Welcome! This is an unapologetic, agenda-free zone. Just commentaries on current events that’ll move you to think, laugh, rage, and even cry.
AIDS in America According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV. Blacks, representing only 13 percent of the population, account for 42 percent of all new infections. Whites, making up 76 percent of the population, account for 25 percent. Latinos, constituting 18 percent of the population,… Read more.
Kissinger, authoritarian whisperer of realpolitik Henry Kissinger was a titan of 20th-century geopolitics. But his legacy is as complex as it is controversial. Many hailed him as a master strategist. I railed against him as a cunning narcissist. He courted praise for dispensing sage chess-like geopolitical advice. Yet, I can fairly distill his diplomatic treatise… Read more.
Trump’s perverse appeal to Blacks and Latinos Black and Latino men are signaling their intent to vote for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Polling to this effect suggests a narrative. It’s as bizarre as it is troubling. But they aren’t interested in Trump’s policies. They probably know nothing about them. Instead, Black and… Read more.
Veteran Jokic schools rookie Wemby On Sunday night, the Denver Nuggets defeated the San Antonio Spurs 132-120. Nikola Jokic, the NBA’s two-time MVP, led the Nuggets with 39 points. But all eyes were on the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama. He, of course, is the league’s most-celebrated rookie since LeBron James. He played well, except that nobody was more… Read more.
Negotiating with Hamas sets dangerous precedent Hamas has finally released an American hostage. President Biden on Sunday hailed the release of Avigail Idan, who turned 4 years old during her seven weeks in Hamas captivity and was the first American citizen to be freed by the group. The president vowed to keep working to secure freedom for… Read more.
Hamas releases first group of hostages For the past seven weeks, Israel has been negotiating with Hamas for the release of hostages. But their negotiations resembled a hostage standoff in America between trigger-happy policemen and a barricaded gunman. After all, Israel has been bombing Hamas relentlessly. And Hamas has been holding onto its hostages for dear life. … Read more.
‘Charlie Brown’ I was happy to grow beyond my childhood fantasies and rituals. Indeed, it felt like a rite of passage. I stopped believing in the Bible, the Tooth Fairy, and Santa Claus and no longer had to attend Church. But I don’t mind admitting that I never grew out of watching Charlie Brown. This enduring interest stems from the indelible impression Franklin made on… Read more.
Firing Altman at OpenAI Two weeks ago, I published “AI: Sowing the Seeds of Our Own Extinction.” I delineated why AI poses existential dangers that make nuclear bombs look like stink bombs. But even I had no idea that the mad geniuses developing AI were already engaged in an existential battle. That battle led to the summary and sensational firing of OpenAI… Read more.
Companies fleeing X over antisemitism A growing list of companies has suspended advertising from Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, amid the ongoing fallout over antisemitic content. … In response to an X user who had blamed the rise in online antisemitism on Jews, alleging they promoted ‘hatred against whites,’ the… Read more.
F1: more show than sport Corporate barons are more interested in promoting Formula One than in making races more interesting or competitive. This has been the case for years. That’s why it’s surprising that Max Verstappen is the first driver to complain about the rank marketing of F1 at the expense of the sport itself. As Las Vegas… Read more.
