To the Editor:

Technology disrupts. It always has. It was a significant factor in both the Civil War and the collapse of the Rust Belt.
Technology gives with one hand and takes away with the other. We’re there again—facing radical change to our economy and
culture. With AI, companies are already increasing profits by reducing human labor.

The people profiting from this change don’t want you to notice. They’re playing a modern version of three card monte. This
game, like the card game, uses misdirection. They get you to pay attention to the thing over there, while they do something
entirely different here.

Trump excels at this game. He points you to the thing you most fear. Immigrants. The cost of eggs. The welfare recipient.
Pronouns. The thing he wanted was your vote. Now that he has it, what’s he doing with it? Betraying Ukraine. Destabilizing
the economy. Threatening to make Canada the 51st state. Firing government workers. Closing national parks. Handing out more
tax breaks to the uber wealthy on the backs of the middle class. Killing the Education Department. Getting rid of the watch
dogs who protect us from the big bad wolves out there who would literally take the food from your grandmother’s plate. How’s
that helping the price of eggs?

While you were working overtime, feeding and raising good kids, trying to get your piece of the American Dream—too busy to
pay much attention to politics—the corporate titans were getting tax breaks, growing the national debt. Blaming
“entitlements.” Tearing apart the services people need. And Trump was practicing his craft. Cheating landscapers. Builders.
Contractors. Forcing them into court to get paid what he promised when he hired them. Playing the business wizard on TV
while his bankruptcies piled up. And here we are.

Stop listening to what he’s saying. Watch what he’s doing. While he tells you what to fear. What’s the plan when jobs
disappear? Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a technophobe. Good comes from AI. But jobs are still going away. What’s the plan?

Pat Collins,

Fillmore, Ca