I understand that "normal" is a confusing term by nature and isn't the same as "natural". The norm is pretty much what we can observe (plus bias), which might be natural or not (plus bias).

Here, i suppose it's just a shortest way of saying "I think it doesn't have to be this way".

Climate in France used to be moderate and the reality of climate change was increasingly discredited - arguably it's related to the increasing popularity of the far right and its influence on the conservatives and mainstream media. So: few buildings have AC, many environment-friendly laws have been cancelled in favor of "business-friendly" policies, and the governments pushed hard to cut investments, for example - 65% in a provisioned green fund.

HAL: This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.

The interior minister explained the youth that it's actually just a communication issue: they don't understand that the police protects them (the kids, naturally). Actually French cops have a unique arsenal of weapons across Europe... for this brilliant result.

I haven't met a single AI user who doesn't claim (s)he uses it in a smart way.

Very important point, i think many people are mislead by the word "open". Is there any "open source model" around?

The zillion dollar question. The control freaks do their job and have lots of power, but on the other hand the diversity of responses is immense. Things change: it's evolution. Be smart, adapt, and don't forget that a better tomorrow for each and all is possible, day after day.

Related to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_principle ?