Compare that to Einstein’s reported 160, and the contrast is staggering.

But here is the real point: even Einstein pales next to the tool we now possess. Artificial Intelligence. AI is not hundreds of times brighter than Trump. It is hundreds of thousands of times smarter.

A Weapon Stronger Than Any Army

We must stop thinking of this battle in terms of physical force alone. Trump has his mobs, his sycophants, and his billionaire class behind him. But what he does not have, what he cannot even comprehend, is the intelligence and power of the tools now in our hands.

AI is stronger than any army, navy, or air force. It is a force multiplier for truth, strategy, and communication. It can expose lies in real time, connect movements across the globe, and dismantle propaganda faster than it can be spread.

Break the Chains

The chains of authoritarianism are no less real than the chains of slavery. They bind the spirit. They strip away freedom. They reduce citizens to subjects. And like slavery, they must be broken, fully, completely, and without hesitation.

We broke them once. We must break them again.

This is no longer a question of left versus right, Republican versus Democrat. It is the ancient, eternal question: Will we be free, or will we be slaves?

Trump and the oligarchs believe they can enslave us again, this time through fear, lies, and corruption. But they are wrong. We have the tool to outthink them, outmaneuver them, and outlast them.

The Call

The time has come to wield AI as the weapon of democracy. Use it to unmask lies. Use it to spread truth. Use it to organize resistance. Use it to shatter the chains of this new slavery before they close around us completely.

The fight is here. The masters have revealed themselves. The chains are tightening. But we, the people, are not helpless. We have the most powerful intelligence engine ever created on our side.

Break the chains. Break the chains. Break the chains.

William James Spriggs

PISSED

Finally,  Pissed — And We Should Be

It’s about time. Gavin Newsom is pissed. And the truth is, we ought to be just as furious.

For years, a cabal of right-wing ideologues, billionaires, and self-anointed “intellectuals” has been scheming to dismantle our democracy. They finally found their front man in Donald Trump, an ignorant grifter, an amoral con artist, the absolute worst kind of person imaginable to hold authority in this country. And they made him president.

This man, who knows nothing, understands nothing, cares about nothing but himself, has strutted across the stage pretending to be king. He is no king. He is a fraud. And yet here we are, watching him dictate policy, destroy institutions, and corrupt a nation while his enablers cheer.

We Should Be Pissed

We’ve been far too patient. Far too polite. Far too willing to excuse, delay, or hope someone else would solve this nightmare. But Gavin Newsom has it right: it’s time to get pissed.

Pissed that our democracy is being stolen in broad daylight.
Pissed that we allowed a fascist movement to rise while too many shrugged.
Pissed that a con man has been elevated into a would-be dictator.

This is not business as usual. This is not everyday politics. This is a fascist power grab—planned, organized, and executed step by step.

No More Excuses

The time for hand-wringing is over. The time for hoping it will pass is over. The time for speeches, hearings, and polite debates has ended.

We must stop Trump and stop this fascist movement, no matter what it takes. Rip it out by the roots. Confront the oligarchs and the think-tank cowards hiding behind Trump’s bluster while he carries out their Hitler-esque plan.

This will not be easy. It has been building for decades and will take years to reverse. But the first step is clear: get rid of Trump, get rid of this movement, and refuse to accept one more day of their poison in our democracy.

Gavin’s Anger Is the Spark

Anger, when channeled, is power. Gavin Newsom’s fury is righteous and contagious. He is calling out what so many have whispered: that Trump is unfit, dangerous, and backed by a fascist right-wing theocracy determined to end freedom as we know it.

If Gavin is pissed, so should we be because this fight is not his alone. It belongs to all of us who still believe in democracy, liberty, and justice.

Trump is not a bad dream. He is not a fantasy. He is real, and so is the fascist movement behind him. But so too is our anger, resolve, and ability to stop it.

Get pissed. Stay pissed. And fight.

William James Spriggs

OUR THIRD WORLD COUNTRY

The Dictatorship Is Firmly In Place

The dictatorship is not looming on the horizon. It is not a distant threat. It is here.

For decades, the Heritage Foundation and its allies in the oligarchy have been building a playbook for authoritarian rule. That blueprint, Project 2025, is nothing less than America’s version of the Hitler playbook: a systematic dismantling of democratic institutions, consolidation of executive power, and replacement of public servants with loyalists who serve one man and his billionaire backers.

Donald Trump is the vessel through which this plan is being carried out. He is not a strategist, nor an intellectual. He is, as history will record, the ignorant, reckless, and narcissistic figure ideally suited to front an agenda crafted by others. He didn’t invent authoritarianism in America, but he has given it a face, a voice, and a mob.

Authoritarianism Has Already Arrived

We must stop pretending this is a “slow walk” toward dictatorship. It began years ago, before Trump’s first election. His presidency was not the warning sign; it was the arrival. Authoritarianism is here, oligarchy is here, fascism is here.

The signs have been everywhere: dismantling the civil service, undermining the courts, using the military and federal law enforcement as tools of political intimidation, stacking the government with sycophants, and spreading propaganda to normalize lies as truth. Yet too many ignored the danger. Too many thought “it can’t happen here.”

It did. It has. It is.

The Fight Ahead

Now, the stakes are clear. This is not simply another election. This is not business as usual. This is class warfare in its starkest form: the billionaires and oligarchs tightening their grip against the rest of us. And make no mistake, this fight may not remain polite. It could, if unchecked, become bloody, another civil war in all but name.

We hope it does not come to that. But democracy has never been defended by silence, timidity, or waiting for someone else to act. It has always required struggle.

A Leader Emerges

Finally, Gavin Newsom speaks the language that reality demands. He has called this what it is: a fight. He is the first national leader willing to say openly what so many know privately—that the time for speeches and warnings has passed. The time for resistance has come.

And in that fight, we will need more than political rhetoric. We will need muscle. We will need a military that remembers its oath is to the Constitution, not to any one man. When the day comes that soldiers and generals refuse to obey illegal orders, when they stand with the people instead of a dictator, that will mark a turning point in the struggle. General Mark Milley has shown in the past that he understands this distinction. We will need more like him.

The Law Is On Our Side

Trump’s attempt to use military forces for domestic control is already unlawful. The Posse Comitatus Act was written to prohibit exactly this kind of abuse. The courts will eventually have to rule that his actions are illegal. But the courts move slowly, and dictators move quickly. The people cannot afford to wait.

The Call to Action

This is a fight for our lives, not only as individuals but as citizens of a free republic. We who are not billionaires or oligarchs have everything at stake. The time has come to take to the streets, organize, and resist.

History has shown us where appeasement leads. Germany learned too late, and we cannot. The fight for democracy must begin now.

Thank God Gavin Newsom is stepping into the arena. He may not be the final answer, but he is the first spark. The question is whether we, the people, will light the fire of resistance before it is too late.

William James Spriggs

GAVIN GETS IT

Gavin Newsom Finally Gets It: The Dictatorship Is Here

For years, the Heritage Foundation and its cadre of right-wing intellectuals have been laying the groundwork for authoritarian rule in America. Their weapon? Project 2025 is a thousand-page playbook for dismantling democracy, eviscerating the civil service, and consolidating power in the hands of oligarchs and billionaires.

Donald Trump was not an accident. He was the perfect vessel, loud, reckless, and shameless enough to carry out their blueprint. Every action he has taken, from hollowing out federal agencies to inciting insurrection, is part of a carefully designed dictatorship plan.

We’ve been sounding the alarm since 2023, warning that Project 2025 wasn’t just a theory. It was the operational manual for a fascist takeover. Too many brushed it off as exaggeration, insisting that America was merely on a “slow walk” toward dictatorship. But Gavin Newsom now sees what we’ve been saying all along: we are already there.

This Is Not a Drill

The dictatorship is not some distant threat. It is not on the horizon. It is here, operating in broad daylight, normalized through endless lies and authoritarian moves disguised as “policy.” Trump and his enablers are executing the plan step by step while much of the political establishment debates as if everything were still politics as usual.

Newsom Steps Into the Fight

Finally, California Governor Gavin Newsom, a national figure of stature, has acknowledged the truth. He recognizes that the danger is not creeping; it has arrived. And unlike others, he appears ready not just to talk, but to fight.

This is what has been missing: fight. For too long, Democrats and defenders of democracy have treated this as a political game that can be won with speeches, hearings, or procedural maneuvers. However, the opposition does not play by democratic rules. They are playing by the rules of power, and their goal is nothing short of permanent authoritarian control.

Time to Fight

Newsom’s readiness to confront Trumpism directly marks a turning point. The fight can no longer be delayed, deferred, or delegated. It is not enough to warn, write reports, or issue statements. It is time to resist, openly, forcefully, and without apology.

Democracy will not survive unless leaders stand up and the people stand with them. The Heritage Foundation, the billionaires, and their puppet Donald Trump have already shown us their plan. The only question now is whether we will match their determination.

Thank God Gavin Newsom is finally stepping forward. The dictatorship is here, and so is the fight.

William James Spriggs

A SMILE FOR BOB

A Smile for Bob

Bob, my friend, you’ve walked a hundred years,
Through trials, joys, and oceans of tears.
You’ve carried burdens, you’ve carried grace,
And still bring light to this living place.

Yes, you miss the love you knew,
Seventy-five years, loyal and true.
But look around: we’re gathered here,
Because your presence still brings cheer.

Think of the laughter you’ve yet to share,
The stories are tucked away with care.
The sparkle of wisdom in your eye,
The way you still make sadness shy.

You’ve handled most impossible tasks,
Told the truth when others wore masks.
You’ve shown us kindness, steady and true,
Bob, the world’s brighter because of you.

So let tomorrow wait its turn,
We’ve still got moments yet to burn.
Pull up a chair, my friend, take part:
You’re the beating center of our heart.

The best day of your life is here,
With friends who love to keep you near.
Not yesterday, not yet above,
Today, Bob, you are wrapped in love.

A LAST LAMENT

Do Not Let Them Take It

Do not let them steal your dream,
Not children, not kin, not time’s cruel scheme.
Your last bright fire, your final light,
Is love remembered through the night.

They’ll say “be sensible,” “put it away,”
But what do they know of your fleeting day?
Your spouse, your dog, your cat by your side,
These are the anchors as years collide.

All else is gone, the battles, the years,
The victories dulled, the losses, the tears.
What matters now is the breath you keep,
The tender dream you refuse to sleep.

So clutch it close, guard it well,
No voice of reason, no sermon, no spell,
Can strip away what your heart still holds—
The dream is yours, more precious than gold.

And when they try to dim the flame,
Stand firm, resist, call it by name.
This love, this memory, this sacred part,
Is the last true kingdom of your heart.

WJS 

CLASS WARFARE

Class Warfare: Stop Denying It

Let’s quit the polite fiction. This is class warfare, raw, naked, undeniable. On one side is the working class: everyone who works, wants to work, and depends on labor to survive. On the other side is the privileged capitalist class, parasites who feed off investments, off rents, off the sweat of your back and mine.

Draw the Line

If you work, you’re in the working class. You're in the working class if you live on your paycheck, pension, and wages. If you have so much money that work is beneath you, congratulations, you’re in the privileged class. And let’s not pretend: that privileged class doesn’t just tilt the scales, it owns the scales, the courthouse, and the law itself.

They live in another world, floating above reality, insulated by wealth they didn’t earn. They don’t understand the working world, and worse, they don’t care to. To them, your struggle is just a rounding error on their quarterly report.

History’s Bloody Lesson

This is not new. This war has been waged for centuries. Every gain by workers, every right, and every dignity was bought with blood, strikes, uprisings, and unyielding sacrifice. And every time, the privileged class claws it back, tightening the chains, daring us to fight again. That’s the cycle. And here we are again.

No Easy Way Out

Let’s not sugarcoat it: there is no easy way out. There is no polite compromise with people who live off your labor while crushing you under their heel. The privileged class will not surrender power because you ask nicely. History shows that workers only win when they force the issue, when they disrupt, when they march, when they boycott, when they refuse to play the rigged game.

The Constitution Is Ours, Not Theirs

And don’t forget: the Constitution is not theirs. It belongs to us. Every oath sworn to it was not an oath to capital, not an oath to a dictator, not an oath to privilege. It was to the people, and to the idea that all are equal under the law. Over the centuries, one unbroken promise has been to defend that Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Look around, those enemies are domestic, entrenched in wealth and power, mocking the document they swore to uphold.

Time to Choose

So call it what it is: class warfare. They have declared it. They are winning. And they will keep winning until the working class remembers its power and history and fights back. Whether it’s the ballot box, the picket line, the boycott, or the street, the message must be the same: we will not be ruled.

Silence is surrender. And surrender means slavery.

William James Spriggs

POPULARITY AND POLLS DO NOT MATTER

Popularity and Polls Do Not Matter 

The media persists in missing the point. Pundits breathlessly analyze Trump’s poll numbers, approval ratings, and the prospects of midterm congressional victories. But none of that matters. They are still judging Trump as though he were a candidate in a functioning democracy. He is not. He is a dictator in complete control, and dictators don’t worry about popularity contests.

A Dictator’s Mentality

Trump’s focus now is not on elections, approval ratings, or even the future of his party. His calculations revolve around one thing: himself, his power, his survival, and his legacy. He knows no fear of reprisal, no fear of losing office, and no fear of democratic accountability. In his mind, he is permanent. He will remain in power until death, regardless of any election outcome. If he loses, the election will be declared rigged. If he wins, it will be declared a triumph of the people. Either way, the result is predetermined in his favor.

This is the playbook of strongmen throughout history. Elections are proper props to feign legitimacy, but never binding. Institutions are bent, broken, or ignored until they become empty shells. Popularity ratings are shrugged off as lies, concocted by enemies. Only the dictator’s grip on power matters, and Trump has studied this manual well.

The Futility of Polls and Ratings

Why do the media obsess over his sagging popularity or speculate about his ability to “pull out” a midterm victory? These questions are irrelevant. Even if every American turned against him, he would still claim victory. Dictatorship is not measured in votes or surveys but in control, in the subjugation of institutions, and the silence of rivals.

Trump has already torn up the Constitution in spirit, if not on paper. He governs as if checks and balances do not exist. He makes plain that his loyalty is not to the people or to the law but to himself. His party bows to him, his sycophants cheer him, and the machinery of government bends under his will.

The Counter-Movement’s Seed

And yet this is not the end of the story. Every oath every public servant swore was to the Constitution, not to a man. The military, judges, civil servants, and even elected representatives have pledged allegiance not to Trump, but to that foundational document. It is in that fact that the makings of a countermovement exist.

A dictator may declare himself permanent, but permanence is an illusion. History shows us that tyranny breeds resistance. The more Trump strangles democracy, the more Americans will awaken to their duty to the Constitution. The fight is not over ratings or elections, but over allegiance: to the Constitution, or the dictator.

Conclusion

Trump is not playing the game of democracy, so stop keeping score as if he were. He is playing the game of dictatorship, and in his mind, he has already won. The task ahead is not to outpoll him but to outlast him and rekindle allegiance to the Constitution he has betrayed. That oath, still alive in millions of Americans, is the seed of the countermovement that will one day break his grip.

William James Spriggs

PROPOSING THE COUNTER-COUP

Building the Counter-Coup: Time Is Running Out

The Heritage Foundation did not create its plan for authoritarian takeover overnight. It spent years assembling Project 2025, a nearly 1,000-page blueprint for dismantling democracy and consolidating power under a single leader. That plan is the guiding document for the Trump movement and its backers.

On the other hand, we have less time. If we are to preserve the republic, organizing a counter-coup must begin now. We will not have the luxury of producing a thousand-page treatise, but we can, and must draft a clear, forceful plan in just a page and a half or two pages. The first step is not volume but vision.

Learning from History

Every successful countermovement in history has been built on preparation, coordination, and a willingness to recognize danger before it strikes. We must study the past to understand how coups were resisted, how authoritarian regimes were weakened, and how democratic resistance movements, from Europe to Latin America, found ways to prevail.

We must also examine the present. What are the pressure points in Trump’s system? Where are the institutions most vulnerable? Which levers of power, economic, legal, political, and military, can be mobilized to resist?

No Time for Silence

Unlike Heritage’s plan, ours does not require secrecy. They operated in the shadows for years, hiding their intentions until the moment was right. We cannot afford that. The counter-coup must grow from open dialogue, visible opposition, and broad support. The more sunlight, the better. We must write, publish, and speak, gathering momentum from every corner of civil society.

The Urgency of Action

We cannot wait until Trump’s term ends, because he may never leave willingly. We cannot wait until the next congressional election, because elections may no longer function as a remedy. The counter-coup must be conceived before democratic institutions are hollowed out beyond repair.

A Skeleton Plan

The plan must begin with a skeleton framework:

1. Mobilization of Civil Society — unions, universities, journalists, professional associations, faith communities, and veterans must form a united front.
2. Legal Strategy — courts must be prepared to challenge authoritarian decrees, and lawyers must coordinate on the defense of the constitutional order.
3. Economic Pressure — businesses and investors must be compelled to resist alignment with authoritarian power through boycotts, divestment, and pressure campaigns.
4. International Alliances — democratic allies abroad must be encouraged to stand firm against authoritarian drift in the U.S. and apply external pressure.
5. Public Education — Americans must understand the stakes: this is not politics as usual, but democracy versus dictatorship.

The Work Begins Now

The Heritage Foundation has had years to prepare. We have months at best. But clarity of purpose can compensate for a lack of time. We do not need 1,000 pages. We need a rallying cry, a framework, and a movement that refuses to surrender the Constitution to an authoritarian cabal.

The counter-coup begins here, with the recognition that it will be necessary, and the determination to start drafting it today.

William James Spriggs

  

TODAY IS THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE

Today Is the Best Day of Your Life

The past is gone forever. It exists only as memory, fragile and fading, and it cannot be relieved. The future is uncertain. It may come, or it may not. To live waiting for tomorrow is to live in an illusion. All that truly exists is today, this very moment. And because it is the only day you have, today is the best day of your life.

Living in the Present

The Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius wrote: “Confine yourself to the present.” He understood that the past cannot be retrieved and the future cannot be guaranteed. What remains is the now, which is enough, if lived with intention. Henry David Thoreau, in his experiment at Walden Pond, urged the same: to live deliberately, to “suck out all the marrow of life.”

This is not a call to hedonism or distraction. It is a call to clarity. When you recognize that today is the only reality, the question becomes: what will I do with it?

What It Means to Make Today Count

The answer lies not in indulgence, but in meaning. And meaning, stripped of illusion, is simple: to pass on what you have learned. The universe itself is indifferent. It will not remember you. But people might. To teach another, record your insights, and share your hard-won truths. This is the only imprint you can leave.

Albert Camus, wrestling with the absurd, insisted that life has no preordained purpose. Yet he also saw that this very lack of meaning creates freedom. You are free to give your life meaning. And the surest meaning is to leave behind knowledge that outlives you.

The Paradox of Insignificance and Importance

Yes, you are insignificant on the cosmic scale. The stars neither know nor care that you exist. But you are significant to those who follow after you, if you choose to be. Your thoughts, experiences, and wisdom, however modest, can shape the lives of others. To refuse to share them is to vanish twice: once in death, and again in silence.

The Final Word

There is no other day but today. It is the best day of your life because it is the only day. To waste it on regret of the past or speculation about the future is to miss the only truth that matters: you are alive now.

So act. Teach someone what you have learned. Write it down. Record it. Please pass it on. Because that is the only true meaning life can hold.

Today is the best day of your life. Make the best of it.

William James Spriggs

GONE FOREVER; YOU WERE NOT HERE

Life’s Only Meaning: Passing On What You’ve Learned

It’s not as if life has no meaning at all, but the meaning people usually hope for is an illusion. When we face the truth squarely, we see that life is both utterly meaningless and the only chance at meaning we will ever have.

The Brutal Truth

You live, and then you die. Forever. You were never here, and after death, you are gone entirely. The universe does not notice, does not care, and does not keep score. It is vast, indifferent, and blind to human striving. No matter who you are, or how powerful you think you’ve become, the universe renders you insignificant. You are a collection of particles, temporarily assembled to have thoughts, then scattered again.

This is reality. To deny it is to comfort yourself with fantasy, whether that fantasy is divine purpose, cosmic destiny, or the comforting notion that you “matter” in some grand design. These are stories we invent to soften the blow.

The Paradox of Total Meaning

And yet, within this cosmic indifference, life does hold a form of meaning. Not eternal meaning, not cosmic meaning, but human meaning. You cannot alter the universe's indifference, but you can leave behind something that endures in those who follow.

The only imprint you can make is to pass on what you have learned. That is the sole purpose, the only gratification we call life in this brief interval. If you fail to do so, then your existence is doubly erased: forgotten by the universe and the generations who might have benefited from your insight.

Facing the Reality

To live with this truth is not despair. It is clarity. To face your insignificance is to see reality as it is. And with that clarity comes freedom: freedom from illusion, freedom from the false promises of gods or destiny, freedom from the need to imagine that the universe is anything but what it is.

In the end, the universe does not need you. But the people who come after you might. What you have learned, discovered, created, or suffered can be given. That act of handing truth to the next generation is all the meaning life can hold. And it is enough.

William James Spriggs

GOD AS A PLACEHOLDER FOR IGNORANCE

God as a Placeholder for Ignorance

As long as humans have sought to explain their world, they have reached for gods. Thunder, lightning, disease, death, when ancient people lacked explanations, they filled the void with divine causation. Each mystery had its deity. Zeus threw storms, crops grew with Demeter’s blessing, and the sun rose under Ra’s command. Gods were the original stopgaps for ignorance.

As knowledge grew, the pantheon shrank. Polytheism gave way to monotheism. Yet even now, the pattern endures. Whenever we don’t understand something, where the universe came from, how life began, the default answer remains: God, not as a revelation, but as a placeholder. Neil deGrasse Tyson captures it clearly: God lives in the ever-receding pocket of scientific ignorance. The more science explains, the less room there is for God.

The God of the Gaps

Richard Dawkins has called this the “God of the gaps”, a deity invoked only to paper over what science cannot yet explain. The problem is obvious: as discovery advances, the gaps close. Where once disease was divine punishment, we now understand viruses. Where lightning was the wrath of the heavens, we now understand electricity. Each new fact pushes God further back.

But beyond science lies an even sharper critique: logic itself.

The Infinite Regression Trap

David Hume warned that humans are inclined to project their own minds onto the universe, imagining a designer because we ourselves design. But Bertrand Russell cut to the core with a simple question: Who made God? If everything must have a cause, then so must God. To assert God as the “first cause” is not logic but special pleading, a convenience that dissolves under scrutiny.

To demand a cause of a cause is to admit there is no cause at all. It is an infinite regression disguised as an explanation. The more honest conclusion is that existence itself requires no origin. The universe exists because it exists. Life exists because it exists.

Existence as Its Own Foundation

This is not nihilism, nor denial of wonder. It is the recognition that being is self-sufficient. As philosophers from Spinoza to Russell understood, to demand a supernatural creator is to invent a bigger mystery than the one you hoped to solve. The universe is not a clock requiring a clockmaker. It is reality itself, complete, whole, and without external cause.

The Final Word

God has always been humanity’s answer to ignorance. But as our knowledge grows, his relevance diminishes. Science does not reveal him; it replaces him. After stripping away the placeholders, what remains is a simple, logical truth: existence needs no explanation beyond itself.

The universe exists because it exists. Life exists because it exists. To argue otherwise is to chase the endless mirage of a “cause of a cause,” which is no cause.

William James Spriggs 

THE EGO SUMMIT

The Ego Summit: How Trump’s Narcissism Hands Putin the Win

Donald Trump isn’t operating from a place of conviction or principle; he’s motivated by one thing: ego. Every public move, every handshake, every headline is a transaction with his vanity. That’s why working with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, who offers no financial reward or ego stroke, doesn’t interest him. But Vladimir Putin? Now that’s a friend who can indulge his ego. and perhaps his bank account.

Ego-Driven Alliance

Trump doesn’t seek a genuine geopolitical strategy; he seeks validation. Putin delivers that in abundance. As recently as their August 2025 summit in Alaska, Putin stroked Trump’s ego by echoing his claim that "if he'd beaten Biden in 2020, there would be no war in Ukraine". An unsubstantiated yet flattering narrative that Trump has continually amplified. Meanwhile, the meeting produced no concrete breakthroughs, but Putin emerged looking powerful, while Trump was left grasping for relevance, according to TIME.

A Photo Op Masquerading as Diplomacy

Trump repeatedly hammers the image of a dealmaker, but in reality, his diplomacy is emptier than his public promises. The result was more theater than substance at the Alaska summit: smiles, handshakes, staged camaraderie, and no genuine agreement. The optics favored Putin, while America's global leadership looked diminished.

Putin Plays the Long Game, Trump Doesn’t

Putin benefits effortlessly. He doesn’t need to offer concessions. Trump handed him the stage. Trump’s lack of leverage, preconditions, and insistence on tough sanctions only widen the power gap. While Trump's political standing is sinking, he's willing to cling to any glimmer of perceived success, even if that success is manufactured.

The Moscow Whisperer

Trump’s cozy ties to Russia extend beyond political theatre. According to Wikipedia, he has pursued business connections in Moscow for decades, from exploring Trump Tower deals to accepting Russian investment in his properties. These financial entanglements, coupled with his vanity-driven praise of Putin’s leadership since the early 2000s, raise critical questions about influence versus alignment,

Narcissism Over Allies

Zelenskyy offers moral clarity and resistance. Not adoration. Trump doesn’t care about sovereignty; he cares about the spotlight and status. When Putin validates him and boosts his persona, Trump responds eagerly. When Zelenskyy needs solidarity, Trump sees inconvenience.

The Summit of Selfishness

This latest meeting wasn’t just another headline. It was a betrayal masked as diplomacy. Putin emerged validated, emboldened, and unscathed. Trump, meanwhile, received little beyond self-promotion and another photo opportunity. And all while Ukraine continued to bear the cost.

William James Spriggs

PUTIN WINS (BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER)

The Summit of Self-Interest: Why Putin Will Win and Trump Will Lose

When Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meet, it’s not a summit of diplomacy. It’s a summit of survival. Both men are narcissists obsessed with holding onto power, and both see the meeting as a way to bolster their standing. But their situations, and their stakes, are very different.

Trump, deeply unpopular and underwater in approval ratings, is desperate for something he can package as a “win.” He needs a headline that suggests he is delivering on his promises. Yet the truth is, his political capital is already spent. He has little leverage, no coherent strategy, and nothing to offer but flattery. Even if he walked away with a vague agreement, his unpopularity at home means it would do little to reverse his decline.

Putin’s position is far more precarious. His grip on power depends on “winning” his war, and winning is defined only by the story he can sell. For Putin, victory can mean holding territory, maintaining influence, or simply emerging from talks without making meaningful concessions. Whatever the metric, he must project strength. And this summit offers him the perfect stage to do exactly that.

When Trump naively proposed the meeting, it became a gift to Putin. He didn’t need to ask for it or concede anything to get it. Trump handed him the optics of legitimacy, a seat at the table as an equal to the President of the United States. Now, all Putin has to do is manipulate the proceedings to produce an outcome he can spin as triumph, whether real or not.

Trump, the self-proclaimed master negotiator, has already played into Putin’s hands by failing to set terms that would strengthen America’s bargaining position. There’s no coordinated NATO front, no increase in sanctions, and no precondition for Putin to show genuine willingness to compromise. In other words, Trump has walked into the room and given away the biggest prize: the meeting itself.

When the dust settles, Putin will declare victory in whatever way suits him. Trump will return home to the exact dismal approval numbers, giving his adversary a win without securing anything in return. The so-called summit will stand as another example of Trump’s inability to negotiate from strength, and another step in America’s diminished global standing.

In this theater of ego, the only true winner will be Vladimir Putin. And that, perhaps, was the plan all along.

William James Spriggs 

THE ART OF NO DEAL

The Art of No Deal: Trump’s Negotiation Folly with Putin

Donald Trump has often marketed himself as the “master negotiator,” but in truth, his approach to negotiation is little more than a performance for his ego. In the real world, negotiation is a disciplined art rooted in power dynamics, strategic timing, and leverage. By those measures, Trump’s meeting with Vladimir Putin is already a loss before it begins.

Rule one of real negotiation: Whoever requests the meeting is already conceding ground. By initiating the summit, Trump has telegraphed that he needs recognition, headlines, or perhaps another chance to preen before the cameras. Putin, on the other hand, has to show up. He’s already won by making no concessions and committing nothing beyond attendance.

Effective negotiators begin by assessing the balance of power. They strengthen their position and erode their opponent before entering the room. But Trump has done the opposite. He is approaching Putin from a position of weakness, with no clear objectives, leverage, or willingness to coordinate with NATO to exert real pressure.

Putin’s bargaining power today is immense. He has faced a fractured West, an inconsistent U.S. foreign policy, and a White House that openly admires his “strength.” In turn, Trump has diminished his hand by offering legitimacy without extracting a price.

Suppose the United States and its allies wanted to negotiate from strength. In that case, the playbook is clear: flood the field with military readiness, reinforce NATO’s commitment to Eastern Europe, and ramp up sanctions to their maximum pain point. Only when Putin feels the strain militarily, economically, and politically will he be incentivized to negotiate in good faith.

Instead, Trump skipped the hard work and ran straight to the photo op. This is not diplomacy; it’s self-promotion. It’s a theater of vanity, staged in the hope of earning Trump a Nobel Peace Prize — the ultimate trophy for the ultimate narcissist. But prizes are earned through substance, not self-aggrandizement.

In this case, “The Art of the Deal” has devolved into the art of no deal, a wasted exercise that rewards Putin, embarrasses America, and showcases Trump’s inability to grasp the fundamentals of statecraft.

William James Spriggs

HAVE YOU FIGURED IT OUT YET?

The Big Lie Has Cost You Everything. It’s Time to Take It Back

It’s time to face the truth. Donald Trump has taken your money, your benefits, and your future, and handed them to the rich. He has made your life harder and easier for those with everything.

This was always the plan. The Heritage Foundation orchestrated it, using Trump as a willing puppet. Their goal was never to serve you, but to to enrich the already powerful, cement their control, and keep it for the foreseeable future.

The Record of Lies

Trump’s presidency has been built on lies, constant, shameless, and calculated. The statistics on his falsehoods are staggering. Even if exaggerated, they reveal an undeniable truth: he does not tell the truth.

• He promised to lift working Americans. He didn’t.
• He promised to protect Medicaid. He didn’t.
• He promised jobs, prosperity, and opportunity. Instead, you’ve watched the rich get richer while your costs climb.

He never intended to keep these promises. They were bait to get your vote, a cover for his power grab, and a smokescreen for the Heritage Foundation’s blueprint for authoritarian control.

What’s Been Lost

Your country, your livelihood, and your democratic rights have been spirited away, not by an invading force, but by the lies you were told and, in too many cases, accepted. The illusion was seductive, but it was always a con.

Now the damage is done. What’s been lost cannot be fully restored. But a new day can dawn, if we dare to act.

The Four Actions to Take Back America

The path forward is clear. We must turn this disaster around through direct, decisive action:

1. Demonstrate — Fill the streets, the public squares, and the airwaves with a visible, undeniable demand for change.
2. Boycott — Starve the oligarchs of your dollars. Target the corporations and institutions that prop up the regime.
3. Shut Down Work — Use strikes, walkouts, and coordinated work stoppages to remind those in power that the nation runs on our labor, not their wealth.
4. Sidle Up to the Military — Stand with the men and women who have sworn to uphold the Constitution. The military remains one of the last institutions where loyalty to the Republic remains.

The Time Is Now

We cannot undo the past, but we can shape the future. The forces that robbed you will not surrender willingly; they must be confronted with truth, unity, and resolve.

A new day is waiting. But it begins only when you decide the lies end here.

William James Spriggs

HERITAGE "THINK TANK" FANTASY

When Fantasy Meets the Wall of Reality

The Heritage Foundation’s revolution, led by its cult figurehead Donald Trump, is built on a foundation of lies and “alternative facts.” They have successfully tricked their chosen leader into fronting their cause, cloaking the truth beneath a thick fog of propaganda.

When a revolution is built on falsehoods, reality doesn’t disappear. It is merely hidden from view. Objective truth exists, even when buried under denial, distraction, and political theater. Facts remain facts. Science remains science. Truth remains truth. Reality endures no matter how often it is obscured, rejected, or declared an enemy of the people.

The Unseen March of Truth

Reality has a stubborn way of continuing, whether acknowledged or not.

• The Economy — Politicians can tout imaginary prosperity, manipulate statistics, or dismiss expert warnings, but the underlying economic forces continue to operate. Debt accrues. Markets respond to supply and demand. Jobs are lost when industries collapse, no matter what a press conference claims.
• Public Health — The science of disease doesn’t bend to political talking points. A virus will spread regardless of speeches, denials, or the suppression of medical expertise. Ignoring vaccinations doesn’t erase the pathogen. It empowers it.
• The Environment — Climate change doesn’t pause while leaders debate its existence. Ice melts, seas rise, and extreme weather intensifies, all while denialists wave it away as a “coincidence.”

The Shock That Always Comes

The danger is not that reality will fade away. It is when it finally breaks through the fantasy that it will do so in a catastrophic shock.

One day, the economy’s rot will become impossible to mask.
One day, the unchecked spread of disease will erupt into a public health emergency that denial can’t contain.
One day, the environment will cross an irreversible threshold, and no speech, law, or technology will be able to reverse it.

When that shock comes, it will not only shatter the illusions carefully maintained by propaganda but also destroy the systems of law, governance, and societal values built to protect us.

The Price of Living in a Lie

The tragedy is that much of this could be avoided if the truth were faced early, before the damage became irreversible. But the right-wing machinery thrives on capturing the public's innocence, ignorance, and fears, locking them into a fantasy world where loyalty matters more than facts and where political identity overrides reality.

In such a world, disaster doesn’t arrive suddenly. It is built slowly and deliberately until it collapses under its weight, taking everyone with it.

Reality always wins. The question is whether we will meet it in time to shape it or wait until the shock leaves us no choice at all.

William James Spriggs

P.S. Make no mistake. The pseudo-intellectuals of the Heritage Foundation are just in it for the power and money.

AMERICA NEEDS GENERAL MARK MILLEY

AMERICA NEEDS GENERAL MARK MILLEY — NOW

Defend the Constitution. Restore the Rule of Law. Save the Republic.

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The Threat We Face

The Heritage Foundation’s authoritarian playbook demands a charismatic puppet to front its mission of dominance and dictatorship.
Donald Trump fit their needs, not because he was perfect, but because he was tall, strong, careless, and criminal enough to carry out their mission.

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The Leadership We Need

The Democratic Party, as we once knew it, has withered. If America is to recover, we must rally behind a leader with proven courage, integrity, and loyalty to the Constitution.

That leader is:

GENERAL MARK MILLEY

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Why Milley?

• Stood up to Donald Trump when it mattered most.

• He has been a sworn defender of the Constitution for his entire career.

• Proven ability to uphold the rule of law against authoritarian threats.

• Ready to dismantle the oligarchic regime now in power.

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History Shows the Way

We have had a military leader in the Oval Office before, Dwight D. Eisenhower, who made bold decisions to save democracy and preserve freedom.
Milley is such a man.

THE TIME IS NOW

The stakes are nothing less than the survival of the United States as a free nation.
This is our moment to stand with a true leader and take back America.

THE MAN TO DENY THE DICTATOR

The Puppet, the Playbook, and the Leader We Need Now

The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 is nothing less than a blueprint for authoritarian control, a modern strongman’s manual for dismantling democracy. But even the most detailed playbook requires a figurehead to sell it to the public. They needed someone tall enough to project dominance, loud enough to drown out dissent, shameless sufficient to ignore the truth, and reckless enough to push the agenda no matter the cost.

They found that man in Donald Trump.

Trump is far from perfect in the eyes of his architects. He is erratic, deeply flawed, and too self-absorbed to grasp the ideology he is carrying out fully. But in the political theater required to sell authoritarianism, he was just enough: tall enough, strong enough, careless enough, and criminal sufficient to front their agenda. He has been their battering ram, smashing through the constitutional guardrails that once restrained raw political power.

The Democrats Are Fading. But Could Rise Again

The Democratic Party, as it stands, has withered into an ineffective counterweight. Its leadership has failed to match the urgency of the threat. But that doesn’t mean the opposition is dead forever. It means it needs new blood, a new strategy, and a leader loyal to the Constitution, not personal gain or party machines.

That leader could be General Mark Milley

Why Milley Is the Right Man for the Moment

General Milley has already demonstrated his mettle. He publicly rebuked Trump’s flirtation with dictatorship. He has upheld his oath to defend the Constitution for decades in uniform. And unlike most political figures, Milley understands the military’s limits and its responsibility in defending civilian democracy.

In an era where the rule of law has been replaced with the rule of personality, Milley represents the opposite: calm, principled, and unwilling to bow to a would-be tyrant. He is not a partisan pawn. He is a proven leader.

The Eisenhower Precedent

This is not unprecedented. The United States has been led before by a general who could navigate the pressures of war and peace, Dwight D. Eisenhower, whose leadership helped save the free world from fascism. Like Eisenhower, Milley has the stature to unite a fractured nation and the judgment to use force only when necessary.

If It Comes to a Coup

The word “coup” is not one to be used lightly. But history tells us there are moments when the armed forces must choose between obeying a corrupt leader and upholding their sworn duty to the Constitution. Milley has already shown, in deed and word, that he will not be a servant to dictatorship. If Trump and his oligarch backers fully consolidate power, the survival of our republic may depend on the military siding with the people against the tyrant.

Milley is uniquely positioned to lead that defense, whether in the halls of government or, if necessary, from the command posts of the armed forces.

The Time Is Now

The Heritage Foundation has its puppet. The authoritarian machine is already in motion. The question is whether the forces of constitutional democracy will find a leader strong enough, and principled enough, to rally them before it is too late.

General Mark Milley has the record, the courage, and the vision to lead that fight. He can restore the rule of law, reverse the authoritarian tide, and if need be, lead the resistance that history may yet demand.

It is time to stop searching for the “perfect candidate” among career politicians. The republic needs a constitutional warrior. Milley is that man.

William James Spriggs

TRUMP'S FASCIST PLAYBOOK

Trump’s Dictatorship: The Fascist Playbook in Action

For those still clinging to the idea that “it can’t happen here,” it’s time to face reality: it’s already happening here. Donald Trump is not improvising his power grab; he is following a well-worn manual written by the likes of Hitler, Mussolini, and other 20th-century strongmen.

The steps are recognizable. The parallels are undeniable. And the trajectory is predictable.

Step One: Consolidate Power by Crippling Opposition

Fascist leaders begin by eliminating political competition, not through fair elections, but through fear, coercion, and manipulation. Trump has:

• Subjugated the legislative branch, ensuring Republican lawmakers fall in line or face political annihilation.
• Packed the judiciary with loyalists who place his personal power above constitutional principles.
• Attacked voting rights nationwide, backing extreme voter suppression laws, purging voter rolls, closing polling locations in targeted communities, and enabling gerrymandering so severe that opposition votes are effectively nullified.
• Used executive agencies as personal instruments of control.

The result: checks and balances have been replaced with submission and obedience, and the electoral process is being hollowed out so only one outcome is possible—his.

Step Two: Control the Narrative

Dictators understand the power of the microphone. With constant provocations, Trump dominates the news cycle by sheer force of presence, flooding the airwaves, social media, and public discourse.

• Scandals are drowned out by the next manufactured outrage.
• Legitimate criticism is dismissed as “fake news” or the work of “enemies of the people.”
• He positions himself as the sole source of truth, forcing the public to choose between his narrative and chaos.

It’s textbook authoritarian propaganda: control the conversation, control the people.

Step Three: Militarize Domestic Politics

When Mussolini’s Blackshirts and Hitler’s Brownshirts patrolled the streets, it was to create a climate of intimidation. Trump’s modern version began when he deployed federal troops first to police Los Angeles and now to Washington, D.C., moves that were more than a “law-and-order” stunt. They were dry runs for martial law. He has signaled his readiness to do the same in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Oakland. The message is clear: dissent will be met with force.

Step Four: Intimidate and Co-opt Institutions

Fascists bend business, academia, and the legal profession to their will. Trump has:

• Shaken down corporations for loyalty, favors, and funding.
• Pressured universities and law firms to align with his agenda or lose influence.
• Leveraged regulatory and legal threats to ensure compliance.

This isn’t persuasion. It’s extortion in a tailored suit.

Step Five: Build Loyal Street Force

While Mussolini’s men wore black shirts and Hitler’s wore brown, Trump’s loyalists have their own uniform: the red tie and MAGA hat. These are not just fashion choices. They are symbols of allegiance, a visible marker of the cult of personality. And, like their historical counterparts, they are used to intimidate, harass, and rally to defend the leader.

The Road Ahead: We’ve Seen This Movie Before

Once this stage is reached, history tells us what happens next:

• Dissent is criminalized.
• Elections become theater.
• Civil liberties vanish under “emergency measures.”
• The leader becomes synonymous with the state itself.

Trump has already executed most of the steps in the fascist playbook. What remains is the formalization of his absolute rule, something that could come with the stroke of a pen under the guise of “national security” or “public safety.”

This Is Not a Warning. It’s a Description

Too many still speak of this as if it’s a looming danger. It’s not looming. It’s here. The parallels with Hitler and Mussolini are not loose comparisons. They are point-for-point matches. The techniques are identical. The results will be, too, unless this trajectory is broken.

History’s lesson is clear: once fascism consolidates power, it does not voluntarily give it back. It must be taken back by a mobilized, relentless, and united resistance.

William James Spriggs

IT'S OVER. GET OVER IT

Democracy Is Dead. The Fight Is All That’s Left.

Let’s stop pretending. Let’s stop clinging to illusions about “saving” democracy through polite debates, symbolic gestures, or another trip to the ballot box. It’s over. The takeover is complete.

Once dismissed as an extremist fantasy, the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 is now more than halfway implemented. With Donald Trump as their willing puppet and an army of sycophants entrenched at every level of government, the framework for an authoritarian regime is firmly in place. It’s not coming. It’s here.

One Party, One Leader, No Dissent

Look no further than Texas, where gerrymandering has been perfected into an art form and voting rights have been gutted. This is not unique to Texas; it’s a national strategy. Through voter suppression, election manipulation, and judicial capture, the game is rigged. Only one ticket counts now, the Trump ticket, and only one form of government: authoritarian rule masquerading as democracy.

We are living in the political equivalent of a one-party state, something we used to associate with dictatorships in unstable nations. The United States has joined the ranks of countries where elections are stagecraft, “opposition” is a controlled sideshow, and citizens have no meaningful recourse through the ballot box.

The Historical Reality

History tells us that regimes like this don’t fall because people file lawsuits or send sternly worded letters to their representatives. They fall when people act, confront illegitimate power directly, disrupt its machinery, and refuse to comply with its demands.

In Nazi Germany, there was no gentle path back to freedom. The dictatorship ended only when Hitler was utterly defeated in the war. That is the grim reality: entrenched authoritarianism is dislodged only by economic, political, or physical force.

The Options Left to Us

If democracy is dead, then saving it is no longer the mission. The mission now is to overthrow the regime that replaced it. That requires total coordinated resistance on every front.

The tools are limited but powerful:

• Boycott: Starve the regime of economic resources. Refuse to fund the corporations and institutions that sustain it.
• Demonstrate: Fill the streets in numbers that cannot be ignored. Disrupt business as usual.
• Quit work: A coordinated labor strike can paralyze the regime’s functioning.
• Military intervention: Yes, history shows that when the government becomes the enemy of the people, the armed forces can, and must, choose loyalty to the Constitution over loyalty to a dictator.

These measures are not comfortable. They are not safe. But neither is living under tyranny.

Get Over It. And Get On With It

It’s time to stop mourning the death of democracy and start fighting for what comes next. We are no longer in politics as usual; we are in the realm of survival.

The regime will not reform itself, and the courts will not save us. The opposition party, if it can even be called that, has already surrendered its position.

We are where Germany was in the 1930s: facing a reality that will not change unless we change it. That means unity, resolve, and a willingness to fight, if necessary.

This is not alarmism. This is the moment. Either we act now, or we accept permanent subjugation.

William James Spriggs

AI CHECKLIST FOR CLIENTS

AI Use Disclosure and Assurance Checklist for Clients

(Provided by [Law Firm Name])

We value transparency, accuracy, and client trust. If Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are used in your case, they will be applied responsibly, ethically, and with complete oversight by licensed attorneys. This checklist outlines our commitments to you.

1. Disclosure of AI Use

• We will tell you when AI is used in your matter.
• We will explain what specific tasks AI will handle (e.g., document review, legal research, drafting).
• We will provide examples of AI work product upon request.

2. Oversight and Verification

• All AI outputs will be reviewed by an attorney licensed in the relevant jurisdiction.
• We will verify all facts, citations, and conclusions before they are relied upon in your case.
• We will identify and correct any AI “hallucinations” or errors.

3. Safeguards Against Risk

• We will never submit AI-generated work without human verification.
• We will ensure AI use complies with the Rules of Professional Conduct and applicable confidentiality rules.
• We will not store your confidential information in unsecured AI platforms.

4. Benefits and Cost Transparency

• We will explain how AI use may reduce billable time or costs in your matter.
• We will inform you if AI use could create any risk or limitation in your case.

Acknowledgment
I have read and understand this AI Use Disclosure and Assurance Checklist.
I acknowledge that my legal representation will include responsible, verified use of AI tools as described above.

Client Name: ___________________________
Signature: _____________________________
Date: _________________________________

WJS

HOW YOUR LAWYER SHOULD AND SHOULDN'T USE AI

How Your Lawyer Should, and Shouldn’t, Use AI

Artificial Intelligence is changing nearly every profession, and the legal field is no exception. Many lawyers are now using AI tools to help with research, contract review, and drafting legal documents. That can be a good thing, saving time and reducing client costs.

But here’s the part you need to know: AI isn’t magic or perfect.

AI can make mistakes. Sometimes it “hallucinates”, meaning it invents facts or legal cases that don’t exist. Sometimes it misreads the law. Sometimes, it overlooks essential details that an experienced lawyer would catch instantly.

That’s why you, as the client, should make sure your lawyer follows two basic rules:

1. They Tell You When They’re Using AI

You have the right to know if AI is being used in your case. Many states will soon require lawyers to tell clients up front. Even if the rules don’t require it yet, you should ask.

Questions to ask your lawyer:

• “Will you be using AI on my case?”
• “If so, what for?”
• “Will I see the AI’s work product?”

2. They Check AI’s Work

No AI output should be used without being carefully reviewed by a lawyer who understands your type of case. Your lawyer should double-check every citation, every fact, and every conclusion before relying on it.

Questions to ask your lawyer:

• “How do you verify the information AI gives you?”
• “Who in your firm reviews AI-assisted work?”

Why This Matters for You

The main benefit of AI is speed. It can make document review and research much faster. That can mean lower legal bills. But if AI’s mistakes slip through, it can cost you much more. in lost cases, bad contracts, or legal exposure.

AI should be a tool to help your lawyer do their job better, not a shortcut to avoid doing it. The best lawyers will be the ones who know how to use AI responsibly and who keep you informed every step of the way.

Client Checklist: Questions to Ask Before Your Lawyer Uses AI

About AI Use:

• Will you be using AI for my case?
• What tasks will AI handle?
• Will I be told every time AI is used?

About Oversight:

• Who reviews AI’s work in your firm?
• How do you verify AI’s facts and citations?
• What safeguards are in place to catch AI errors?

About Costs and Benefits:

• Will using AI reduce my legal bill?
• Could using AI in my case create any risks?

Bottom line: You’re not hiring a computer; you’re hiring a lawyer. Ensure the lawyer stays in control, uses AI wisely, and keeps you in the loop.

William James Spriggs

USE OF AI BY LAWYERS

AI in the Legal Profession: Boon, Burden, and the Boundaries of Ethics

There is no question that Artificial Intelligence will become a powerful tool for lawyers and law firms. It can save countless hours in document review, contract analysis, legal research, and even drafting memoranda. Tasks that once consumed days or weeks of human labor can now be completed in minutes.

But that word completed is deceptive. The correct term is aided.

No matter how advanced the technology becomes, AI is not a substitute for human judgment. The American Bar Association, along with state bar associations and licensing authorities, will inevitably update their codes of professional responsibility and canons of ethics to address the use of AI in legal practice. And when they do, two principles will dominate: disclosure and verification.

Disclosure: Clients Will Know

Future ethical rules will require attorneys to inform their clients when AI is being used in their cases. In fact, some clients will request it, others will permit it, and some will outright require it, specifying in detail how and when AI should be used. The client’s right to know will become as fundamental as their right to understand the fee structure or the strategy for their case.

Verification: AI Must Be Audited

Bar associations will also insist that the output of any AI system be double-checked by a human lawyer, and not just any lawyer, but one seasoned in the subject matter at hand. This is not bureaucratic overreach; it is a safeguard against AI's very real weaknesses.

As we noted in our prior article, AI can:

• Hallucinate—producing facts, citations, or legal precedents that never existed.

• Misinterpret statutes or case law in ways no competent lawyer would.

• Overlook nuance that is second nature to experienced practitioners.

• Reflect bias embedded in its training data.

These risks demand that lawyers remain in control of the process. AI can do the heavy lifting, but the lawyer must confirm every AI-assisted output's accuracy, relevance, and appropriateness.

The New Role of Legal Technologists

This emerging reality will create a new hybrid role in law firms: the AI Legal Auditor, someone who understands not only the substantive law but also the inner workings of AI, its strengths, and its vulnerabilities. These professionals will know what to look for, what to doubt, and when to intervene.

The Boon That Requires Boundaries

When used correctly, AI can free lawyers to focus on strategy, client counseling, and advocacy,  the profession's core functions that machines cannot replace. But without boundaries, oversight, and complete transparency, AI could become a liability rather than an asset.

The future of AI in the legal profession will not be defined by its capabilities alone, but by the rules, safeguards, and human judgment that govern its use. The bar will, and must, set that standard.

In short, AI will not replace lawyers, but it will change the way they work. And the lawyers who thrive will be those who master both the law and the limits of the machine.

William James Spriggs

TRUMP'S TARIFF FRAUD

The Tariff Delusion: Trump’s Economic Illiteracy

Donald Trump’s trade and tariff policy is not a bold economic strategy. It’s a con. A scam. A fraud on the American people perpetrated by a man who either doesn’t understand how tariffs work or assumes the public is too ignorant to know better.

Let’s be clear: foreign countries do not pay tariffs. When a product from China, Mexico, or Germany arrives at a U.S. port, the American importer, the U.S. business or distributor, pays the tariff to U.S. Customs. The business eats that cost or passes it along to the American consumer.

Every time you buy a refrigerator, an appliance, a car part, a TV, or anything else with a tariff slapped on it, you are paying that tax. It is, plain and simple, a tax on Americans, levied by a man pretending he’s sticking it to China.

Trump has repeated the lie that “China is paying us billions” so many times it has become one of the great propaganda successes of his presidency. But it’s fiction. If China is “paying” anything, it’s only because Chinese manufacturers might lose customers or absorb part of the cost to stay competitive. Still, the check goes to the U.S. government from U.S. companies, not the Chinese government.

Tariffs Don’t Reshore Industry. They Raise Prices

Trump’s second delusion is that tariffs will force manufacturers to relocate to the United States. This is economic fantasy at its most naive. American industry didn’t go overseas because of a whim. It left because other countries offer lower labor costs, less regulation, and more efficient supply chains. You don’t reverse four decades of globalization with a penalty tax.

Building factories here requires capital, labor, infrastructure, supply chain integration, and long-term economic stability, none of which Trump provides. Instead, he offers uncertainty, volatility, and trade wars that discourage investment.

Even worse, the very companies he says will come home are, in fact, just passing on the cost of tariffs to you, the consumer. Prices rise. Inflation ticks upward. American companies get squeezed. And the workers Trump claims to champion? They get laid off because businesses are forced to cut costs somewhere, and labor is always the first target.

The Results Are Already In

We’ve already seen the consequences:

• U.S. farmers crushed by retaliatory tariffs and forced to take government bailouts.
• American manufacturers like Harley-Davidson and Whirlpool are either moving production overseas or raising prices.
• Global supply chains are disrupted, forcing delays, shortages, and higher costs.

Trump’s trade war didn’t bring jobs back. It raised prices, hurt exporters, and undermined confidence in the U.S. as a stable trading partner. 

He’s selling snake oil, wrapped in a flag, sprinkled with populist slogans, and marketed to the very people it hurts most.

Call It What It Is: A Tax Scam and a Con Game

Trump’s tariffs have only achieved stealth taxation of the American middle class. This is economic fraud, and it’s time to expose it for what it is: another fraud on the American people.

If any other politician proposed a tax on everyday goods, the Republican Party would erupt in protest. But when Trump does it and labels it “America First,” they fall in line like cult members.

Trump’s tariff policy isn’t just stupid. It’s destructive. It isn’t very ethical. And if allowed to continue, it will hollow out the American economy in the name of a lie.

Please don’t fall for it again.

William James Spriggs

FACT CHECKING AI

The Rise of the AI Fact-Checking Industry: A New Pillar of the Digital Economy

Artificial Intelligence has entered the mainstream. It is now integrated into our search engines, legal research, classrooms, creative work, and even how we converse with one another. Its impact on the labor market is often framed as the displacement of AI taking jobs. However, a less discussed yet equally powerful counterforce is already forming: the emergence of an entire industry dedicated to fact-checking AI.

And it's not a luxury, it’s a necessity.

Despite its marvels, AI is not infallible. Anyone who has used it regularly knows this. It can hallucinate, fabricate citations, mistake satire for truth, produce biased results, or pull in outdated information. Whether from poor training data, faulty algorithms, or system limitations, AI can and will get it wrong. This is unsurprising; the old adage applies perfectly: garbage in, garbage out.

And if that weren’t enough, we face a much more alarming reality: AI can be corrupted. By malicious inputs, skewed data, politically motivated training sets, or subtle backdoor manipulation, AI systems can be intentionally poisoned to serve a particular narrative. In an age of disinformation, this should be treated as a national security concern, not merely a technical challenge.

This is where the new economy comes in. As AI-generated content becomes ubiquitous, verifying the output becomes a full-time job, not just for journalists, researchers, and lawyers, but for newly minted specialists trained to audit, cross-check, and investigate AI content at scale. Fact-checking is no longer just about spotting a lie on Facebook or correcting a news headline. It's about checking everything from AI-written legal briefs and medical advice to historical claims, philosophical arguments, and statistical reports.

This will be more than a cottage industry. It will be a cornerstone of the digital economy. We will need human professionals, armed with domain expertise and guided by rigorous standards, to do the one thing AI, by definition, cannot do on its own: verify the truth. These AI verifiers will need to understand facts and figures, context, intent, and nuances that AI still struggles to grasp.

In a sense, AI is forcing us to double down on human reasoning. Every output now needs a second set of eyes. But this shouldn’t be viewed solely as a burden. It’s an opportunity to create jobs, train new generations in digital literacy, and re-establish trust in an era when truth has become contested.

A savvy investor might look at this moment and realize: the next big venture isn’t building a more intelligent AI. It’s building the systems, companies, and workforces that can keep AI honest. Fact-checking AI may soon be as critical to a functioning democracy as fact-checking politicians.

Perhaps, just perhaps, the antidote to runaway disinformation lies not in abandoning AI but in auditing it.

William James Spriggs

  

TRUMP'S ECONOMIC DELUSION

Trump’s Economic Delusion: How Ignorance Is Wrecking the Labor Market

Your ignoramus-in-chief.

Despite multiple bankruptcies, failed ventures, and a history of stiffing his workers and contractors, Donald Trump has always bragged about his business acumen. But as president, he has now graduated from damaging his own enterprises to wreaking havoc on the entire American labor market.

It’s no longer hyperbole. It’s not partisan noise. His ignorance is now policy, and that policy is destroying the American economy from the inside out.

Let’s start with the most glaring example: his war on the federal workforce.

Trump, backed by the fascist visionaries at the Heritage Foundation and their Project 2025 manifesto, has gutted thousands of civil servant positions. These aren’t lazy bureaucrats — they’re professionals who run everything from the FAA to Social Security. By demonizing and then firing them, he’s not just kneecapping the government; he’s cutting the economic lifeline for entire communities, especially in the Washington, D.C., metro area and other federal employment hubs.

Each of those jobs supports families, local businesses, and regional economies. Take away the job, and you take away the mortgage, the groceries, the childcare, the small business revenue, the local taxes, and suddenly you’ve turned a functioning economy into a fearful, shrinking shell.

That’s the public sector. Now, let’s look at the private sector.

Trump’s obsession with tariffs and economic “tough talk” has spooked businesses. His trade wars have led to increased manufacturing costs, unpredictability in supply chains, and retaliation from foreign markets. Companies can’t plan, forecast, or expand.

And what do businesses do when they can’t plan? They freeze hiring. They initiate layoffs. They trim costs by cutting people, not profits. Meanwhile, Trump parades nationwide, calling it a “great economy.”

What planet is he on?

The anecdotal evidence that fills town halls, kitchen tables, and job centers paints a bleak picture:

• Workers afraid of pink slips.
• Families are juggling multiple jobs to stay afloat.
• Recent grads unable to find a foothold.
• Federal contractors are sitting idle while Trump purges the agencies that used to hire them.

And yet, the former president insists he’s building “the greatest economy the world has ever seen.” He’s not creating it; he’s burning it down.

His inability to connect policy with outcome isn’t just a personality flaw. It’s a catastrophic failure of leadership. He treats layoffs like statistics, tariffs like slogans, and the working class like a cheering section at his rallies. He doesn't understand the labor market because he has never participated. He inherited wealth, exploited bankruptcy laws, and built an empire on branding and bravado. Now he’s doing the same to the U.S. economy, only we don’t escape the wreckage.

And let’s be clear: this isn’t just about ignorance. It’s about deliberate destruction. Project 2025 outlines a plan to dismantle the federal government, privatize public services, and turn civil servants into partisan puppets. The resulting layoffs, hiring freezes, and agency collapses aren’t accidents but strategy. And that strategy drives a full-scale economic collapse, one layoff at a time.

Here’s the real story: the labor market is sick, and Trump is the disease.

• He’s undermined job security.
• He’s destabilized business investment.
• He’s hollowed out the federal government.
• He’s gaslighting the American public about the economy while standing on the pile of wreckage he created.

The damage isn’t theoretical. It’s already here. It will become more visible in the coming months, but the collapse has already begun. The illusion of prosperity cannot survive reality much longer.

So, the next time Trump brags about his “economic genius,” remember this: He’s never worked a day, and now he’s making sure you can’t either.

William James Spriggs