Day: November 18, 2022
My Observations of the Russian “Brain Drain”
One of the explicitly stated goals of anti-Russian sanctions was to trigger a “brain drain,” the country’s best educated skilled labor leaving for greener pastures. This tactic worked before on Russia, but is it working now? Well, let’s think about it. I write this on my phone as we leave Moscow by train for the … Read more
Part III—Towards a Practical Tribalism: Human Nature and the Technosphere (Page 1)
Fools’ Errands, Objectives, and Oversized Glasses There is a certain hopeful foolishness in any program to make the world a less awful place. Just as importantly, there is a confidence in one’s power and the power of one’s readers. The truly powerless can do nothing. They cannot so much as resign themselves to their fate, … Read more
Is Ukraine the New Poland?
Once upon a time, stop me if you’ve heard this story before, Anglo diplomats surveyed the ruins of a fallen empire, and hatched a nefarious plan. They insisted on the creation of a militaristic right-wing pseudostate, with borders drawn up in a way that would be deliberately provocative to her neighbors. Then the Western powers all swore that this weird artificial state had inviolable sovereignty and signed unenforceable mutual defense pacts with her. Just creating this imaginary country was a weird and stupid idea, and that decision was made even more weird and stupid by the following mutual defense agreements. Even a small border dispute would immediately and inevitably erupt into a world war, and of course that’s exactly what happened.