The Mystery of the USS Maine Explosion

History 5 Minutes

Today is the 127th anniversary of the explosion of the USS Maine, killing 286 servicemen and igniting the Spanish American War.  To this day, it remains a mystery why the ship exploded.

From: allthatsinteresting.com:

Between April and December 1898, the United States engaged in a brief armed conflict with Spain as the two countries’ prominence on the world stage began to shift. Known as the Spanish-American War, this period led to substantial change in the Caribbean region as the Spanish Empire’s decline was contrasted by the U.S.’s rapid economic and industrial growth. But there was one event in particular that set this war in motion: the sinking of the USS Maine.

The Maine had been one of the first American battleships. It was docked in the harbor of Havana, Cuba for a supposedly friendly visit amid ongoing revolts by the Cubans against Spanish colonial rule.

Then, it exploded.

An official investigation determined that a submerged mine had destroyed the vessel, and Congress and the American public were quick to point fingers at Spain as the culprit. However, more recent evidence suggests the explosion may have actually been an accident. And conspiracy theorists have offered up even more sinister explanations for the destruction of the Maine. The question is, what really happened?

How The Fight for Cuban Independence Created Tension Between The U.S. And Spain

The 16th century was a time of great expansion for many European superpowers, though perhaps none more notably than England and Spain. The countries’ westward expansions saw colonizers claiming indigenous lands and committing a litany of atrocities, including rape, genocide, and slavery. By the 18th and 19th centuries, it was clear that many populations were well and truly fed up with their European colonizers, and they began to fight for their independence.

Per the Library of Congress, the fight found its way to Cuba first in October 1868, when a group of patriotic Cubans attempted to overthrow Spanish power on the island in a conflict known as the Ten Years’ War. Although the Cubans failed to topple Spanish rule, they did at least succeed in putting an end to the old colonial structure of aristocrats and slaves — and theoretically earned themselves representation in the Cortes.

At the same time, Cuba grew more and more economically linked with the United States. The U.S. refined the raw tobacco and sugar grown in Cuba with its industrial technology. Needless to say, the U.S. had a vested interest in Cuba, and it benefited the American government from both an economic and humanitarian standpoint to back Cuba’s bid for independence.  So, on Feb. 24, 1895, when Cuban insurgents once again revolted against their Spanish rulers, the first ripples of pressure began to swell for American intervention. Less than three years later, they reached a boiling point.

The Sinking of The USS Maine Marks the Beginning Of The Spanish-American War

In January 1898, the American battleship USS Maine set sail for Havana, Cuba to observe the country’s ongoing conflict and protect American interests. The Maine was one of the first battleships built in the U.S. It weighed in at over 6,000 tons, cost more than $2 million to construct, and carried a crew of just under 400 seamen.

Unfortunately, just a few weeks later, on Feb. 15, most of the crew members on board the Maine were killed when the ship suddenly exploded in Havana Harbor. Then, in March, the United States Naval Court of Inquiry determined that the Maine had been destroyed by a submerged mine — and many fingers pointed to Spain.

Per the Encyclopedia Britannica, the blast took the lives of at least 260 crew members. Outrage over the event quickly found prominence in the headlines of American newspapers — particularly those of William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. The tycoons specialized in “yellow journalism,” which was characterized by highly sensationalized and exaggerated news.

It didn’t take long for the papers to land on a slogan that garnered public support for armed intervention: “Remember the ‘Maine,’ to hell with Spain!” Spain never took responsibility for the explosion, but the damage had been done. In April 1898, the United States declared war on Spain, and thus began the Spanish-American War.

The fighting was decidedly short-lived, with the United States defeating Spain on both the land and sea in less than four months. An armistice was called in August, and the war officially ended on Dec. 10, 1898, when the U.S. and Spain signed the Treaty of Paris. Spain ceded Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to America, and Cuba ultimately became an independent country.

The acquisition of these territories, of course, had far-reaching consequences, making the catastrophic destruction of the USS Maine one of the most important naval disasters in modern history. Yet, it turns out, it may have been nothing more than an accident.

The Real Cause Of The USS Maine Explosion

The initial investigation of the explosion of the USS Maine was conducted in 1898 by a court of inquiry headed by Captain William T. Sampson. It concluded that the Maine was destroyed when one or more of its forward magazines exploded — and that the source of the explosion had been outside the ship. In other words, the ship had been sabotaged.

According to a 1976 report from U.S. Navy Admiral Hyman Rickover, a second investigation was then conducted in 1911 as the Maine‘s wreckage was raised. The second inquiry actually contradicted Sampson’s original conclusion, but only by asserting that the explosion occurred in a different part of the ship’s bow. It still claimed a mine had set off the magazines.

However, Rickover later criticized the earlier inquiries, particularly Sampson’s. Sampson’s investigation, he said, was largely based on the testimonies of the Maine‘s crew members and of divers working on the wreckage. Contemporary technical experts who doubted the mine theory were not heeded.

The 1911 investigation was more accurate than Sampson’s in that it found the true source of the explosion within the ship. However, Rickover felt the later investigation was too politically motivated when it stood by the conclusion that a mine had triggered the blast.

Rickover and his team ultimately reached their own conclusion: The USS Maine had not been destroyed by a Spanish act of sabotage or a mine, but rather by a spontaneous combustion fire within its ammunition stocks. In other words, it was a complete accident.

The 1976 investigation was, of course, limited in what it could gather, given that nearly a century had passed since the explosion of the USS Maine by then and many primary sources had reached contradictory conclusions. While Rickover and his team’s conclusion is plausible, there is no way of knowing for certain if it is entirely accurate.

Then, there are other theories, PBS notes, that suggest William Randolph Hearst himself may have orchestrated the explosion to instigate the war and sell more newspapers. Evidence for this is almost entirely non-existent and limited to conspiracy theory groups, but it goes to show that there is enough speculation about the Maine‘s destruction to warrant outlandish skepticism.

Whether it was an act of sabotage, an accident, or indeed a stunt to sell newspapers, we may never know for certain. But that does not change the fact that the USS Maine disaster marked a key turning point for a significant portion of the Western world — for better or worse.

SOURCE: ALLTHATSINTERESTING.COM

Unknown's avatar

Published by pat frederick

Published

117 thoughts on “The Mystery of the USS Maine Explosion”

    1. Morning kea!
      I check thru history this month (or some other clever named site) to see if anything interests me for the month. things that are “unsolved” interest me–especially as we are getting wiser to sabotage in our gov’t and from abroad. maybe now we can figure some of this stuff out.

      Liked by 3 people

    1. Morning, Pat! The snow that was predicted apparently bypassed us, thankfully, and it’s even above zero @ 14. Hopefully their other predictions won’t come thru either!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Morning Filly!
        well that 3 inches we got yesterday wasn’t in our forecast…lol
        we’re going to try to get out ahead of the crap coming later today and get the mail and gas/diesel/ kerosene. we’re in for more ice/snow/and general crap. (just going into the little gas station in town and the PO)

        Liked by 1 person

  12. Maquis

    February 15, 2025 4:09 am

    The model he is holding is the design Boom Supersonic hopes to have in production soon, the craft will be named Overture, the first supersonic airliner since the Concorde was retired, with technology that will allow her to fly overland with no sonic boom reaching ground level. They are still conducting proof of concept testing with their prototype, which is acing its goals.

    Japan Airlines, United Airlines and American Airlines have already placed a combined total of 130 orders for the Overture once it’s ready to go. Boom has likewise already constructed the Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina, where it expects to build as many as 66 aircraft per year.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Department of Government Efficiency

    @DOGE

    $1.9 billion of HUD money was just recovered after being misplaced during the Biden administration due to a broken process. These funds were earmarked for the administration of financial services, but were no longer needed.

    @SecretaryTurner

    and

    @DOGE

    worked together to fix the issue and de-obligated the funds which are now available for other use by the Treasury.

    @HUDgov

    @SecTurnerPress

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Army repurposed over $151 million from soldier paychecks for food to spend elsewhere: Report

    It is not clear from the data where the money is actually being spent, but 2024 financial records from Fort Stewart, Georgia, showed that just $2.1 million of the $17 million collected for food, actually went to food.

    The United States Army allegedly repurposed more than $151 million that it took from soldiers’ paychecks for food, and spent it on other costs instead, according to a Military.com report.

    The Army typically takes $460 per month from junior enlisted soldiers who live in barracks on base, which is supposed to go toward food. But data reviewed by the outlet show that for the Army’s 2024 fiscal year, over $151 million of the $225 million that was collected by 11 of the Army’s largest bases for food, went into the Army’s general fund.

    The data examined is from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024, according to the outlet.

    It is not clear from the data where the money is actually being spent, but the 2024 financial records from 11 of the Army’s largest bases showed that just $2.1 million of the $17 million collected at Fort Stewart, Georgia, went to food.

    Hawaii’s Schofield Barracks allegedly collected $14.5 million for food, but used only $5.3 million. This means that 63% of the funds were donated to the general fund instead, Military.com reported.

    The review found that all but two of the 11 bases left more than half of the money for food unspent in 2024, with Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska and Fort Bliss, Texas, leaving 41% and 49% respectively.

    Army spokesperson Maj. Andrea Kelly told Military.com in a statement that they only use funds “needed to feed the projected number of meals based on previous head counts,” meaning they base how much they purchase on past attendance at the dining facilities.

    Other service officials have addressed this in the past, saying the amount of food purchased has gone down because of a perception of reduced interest by the service members.

    But according to the outlet, service members have frequently described “undercooked meat, unseasoned meals, a lack of fresh ingredients, and unhealthy menu options,” as the reason fewer soldiers are using the facilities.

    Hawaii Democratic Rep. Jill Tokuda called for an immediate investigation.

    “Stealing food money from our soldiers is not how we achieve military readiness,” Tokuda told Military.com. “The fact that at least $151 million was collected from soldiers and not spent on food as required demands not just an immediate investigation, but swift accountability.”

    https://justthenews.com/government/security/army-repurposes-over-151-million-soldier-paychecks-food-spend-elsewhere-report

    Liked by 2 people

    1. During the time that I was serving, those of us who lived in the barracks didn’t have to pay for food. And they shouldn’t have to now! Unconscionable!!!

      Liked by 1 person

  16. Winston
    February 15, 2025 7:50 am

    Cash For Migrants: FEMA Isn’t The Only Agency Spending Big
    Feb 14, 2025

    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/cash-migrants-fema-isnt-only-agency-spending-big

    Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), housed inside the Department of Health and Human Services subagency called the Administration for Children and Families.

    ORR has spent over $22.6 BILLION since 2020 on grants to nonprofits providing everything from help accessing Medicaid to help building credit, help with home and auto loans, and cash assistance.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. SMH – this is such an unbalanced agreement: 3 for over 300???

    Just The News: “Hamas released 3 more hostages and Israel freed over 300 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday as the ceasefire deal moves forward. The hostages released were American-Israeli Sagui Dekel Chen, 36, Russian-Israeli Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29 and Iair Horn, 46, who is a dual citizen of Israel and Argentina, according to the Associated Press. 

    The hostages were captured in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel. Images showed the hostages were in better condition than those released last week who appeared emaciated. 

    Israel reportedly released 369 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, which marked the 6th round of hostage swapping under the ceasefire deal.”

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I’m really divided on this whole debacle – I don’t like either of the protagonists! I think Israel is just as corrupt, just in a different way. And I don’t like ANY governance based on religious law anywhere!

        Liked by 1 person

        1. i agree. but i also think a country has a right to their land…Israel should be for Israelis and not subject to constant interference from muslim countries trying to claim it. (and maybe i have that wrong)

          Like

          1. That land was taken and given to the Jews during the war, primarily from Germany. And if someone wants to claim it as Israeli according to ancient times, then the same should be said about the American Indians here, right? NO religion “deserves” it’s own country! Jews can live almost anywhere in the world now. TBH, I almost equate them with the Islamists – same thing: driven solely by religious beliefs.

            Like

  19. while in Ohio…

    cucumber

    February 15, 2025 9:18 am

    Attention Sundance…. Look at this absolutely insane law Dems are trying to pass in Ohio .

    So glad they are not in power. Figure you may want to make fodder of it on your X space ..

    Part of article:
    A newly proposed Ohio bill, the “Conception Begins at Erection” Act, would make engaging in unprotected sex without the intent to procreate a fineable offense of up to $10,000.

    Wow just wow 🤣🤦‍♂️
    Link

    https://www.metroweekly.com/2025/02/ohio-men-could-face-10k-fine-for-ejaculating-irresponsibly/

    Like

  20. EXCERPT: “While I admit I’ve never been big on participating in Valentine’s Day celebrations, one thing I am very much interested in celebrating is all things Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA). And that is where we find ourselves today, where both the sugary sweetness of Valentine’s Day and the wit and intellect of Kennedy intersect in such a way that fans of one or the other – or both – likely will be able to appreciate.

    Kennedy, as RedState readers will agree if comments to previous posts are a reliable indicator, is an absolute national treasure, sharing his words of wisdom on any given day as only he can while effortlessly cutting Democrats, the media, and their warped agendas down to size in a unique manner that leaves little (if any) room for argument.

    On Valentine’s Day 2025, Kennedy revived a humorous and timeless message he’s used since he first ran for Senate (and won) in 2016 (nearly a decade after he switched parties while serving as state treasurer). That was of course the same year Donald Trump shocked the political establishment by defeating Democrat presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to become President of the United States.

    The message? “Folks, I believe that love is the answer, but you oughta own a handgun just in case.”

    https://x.com/JohnKennedyLA/status/1890446829570990564

    It’s an ad he also ran during his 2022 reelection campaign:….”

    https://redstate.com/sister-toldjah/2025/02/14/a-sen-kennedy-classic-gets-put-back-into-rotation-just-in-time-for-valentines-day-n2185606

    Liked by 1 person

  25. I’m watching Jesse Watters’ show from yesterday – one of the comments sent in was to put Trump’s mug shot on a new postage stamp! I love that idea!!! DO IT!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  26. para59r(@para59r)Online
    Coyote
    February 15, 2025 11:27

    Double Header! Jesse Waters and Jack the Tap Dancer. Subject After 4yrs. the Durham Report has dropped.

    The Durham Report has finally been released👆. Hellary made up the Russia Russia Russia collusion story and Obama blocked the FBI from investigating it. It was literally a conspiracy fact, not theory. 👇https://t.co/T8S34rnwYK

    — W.R. Schock, QBD (@iontecs_pemf) February 15, 2025

    Like

  27. “The open borders lefties who oppose the SAVE Act requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote have now come up with the DUMBEST argument ever, saying that requiring proof of citizenship will mean that married women cannot register to vote, because their birth certificate won’t have their married name…huh?

    Under their theory, married women who change their names would also be unable to get a passport, credit card, REAL ID, any drivers license, bank account, social security…and on and on…because, under this nonsensical theory, married women are not capable of bringing the necessary documentation that shows citizenship AND married status….something that MILLIONS of women do every day when they change their names upon marriage…or divorce…PLUS the SAVE Act actually instructs the states to establish a process for addressing mismatches in documents. Newsweek actually published an article with this absurd argument.

    Congress needs to pass the SAVE Act to keep noncitizens from voting in US elections, something favored by 87% of the American people, which I suppose is why the crazy lefties are trying to change the subject. Pass the SAVE Act!”

    https://x.com/CletaMitchell/status/1889808249555185879

    Liked by 2 people

        1. as you’d expect…lol
          snowing heavily on the way down so we got snow covered riding the tractor. then we couldn’t find the ice scraper for the jeep…sigh…but the defroster works super well so we didn’t drive blindly TOO long…lol.
          hubby got the gas/diesel/kerosene while i went into the little market to grab a few things only they have. then we drove in the snow for 20 minutes while i talked with mom. then it was back to getting snow covered to come back up the driveway.

          Liked by 1 person

  30. EXCERPT: “Oh look, the thing that never happens just happened again!

    An 18-year-old from Mooresville is facing charges for allegedly planning a mass school shooting at Mooresville High School.

    The Mooresville Metropolitan Police Department received information around 7 p.m. Feb. 11 from the FBI about someone who was potentially planning a school shooting on Feb. 14, 2025.

    The girl is Trinity Shockley, of Mooresville. Court documents say that Trinity is “transgender, going by the name Jamie.” (That means she is a girl who is pretending to be a boy.)

    Court documents also claim that the young woman was telegraphing what she indicated was a years-long plan to carry out the mass shooting.

    Here were a few of her online posts:

    • ‘I’ve been planning this for a YEAR’
    • ‘Parkland part two,’ referring to the Florida school shooting carried out by Nikolas Cruz, who killed 14 students and three staff members on Feb. 14, 2018
    • Photo of 10 AR-15 magazines
    • ‘I’m buying a bulletproof vest.’
    • ‘4 More days’ — posted on Feb. 10, 2025
    • ‘I have THIS staring at me,’ along with a photo of Dylan Roof, who shot and killed nine people at a South Carolina church in June 2015

    She also allegedly “spoke with a school counselor on Feb. 11” and “allegedly told the counselor that [she] has written multiple letters to Cruz while he’s been in prison.” She also reportedly “has a heart locket necklace with a photo of Cruz inside.”

    Some remarks that investigators reportedly found in one of the young woman’s notebooks:

    • ‘I want to be just like Elliot Rodger’ — who killed six people and injured more in California in May 2014
    • ‘I want to hurt others.’
    • ‘I hate you all DIE DIE DIE!!’

    Trinity has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit murder and two counts of intimidation and threat to commit terrorism.

    We used to have these things called journalists who would dig into a suspect’s profile to tell the public what might have led them to commit a particular crime. But since Trinity identified as trans, you can expect the corporate media to sweep this story under the rug.

    The New York Post points out that Trinity herself was the victim of a terrible car accident in Mooresville in 2022 when she was hit by a drunk driver on her way to school…..”

    https://notthebee.com/article/fbi-arrests-young-transgender-woman-for-reportedly-plotting-to-shoot-up-high-school-on-valentines-day

    Liked by 1 person

  31. “The Hammer Drops at Justice: New leadership and new rules are too much for sanctimonious DOJ employees, who resign rather than follow orders to depoliticize the department.”

    Julie Kelly, Feb 15, 2025

    Share

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “Emil Bove, in his typical fashion, was having none of it. In a scathing nine-page letter, the acting deputy attorney general detailed a long list of insubordination and politicking by Danielle Sassoon, the temporary U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, related to her refusal to drop the federal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams as instructed. Last September, the then-U.S. Attorney for SDNY handed down a five-count indictment against the Democratic mayor, a move some considered political retribution for Adams’ intraparty squabbles with the Biden administration.

    A review by the Trump Department of Justice, consistent with the president’s executive order to halt the weaponization of the DOJ, determined the investigation into Adams had “accelerated after Mayor Adams publicly criticized President Biden’s failed immigration policies,” Bove wrote. Bove, who once worked as a prosecutor in the SDNY office, further explained the case represented “election interference”—Adams is up for re-election this year—and “imposed on Mayor Adams’ ability to govern and cooperate with federal law enforcement to keep New York City safe.”

    (Bove also noted the apparent political aspirations of Damian Williams, her predecessor responsible for the Adams case. Williams landed on Kamala Harris’ short list for attorney general right after announcing the charges; after Trump won, he launched a campaign-style website touting, among other prosecutions, the Adams indictment.)

    But Sassoon, also in typical fashion for federal prosecutors, sanctimoniously touted her alleged “principles” and loyalty to the rule of law as reasons to defy Bove’s order. “Because the law does not support a dismissal, and because I am confident that Adams has committed the crimes with which he is charged, I cannot agree to seek a dismissal driven by improper considerations,” Sassoon, who had been in the post a mere three weeks, wrote. “I understand my duty as a prosecutor to mean enforcing the law impartially, and that includes prosecuting a validly returned indictment regardless whether its dismissal would be politically advantageous, to the defendant or to those who appointed me.”

    Sassoon offered her resignation if Bove did not reverse course. He not only accepted her resignation but announced she would be the subject of investigations by both Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Office of Professional Responsibility.Who Are the Fools and Cowards?

    Others quickly joined Sassoon at the unemployment line—or the line to become the newest MSNBC legal analyst. Six more DOJ officials resigned; Hagan Scotten, one of two prosecutors on the Adams case, tendered his resignation on February 14. “I expect you will find someone who is enough of a fool, or enough of a coward, to file your motion [to dismiss]” Scotten, whom Bove had placed on paid leave pending an investigation into his insubordination, wrote.

    But if their collective intention was to demonstrate independence and integrity, it achieved the opposite—with the exception of DOJ bootlickers at National Review and the Wall Street Journal. Recent polls indicate historically low levels of support for the DOJ among Republicans, something apparently lost on so-called “conservative” publications.

    Americans voted for Donald Trump in a partial repudiation of overzealous government lawyers, the sort perfectly embodied by Sassoon and company, using their unchecked power to imprison those they consider to be on the wrong side of the political aisle.

    The exodus represented another in a series of purges, forced and otherwise, at the DOJ since Trump took office. On January 21, at least 15 senior DOJ officials were removed or reassigned. A few days later, several members of former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team also were fired. (Smith resigned on January 10.) Dozens of prosecutors who had been hired on a temporary basis to handle January 6 cases were dismissed as the DOJ shuttered the so-called “Capitol Siege” investigation.

    At the same time, house cleaning at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is under the purview of the DOJ, immediately got underway. Several top FBI officials were warned to clean out their desks or get the ax. Chiefs at the Miami and Washington field offices, responsible for the reckless armed raid of Mar-a-Lago, were sent packing.

    Bove also called out the insubordination of acting FBI director Brian Driscoll, who, like Sassoon, refused to follow orders and produce the names of thousands of FBI employees involved in the unprecedented J6 investigation. (Driscoll reportedly compiled after Bove noted his defiance but sent the names over a classified server. He will be replaced, and possibly fired, next week after Kash Patel takes over.)

    Dropping the Adams case not only comports with the president’s depoliticization directive but appears to meet new standards set forth in a February 5 memo by Bondi. She cautioned against bringing reckless cases and warned, “there is no place in the decision-making process for animosity or careerism.” DOJ employees, she reminded her department, are bound by the Justice Manual, which prohibits political or personal concerns related to charging decisions. “These types of considerations, which previously led to the improper weaponization of the criminal justice system at the federal and state levels, as President Trump observed in Executive Order 14147, 90 FR 8235, have no place in the Department,” she wrote.

    Which is why the departure of folks like Sassoon and Scotten are welcome news. Their self-serving, media-whoring exit letters have nothing to do with upholding the law and everything to do with advancing their personal and perhaps political interests.”

    Liked by 1 person

  32. “According to a report from the BBC, The Trump administration has erased references to transgender people from New York’s Stonewall National Monument website. On the National Park Service website, the acronym LGBTQ+ has been shortened to LGB, standing for lesbian, gay and bisexual.

    Other government websites have also been changed after President Donald Trump signed an order recognising two sexes only – male and female – on his first day in office. Activists denounced the move on Friday and held a protest at the site, which is the country’s first national monument dedicated to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history.

    Let the hissy-fitting begin…”

    Liked by 1 person

  38. “Lavrov and Rubio Phone Call is a Massive Step Towards Peace!”

    Clandestine, Feb 15, 2025

    Share

    “Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Sec. of State Marco Rubio, just had phone call by request of Trump admin.

    They reportedly discussed:

    -End of conflict in Ukraine

    -Plan for Palestinians and Middle East

    -Normalizing trade relations and reversing Obama/Biden policy

    -Maintaining channel for communications

    Trump is not only negotiating an end to WW3, he is completely changing the relationship between the US and Russia. Trump and Putin recognize that the Deep State is the enemy, not each other.

    This is an extremely positive sign. This means nukes will not be flying, and WW3 is about to be cancelled. The future is starting to look a lot more peaceful.”

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I never itemized, just did the easy form, so I didn’t dread it; indeed, I always got it in quickly since I almost always had a refund coming….that I also always desperately needed! LOL

      Liked by 1 person

            1. I don’t get enough SS to be taxed anyway. The only one is property tax, for which I get an exemption. So the only taxes I pay now are sales taxes.

              Like

  44. NF: This is exactly what I fear with AI!!!

    “A dystopian techno-feudalism hellscape…”

    Larry Ellison, partner with Trump’s AI infrastructure project, wants AI to police America… And a ‘single, unified platform’ for all health data…“

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Well, considering that it was legal & standard procedure at the time, it’s really not the employee’s fault. The only one’s who can be punished are the supervisors who gave them their instructions.

        Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.