{"id":276085,"date":"2023-11-21T07:56:54","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T07:56:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=276085"},"modified":"2023-11-23T06:59:15","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T06:59:15","slug":"this-week-in-the-new-normal-77","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=276085","title":{"rendered":"This Week in the New Normal #77"},"content":{"rendered":"

Off-Guardian \u2013 Nov 19, 2023<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Our successor to This Week in the Guardian<\/em>, This Week in the New Normal<\/a><\/em> is our weekly chart of the progress of autocracy, authoritarianism and economic restructuring around the world.<\/p>\n

1. The NHS\u2019s AI health surveillance<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The UK\u2019s National Health Service launched three pilot schemes in different parts of England<\/a> this week, all focused on utilizing artificial intelligence to monitor people and automatically report potential problems to health care workers.<\/p>\n

In Somerset, GP practices are trialing an AI system to \u201chighlight registered patients with complex health needs, at risk of hospital admission or who rarely contact their GP and reach out to them for conversations about their health.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

A trial in Birmingham em>\u201duses an algorithm to predict the top 5% at risk of potential hospital attendances or admissions\u201d, healthcare centers then send out assessment teams to pre-emptively address potential problems.<\/p>\n

Finally \u2013 and most concerningly \u2013 in Buckinghamshire, AI is monitoring electrical devices like kettles and refrigerators to \u201cspot changes in patients\u2019 eating and drinking habits\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n

No matter what outlet is covering the story, they repeat the line that waiting lists numbers are reportedly up to 7.7 million, and that increased surveillance will help decrease \u201cpreventable\u201d or \u201cunnecessary\u201d hospital visits.<\/p>\n

Currently, this is being sold as monitoring the old or otherwise vulnerable, but once the precedent is set it\u2019s not hard to see where it goes. The implications for privacy and healthcare \u2013 not to mention potential \u201csocial credit\u201d systems \u2013 are immense.<\/p>\n

2. Turkey\u2019s Green Fund<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet \u015eim\u015fek announced Wednesday the establishment of a new fund called the \u201cT\u00fcrkiye Green Fund\u201d (TGF).<\/p>\n

The Daily Sabah reports<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), the minister stated that they continue to develop new projects in close collaboration with the World Bank. In this context, \u015eim\u015fek pointed out that a loan worth $155 million (TL 4.44 billion) would be channeled to the Industrial Development Bank of T\u00fcrkiye (TSKB) for the Green Finance Project, which the World Bank has approved.<\/p>\n

Yet another blow to the multipolar narrative. No matter where you go, \u201cclimate change\u201d is the name of the game and the World Bank is handing out the monopoly money.<\/p>\n

3. \u201cGrasshoppers Are More Valuable than Caviar\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The regular task of monotonously pushing humans to eat insects fell on the shoulders of Der Spiegel this week<\/a>, never to be outdone in pushing the agenda, they decided to double-dip.<\/p>\n

Firstly in the form of a podcast episode \u2013 \u201cThe Climate Report\u201d \u2013 pushing meal worms instead of steak<\/a>:<\/p>\n

grasshoppers, grain mold beetles or mealworms can make our diet more sustainable and healthier.<\/p>\n

Then in framing a story about grasshopper farms in Thailand with the subhead:<\/p>\n

Insects could be the climate-friendly solution for providing the global population the protein it needs without destroying the environment. Business is already booming in Thailand. Is it possible it could become a trend in Europe, too?<\/p>\n

Before ending with an unintentional warning, or subtle threat\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026a lot will change over the next 10 years, and that consumers will slowly get used to insects. Even in Europe, where the European Food Safety Authority approved mealworms, darkling beetles and the house cricket for consumption a few years ago. It\u2019s quite possible that many more insects will follow.<\/p>\n

BONUS: Nonchalant tyranny of the week<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s a sign of the times that the London police now regularly wheel out facial recognition technology to monitor ordinary people going about their day, and barely anyone seems to notice.<\/p>\n

\n

We'll be using Live Facial Recognition technology at key locations in #Westminster<\/a> this eve (16 Nov). <\/p>\n

This tech helps keep Londoners safe, and will be used to find people who threaten or cause harm, who are wanted, or have outstanding arrest warrants issued by the court.<\/p>\n

— Westminster Police | Central West BCU (@MPSWestminster) November 16, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n