Interesting. I'll possibly give it a go, as it's a book I'm not likely to read again... I just generally have a policy of avoiding movies based on books I love ;-)
Well said. That orange mf is just wasting everyone’s time. Am picturing a world where we awaken one morning to the new that the pasty putrid putz has passed on. Hope springs eternal.
Also, I'm envious. Having a cold is exhaustingly boring because my brain stops functioning ans I can't read nor listen to music nor even watch TV. I'm at a loss as to how other people use sick days to catch up!
For reasons of my age, I have not experienced those periods. I read many books about these periods after perestroika, I was already attending university. After the opening, books were written (before we knew nothing, we couldn't talk about it). Of course, we were all shocked, horrified by the crimes committed. None of my family members were directly involved. All that remained was to firmly condemn that period and what happened and still happens in those territories. After university I got married and moved to another country.
The world enters a phase of new equilibrium. All still to be defined... (Cold War was a balance. Always a form of violence, but balance) In search of the new balance, the world will change. The world remains violent and knows no other way to change, other than other atrocious, unprecedented violence and wars. We have a pretty tough time ahead of us.
P.S. I really like your writing style. Thank you.
As you know, I think this piece is brilliant. I'm particularly interested in the convergence at this time of the development of technology that further enables this truthlessness -- deep fakes and generative AI (which I particularly loathe) -- with the rise of his Stalinesque strategy (although that last word seems too strong). Combine all this with the singular effect on our brain chemistry of "likes," "shares", and "retweets," we really need to be on the offensive against misinformation. This is where for me it gets really tricky. Have our brains been rewired to such a degree that we are to some degree defenseless when we need to be more skeptical than ever before?
That's a great question, Maria. It's like all this tech has landed on our heads at once, and we're struggling to figure out how to deal with it: meanwhile bad people, as always, seem to be a step ahead of the curve, at least in terms of intuitively knowing how to leverage change to their advantage...
You are right. The Hilter label is the biggest stick to hit leaders with, but lazy thinking. We have to remember the lessons of history, but they are just that, lessons not blueprints. You have to fight the now.
The worrying thing from this side of the pond is all the other liberal democracies, lined up like dominoes, peering over their shoulder at the biggest of dominoes, wondering if there’ll be a ominous rhythmic clatter heading in their direction post-November.
Boy, did you hit the nail on the head. It is a scary time....
Thank you, and yes it is...
You’re welcome.
Yes to all of this, except I think Zone of Interest will be worth seeing as a film in its own right, regardless of how effective the book might be.
Interesting. I'll possibly give it a go, as it's a book I'm not likely to read again... I just generally have a policy of avoiding movies based on books I love ;-)
Well said. That orange mf is just wasting everyone’s time. Am picturing a world where we awaken one morning to the new that the pasty putrid putz has passed on. Hope springs eternal.
Only one typo yippee 💃🏾
Yes, that would be a good morning...
Thanks for the recommendations!
Also, I'm envious. Having a cold is exhaustingly boring because my brain stops functioning ans I can't read nor listen to music nor even watch TV. I'm at a loss as to how other people use sick days to catch up!
It's the ONE thing I can do when I have a cold, thankfully... ;-)
Brilliant piece Michael, despite a couple of trendy errors!
Thank you Ian ;-)
For reasons of my age, I have not experienced those periods. I read many books about these periods after perestroika, I was already attending university. After the opening, books were written (before we knew nothing, we couldn't talk about it). Of course, we were all shocked, horrified by the crimes committed. None of my family members were directly involved. All that remained was to firmly condemn that period and what happened and still happens in those territories. After university I got married and moved to another country.
The world enters a phase of new equilibrium. All still to be defined... (Cold War was a balance. Always a form of violence, but balance) In search of the new balance, the world will change. The world remains violent and knows no other way to change, other than other atrocious, unprecedented violence and wars. We have a pretty tough time ahead of us.
P.S. I really like your writing style. Thank you.
Thank you — I'm glad you enjoyed it. And I think/hope you're right about there being a new equilibrium to be found... time will tell.
As you know, I think this piece is brilliant. I'm particularly interested in the convergence at this time of the development of technology that further enables this truthlessness -- deep fakes and generative AI (which I particularly loathe) -- with the rise of his Stalinesque strategy (although that last word seems too strong). Combine all this with the singular effect on our brain chemistry of "likes," "shares", and "retweets," we really need to be on the offensive against misinformation. This is where for me it gets really tricky. Have our brains been rewired to such a degree that we are to some degree defenseless when we need to be more skeptical than ever before?
That's a great question, Maria. It's like all this tech has landed on our heads at once, and we're struggling to figure out how to deal with it: meanwhile bad people, as always, seem to be a step ahead of the curve, at least in terms of intuitively knowing how to leverage change to their advantage...
You are right. The Hilter label is the biggest stick to hit leaders with, but lazy thinking. We have to remember the lessons of history, but they are just that, lessons not blueprints. You have to fight the now.
The worrying thing from this side of the pond is all the other liberal democracies, lined up like dominoes, peering over their shoulder at the biggest of dominoes, wondering if there’ll be a ominous rhythmic clatter heading in their direction post-November.
Yes... that prospect scares the hell out of me too. If Trump gets in and pulls out of NATO, it could happen fast.
Superb
Thank you - glad you liked it!