As he watched a Beijing military parade he'd love to have in his own honor, even Donald Trump seemed to notice that America's enemies were sending him a signal. So he did what he usually does. He posted a message to Xi Jinping on social media: "Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America." If they're conspiring, it's the least secretive conspiracy in history. Geopolitics is usually complicated. These days, it's not. America is viewed as untrustworthy among allies and increasingly weak among enemies. You see how Trump behaves. You see the team he's assembled. You see many of the most talented advisors and government employees being forced out while the craziest and least talented people are running the show. You don't think China, Russia, and North Korea see it? Ishaan Tharoor in WaPo (Gift Article): Thanks to Trump, China claims mantle of the post-World War II order. Trump's "brand of ultranationalism, his protectionist assaults on global trade, his bullying of allies and his contempt for international, multilateral institutions like the United Nations all mark a rupture from previous Democratic and Republican administrations. Trump and his allies are convinced that the rules of the international system — forged by Washington to great benefit for generations of Americans — are not in the U.S.'s interest ... Trump’s trade wars and dramatic turn against India and Brazil — two giants of the Global South — have compelled many governments elsewhere, including those in Brasília and New Delhi, to reckon with Washington as a potential threat and adversary, and to forge new understandings with Beijing. 'The success of Xi’s foreign policy strategy is reflected in the parade of leaders traveling to China,' [said] Jonathan Czin, a fellow at the Brookings Institution ... Indeed, Xi today probably feels more besieged by visiting heads of state than encircled by the United States and its allies and partners.'" 2Does This Make Sense to Antibody?"On the vaccines, state Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo cast current requirements in schools and elsewhere as an 'immoral' intrusion on people’s rights bordering on 'slavery,' and hampers parents’ ability to make health decisions for their children." Florida will work to eliminate all childhood vaccine mandates in the state. 3Maybe He Was Just MisunderstoodIn the heated quest to re-write history everywhere from our museums to our schools, at least we count on a few truths to hold. Like, for example, we can still all agree that Hitler was really bad, right? Wrong. Yair Rosenberg in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The MAGA Influencers Rehabilitating Hitler. "Why does a potent portion of the American right seek to rehabilitate Hitler? The Nazi apologetics are partly an attention-seeking attempt at provocation—an effort to signal iconoclasm by transgressing one of society’s few remaining taboos. But there is more to the story than that. Tucker Carlson and his fellow travelers on the far right correctly identify the Second World War as a pivot point in America’s understanding of itself and its attitude toward its Jewish citizens. The country learned hard lessons from the Nazi Holocaust about the catastrophic consequences of conspiratorial prejudice. Today, a growing constituency on the right wants the nation to unlearn them." 4Alive and Clicking"For patients like my mom, who feel they don’t get the time or care they need from their health care systems, these chatbots have become a trusted alternative. AI is being shaped into virtual physicians, mental-health therapists, and robot companions for the elderly. For the sick, the anxious, the isolated, and many other vulnerable people who may lack medical resources and attention, AI’s vast knowledge base, coupled with its affirming and empathetic tone, can make the bots feel like wise and comforting partners. Unlike spouses, children, friends, or neighbors, chatbots are always available. They always respond." My mom and Dr. DeepSeek. "Over the course of months, my mom became increasingly smitten with her new AI doctor. 'DeepSeek is more humane,' my mother told me in May. 'Doctors are more like machines.'" (I can't trust any doctor with whom I'm able to easily get an appointment.) 5Extra, ExtraChrome Home: Google gets to keep Chrome, a judge just ruled in the search antitrust case. There were some penalties handed down to Google, but the market let us know how light of a slap on the hand the company got. "The American Economic Liberties Project, a group that’s advocated for stronger antitrust enforcement against the tech industry, slammed Mehta’s ruling as an act of 'cowardice.' 'You don’t find someone guilty of robbing a bank and then sentence him to writing a thank you note for the loot.'" (Actually, Gemini is gonna write the thank you note automatically.) The whole case is somewhat ironic given it's about the monopolization of tools and services that have changed dramatically since the case was first brought. At this point, telling Google to give up exclusive search deals is like telling Yahoo to give up its web directory. 6Bottom of the News"In 2009, a nurse forgot to give me my vaccination shots, and I ended up in the back of an ambulance in Manhattan in septic shock. I was clinically dead for 4 minutes and 58 seconds before reaching the hospital. Two days later, I woke up in intensive care and spent six weeks there plus four weeks at a rehab center." Dean Winters experienced plenty of mayhem before he became Mayhem in the Allstate ads.
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Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Xi Loves Me Not
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