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They say that history doesn’t repeat, but it often rhymes. That makes this a reasonable time to be worried about Yahtzees. The big state election win by the far-right AfD in Germany over the weekend is a troubling sign that comes at a disturbing moment. As Katrin Bennhold explains in the NYT (Gift Article), the AfD victory in a state election is forcing a rethink of the country’s postwar strategy to safeguard democracy. “When I was growing up in Germany, the conventional wisdom was that the far right would never again gain a meaningful foothold in our politics. Our Nazi past, the argument went, had immunized voters against the appeal of such parties. And our post-Holocaust constitution had powerful tools to help prevent it. The rise of the anti-immigrant, far-right AfD over the past decade has made clear the first argument was wrong. The second? We’ll see.”
+ Of course, safeguarding democracy is not a uniquely German challenge, and the rise of the country’s far-right isn’t taking place in a global vacuum. It’s no coincidence that this is happening at a moment in history when we’re losing the last of those who experienced WWII’s fascism firsthand. And it’s not good that it’s happening when so many other global factors are feeding the fire. First, we’ve got a fascist-curious American administration that has defended the AfD. Second, we’ve got increasingly heated anti-immigrant sentiments across the globe. Third, social media foments the divides and anger that fuel political movements like this. Fourth, the world’s richest (and arguably most dangerous man) is a huge fan of AfD. “Elon Musk congratulated the far-right party on its election victory with a ‘Well done!’ on his social media platform X, prompting Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD’s lead candidate in Saxony-Anhalt, to thank the nativist US tech billionaire for his support.” (It’s worth noting that the American corporate community seems fine with Musk’s global politics, just as they seemed fine with his Heil.) Fifth, the economic divide is extreme and AI is likely to make it a lot wider. (Consider that American workers are getting the smallest slice of the pie on record.) Sixth, we have the exact wrong Israeli government in place for this moment; one that seems intent on driving a wedge between itself and its allies. (Example from today: U.K. accuses Israeli settlers of ‘ethnic cleansing’ in West Bank and bans their goods.) Seventh, we’re seeing more countries questioning their alliance with the US and deciding to go it alone militarily and strategically, and fewer solid alliances create more instability. Just today, there are stories about the Gulf nations seeking strategic autonomy (for some reason, they’re questioning whether Trump’s weekend-long AI meme sharing benders will actually end the war), Japan’s strategic turn toward militarization, and Simon Shuster’s piece in The Atlantic (Gift Article) that questions whether Taiwan will just give up. “The Taiwanese don’t trust Trump, and they don’t believe America will come to their defense.”
+ All of our allies have good reasons to be losing trust. Just consider Steve Witkoff’s comments to Putin over the weekend, during a visit to Moscow with Jared Kushner. “When we retire, we’ll have all these incredible stories and incredible memories, and yours will be right at the top of it all.” For some of us, this moment in history brings up incredibly bad memories, and they’re made worse by the fact that the country that once saved the world is being run by folks who don’t seem to remember which side we’re on. Putin thanked Witkoff for his kind words by resuming his bombardment of Kyiv.
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Where’s the Beef (From)?
“If you buy a T-shirt at Gap, it will have a label that tells you where it was made. That’s federal law. The same is true for automobiles, appliances, television sets, every fresh or frozen fruit and vegetable sold at the supermarket. Beef and pork are notable exceptions to these laws. And that may help to explain why President Trump signed a proclamation last week that will allow the duty-free importation of about 660 million pounds of inexpensive beef. If American consumers knew where that beef was coming from, they might not want to eat it.” Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, in the NYT (Gift Article): Why Did Trump Order Up 660 Million Pounds of Mystery Meat? (Hint: Someone greased his palms and now he’s bringing home the bacon.)
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You Gave It the College Try
“For most of the past two decades, the two groups largely tracked each other, in good economic times and bad. Now, though, just as job hunters without degrees are having one of their best runs, those with college educations are having one of their worst.” WSJ(Gift Article): Americans Without College Degrees Are Having One of the Best Job Markets in Years.
+ Yes, there’s work. But there’s a catch. “Workers’ share of U.S. income has already fallen to its lowest level on record, while corporate profit margins keep breaking records quarter by quarter.” Workers’ share of America’s income is at a record low before the AI boom even begins.
+ AI has definitely hit one job market. Kenyans Did College Students’ Homework for Years. Then A.I. Arrived.
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Melbourne Identity
“You might think this game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams is an important season opener between rivals that is oddly being played in Australia. But for sleep scientists this is an intriguing real-world experiment in what works and what doesn’t for elite athletes.” The 49ers have been in Melbourne all week. The Rams are getting there just in time for the game. Which strategy will work? 49ers, Rams made wildly different Australia plans. Sleep scientists can’t believe their luck.
+ The Rams think they’ve figured out jet lag. Australia is about to test their theory.
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Extra, Extra
Turning Friends to Foes to Friends: “Canada struck back at U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday with tariffs on about $20 billion worth of U.S. goods, in response to the latest round of tariffs on Canada. The outcome could resonate far beyond Canada, showing other governments whether a smaller U.S. ally can withstand Trump’s economic pressure.” (Did I mention that Canada is our closest friend, ally, and neighbor?) The idiotic policies will have long-term ramifications. EU and Canada Plan Far-Reaching Alliance to Strengthen Partnership.
+ War Expansion: “Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have attacked four cities in Saudi Arabia, wounding more than 70 people and setting oil installations ablaze in what appeared to be a significant expansion of the Middle East war.”
+ Air Error: “In the harrowing months that followed the attacks on the World Trade Center, New Yorkers were repeatedly assured that the air around the fallen towers was safe to breathe. But 10 months later, health officials were still finding evidence of asbestos as much as half a mile away.” After 9/11, Documents Suggest, New Yorkers Were Misled About Air Quality.
+ Cargo Plane Crash: “The plane first hit a van belonging to a cleaning company used by the airlines, said NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy. She described the van as being ‘torn apart.’”