Monday’s column struck a nerve. We received dozens of responses and nearly 100 likes, with readers rallying behind my “modest proposal” to vote out every incumbent.

“I already do this for every election, except my county sheriff — who is doing a great job,” writes James P. “Otherwise, pretty much everyone else needs to recognize what the founders recognized: Elected office is a self-sacrificing service to the country, not a means to lifetime employment.”

Several readers expanded on the practical challenges. “I agree with draining the swamp, but in order to do that we may need to eliminate lobbyists, PACs and NGOs, so everything would be grassroots contributions,” suggests Don H.

“We need our politicians to be fiscally responsible, respectable and willing to do the jobs citizens have elected them to do.”

Morris T. adds: “We need a changing of the guard and what better way to make it politically expedient for the newly elected than to grow an ACCOUNTABILITY MOVEMENT that could unite the country at a time when every political force is designed to be divisive.”

Perhaps the most important question came from John A., who simply asks: “Your article about voting every current congressperson out of office is a great goal... Unfortunately, I must ask, what is Plan B?”

Good news, John: The rats are abandoning ship.

Sixty members of Congress have decided not to seek reelection in 2026 — the biggest exodus in more than 25 years. Meaning, my “modest proposal” could actually be achievable.

Speaking of accountability, Ring’s Super Bowl ad just reminded America what’s been hiding in plain sight…

Your Rundown for Wednesday, February 11, 2026...

The Ring Cam Controversy

Amazon’s Ring camera aired a Super Bowl commercial during Sunday’s game that should have been (pardon the mixed metaphor) a slam dunk.

A lost dog reunited with a tearful owner. Technology swooping in to save Fido.

What could go wrong? Plenty, according to public backlash.

The ad showcases the company’s “Search Party” feature — an AI-powered tool. When someone reports a pet missing, Ring’s AI scans footage from participating cameras in the area.

The system analyzes “tens of thousands of dog videos” to recognize breeds, sizes, fur patterns and unique markings, according to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.

If a possible match appears, the Ring camera owner gets notified and can choose whether to share the clip.

Sounds helpful, except for one gigantic catch…

For the feature to work, the Ring camera must constantly feed all its footage to AI for analysis. Not just pets. Everything gets processed through Amazon’s AI systems.

And with the Super Bowl commercial, many Ring users just discovered Search Party is enabled by default on their devices — because Ring opted every customer in.

The company insists, however, no footage is shared without consent and that the system “is not designed to process human biometrics.”

But Ring’s track record on privacy does not inspire confidence.

This is the same company that spent years building formal partnerships with police departments, making it easier for law enforcement to request footage from users. Legal? Yes. Reassuring? Not especially.

Last year, Ring likewise announced a partnership with Flock Safety, a company that manufactures CCTV cameras and automated license plate recognition technology.

Chad Marlow, senior policy counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union, warns about the implications: “You go from individual surveillance tools into a giant mass surveillance apparatus for sale to anyone who has the money to buy it — including governments.”

So before you install any “smart” device in your home, ask yourself what you’re really inviting in.

Today it’s dogs. Tomorrow? Amazon Ring’s network already exists to track anything — or anyone — the company decides to look for.

Market Rundown for Wednesday, February 11, 2026

S&P 500 futures are up 0.20% to 6,975.

Oil’s up 2.40% to $65.50 for a barrel of WTI.

Gold is up 1.40% to $5,105.10 per ounce.

And Bitcoin’s down 2.25% to $67,300.