I was lucky enough to “read” 21 articles this morning. I say “read” since I usually use the “Instapaper App” to have articles read to me while I run or go for my morning walks. It is how I can stay on top of the news (aka feed my news addiction) and get other important things done as well (also works for housework).
Most of what I read today did not stand out – but two articles are worth highlighting. Both are about, well the current occupant of the role of POTUS. I try to avoid posting much on him mostly because so much mental and type space is already saturated. Nonetheless these two articles stood out.
The first is by conservative writer Bret Stephens at the NYTimes. In this opinion piece he lays out what he sees as the likely path that Trump will take in the coming years against a historical analogy, The Weimar Republic’s Dolchstosslegende or “Stab-in-the-Back Myth.” This was the myth that was successfully used by the Nazis to rewrite history and turn the German WWI outcome into a betrayal by “elites” for which the German people were “victims.” (typical populist fare BTW). It is worth the read.
Trump Contrives His Stab-in-the-Back Myth
The second article is also an opinion piece, this one by Dana Milbank at the Washington Post. Milbank opens the piece with quotes taken from George Washington’s farewell (from the presidency) address. The rest of the piece is taken up by Trump’s general response to date to his loss. I’d say its funny, but it’s not.
Trump’s Farewell Address, in his own words
Here are the rest of the articles I read – these were fine articles and I’d say please read them too. They just didn’t stand out for me.
Opinion | Trump’s dam finally breaks. But we cannot go through this again.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/11/24/dam-breaks-we-cannot-go-through-this-again/
Opinion | Trump Wars II: The Loser Strikes Back
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/23/opinion/trump-mnuchin-federal-reserve.html
Opinion | Trump’s legacy may be an increasingly authoritarian Republican Party
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/11/23/trumps-legacy-may-be-an-increasingly-authoritarian-republican-party/
Pennsylvania Supreme Court dismisses lawsuit against mail ballots with prejudice in another defeat for Trump
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pennsylvania-supreme-court-dismisses-lawsuit-against-mail-ballots-with-prejudice-in-another-defeat-for-trump/2020/11/28/d1d50ef4-31d2-11eb-96c2-aac3f162215d_story.html
Five Questions Productive People Ask Themselves to Stay Focused
http://inc.com/rhett-power/5-questions-productive-people-ask-themselves-to-st.html
A Simple Acronym Sums up What’s Wrong With Social Media
http://qz.com/1427738/acronym-sums-up-problem-with-twitter-facebook-other-platforms
Background investigations: How to get a security clearance for a federal job
https://www.federaltimes.com/management/2020/08/16/background-investigations-how-to-get-a-security-clearance-for-a-federal-job/
How Tony Hsieh Tried to Single-Handedly Transform Downtown Las Vegas
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/28/us/tony-hsieh-las-vegas.html
Publisher apologizes for ‘auditory blackface’: A minstrel-like performance of a Black woman’s essay
https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/11/28/fireside-black-essay/
The 200-year-old mentor « Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science
https://statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2020/11/22/the-200-year-old-mentor/
Opinion | General Motors’ parting shot at Trump bodes well for the Biden presidency
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/11/23/general-motors-parting-shot-trump-bodes-well-biden-presidency/
Opinion | The Republican Party has split in two. Let’s keep it that way.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/11/23/republican-party-split-two-lets-keep-it-that-way/
Largest COVID-19 contact tracing study to date finds children key to spread, evidence of superspreaders
https://www.princeton.edu/news/2020/09/30/largest-covid-19-contact-tracing-study-date-finds-children-key-spread-evidence
Garry Trudeau is spoofing the Trump presidency by treating it as ‘a hostile takeover’
https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/07/15/garry-trudeau-trump-doonesbury/
Resilience thinking and transformative business leadership
http://executive.stockholmresilience.org/
Fanfic The News
https://owillis.substack.com/
What is exploitation anyway?
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/what-exploitation-anyway/
‘Within Seconds Everything Was Gone’: Devastating Floods Submerge the Philippines
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/18/world/asia/philippines-floods-photos.html
Germany Needs to End Hungary and Poland’s Blackmail
https://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/83245
*** EDIT ***
I read an additional five articles – worthy of being listed but no real details. Perhaps the one on Children being a vector for #COVID19 stands out as being contrarian to the current narrative that children do not seem to be vectors for the disease (it is from late September though so perhaps it is dated). Loads more politics. My hope/plan is to reduce the politics readings since, for the most part, they are very short term (fast burn) issues. Though the gestalt can lead to insight, I. Just. Don’t. Have. Time. I am trying to convince myself of this fact. Wish me luck and perhaps hassle me a bit when I stray – but that is _my_ work not yours.
A Christian’s Take on New Age Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing
https://christian-apologist.com/2020/11/28/a-christians-take-on-new-age-wolves-in-sheeps-clothing/
the anti-genius game
https://fredrikdeboer.com/2020/11/29/2049/
Opinion | How Democrats should exploit Trump’s continued effort to hold the GOP hostage
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/11/25/how-democrats-should-exploit-trumps-continued-effort-hold-gop-hostage/
Opinion | Why did Democrats bleed House seats? A top analyst offers surprising answers.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/11/27/why-did-democrats-bleed-house-seats-top-analyst-offers-surprising-answers/
Opinion | Biden unveils a national security team without grifters, trolls or fanatics
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/11/24/biden-national-security-picks-blinken-sullivan/
Ken MacClune 