Comments on: An Orphan Issue That Is Only Going To Get Bigger http://www.chrisweigant.com/2026/08/06/an-orphan-issue-that-is-only-going-to-get-bigger/ Reality-based political commentary Sun, 20 Sep 2026 01:05:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: nypoet22 http://www.chrisweigant.com/2026/08/06/an-orphan-issue-that-is-only-going-to-get-bigger/#comment-222967 nypoet22 Sun, 09 Aug 2026 02:14:33 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=27913#comment-222967 what's so puzzling about it? coal mines are actually an appropriate historical parallel. the harm to the environment, the massive economic inequality, the labor abuses, and foremost the hubris with which they treat anyone in their path, echoes profoundly the growth of big coal a hundred something years ago. on top of which, the job loss is twofold - they aren't just eliminating jobs locally, they're building the infrastructure to try to replace professionals, from teachers to paralegals to radiologists, with bots. the bots will do the jobs badly, perhaps even disastrously, and that consequence will land on local communities, not on the companies that used those data centers to offer cheaper, inferior replacements for human beings. JL what's so puzzling about it? coal mines are actually an appropriate historical parallel. the harm to the environment, the massive economic inequality, the labor abuses, and foremost the hubris with which they treat anyone in their path, echoes profoundly the growth of big coal a hundred something years ago. on top of which, the job loss is twofold - they aren't just eliminating jobs locally, they're building the infrastructure to try to replace professionals, from teachers to paralegals to radiologists, with bots. the bots will do the jobs badly, perhaps even disastrously, and that consequence will land on local communities, not on the companies that used those data centers to offer cheaper, inferior replacements for human beings.
JL

]]> By: ChrisWeigant.com » Friday Talking Points -- A Big Win For Progressives http://www.chrisweigant.com/2026/08/06/an-orphan-issue-that-is-only-going-to-get-bigger/#comment-222956 ChrisWeigant.com » Friday Talking Points -- A Big Win For Progressives Sat, 08 Aug 2026 01:05:33 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=27913#comment-222956 [...] An Orphan Issue That Is Only Going To Get Bigger [...] [...] An Orphan Issue That Is Only Going To Get Bigger [...]

]]> By: dsws http://www.chrisweigant.com/2026/08/06/an-orphan-issue-that-is-only-going-to-get-bigger/#comment-222954 dsws Fri, 07 Aug 2026 19:50:12 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=27913#comment-222954 They do. But it's the same puzzle. Many factories make complete junk, that causes a moment of irritation and then goes to a landfill. There may be no product more deserving of hate than coal. Data centers, some of them at least, are necessary infrastructure for stuff that people use and like. They do. But it's the same puzzle. Many factories make complete junk, that causes a moment of irritation and then goes to a landfill. There may be no product more deserving of hate than coal. Data centers, some of them at least, are necessary infrastructure for stuff that people use and like.

]]> By: nypoet22 http://www.chrisweigant.com/2026/08/06/an-orphan-issue-that-is-only-going-to-get-bigger/#comment-222953 nypoet22 Fri, 07 Aug 2026 19:31:14 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=27913#comment-222953 @dan, a factory produces goods that people use. a coal mine produces energy that people use. what does a data center produce? as bleyd said, people don't just dislike the process, they dislike the product. JL @dan,

a factory produces goods that people use. a coal mine produces energy that people use. what does a data center produce? as bleyd said, people don't just dislike the process, they dislike the product.

JL

]]> By: dsws http://www.chrisweigant.com/2026/08/06/an-orphan-issue-that-is-only-going-to-get-bigger/#comment-222951 dsws Fri, 07 Aug 2026 08:28:29 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=27913#comment-222951 People seem to really, really enjoy hating data centers. If someone were going to build a factory with just as few jobs, just as much electricity usage, just as much water usage, just as much noise, and so on, they would be a hero. If it were a coal mine, ten times worse on every criterion, they would be a saint. People seem to really, really enjoy hating data centers. If someone were going to build a factory with just as few jobs, just as much electricity usage, just as much water usage, just as much noise, and so on, they would be a hero. If it were a coal mine, ten times worse on every criterion, they would be a saint.

]]> By: Kick http://www.chrisweigant.com/2026/08/06/an-orphan-issue-that-is-only-going-to-get-bigger/#comment-222949 Kick Fri, 07 Aug 2026 04:32:24 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=27913#comment-222949 In July (less than a month ago), Governor Kathy Hochul of New York signed an executive order that instituted a 1-year moratorium on construction of data centers using 50 megawatts or more of power, and Dumbo Donald quickly thereafter fully endorsed them... because of course he backed Big Tech and the billionaires over the wishes of the majority of the United States populace. Democrats have been given a gift by Dumbo Donald and should definitely run with it as some progressives and the Democratic New York governor already have. Democrats should also begin referring to Trump as "Dumbo Donald" (the "b" is definitely <b>not</b> silent), as he has practically branded himself with his own constant prattling regarding same. Used in a sentence: Republicans acknowledge privately that the elephant in the room is Dumbo Donald, fake populist and champion of data centers, greedy billionaires and Big Tech. In July (less than a month ago), Governor Kathy Hochul of New York signed an executive order that instituted a 1-year moratorium on construction of data centers using 50 megawatts or more of power, and Dumbo Donald quickly thereafter fully endorsed them... because of course he backed Big Tech and the billionaires over the wishes of the majority of the United States populace.

Democrats have been given a gift by Dumbo Donald and should definitely run with it as some progressives and the Democratic New York governor already have. Democrats should also begin referring to Trump as "Dumbo Donald" (the "b" is definitely not silent), as he has practically branded himself with his own constant prattling regarding same. Used in a sentence:

Republicans acknowledge privately that the elephant in the room is Dumbo Donald, fake populist and champion of data centers, greedy billionaires and Big Tech.

]]> By: Kick http://www.chrisweigant.com/2026/08/06/an-orphan-issue-that-is-only-going-to-get-bigger/#comment-222948 Kick Fri, 07 Aug 2026 02:55:25 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=27913#comment-222948 <i>Call them "political orphan issues," since they have essentially been abandoned by both parties, for whatever reason. Gay marriage was such an issue, a while back, since while Democrats were a lot more sympathetic to gay people in committed relationships than Republicans, very few Democrats were actually willing to stand up and champion full marriage equality for all until after the Supreme Court stepped in and decided the issue. </i> Two things: (1) Didn't the Supreme Court rule on the issue on June 26, <b>2015</b> in <i>Obergefell v. Hodges</i>? (2) Didn't President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden (famously on <i>Meet the Press</i>), and many prominent congressional Democrats endorse the right to same-sex marriage and officially added it to the Democratic Party platform -- the first time a major U.S. political Party endorsed marriage equality -- in September <b>2012</b>? Rhetorical questions. Call them "political orphan issues," since they have essentially been abandoned by both parties, for whatever reason.

Gay marriage was such an issue, a while back, since while Democrats were a lot more sympathetic to gay people in committed relationships than Republicans, very few Democrats were actually willing to stand up and champion full marriage equality for all until after the Supreme Court stepped in and decided the issue.

Two things:

(1) Didn't the Supreme Court rule on the issue on June 26, 2015 in Obergefell v. Hodges?

(2) Didn't President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden (famously on Meet the Press), and many prominent congressional Democrats endorse the right to same-sex marriage and officially added it to the Democratic Party platform -- the first time a major U.S. political Party endorsed marriage equality -- in September 2012?

Rhetorical questions.

]]> By: Bleyd http://www.chrisweigant.com/2026/08/06/an-orphan-issue-that-is-only-going-to-get-bigger/#comment-222947 Bleyd Fri, 07 Aug 2026 02:30:17 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=27913#comment-222947 You left out a 9th reason people are opposing datacenter construction, the AI technology itself is becoming increasingly unpopular. The way the technology is being misused and abused, the lies being told about what it can do and how it works, the detrimental effects it has on cognitive ability, and the way the leading companies have destroyed the consumer electronics market are making many people angry enough that they want datacenter construction in general to slow or stop until the technology can be properly vetted and regulated. You left out a 9th reason people are opposing datacenter construction, the AI technology itself is becoming increasingly unpopular. The way the technology is being misused and abused, the lies being told about what it can do and how it works, the detrimental effects it has on cognitive ability, and the way the leading companies have destroyed the consumer electronics market are making many people angry enough that they want datacenter construction in general to slow or stop until the technology can be properly vetted and regulated.

]]> By: nypoet22 http://www.chrisweigant.com/2026/08/06/an-orphan-issue-that-is-only-going-to-get-bigger/#comment-222945 nypoet22 Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:05:48 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=27913#comment-222945 when I read the title of this article, I thought it would be about children whose parents were deported or detained by immigration authorities. a different kind of orphan I guess. The data center issue isn't exactly an orphan, but it does lay bare The divide between organized money and flesh and blood human beings. when I read the title of this article, I thought it would be about children whose parents were deported or detained by immigration authorities. a different kind of orphan I guess. The data center issue isn't exactly an orphan, but it does lay bare The divide between organized money and flesh and blood human beings.

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