Other than the fact that they are such blood-sucking greedheads, why have today's multibillionaires, high-tech barons of artificial intelligence (AI), become so despised by so many grassroots Americans?

By "so many," I mean they've sparked a hell-raising mass revolt, originating in farm country, spreading through working-class suburbs, into community colleges and other centers of Middle America — now including environmental, religious and democracy movements.

This is a genuine populist rebellion of workaday families against the corporate oligarchy of Musk, Zuckerberg, Altman, Bezos and other "geniuses" of artificial intelligence. The billionaires are racing to install millions of supersmart AI robots in nearly every workplace, from manufacturing to health care, farming to finance.

Amazingly, the tech elites consider themselves to be "humanitarians," for they say turning work over to AI would free humans to ... well, do what? Geniuses can't be bothered with such mundane details, so they're not interested in the soon-to-be displaced masses of people who'll be "made redundant."

So — hello — people are revolting (in the very best sense of that term). Interestingly, some of the strongest backlash is coming from a huge group generally assumed to be politically apathetic or enthusiastic about all technology: Young people. Columnist Michelle Goldberg reports that several tech honchos who've given college commencement speeches this month were startled when they launched into gushing praise for the glorious future promised by AI. They were practically driven off-stage by roaring cascades of boos from the students!

The pain that AI profiteers are imposing is one thing, but an even greater cause of this spreading revolt is the imperious arrogance and stupidity of royal elites who think ordinary people don't matter. Did these oligarchs never hear about the Revolution of 1776?

WOULD YOU BUY A LUMP OF COAL FROM TRUMP?

Has your family consumed its lump of coal today?

One of the most perverse presidential moves ever is Trump's Big Government decree to force-feed "King Coal" to Americans. Proclaiming an "energy emergency," he unilaterally ordered five electric utilities to reopen their old, coal-burning power plants.

These are toxic bombs that continuously spew mercury, carbon dioxide and a mix of other killer pollutants into our air, water and bodies. Mercury emissions are especially vicious, causing early death in adults and permanent IQ damage to fetuses and children. Even the president's own health secretary has excoriated mercury pollution from coal-fired utilities as "the most powerful neurotoxin we know of in the universe."

That's why We the People have rebelled against the greed of coal barons in past years, finally replacing their deadly fuel with wind power, solar and other renewable energy sources — which also lowers consumers' electric bills.

So why push to re-impose a horrific corporate poison that the people have already rejected — and that progressive utilities have moved beyond?

Crass corruption. By hailing dirty coal as "beautiful," while demonizing and defunding clean energy, Trump has been showered with millions of dollars from old-line coal profiteers. And never underestimate vanity — he even got a custom bronze trophy from the polluters, hailing him as the "Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal."

After America began replacing coal with clean energy, mercury pollution plummeted. But by restarting coal-fired utilities last year, Trump has already increased mercury emissions by 9%. Since he tries to merchandize everything, though, you might be able to buy an autographed lump of coal from him.

To find out more about Jim Hightower and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators webpage at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Kristina Flour at Unsplash