Countries and People Who Dislike Us
Sometimes I feel bummed about our country, but then when consider the alternative and in particular, the folks that don't like America - here are the list -
Iranian Ayatollahs
Chinese Communists
Russian Fascists
Palestinian Terrorist
Yemeni Pirates
North Korean Dictators
That these folks don't like us suggests to me that we're doing something right.
17%
Per this Niall Ferguson youtube clip, only 17% of the world's population lives under liberal democracy. Can this be right?
Mark Cuban
What's going on with this guy? First, he sells the Mavericks suddenly and totally gives up control. It made me think the guy has a terminal disease. Now, he's wading right into the middle of the culture war by taking the side of DEI the moment when the tide is turning against it. Sort of like signing up for Napoleon's army once he got to Moscow. Strange decision. It makes me wonder now if there is some type of legal case or charges of pretty bad behavior coming down the pipe for the guy and he's looking for some type of exit ramp. I dunno. It's quite weird.
Innocent Palestinians
When people use the term innocent Palestinians - are they referring to the people whom Hamas gives Israeli hostages to hold in their apartment for 50+ days? Are they innocents? Non-combatants? I really want to know since all these pro-Palestinian folks seem to be war crime legal experts now.
In 500 Years...
Historians will look back at our present and make one of these two observations:
1) There was a time period in a place called America where men pretended to be women and women pretended to be men and common practice was to just pretend this was normal. Or...
2) There was this time period where people were so ignorant, they thought the body you were born into was the same thing as your essential soul.
I wish I could bet on this somehow.
Unreality
What reality are Taleb and Macaes living in where they think Israel or any country with capability would standby stoically while their neighbors assemble and plot their mass murder? My question for those criticizing Israel's post Oct 7th actions: what should they do? What is the alternative to dismantling Hamas? How could they possibly allow Hamas to operate in Gaza as before? It wouldn't work. Taleb and Macaes know it won't work. Do they think ANY country or people with any sort of power would be able to take the higher road after such an assault and invasion? Do they think there is some moderate group of Palestinians who can "reign in" Hamas? Where is there any evidence of this?
Their criticisms do not reflect the reality facing Israel or any country.
Malcolm X
Reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X...his father just killed and everyone in the family thinks he was murdered by the Black Legion, a Klan offshoot. Insurance company refuses to pay because they believe it was a suicide. Officials think it was a streetcar accident. So I want to find the truth and look it up. You wouldn't believe how difficult it is to find out any information on the internet - all records just cite what Malcom says in autobiography. Even ChatGPT 3.5 says this:
Malcolm X's father, Earl Little, was indeed killed, but the circumstances surrounding his death are a matter of historical debate. Earl Little, a Baptist minister and supporter of Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), faced threats from racist organizations. Some accounts suggest that he may have been targeted by the Black Legion, a white supremacist and terrorist organization active in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s.
On the night of September 28, 1931, Earl Little was found dead on the streetcar tracks in Lansing, Michigan. Officially, his death was ruled as an accident, with authorities stating that he had been hit by a streetcar. However, Malcolm X and his family believed that his father had been murdered, and they suspected the involvement of the Black Legion.
The Black Legion was known for its violent tactics and intimidation against African Americans, Jews, and other minority groups.
While the exact circumstances of Earl Little's death remain unclear, the suspicion that he may have been targeted by the Black Legion reflects the racial tensions and violence prevalent during that time. Malcolm X's upbringing, experiences with racism, and the circumstances surrounding his father's death played a significant role in shaping his views and activism later in life.
The only half decent information is buried deep within an article in the NY Times about Malcolm X's mother.
Family life, solid if not secure, was shattered in 1931, when Earl died after he was run over by a streetcar in Lansing, Mich. The idea that the incident was not an accident — that Earl could have been murdered — became a touchstone of Malcolm’s life story, though it has largely been refuted.
Seems to me this new era of AI provides new tools of propaganda that will make the truth harder to discern.
Logging
Film: Vengeance
By BJ Novak. A strange film. Both a really good and really bad movie crammed into one. Almost like the filmmaker knows what makes a good film, but at the same time that he cannot make one. I really wonder what would've happened if he just tried to make the good film. This would've entailed: no podcast element, no Issa Rae, and no BJ Novak as the star. But strangely, would've meant keeping Ashton Kutcher doing what he did in the movie, a couple more script rewrites, and a little more design/style in the filmmaking.
Logging
Book: Journey Into Fear by Eric Ambler
A lesser known spy novelist from WW2 era known for amateur/regular people falling into the espionage world. An alright book that works as a decent look at how we have become much more sophisticated, wise to the ways of the world and at the same time less patriotic.
Film: You Me and Dupree
A solid concept, strong cast, but entirely flat execution. 3rd act storytelling really wanes. Way too long. Strange this a film by the Russo brothers of The Avengers fame.
Logging
Film: The Edge
Caught on good old fashioned hotel room TV last night. Couldn't stop watching. By no means a great film, but a satisfying (what they now call elevated) genre flick. They used a real bear. So when a guy gets eaten instead of CGI-ing the bear, they literally created a man-shaped doll and gave it to a real bear to tear to pieces. It was awesome!
This Sums Up the Man
Obama's list of best films. As dumb as his lists were before, he takes it to the next level this year by including some movies he produced. This sums up the man well: he wants to be both a filmmaker and movie critic. But of course, doesn't have the balls to actually make a film as a director or writer or actor and let someone else judge his work. Nor does he feel any need to write anything about any of the films he choose, or why he chooses them. You might think W painting pictures of his dog is a dumb hobby, but it's so much more impressive than what Obama is doing.
Logging
Film: Monster
Some great moments and performances, but perhaps my least favorite Kore-eda film of the several I've seen. Quite a bit of the dramatic situation felt forced in order to land an effect. Ultimate "mystery" didn't pay off - a bit shallow and par for the festival circuit course.
Film: Best of Times
Get past the silly conceit and there are pleasures to be had. Two stand out "big" scenes in the Elks lodge and the double date - both using clever dramatic irony to comedic effect. The scene where the girls and guys struggle to talk about world events - what better times those were...
Harvard Pres...
Seems like folks have uncovered 5-10 instances of plagiarism...which seems like quite a lot given she hasn't written much.
My guess is that she's been plagiarising for as long as she can remember dating back to high school. What an ugly shame - just imagine how many other unethical and poor little decisions a person like this makes throughout her everyday life.
Mmmmm...K
Now Taleb on the Palestinians "were never offered a state train." I suppose next they'll be telling us all the billions of aid didn't go into tunnels and weapons.
Menu Anxiety
34% of Gen Z report "menu anxiety" when ordering a meal. Not to defend Gen Z, but I somewhat relate to the general stress of the retail experience. During the Christmas season, I am reminded of pre-internet Christmas shopping and how much I hated it. Actually going to retail stores can give me a headache. Nevertheless, that we need such a term explains a lot. These are the same people who support the Palestinians. So if you find this future threatening perhaps you should not. Israel could defeat these losers by opening up restaurants and making the menus a tad more complicated that average to crush their spirits.
Logging
Film: Napoleon
I enjoyed The Last Duel, so I was quite looking forward to Napoleon despite the negative reviews. I went in happy to overlook whatever flaws took place in the narrative for some cool battle sequences. But I came away unimpressed and wanted to know a lot more about Napoleon. First flaw - you would hardly know why Napoleon is considered one of the greatest military commanders of all time by watching the film. He actually seems like a bit of a loser. Also it seemed to me he dumbfucked his way into power in the film and I can hardly believe this is historically accurate. The research on the military-political stuff felt wikipedia level deep. So fine, the film concentrates more on the Josephine love story. But does it? I feel like the majority of scenes were the two of them sitting on a couch together with glazed, confused looks interspersed with some unsexy doggystyle scenes. In this respect, it had similarities with the Last Duel. Did Scott do some research on sex in that era? Was it predominantly doggystyle that women didn't enjoy? I wonder...
The best parts are few and far between moments of self-deprecating humor - Kirby taunting Napoleon's "costume," his attempts to impress children by taking credit for burning Moscow, describing the fate of his pork chop coming to his plate, etc. But the humor bits didn't land because we weren't invested enough in the narrative.
The Right of Return
Yglesias ponders the unhealthy obsession. You know, if these 3rd generation removed Palestinian kids actually had the right of return, they would maybe visit once, find it pretty boring and unnoteworthy and then return to their normal lives. You know how I know this? Because my mom lived in a farming community in the late 1940s in California and my kids have gone exactly once in their lives and never ask about it at all!
A Forever Problem
Affirmative action creates a "forever problem." What do I mean? I was just reading about Disney being in a big pay equity lawsuit with some female executives. And several thoughts occurred to me: if you're being underpaid by your employer, isn't the move to leave for an employer that would pay you what you're worth? How is it efficient to stay for nearly a decade and then sue? While there might be some friction issues with my solution, the main point is: these ladies know they couldn't make that much more "out there."
And I got to thinking about what happens if you use affirmative action in hiring. By definition you are choosing someone less based on merit and more for their diversity. Maybe a decent number of these hires will catch up and be productive members of the team. Maybe some will become all stars. But by definition, as a group, they will underperform their peers presuming the company knows what it is doing with respect to hiring. So you'll get into this situation when down the line, the affirmative action group will make less money than their peers, get promoted less, get lower performance bonuses and so forth. Then will come the lawsuits and claims of "unequal pay." So almost by definition, if you do affirmative action hires, you will down the line also be guilty of unequal pay.
The alternative would be pay your affirmative action hires equal to their higher performing peers. It might work for a short while, but soon the high performance people will grow disgruntled and leave for greener pastures. So you will be in this race to the bottom situation eventually where you will lose the most productive and keep the least productive.
This will work across different levels of society. We're seeing this in education right now. Everyone realizes the average Asian person at Harvard scores (or would score if they took SATs) around 1500. And every African American at Harvard probably scores around 1300. Well, maybe most Asians who score 1500 are okay with this and presumably the African Americans scoring 1300 are okay with this, but guess who isn't (and shouldn't be) okay with this? Asians who score 1300-1500 and African Americans who score 1500!
And so it goes on. I wonder what the impact across generations will actually be? I know all the proponents think the future will be a Benetton Ad, but it will be more likely be goofier and more corrupt forms of epic copes than we see today.
Interesting
It actually seems like the NBA is going to crack down on Draymond Green. An "indefinite" suspension.
Notes on Luttwak Podcast
From Hidden Forces:
-Xi Jiping planning for Taiwan invasion. Why? War starts with a concept. Xi has it in his head Chinese to establish themselves as a war fighting people.
-Evidence: promoting violent, unprovoked actions against India on the border.
-Evidence: ordering the production of wheat/grain against growing oranges, fruit, etc because planning for future sanctions.
-Evidence: leading political theorist right now in China (and Xi's intellectual boss) believes China's communist party will fall unless democracies proven to be weak/ineffectual.
-How? Xi will put pressure on Taiwan and count upon treason from Generals within Taiwanese army. He sees some KMT members in powerful military positions in Taiwan as essentially mainlanders who when push comes to shove will lose on purpose. Evidence: they already have apartments build for them in Beijing.
-What else? Xi wants a skirmish against the US to prove China is tough. Maybe over Taiwan.
-Luttwak makes the point the Han are wonderful people, but not warlike. They've been controlled by other groups for centuries - the Mongols and the Japanese. He said there would still be Japanese garrisons in China if not for the Americans.
Update
Apparently I've been mistaken. Previously, I've often joked wokesters should be fired from their President of Universities and other DEI positions and instead get jobs as baristas. But it turns out wokesters can't even do that job.
She Is Thoughtful She Is Kind
Words of support from alumni and faculty for Claudine Gay.
“She is thoughtful. She is kind. She is resolutely dedicated to the growth and wellbeing of our very diverse community."
You would think she was a kindergarten teacher rather than the President of the most former most prestigious university on the planet.
Jersey Man
Sentenced to 8 years prison for shouting racial slurs at neighbors. I bet he regrets turning down that Harvard scholarship where he would've been protected by free speech.
Wow - Claudine Gay
She should be fired not just for her disastrous performance, but for being a total fraud. In nearly any profession she'd be long gone.
Resignations Are Just the Beginning
Not only should the 3 Presidents resign, the entire DEI bureaucracy needs to be dismantled. Title IX should be overturned or rewritten. This is de-Nazificiation shit. Once the money for this stuff is gone, it'll be all over. Everyone will be happier. All the minorities in America will. be fine. Or at least no worse off. Literally no one will be harmed except for the people who making a living in DEI and dedicated their lives to it. And they deserve to lose those fake jobs. In fact, in the long run, even they will be better off because they'll be forced to do something of actual use to the world like teach kids to read or make coffee.
Treason
Thinking about all these pro-Hamas people in the West...college students, DSA groups, CAIR, etc. What are they actually guilty of? Well, they are entitled to their speech, differing opinions, etc. We continually cherry pick instances of maybe where their speech crosses over into incitement. But is this really the point? I don't think so. What I think the lies beneath all this is a more fundamental thing: many of these folks are treasonous. They don't care about the Palestinians or Hamas or any of that. They actually just hate their own countrymen. They want to overthrow the government. They don't come out and say it, but if pressed, I bet they would admit it. They don't have any clue about what would replace it - they'd just pick up a bad Communist playbook if they got the opportunity. But treason is giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Well? Is Hamas not our enemy? Is supporting Hamas not an act of treason? Can someone explain why not?
What I like about this formulation is that I actually think there are quite a lot of people who make valid points about the poor decisions of our foreign policy and the poor decisions of Israel. But those type of valid arguments get completely drowned out by the vast number of people who simply want the US and Israel and the whole Western system to fail. Treason is a serious crime. Why don't we charge people with it more? It might make our political discourse a whole lot more fruitful. We need to get rid of the fringes because they glom on and take over. So yes, many people will think I'm crazy for suggesting locking up my political enemies. But that's exactly what I'm saying: these are the political enemies of civilization and a few thrown in jail will make the rest go back into hiding and working customer service jobs like they should be.
DEI
Institutions captured by DEI won't reform for the same reason that when a club or restaurant becomes lame, it stays lame. Because the lame people will stay and the cool people leave. DEI solves a real issue: what do mediocre losers do? They know they can't leave the DEI gig because there is nothing else they can do that would be remotely as rewarding. It's Harvard President or barista.
The Thing Is Not The Thing
One of the best points re: Western leftists I've come across lately.
What actually matters is the behavior of Western leftists, who care about the Palestinian cause precisely because it is so hateful and dysfunctional, just as how they romanticize the most anti-social elements of the criminal underclass at home.
All This Fake Grass
My kids and I play sport on this fake grass. Beyond my suspicions this causes extra injuries, the plastic shit gets all over your shoes and socks. What happens to all this shit? Where does it go all this little plastic crap? Wherever it ends up, it can't be great. However this shit is made - it isn't natural. I never wondered any of this with real grass.
More on the University Presidents...
Even Elizabeth Warren is shitting on the University Presidents! Senator Pocohontos for all her loony ideas, is at least intelligent and capable. She can tell these three don't meet the basic qualifications for leadership. Why? We all know why. Affirmative action. This is what you get.
Winning
Israel closing in on Hamas leader in Gaza.
If this constitutes Hamas "winning," someone please explain to me what Hamas losing would look like.
Free Speech and Genocide
I consider myself a pretty free speech absolutist, but it's obvious you can't cry "fire in a crowded a theater." In a similar logic, Charles Manson was found guilty of murder for inciting his followers. It is illegal to tell someone suicidal to go kill themselves, is it not? Seems to me campus radicals calling for genocide of the Jews is a layup in terms of speech that crosses the line into incitement. The 3 women Presidents say, it depends on the context. Well, the context is this: you have thousands of willing mass murderers on standby with guns right next to a whole lot of Jewish people in Israel. I'd say that qualifies as incitement, wouldn't you?
How hard would it be to say the following:
1) Calling for genocide against Jews or anyone else is a violation of our student code. This does not constitute free speech, but rather an incitement to violence.
2) That said, no one on our campus has called for the genocide of Jews. Merely supporting a Palestinian state or the Palestinian dreams of statehood cannot be construed as "calling for genocide."
3) That said, there has been a worrying amount of support Hamas on our campus. We as an institution completely and entirely denounce Hamas as an illegitimate and illegal terrorist organization. And we need to do a lot of soul searching to figure out exactly why members of our community are defending and supporting mass murderers. We believe these members are entirely wrong and we need to dissect exactly what is going on here. We will investigate and should we find violations of the student or faculty code we will swiftly act. At our school there is ample room for political dissent. But there is not going to be any tolerance for incitement to violence, celebration of wanton murder and destruction, or antisemitism or racism. In addition, gross propaganda the types of which are spread by Hamas and its supporters will be met with a powerful chorus of truth and accuracy.
Or something along those lines. It's not hard.
And let me make the gender point again. A man who had any sort of father or male friends or even just played pick up basketball with other dudes would not conduct themselves this way in front of Congress. Far left women from the circles these ladies are from have no such social code to adhere to and thus...we are where we are.
If A Game Sucks, Change the Rules
Something is rotten in academia as evidenced by how pathetic the Presidents performed in front of Congress. It comes into such clear focus, doesn't it? Somehow elite Universities can't find the language to describe why calling for genocide is wrong and against their values. Should we let in students who want to become serial killers? How about misogynists who would like to march in favor of murdering women? How about good old fashioned neo-nazis? If the current construction of elite Universities can't figure out why terrorism and genocidal ideations are inappropriate - maybe we need a new construction. Here are a few thoughts:
1) Get rid of tenure. Seems to me tenure hasn't protected Universities from group-think. So...if it's not serving its function, maybe it's past the expiration date.
2) Fire all the crazy professors. Not so hard, was it?
3) Kick out all the crazy students. Was that so hard?
4) Fire all the crazy administrators.
5) Cut tuition by 25%.
Colleges overnight could be great again.
3 Women Presidents
I know people like to say misogyny is the reason we've never had a female president. Perhaps there is an alternative explanation, evidenced by the answers the three women presidents of MIT, Harvard, and UPenn provided to Congress today about whether calling for the genocide of Jews constitutes harassment.
I know that's not the fashionable thing to say, but come on, we're all on some level thinking and knowing that a lot of this DEI crapola is due to women not being able to deal with shit. And yes, of course, not all women...just the median and plus some...
Logging
Film: Guy Ritchie's The Covenant
Gyllenhaal on the down low becoming one of my favorite actors - he's following the model of Denzel or perhaps even Tom Cruise - bringing a level of intensity and craft to tried and true genre pictures for men. This movie is much better than most in the genre. And the first 30 minutes are pretty incredible. At some point, I'd like to watch it right next to the Hurt Locker. But the story suffers a bit from essentially being split into two separate movies. Not quite epic enough to pull it off. And the two pieces don't quite fit naturally - in fact, they may be too similar?
TV: The Bookie Pilot
I really like this comic, Sebastian Maniscalco but boy this pilot is lame. I guess Chuck Lorre saw Curb and thought to himself: I can do that. He can't. Referencing Two and Half Men throughout this was quite painful to see.
As a side note, Ray Romano has a little bit in here as a sad sack gambler. Romano and Seinfeld are an interesting contrast in how they handled their post sitcom-world triumph. Seinfeld became the flaneur, the man about town always glad-handing with the elite - the man above the fray. Romano seems to have gone in the opposite direction - playing the "loser" in tiny bit parts, content to be a struggling working man. Let's not forget Romano is worth upwards of 200 million dollars.
Logging
Film: The Holdovers
Doubt I'll love a film as much this year. Such an anachronism in 2023. It's incredibly patient, maybe even slow. But builds so well to quiet revelation after revelation about its characters. Did not cheat any moment - nothing felt ham-fisted, gratuitous, or fake.
And yes, I'm going to buy Marcus Aurelius's Meditations. Shouldn't you?
Win
I agree with the basic premise in Richard Hanania's substack: the Palestinians must lose hope. Otherwise they won't change. The plan for the Israel and US should be this: win. Here's a theory about how:
1) Palestinians lose half of Gaza now. It becomes a buffer state. They lose all their Israeli privileges, ie work visas, etc. Maybe Israel operates the water and power from the buffer region or something if the Palestinians for some reason cannot provide basic services to themselves.
2) If Hamas pulls any more shit, they lose another half of what they've got. And so forth.
4) Expel a random 50% of all students who broke student codes during the Israel-Palestine protests. Going forward any student who breaks the student codes gets no warning. They're gone. And yes, this means foreign students will lose their visas. Adios.
The war would be over in a couple weeks.
A Fake Country
An interesting challenge would be to describe the difference between a real and fake country.
Logging
Film: To Catch a Killer
Not a great thriller by any stretch, but I still enjoyed. Why? Because I enjoy just about any decent crime drama.
Film: Road House
Great storytelling... the absurdness of the opening bar scene of just total mayhem and destruction while Swayze just watches (Yojimbo-like)... totally works in the way pro wrestling works - pure drama / emotion / absurdity - setting up how the bar needs to change. Screenwriting lesson: when an underneath truth is being expressed you can get away with bonkers shit. This is why I hate docudramas generally - they often mask pointlessness behind being a "true" story whereas a film likes Road House hides truths about how to have a spiritual center beneath ridiculous fights.
Making The Rounds...
A video of Bibi Netanyahu boasting how he torpedoed the Oslo Accords and manipulates America.
Supposedly this is offered as "proof" that Israel has long undermined the Palestinian state and America are fools. A few things...has anyone got videos of what Arafat or the leaders of Hamas say about America in their private living rooms? What Putin or Xi say? Or for that matter Trudeau, Macron, Blair -- whoever -- I promise you they all talk shit and boast. How do I know this? Because they are men. Bibi is talking here like every guy I've ever known says to himself in the company of comrades - "oh man, she was totally down for it...she totally wanted me...," "or, man, I could've kicked that guy's ass...man if he said one more thing..."
Come on...
Sunday
Last Sunday I was riding on a quiet bike path and passed three people handing out Jesus pamphlets. The though occurred to me that 20-50% of people who went full woke will end up hardcore Christians. Why not? Christianity has many of the "good" elements of wokeness and has figured out how to get around the more absurd, goofy, and indeed evil aspects of it. If you view wokeness as a sort of religion/world view that helps people cope - it seems to me Christianity is stronger and more effective medicine.
Bruno Macaes - A Lie
On twitter, Macaes says the Palestinians never walked away from a deal in 2000. This is news! I suppose Thomas Friedman had bad intel on this in From Beruit to Jerusalem? Or Bill Clinton - who had just negotiated a similar peace in Northern Ireland - also lied about Arafat walking away from the deal? Is this guy kidding? What sources is he working with? This is one of the most well known and well documented negotiations in recent history. Now, he's saying this is false?
Logging
Film: Asteroid City
Wes Anderson has become more Wes Anderson over time. A good thing, I think...
Film: The Flash
Are movies meant to make sense? I know they aren't meant ONLY to make sense, but I mean this in a literal way. Should they make any sort of sense? I wonder what a viewer from 1955 would make of The Flash or Everything Everywhere All At Once. I think they would think the world had lost its mind. And I suppose in a way, they would be right.
And separate from his personal issues off screen, I find Ezra Miller really difficult to watch.
Taiwan Finals Days
Tried another bento box - fried chicken, rice, veggies, egg, cabbage, etc. Delicious. Again - to repeat - impossible to beat cheap eats here.
In group pictures in Taiwan, I'm in the back. This does not happen in the US.
Service in general considerably worse in Taiwan. And that factors in that service in general has gone downhill in the US.
I saw a guy using a pay phone in Taipei. There are still pay phones all around.
At the Brother Hotel, there was a "traditional taiwanese restaurant" and a cantonese dim sum place on the same floor - the traditional taiwanese place was empty while the dim sum place was packed with a 15-20 minute wait.
Rush hour felt like NYC.
Slavery In Korea
Reading about the First Sino-Japanese War (which lead to Japan acquiring Taiwan) - it was only after this war, did the Japanese - of all people - abolish slavery in Korea in 1895. The world is much more complex and strange than you think.
Also note: the Japanese lost more men in the insurrection within Taiwan after they defeated China (Qing) in the First-Sino War. Basically, the Qing gave up Taiwan to Japan, but the people on Taiwan waged a guerrilla war where over 100,000 Japanese troops were needed to suppress the insurrection. Japanese basically just slaughtered villagers they suspected to be part of the resistance. Much of these people hid in the mountains. I'm telling you - Taiwan will not be easy to take over.
Taiwan Day 8
In the morning visited Shandao Temple where grandmother-in-law has a shrine. Afterwards, took red line MRT all the way to Tamshui, the end of the line. Visited Fort Santo Domingo - so it turned out the Spanish sailed all the way to Taiwan. In fact, the Spanish set up in the North of Taiwan and the Dutch in the South. Eventually it became clear to the Spanish that the Dutch weren't going anywhere so they abandoned the fort in the mid 1600s. The Dutch took it over. But later in the 1640s, a Chinese General attacked the Dutch and threw them out of Taiwan. The island was under the control of the Qing Dynasty (the last emperor). Something I know most Westerners won't know - the Qing are the Manchu people. Who are the Manchu people? In the 1600s they were a minority of about 1% of the population of China, but managed to take over the entire country. They seemed sort of like cousins / similar to the Mongols although they had a rivalry with them. Anyhow, the people we think of Chinese are Han Chinese...so it's a bit interesting to think about China in the modern context...they were ruled from about 1600-1905 by the Manchu people but during that time there was a lot of mixing between Manchu and Han...afterwards, China descended into chaos - Japan took over Taiwan in 1895 and later Manchuria in WW2...it wasn't until Mao in 1949 did the communists/Han take over China again. And even then, it was a bloody affair and a lot of Chinese fled to Taiwan to form a government in exile.
So I digress. The fort was interesting as was the nearby "little white house." These are strategically located at the mouth of the Tamsui river. This river leads to the sea and is why Taipei is where it is. One day, should China invade, they would probably come up the river to take Taipei. Although, that might be a death trap as one could easily blow ships out of the water from all the nearby land provided they had the ammunition.
A note - perhaps I'm being influenced by the people I spoke to here - but it makes little sense for China to invade Taiwan unless Taiwan's government decided to suddenly declare official independence. First, from a military perspective, invading a big island like this would be a logistical nightmare. It would be a death trap far worse than the beaches at Normandy. There are mountains right down the middle of the country. There are windy old roads everywhere. There are very few beach areas. The weather most of the year is unpredictable. Military units could be scattered everywhere. Trying to form a beachhead could be met with a massive amount of concentrated force. Even if you set up a beach head, an insurgency could always go up and hide in the mountains or in the cities or both. But the bigger reason why an invasion would be stupid: they don't need to. Taiwan is basically Chinese. The mainland just needs to run out the clock on the matter and continue to grow economically and become attractive to the Taiwanese. Eventually, the government of Taiwan will elect a hardcore pro-China government and just fully embrace the "one-China" policy. The only thing that could spoil this eventuality would be a military invasion. Again...I've digressed...
In Tamsui there was an "old street" another hotbed of capitalism somewhat reminiscent of Chinatowns in the US. Lots of snacks and touristy items. I guess these were old commercial streets back in less modern times.
Ate lunch at a weird, empty American place. Kids loved it. Ribs, steak, fries...too much food. Afterwards, I ventured alone out to Nanjing Fuxing area - got some baos at a popular dim sum place in the Brother Hotel. Then, picked up some hainan chicken from Ching Cheng, a local spot. The hainan chicken cost $3 - now I've had two pretty damn good $3 meals and I'm tempted to say that Taipei is one of the best places in the world to eat a meal for $3.
Taiwan Day 6-7
Again working somewhat backwards - Beitou Hot Springs. So Taipei is essentially surrounded by mountains (and a river mouth). Up north is a long dormant volcano. And therefore hot springs. One can rent a room at a hot springs hotel (radium kagaya) just to hang and take baths and chill out in a private area. Enjoyable way to spend a morning without the kids. You can ride up there on the MRT (metro).
Afterwards, we swung down to the Taipei Railway Station to buy a bento box lunch. These lunches cost under $3. They are a glazed pork chop, rice, some bok choy, a braised egg (popular snack), and a fish cake. Incredibly popular at the major railway stations across Taiwan for commuters. The weirdest thing about them: the railway makes them. This would be like Amtrack making sack lunches in the US and selling them at Amtrack stations - only the lunches are beloved. It was a good lunch. Great, if you consider the price.
Next, over to Dongmen Station and Yangkang Street. Ate delicious mango shaved ice, scallion pancakes, hung in a park, wandered around the neighborhood. Probably my favorite neighborhood stroll thus far - just lots of cute shops, spots, places to eat, etc. I later find out it's "one of the coolest streets in the world" according to internet travel websites. We grabbed some beef noodle soup to take home for dinner. Solid. (Lao Zhang Beef Noodle Diner)
The night before the above, we went out around our neighborhood - couldn't get into the cool whiskey bar (closed for private event). Wandered around to some streets that seemed Japanese to find a bar. Eventually landed on a place called O-Bar. Rules of this place: 2 drink minimum plus a service fee, which I think was more expensive if the waitress girls hung out at your table. We declined this option, but the rest of the tables seemed to be doing it. A bit strange.
Before, we had hot pot dinner. Not the type of hot pot I was used to - the broth was more pickle flavored and I guess getting rarer and rarer to find in Taiwan. Mainland/Chinese hot pot getting more popular here.
Before that, we spent the day at Taipei Children's Amusement Park - half Great America, half carnival. Good bang for the buck compared the hundreds I spent at Universal Studios recently to wait in line 90+ minutes for things. I think it cost $7 to get in per person. A few of the things were extra cost - like a kids mech armor game and a go kart track. No lines.
Night before, a big Thai dinner with extended family. Lots of fun. Drank some Chinese moonshine. I have no idea what you call it. Also tried intestines last night - not for me. Lots of opportunities for adventurous eating and drinking out here.
The Palestinians
A lot of talk focuses on what Israel (or the Jews) should be doing different. How about the Palestinians? These are people who have done the following in modern history:
a) Allied with the Nazis
b) Attacked their neighbors in war and lost numerous times
c) Attempted to take over the country of Jordan
d) Catalyzed the Lebanese Civil War
e) Waged numerous, decades long terrorist campaigns against Israel
f) Are more or less rejected by all their neighbors including Israel
I think we should come to an agreement that the world will value Palestinian lives exactly equal to how much the Palestinians value Palestinian lives.
Taiwan Day 5 Notes
Daytime - Huashan 1914 Creative Park - an old factory built in presumably 1914 now converted into an arts mall. Similar to Liberty Station in San Diego. Accomplished 80% of Christmas shopping - this wasn't the plan, but so many fun things to purchase. Taiwan is like capitalism on steroids in some respects - so many little stores everywhere. Unsure if this is organic, cultural, a good thing or a bad thing. I suppose Hong Kong was like this back in the day. Lunch - kids got a break from Chinese - ate pizza. We had Hainan Chicken at Boon Keng Chicken. Not the greatest I've had, but solid.
Other notes/comments-
Outside our apartment, you open the door and are literally right next to an alley where cars and motorbikes speed by. You wouldn't want a kid just to walk right outside without an adult.
Style-wise, the folks in Taipei do not even come close to what I think of as stylish. Very unlike what I think about when I picture Seoul or Tokyo...some folks are making an effort, but this is not a stylish place. Not a judgement, just something I notice.
Saw an elementary school at recess. It looked like 90% of the kids were playing basketball. Is that at urban thing? A Taiwanese thing? A Jeremy Lin thing?
You often notice signs around Taipei that say "Air Shelter" with an arrow.
Taiwan Day 4
Told in reverse...Raohe Night Market...night markets are popular in Taiwan and throughout Southeast Asia. Why? Tropical heat during the day unbearable, so people go outside at night to hang and consume food. Now? Sometimes night markets are open during the day and cater to tourists. So, they're crowded and I would not say particularly fun or built for locals. Nevertheless, a must visit. I ate a black pepper bun - pork filling dough/bread cooked in a tandoor oven (like naan bread). A japanese pancake with custard. I passed on the stinky tofu and various options for meat on a stick.
Earlier in the day, we did a class on making pineapple cakes, a favorite local treat. That was fun. In general, I'm becoming a much bigger advocate for taking classes. I randomly came across an interview with Tom Cruise (of all people) where he discussed how he came up with the concept of Lev Grossman in Tropic Thunder. Cruise was taking a hip hop dance class at the time and so when Stiller called him up for the role, he said he'd do it under two conditions: fat hands and he could dance. The rest is history. But Cruise said something interesting in the interview: he's always taking classes and learning new things because he never knows how that stuff might find its way into a role. I loved this concept. Anyhow. We made pineapple cakes.
Ate lunch at the famous toilet restaurant. It was gross.
Taiwan Day 3
Afternoon hike on elephant mountain. Supposedly a mild hike of about 30 minutes but the internet fails to mention it is straight upwards! A good work out. This morning parents legs were tired and kids claim no soreness. So I guess 5 and 8 are when the kids surpass the physical fitness of the parents. I do feel that I need to exercise more.
Might've mentioned before - coffee shops everywhere in Taipei. I guess young people like coffee/lattes and American breakfasts. At the bottom of elephant mountain a latte of high quality. Also served "Kyoto style" coffee soft serve. Very popular.
Afterwards Sichuan dinner at Flower Restaurant, another super high quality and not very expensive meal. Some dishes different - actually wasn't as spicy as Sichuan restaurants in San Fernando Valley - a good thing. Incredible juicy beef rib dish along with some type of julienned bean curd. No boiled fish, but did have boiled pork and beef. Mapu tofu was different - can't exactly explain how...
Random observations:
Metro has big glass partitions between platforms and trains. Why I have never seen this before? Brilliant idea. Should be in every metro - no accidents or suicides.
Bathrooms generally well maintained and clean. A lot of people notice this about Asian countries. Nearly all public bathrooms have some type of attendant permanently cleaning up. What a great idea! One thing to point out, however - these clean bathrooms occur in incredibly busy areas and are vital for sanitation purposes. I want someone to do a toilet to population ratio - because I would guess there are far fewer toilets per person in Asia than in the West.
Appliances all seem to be Japanese and instructions written in Japanese. I find this odd. More high tech in a lot of ways, but not always in a sensible way. Automatic electronic locks on doors don't make a ton of sense to me. They seem prone to breakdown or lose electricity at an inopportune time and compound a problem. Same with temperature dials for the shower, etc. You can set them to the exact degree and control electronically like a thermostat. I've personally never had a problem with a simple shower dial. Don't see what problem this solves - and never mind if you can't read Japanese and can barely figure out how to set the temp. Also, it didn't stop the shower from going cold midway through. Taiwan has lots of little remnants of being occupied by Japan if you have the ability to notice them (unrelated to the appliances) but just about zero evidence the Dutch ever colonized this place. Although I learned Taiwan was not really an important Dutch outpost, only a stopping point to Indonesia.
Although lush and green everywhere...you can forgot you're on an island when in Taipei...unlike Hawaii.
Taiwan Days 1-2
14 hour flight to Taipei. Watched two Don Lee films - The Plastic Men and The Round Up. The guy is a movie star -- some people like Jason Statham, others like Liam Neeson. I'm for Don Lee.
Day 1 - staying in Songjiang Nanjiang neighborhood. Convenient location. Not entirely legal airbnb. Street food everywhere in Taipei - sure 100% sure how I feel about it. Some tastes good, definitely cheap but not exactly healthy and clean. That said, I'll try a lot of it. I get the feeling a lot of people who live in Taipei don't cook a ton because it's so easy to pick up food quickly. Right near a 7-11 and a small kids park. Notice quite a number of these little city parks for kids around town. 7-11 very popular. I think people get their coffee and breakfasts there. Hot foods somewhat attractive and similar to street food. Then again, I notice this in LA - a lot of laborers eat their lunch from 7-11 now.
Lunch - beef noodle soup, one of the staple Taiwanese lunch meals. Probably the best I've had - this was sort of the fancy version - the beef super tender and soft. Broth flavorful. I added some spice but actually thought it tasted better without. I still can't figure out the name of the restaurant, but the website is called www.noodle3.com (figured it out: Tien Hsia San Chueh beef). Michelin rated.
Walked around neighborhood. Noticed two wine bars and a lot of coffee/brunch shops. One below us serves a lot of different items they call hamburgers. Some have chicken in them, others with fish. Not sure I'm going to try.
General note: last time I was here was 10 years ago and I see a lot more white, western faces than I recall from before...and apparently american breakfast more popular now (strange because traditional taiwanese breakfast is fav amongst taiwanese folks...)
Dinner - Cantonese restaurant with roasted / Peking duck specialty. Dragon Restaurant. It was terrific. Taipei might be the most efficient place in the world to get a high variety of quality Chinese food at decent (by American standards) prices. American dollar must be strong right now coupled with Taiwan being a tad cheaper in general.
Day 2 - Temple in New Taipei City. New Taipei City used to be countryside surrounding Taipei, but has now developed into the equivalent of New Jersey to New York. Anyhow, the temple we went to was just a bit up a hill and had this wonderful Buddha carved into rock. Then, a narrow rock staircase up through the massive rocks. A highlight of the trip. Kids loved exploring this mountainside. Far up these dirt paths were little huts/platforms set up where people (farmers?) were doing karaoke. I don't totally understand if they live there or just go up there to hang out.
Followed by lunch, shaved ice, and boba in Ximen - a popular tourist neighborhood in Taipei. Massively popular - a lot of young folks in this area...goofy gambling type games for kids (like Pachinko parlors)...a store merchant spoke to me in Korean.
Considered going to basketball game for New Taipei Kings (featuring Jeremy Lin), but waaay too exhausted and looks like we'll miss out on that opportunity.
Visited local wine bar after kids went down - got an Italian red - solid. Rules in bar involved an extra charge should you vomit.
Day 3 - Morning at Taipei 101. Quite a tourist mecca. Perfect weather - great for kids to see entire city from that perspective. When built, it was the tallest building in the world. Super crazy fast elevator. Followed by Din Tai Fung, the original. Menu larger than the LA franchises. Some delicious additional dishes -- a sticky rice with meat dish, golden lava bun, hot and sour soup...
Sorry notes needing to be written quickly...
From The River to the Sea
Matt Yglesias has a funny twitter point about the people in the US who advocate for a secular democracy with equal rights and no ethnic or religious basis "from the river to the sea" in Palestine actually have that system right here in the United States and ought to be celebrating it more effusively.
Taleb and Macaes
I admire both Nassim Taleb and Bruno Macaes quite a bit, so I listen when they offer strident criticism of Israel right now. But I can't help but notice strange themes in their commentary--
1) They seem to think the Israelis have boxed themselves into a stupid/immoral position. Which may be the case. But I find it odd they think the Israelis should be able to play 12 dimensional chess while the bar for the Palestinians is to "try your best not let your representatives commit mass murder."
2) Taleb points out there are 2 billion Muslims in the world. Okay. As if this is an argument to not fight Hamas. Why is this stat always referenced with respect to Muslims. How many white people there are in the world? How many Christians? To what degree does this matter?
3) I find it strange for all these "Pro-Palestinian" folks become rabidly passionate about their condition 5 minutes AFTER Hamas slaughtered all those Israelis. Wasn't the time to be passionate advocates BEFORE the rampage? Don't you think it might've played a bit better?
4) Best line I've heard about a "ceasefire" was from Hillary Clinton: "there was a ceasefire on October 6th."
5) A lot of anti-Israeli people say "Israel is falling into a Hamas trap." Maybe. Is it not equally accurate to say Hamas fell into an "Israeli settler trap?" After all, at the end of this Israel is going to rule Gaza and the West Bank. Who is going to stop the settlers now?
6) A lot of Western liberals say they are Pro Palestinian, not pro Hamas. If that were the case, wouldn't the logical position be to march in favor of a Hamas surrender? And to advocate for 3rd party (non-Israeli rule). Wouldn't that save the most Palestinian lives at this point? But no...they march against Israel and accuse them of war crimes before the war started. They won't say a word against Hamas. Interesting strategy - it would be my approach if I didn't give a shit about the Palestinians at all.
7) General thought: a strategy that would encourage war crimes and racism by the powerful over the weak: how about accusing the powerful of war crimes and racism regardless if they've committed them or not? To put it in perspective - imagine a wife who accuses/treats a husband as if he were cheating regardless if actually was. Doesn't that incentivize the husband to actually cheat? Because you've taken away any repercussions to it. Are we not edging toward that situation in general? Think about generals. In the past, we treated Robert E Lee with respect because he behaved gallantly in war, despite being on the "wrong side of history." If I were Lee today, I'd look at the landscape and say "fuck it." What incentive do I have to behave gallantly? They're going to melt my statue down either which way.
8) So far my big takeaway is that social media has made people more arrogant about their stupidity and more bloodthirsty.
9) In real life, I've yet to meet someone who is vocally pro-Hamas/Palestinian in this conflict. Social media / AI amplifies this bullshit and/or I have a great social filter. All said, I get the impression if Charles Manson was doing his thing right now, he'd have 10s of thousands of supporters in the streets following him.
Radical Proposal
Insane idea that could work: sell the Gaza Strip to Donald Trump. Russia, Saudi, Israel, everyone puts up the money (since Trump doesn't have enough). He can develop it into the greatest tourist destination in the entire world. It's all beach front property. It probably can be bought for near nothing. All the Palestinians get jobs working for Trump hotel and casinos. Pay is generous. Only problem: no guns or weapons of any kind in the entire place. It's like a giant Vegas. This solves two major problems: Hamas goes away. Trump stays occupied. Vlad Putin gets a big penthouse suite. Putin and Trump get to hang and act like heroes. The rest of the world goes on.
Who says no?
My Flood The Tunnels Idea Getting Traction!
Maybe they read public musings...
PS - Looking at a map of Gaza. People keep claiming Gaza is this hellhole piece of shit territory. What are people talking about? This is Mediterranean beach front property people. This could be Miami fucking beach or the Amalfi coast if developed properly. There is one problem and we know what it is.
Tunnels
I know nothing about engineering tunnels, but it strikes me that they need 1) an exit and 2) air. If I were worried the tunnels were full of traps and murderers, I would simply seal the exits and airways. Maybe that is easier said than done? The other option - isn't there an ocean nearby? I'd set up a big hose and just fill the tunnels with salt water. Again...I'm not an engineer.,,
China and Housing
If China and the US were companies, we should probably merge.
We could use the housing and infrastructure. They could use the education, innovation, and culture.
A Feint
I kinda hope the Israel war plan to invade Gaza is a feint as well and they have an actual plan to deal with Hamas leadership and a way to punish Iran.
Anyone Find It Odd...
How the Assad family has routinely committed war crimes, massacred citizens, used chemical weapons on opposition, murdered leaders in an occupied country (Lebanon) -- and nary a peep from the progressive Left, the DSA, the WGA, or a single campus organization about it. I wonder why? It's in the exact same neighborhood. Perpetrated by a minority (Alawite) against Arab and Muslims civilians. Look up the Hama massacre for historical context. For other context - look up what happened in the Syrian Civil War and during the Lebanon protests in the mid 00s.
I really, really wonder what it could be? It's a gigantic mystery wrapped in a riddle...
Mistake
Nassim Taleb pointing out the Arab world is turning on Israel because of the hospital strike. Which turned out to be a lie. He's pointing out new dynamics - more Muslims in Europe, more on social media, etc. Here's what I think: we need to start caring a whole lot less of the Muslim street thinks and they need to starting a lot more about what we think. The Muslim street responds to one thing: the strong horse. We're the strong horse. We need to start acting like it.
And so you say: what is the goal of this war? I say to end Hamas as an organization. The Arabs can get on board or not.
Anti-Israel
Being anti-Israel is code/dog whistle for anti-Semitism. Full stop. Everyone knows it. The entire reason for Israel's existence is to prevent what happened in the holocaust from ever happening again. The "pro-Palestine" position was tried before. The Jews relied on more populous "friends" for defense and political power. We know how it worked out when push came to shove.
Liberal Jews who spout platitudes and criticisms of Israel ought to be super, super careful of what they're empowering and indulging. They're getting in harmony with a tapestry of people who hate their existence and their success. There are psychological reasons for this - read up on scapegoating. Don't indulge this shit. Don't be Little Red Riding Hood. That's not grandma - it's the wolf. Face reality now.
Hospital Bombing
Desire...
Israel doesn't want to bomb hospitals
Hamas wants Israel to bomb hospitals
Who are the good guys? Who are the bad guys?
Don't say it's complicated. It's not.
Why don't pro-Palestinian voices ever say Hamas shouldn't build the political and war infrastructure underneath hospitals?
Redistribution - A Problem with Nepo Babies
A fresh argument for redistribution is the problem of nepo kids. Exhibit #1: Oakland A's owner is the son the folks who created The Gap. A billionaire idiot. He gives two shits about baseball, the A's, or anything and is moving them to Vegas. Why? No reason, just something to do. We see this with Abigail Disney as well - nothing but a last name and a few sociology courses.
I don't know how we can solve this problem, but it's real because the amounts of money controlled by these people are staggering and they can really screw things up.
