And look: I've spent time exploring the capabilities of these tools because I seek understanding through experience. I've been called spineless, fascist, racist, and just plain stupid for doing so. What I learned was important to my opposition to these tools, but also to my empathy for its users.

But the core truth remains. You cannot have what works without the attending toxins. They are inextricable. As ever, my primary contention is that the technology is destructive to the fabric of human society, and on those grounds should we make our stand.