When Bigness Threatens Individual Freedom.

When Big Tech harnesses AI, joins forces with the government, and threatens democracy

Issue #22| July 2025

Shot by Lavala Harris

The future of abundance needs us now…

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend! 😊 🎆

I’ve been in the U.S. for a quarter century now. Yet, every morning I wake up, it feels like I’ve landed in another universe. Real talk, it’s heaven compared to where I came from. If America is heaven, then where I grew up was the forgotten stepchild, but still standing.

This is Lavala speaking, by the way. That artwork you see up top is just me expressing what readiness could look like today. A visual of how I think prepping for the future can start in the now, especially if you’re not trying to get left behind. And nah, I’m not saying you need to buy a Tesla or get all your solar gear from Yoshino (though hey, if you’ve been holding Bitcoin since the early days—do you!).

What I’m saying is, this “heaven” we’re in? It’s lowkey self sabotaging. America used to be about soft power, free speech, open trade, and a market where anyone could step in and claim the dream. A refugee like me could show up and say, “Yeah, I’m American now.” But those days feel like they’re slipping through our fingers.

Capitalism hit the turbo switch. Now we’ve got tech CEOs with more wealth than whole nations. Titans building AI empires faster than the government can blink. They’re trading public trust for more power, cutting jobs, gutting healthcare, and rolling out mass surveillance like it’s just another software update. Meanwhile, folks like me, you, and our aunties? We’re the ones getting left behind.

And let’s be clear—it’s not just a Black or white thing. It’s a class thing. So if you’re reading this thinking, “I’m safe because I’m not Black or brown,” let me be clear: no one is safe unless all of us rise together.

So my co-author and I took a trip just outside DC, out to Virginia, to breathe. To remember what solarpunk dc really needs if we’re going to thrive in this new world. Because the American dream is not dead. It’s just brewing somewhere new.

—lavala 🌾

Lunch Bag Social

Come join us as we volunteer with Lunch Bag Social to help feed the homeless.

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🧑‍🧑‍🧒 Community Governance: Big tech is a threat to democracy

Okay, raise your hand if you’ve heard of Lina Khan.
Yup, she’s the former Chair of the Federal Trade Commission, and she recently dropped by Ross Douthat’s Interesting Times podcast. She laid it out plain: unchecked corporate power, (especially when markets lose competition) leads to real harm. Higher prices for consumers. Lower wages for workers. Fewer opportunities for small businesses. And most of all chips away at people’s sense of freedom.

Now, let’s zoom out for a second.

When we talk about corporate power today, we’re talking about tech giants like AI companies with more cash than entire governments. These firms are now exploiting the gaps and gray areas in government structures to squeeze out power, unchecked. And it’s reached a point where democracy itself is on shaky ground.

Let me make it plain. We have laws on the books such as antitrust laws, child safety protections, civil rights legislation, privacy laws, labor rules, you name it. They’re all designed to keep society from slipping into chaos. But today’s AI systems are rolling through those protections like a bulldozer. No alarm bells. Just automated decisions on who gets healthcare, who’s approved for loans, who lands job interviews. Even landlords are using AI to set rent and all of these practices are likely illegal.

Then you’ve got companies like Palantir, using AI to power up U.S. military systems and build mass surveillance tools that track all of us including citizens and undocumented folks. We’re talking location data so precise they could deploy a mini drone strike on someone’s exact GPS pin. That’s not sci-fi. That’s right now.

Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill

Meanwhile, Trump’s “Big, Beautiful” bill has passed. And according to The Journal, this bill would rewrite the rulebook on national debt. It boosts military spending and border enforcement, slashes immigration from regions like the Middle East and Africa… and it get’s scarier: it includes a provision that bans states from regulating AI for the next ten years!!! Like what!?

A full decade where Silicon Valley gets to do what it wants, no guardrails. That’s the coziest tech-government relationship we’ve ever seen and not in a good way.

So what does this mean for us, especially if you’re living in the DMV?

Honestly? This is the moment to get future ready. The wild thing about this moment in history is that you, the individual, have more tools and power than ever before. While the giants are fumbling around trying to scale up, we have a golden opportunity to start building the world we want. one that bends toward solarpunk, not cyberpunk dystopia.

So here’s your starter kit for solarpunk living…

🚲 Electric mobility
Grab that e-bike or EV when you can. Start small—but start moving on clean, chargeable transport.

☀️ Solar panels + solar stations
Energy independence is punk AF. Solar tech is getting cheaper by the day. While battery storage still has room to grow, this is the most accessible path to powering your life cleanly.

🛡️ Digital hygiene
Treat your data like your grandma’s secret recipe and protect that sh%t! Get a VPN. Think of it like home security, but for your digital life. You wouldn’t give your house keys to a stranger. Don’t give away your data to tech giants either.

🌱 Join a community garden
Even if you can’t grow your own food yet, you can learn. Support urban farming projects. Be part of making the DMV a region where green spaces grow and feed our people.

👥 Find your people
Build real networks. Not the kind trying to sell you stuff. But ones that nourish, teach, and uplift.

🤖 AI readiness (yes, even for your kids)
Okay, don’t actually duct tape AI to your kid’s forehead. But you get what I’m saying. Help them grow with the tools, not under them. Be proactive, not reactive.

We would love to hear your thoughts on all of this, guys. Do you think it’s too late to regain control of your personal data?

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Some solarpunk sounds to play at your gathering, while you're out by the grill, or even during a workout. The Apple Music link has a few more treats since they’re the OG. Shoutout to Spotify for changing the game though.

🔗 The Playlist: Apple Music/Spotify

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• Shout out to

  Stripe Press
  for hosting such a great event at Signal House last Saturday! Currently reading Get Together from their catalog.

• If you know of future upcoming events that our community would benefit from, please reach out to us.

• We’re also in search of Black and Brown artists for our upcoming event.

📧 Drop it to: community@solarpunkdc.com or tag us

solarpunk dc

Until next time…Keep it punk.

—✌🏾 lavala