Putting aside the pre-Black Friday, Black Friday, post-Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, generally this is a time for Americans to look around, see the big picture, the forest through the trees, if you will, and give thanks.
But with all the badness going on in the world, personally speaking, I needed some guidance on exactly what to be thankful for. So, where else would I turn if not, ChatGPT.
Here’s what I got when I delved into the world of AI for an essay on being thankful this year:
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the abundance of reasons we have to be thankful. In a year filled with challenges, expressing gratitude takes on a profound significance.
The global events of this year have underscored the importance of health, and being thankful for the well-being of ourselves and our loved ones is paramount.
The shared experiences of navigating uncertainties have deepened our appreciation for the simple joys of life—moments of laughter, connections with friends and family, and the ability to cherish each day.
In the face of adversity, the resilience and support of communities have been a beacon of hope. Acts of kindness, large and small, have demonstrated the indomitable human spirit.
This Thanksgiving prompts us to be thankful not only for what we have but for the shared humanity that binds us together. Furthermore, the challenges of the past year have offered opportunities for growth and learning.
Adversity can be a powerful teacher, revealing our inner strengths and resilience. It teaches us to appreciate the journey, embrace change, and find gratitude in the lessons learned through difficult times.
Thanksgiving serves as a reminder to express gratitude not only for personal blessings but also for the collective strength that emerges when individuals come together. It’s a time to acknowledge the interconnectedness of our lives and the shared responsibility we have in shaping a better future.
I really don’t know how this AI stuff works but you know what? Aside from the generalities generated in the above treatise, there are also some tasty bits of holiday food for thought.
Take the point about collective strength. For example, I definitely agree there’s been a tremendous collective strength amongst the Jewish people post 10/7, when Hamas invaded Israel and perpetrated heinous crimes. Just last week, almost 300,000 supporters of Israel spoke with one voice on the National Mall in Washington, DC.
Sadly but predictably, that same collective strength has withered when it comes to the elected leaders in the so-called enlightened West.
After initially speaking with one voice, condemning the atrocities perpetrated by Hamas, much of the world has reverted to the mean of blaming Israel for needless civilian deaths and calling for a ceasefire that would leave the monsters of Gaza in tact.
So, you morally misguided prime ministers and presidents, you will not get even a tiny thank you from me. Your collective strength is a mirage and you’ve shoved your moral clarity to where the sun don’t shine.
The AI essay also pointed out that Thanksgiving prompts us to be thankful not only for what we have but for the shared humanity that binds us together.
I’m pretty certain Vladimir Putin, the Ayatollah Khameini and Kim Jung Un wouldn’t buy into that shared humanity thing.
Putin uses his own citizens as cannon fodder. He pushes his opponents off high rise balconies or blows up their planes. He doesn’t have much shared humanity with the innocent Ukrainian civilians his missiles murder.
The Ayatollah Khameini and his gang in Iran are running a country that is basically a private bank for terrorists, whether it’s Hamas, Hezbollah or the Houthis. The shared humanity thing really doesn’t resonate with them. Internal dissent in Iran is treated as treason, brutally subjugated with terror and force. Women are mistreated, thrown in prison and killed.
And when it comes to Kim Jung Un and North Korea…talk about an open air prison! It’s like the Gaza of Asia, where billions are spent on weapons of destruction, instead of building a thriving society for its citizens. The only difference is, Kim isn’t spending billions building tunnels like Hamas, he’s building nuclear missiles. He says his citizens should be thanking him for building a worker’s paradise, even though they don’t have enough to eat.
So, Mr. ChatGPT, your Thanksgiving observations are correct, but only to a certain extent. You also advised that, adversity can be a powerful teacher, revealing our inner strengths and resilience. It teaches us to appreciate the journey, embrace change, and find gratitude in the lessons learned through difficult times.
You know, I’m pretty certain we can appreciate the journey just fine without the death and destruction that led up to Thanksgiving 2023.
I hope next Thanksgiving the world will have a little less strife, and fewer AI aphorisms.
Our indomitable human spirit could sure use a break. Our inner strengths and resilience have been tested quite enough, thank you very much.