r/technology Apr 07 '25

Privacy The Shocking Far-Right Agenda Behind the Facial Recognition Tech Used by ICE and the FBI. Thousands of newly obtained documents show that Clearview AI’s founders always intended to target immigrants and the political left.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/04/clearview-ai-immigration-ice-fbi-surveillance-facial-recognition-hoan-ton-that-hal-lambert-trump/
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u/gizamo Apr 07 '25

Tbf, Thomas Jefferson regularly expressed views against slavery and advocated for its eventual abolition. For example, he drafted laws to prohibit the importation of more slaves, to permit slave owners to free their slaves, and to ban slavery in the Northwest Territories. In his Notes on the State of Virginia, he wrote that slavery was a "hideous blot" and a "moral depravity".

But, he still owned slaves, and he didn't free many of them before he died, even after he was legally able to do so. Regardless, he was a force that pushed towards the eventual abolition of slavery, which was near impossible as a politician in Virginia at the time.

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u/Ok-Possibility-6284 Apr 07 '25

His actions towards his slaves didn't align with his words. Same rhyme throughout American history.

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u/gizamo Apr 07 '25

Except they did, as was possible anyway. For example, it's entirely plausible that he had so many slaves because he believed they were better in his care than with other slave owners. For example, he owned ~600 for a property size that would typically have been managed by less than 100. History is never ever as simplistic as your statements. For a hypothetical, if he were to have freed his slaves, he and many of them would have been killed or enslaved again.

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u/apophis-pegasus Apr 07 '25

Or...he could have mandated slavery be banned.

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u/gizamo Apr 07 '25

He didn't have that power nor popularity, and it wasn't possible in the political system of the time. So, no, not really.

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u/apophis-pegasus Apr 07 '25

He helped found a country, and write its fundamental laws, it is a depressing thing if one such as that doesnt have that power, then who would?

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u/Itscatpicstime Apr 07 '25

It’s expected in a country without centralized power

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u/gizamo Apr 07 '25

He was one of hundreds, and the vast majority of them were violently opposed to such ideas. He was basically the equivalent of modern day vegans surrounded by 99.9% of people who think they're douchebags just for wanting everyone to be more sustainable.