[OT] [dangerous due the possibility of dangerous people thinking it is
   an analogy for whatever they're concerned about]
   On Wed, Nov 11, 2020, 8:18 AM Karl <[1]gmkarl@gmail.com> wrote:

   I haven't read the replies I haven't acknowledged, because I'm trying
   to slow down entering the dissociative state where I post obsessively
   to the list and do nothing else, and accessing the same threads could
   trigger it faster.
   Here is a webcomic outline.  To help with the major motion picture
   being slowly grown from horrifically enslaved countries to bring their
   dead beloved dictators back to life as respected community members with
   badly needed medical care:
   Mind Control Boss, the Webcomic, draft 1
   #1
   panel 1:
   Setting: Boss's office
   Boss: "Somebody mentioned mind control on that mailing list.  Let me
   know when it's cleaned up."
   Cleanup Worker (previously Secretary of State, talking honestly, has
   bloody wires leaving scalp, wears weapons dealer logo on smart looking
   political outfit): "Of course, Boss!  We love you so much for enslaving
   us to your every whim!"
   panel 2:
   Setting: local coffee shop named "Underground Spy and Rebel Network,
   Come One Come All"
   Specialist (now a cleanup worker for Boss): "The Boss told me to clean
   this mailing list up.  I told him to fuck off, that it's out of his
   control."
   Excited Supporter (at a nearby table of torture victims, rescue
   workers, and diplomats): "What list now?"
   State Worker (wears same weapons dealer logo as Secretary of State,
   watching, is at table of rebels with Specialist, in role of "way to
   control and spy on Boss", texting privately on Mobile Phone): [Excited
   Supporter will b worker who rebels.  Can u make sure 2 erase what they
   look up tonight?]
   panel 3:
   Setting: same coffee shop
   Rebel Worker (sitting next to State Worker, wears same shirt, phone
   dings and looks suddenly at State Worker):  "The fuck???" <immediately
   shoots State Worker dead>
   Dead State Worker's Mobile Phone: "Contacting Cleanup.  Thank you for
   using Dictatorsoft."
   Specialist (same one, at table): <while phone alarming about cleanup>,
   "Again????"
   #2
   panel 1: (torture victim, excited supporter, and/or rebel worker visit
   mailing list, assume it is super cool, archive it and spread it
   everywhere)
   panel 2:
   Scene: Former Secretary of State's office
   Cleanup Worker (formerly secretary of state, bloody wires leaving
   neatly combed hair, gesturing at corpse of State Worker, talking to
   Machine Learning Marketer): "Boss can't see well and needs to hear it
   from the horse's mouth, and the horse is dead.  Could you fix up a
   video chat for us where the horse is alive?"
   Machine Learning Marketer (knows nothing about machine learning, is new
   to corporation): "Certainly.  We do that all the time."
   panel 3:
   Scene: Boss's office, with corpse of State Worker present, propped up
   as if still alive.  Boss is in a hospital bed.
   Corpse of State Worker (blurry due to severe issues Boss is having):
   "Boss, I am your loyal servant.  The mailing list has been cleaned up."
   #3
   Scene: Former Secretary of State's Office

   I found a possible early part of #3 in my semipreserved notes (I have
   to pretend to erase stuff to work on things like this): "We leaked some
   things helpful to Boss on a rebel mailing list" .  I'm not focusing on
   filling in all the scene and panels for #3 since I already shared it.

   Standing Corpse of State Worker: "I have bad news.  The rebel mailing
   list posts we've been using to share propaganda are predicted to make
   more rebels than propaganda."
   State Worker 2 (hired to replace State Worker after their death, bloody
   wires leaving scalp): "Don't say that!  I might tell the boss!"
   Corpse of State Worker: "Very sorry."
   #4
   Scene: Former Secretary of State's Office
   Standing Corpse of State Worker 2 (microelectronics and brains hanging
   out of scalp, eyes moving wildly and independently of each other):
   "After being brought back from the dead so many times by Machine
   Learning Marketer, Boss can no longer learn new information without
   being killed out of fear of subversion by propaganda.  This doesn't
   seem much like leadership to the workers, so we've kind of
   reinterpreted who the boss really is, and listen instead to their
   "spirit" rather than letting them say anything.  Machine Learning
   Marketer has a computer that can report spirit."
   Machine Learning Marketer has bloody wires leaving their scalp.
   Standing Corpse of State Worker 3 (also has obviously poorly-done bci
   surgery):  "You said you replaced the Boss with a computer simulation?"
   State Worker 2: "Yeah, can you kill me until I do it well enough to say
   straight, for the coffee shop?"
   Machine Learning Marketer: <reaches for their own cellphone and breaks
   it in half.  Takes out a gun and empties it into the lights>. "I think
   the simulation just mind controlled me not to."
   #5
   <we can come up with these forever, and have the next one drafted too,
   but it is too hard to continue for me to write it right now.  it
   involves describing what it is like to communicate things when your
   behavior and medical treatment are augmented by machine learning
   algorithms each made or influenced by a different warring faction
   trying to manipulate you toward their own particular ends.  sorry ran
   out of steam, got triggered too badly in #4>

   [Note re the recent xkcd: there is no coronavirus in this yet.
   everyone still remembers how to go near others and be friendly and
   comfortable with that.  I'd probably split the coffee shop in two, for
   people who want to wear masks and people who don't, with full
   accommodations for both views, and have the characters move between the
   two areas demonstrating how easy it is to resolve a conflict.  Boss's
   people would generally not wear masks in any office or while harming
   people, their masks would have been designed to fail, and they would
   always wear them in public.]
   #5
   Scene: Boss's Office
   Computer Audio of Boss (part of Audiovisual Setup, with Hospital Bed
   behind it): "This ..." <voice cuts out, the words struggling>
   Status Display: "Filling in for memory loss.  Defusing anger."
   Computer Audio of Boss: "... mailing list ..." <struggling>
   Status Display: "Filling in for memory loss.  Patient now deeply
   relaxed."
   Computer Audio of Boss: "... is part of my .. " <suddenly stops>
   Status Display: "Filling in for memory loss.  Numbing severe
   hopelessness."
   Computer Audio of Boss: "... medical plan to ..."
   Status Display: "Extensive memory reconstruction requiring delay.
   Simulation taking over."
   Computer Video of Boss: "... heal my ..."
   Status Display: "Filling in for memory loss.  Numbing severe
   hopelessness."
   Computer Audio of Boss: "... destroyed brain?"
   Cleanup Worker (formerly Secretary of State):  "Yes, Boss."
   Machine Learning Marketer: "We love you so much, we could never let you
   come to harm."
   #6
   Scene:  Local coffee shop named "Underground Spy and Rebel Network,
   Come One Come All"
   panel 1:
   Toddler is staring at Dedicated Cop, who is sitting at the rebel table
   in conversation, their skull open with brains and microcircuitry
   hanging out.
   Middle Kid (off-panel): "Toddler, whatcha staring at?"
   panel 2:
   Middle Kid (in severe terror): <shrieks loudly! everybody looks at her>
   "Mommy that man's brains are falling out!  Call 911!"
   Mother Supporter: "Shush!" <glances at Dedicated Cop, who has brains
   hanging out> "That man is fine.  Why are you acting out like this?"
   Middle Kid: <stares at mother, astonished, confused, terrified>
   Older Kid: "The man is fine.  Don't be such a baby."
   Toddler pokes playfully at their own head in the same spot as the
   opening to Dedicated Cop's skull, acting out having a friendly
   discussion while your brains are falling out.
   panel 3:
   Rebel Worker 2 (sitting across from Dedicated Cop, to Middle Kid as she
   walks by to return to her family):
   <hushed>
   "What you saw was real, but for now if you tell the wrong person,
   you'll get hospitalized yourself.  That's going to change.  You can
   find me and my friends at this coffee shop.  Tell your mother I told
   you to listen to her."
   #7
   panel 1:
   The rebel table has Cautious Cop and Dedicated Cop (with brains hanging
   out) in discussion with Rebel Worker 2 and Corpse of State Worker 3
   both across the table.  Specialist is sitting nearby.
   Rebel Worker 2:  "Thanks so much for coming to speak with us and being
   willing to listen.  I know these are very serious accusations for
   Well-Respected Psionic Weaponry Corp to lay against Poor Abused
   Dictator Megacorp, but this is very real human trafficking and rights
   abuse."
   Corpse of State Worker 3 (looking almost alive, bci surgery carefully
   hidden now, acting very formal): "Rebel Worker 2 has been advising me
   from Well-Respected Psionic Weaponry Corp, for some time now.  Rebel
   Worker 2 was introduced to me as having held their management role at
   Well-Respected Psionic Weaponry Corp for over a decade."
   panel 2:
   Dedicated Cop (blood flies from their brain a little as they turn their
   head): "We'll need the full names of the perpetrator and the accuser
   for the charges."
   Rebel Worker 2: "I'm Rebel Worker 2, here's my ID, this is State Worker
   3, and I have a recording of Torture Victim Double Agent, an employee
   of Poor Abused Dictator Megacorp, discussing this with Trusting
   Coworker, while in the act."
   panel 3:
   Cautious Cop: "We'll collect information and be sure to follow up.  You
   said you're accusing Poor Abused Dictator Megacorp, not Well-Respected"
   <coughs> "Psionic Weaponry Corp?"
   Rebel Worker 2: <pauses, briefly confused> "Yes.  Poor Abused Dictator
   Megacorp is engaging in human trafficking and rights abuse, and we have
   proof."
   Specialist: "Sorry to butt in, but I've actually been tracking some
   attacks on automl systems being developed for human rights, and it's
   pretty clear the attacks stemmed from the people you're talking about.
   I would love to testify to this."
   #8:
   panel 1:
   (Middle Kid goes to the bathroom and finds Specialist laying on the
   floor.  Rebel Worker 2 enters, eyes glazed over.)
   Rebel Worker 2 (looking at Middle Kid): "Who are you?"
   Middle Kid: "Don't you recognise ..." <Rebel Worker 2 brushes by her,
   ignoring her, and she hides>
   panel 2 (multiple panels):
   Rebel Worker 2 takes some things (microcircuitry and a small saw) from
   inside the flap of the trash, quickly opens the skull of Specialist and
   places something inside, returns the things, and leaves with
   Specialist's skull still open.  Specialist begins stirring.
   panel 3 (back near the rescue table):
   Middle Kid (returning to Mother Supporter): "Mommy, you know how you
   mentioned the lock on my door, something about bad men, and asked if I
   wanted to be in charge of the key?  I would like that."
   Mother Supporter: "I'll take it out and give it to you when we get
   home.  We can even install a second lock if you want.  Let's go outside
   and talk, shall we?"

References

   1. mailto:gmkarl@gmail.com