This is what’s keeping me up at night…….

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Jess:  This is what’s keeping me up at night:

The US’s apoplexy over Huawei’s domination of 5G communications technology.  This is a potentially Suez Canal level conflict between US and China.  The states trying to pressure European “allies” not to adopt the tech.  Former European partners, today in the Trump era, saying “What, you need us now?”

There is also such an interesting discourse on about control of behavioural data, almost big brother stuff:

The economics of it:  Shoshana Zuboff’s, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Powerand the ideology of it:  Farah Panith’s, How We Win: How Cutting-Edge Entrepreneurs, Political Visionaries, Enlightened Business Leaders, and Social Media Mavens Can Defeat the Extremist Threat.

Phil: And let’s not forget Platform Capitalism Pt. 2:

The fabric of US civic culture is unravelling at a time where capital is unfettered to move internationally.  It appears that American capitalists believe that they can afford to let their country be a second-tier player over the next 50 years.  Given Huawei’s current virtual lead in telecom tech, going forward, Apple, Google and Facebook will be facing a continuing decline in dominance.
In the meantime, the political class can only muster regressive bullying tactics.  Stop Huawei, but offer nothing in return.  Not just a question of “needing us now”, but that AND nothing to offer in terms of world class communications.  The Suez parallel is apt.
As with China, you need the state at the centre of things in order to set up 5G infrastructure, as America needed the gov’t to create the Interstate and rail network.  Neither Silicon Valley, nor the politicians, seem to give a shit about this.  They think it is unnecessary.  Bullying and private interests are deemed to be enough, but they aren’t. You need more substantive, productive guarantees.
The article below does a good job at showing how dysfunctional American society is.  Hard to create a coalition that can elect a political regime that is woke to actual state of the world, tech and development trends when you have so many folks utterly bent on denying basic reality.  As the stories of these women show, getting sensible info is not that hard, but you can remain stupid for a long time.
Jess:  Yup, business as usual:
Chan:  ….bullying won’t work: Germany breaks with 5Eyes over Huawei (even as Merkel takes lead in EU”uber-hypocrisy” supporting US regime-change in Vzla; US under Orange Clown is not alone in being riddled with contradiction&incoherence)
Chinese are way ahead of US-led western coalition in skills and innovation when it comes to 5G technology so what is to be done if bullying is no longer effective, neither is waging direct or indirect War (Syria & now Vzla)
& Ru leads by “years” in “hyper-sonic” ICBM technology? this while “west”  takes its time to “update” its Boeing 737MAX software after two disasters in 6 months.)
American “chickens are coming home to roost” -Rev Wright:

Phil:  On that note, it becomes difficult to say that this is a country that lost itself, lost its drive and direction.  What we are seeing is actually the culmination of its violent and contradictory founding impulses.  Now, with nothing but empty bullying, a good bit of it directed to its own people, we are looking at spiralling nihilism.

It is one thing to respond to a leader’s mendacity with the idea that you don’t listen to what he says, but what he means to say. Yet, a full accounting of reality is elsewhere, some of it putting into question one’s own cherished truths.  It is hard work to stay on track with this, and it appears that America has few people ready to step up to the challenge.
At the end of the day, no one [e.g. a bright, promising politician], no thing [e.g. tech, internet] can save them.  Regular Americans have to be able to do it themselves: there are too many areas of life to manage and rectify. It cannot be delegated or automated.  If they cannot, or will not take stock, they are doomed.  They no longer have the luxury of choice between left, soft left [e.g. Biden] and right.  If they want to survive, there is no alternative but a hard left, not only in the political sphere, but the media and academy as well.

Chan: great post Phil. Can’t say i disagree with anything there.

as to ” If they want to survive, there is no alternative but a hard left, not only in the political sphere, but the media and academy as well” or as great Rosa Luxemburg put it, choice is between barbarism & socialism
Jess: Nice, but I beat him to the analogy.

Phil:  Indeed, Jess wins this round in “Name the Analogy”.

And this echoes with my previous post:

In the American homeland, meanwhile, bitter political divisions make daily headlines, exacerbated by the pugnacious style of the Trump regime. Nativism and racism have raised their ugly heads to new highs for recent times.

Abroad, allies are talking back and breaking ranks, while rivals gain ground and influence at US expense. At home, the nation chases its own tail incessantly, even as national institutions decay.

A moribund nation can only put forward moribund leaders.  Hello, Biden.  More faux life.  

As Chan and I discussed, America has a [excuse the sad pun] trump card, and it is the very thing it is having an existential crisis about.  Who is the real ALIVE America?  AOC, Ilhan Omar, Chelsey Manning.  

If America could just admit reality: the networked world is about inclusiveness.  If America turned back to what’s written on the statue of liberty, it would accrue to it the creativity and productivity from all over the planet that comes from the intrinsic motivation that freedom and support provide.  This is 21st century liberal democracy.  

America [and Canada, for that matter] has a history of amalgamating.  Why not continue?  Most of the other world leadership contenders have a tougher time with this [e.g. Uighurs]. The example of Central and South America shows that it doesn’t all have to happen on US soil. Accruing all the talent that would revel in an open, generous and pragmatic society, and other assisted societies, might just arouse America from its somnolence and jettison it back into contention.

What are the chances?  We know where things are at with the Donald and McConnell.  Ole’ Joe [yawn] is the front runner for the other guys………

We were among the last holdouts on the 737, but we did beat the US by a day.  Time to seriously consider letting Meng Wanzhou go, not to please the Chinese, but to get our sense of reality right.  Instead of voting for the wanker who calls himself a feminist, maybe it’s time for the real thing.

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