Third Culture Queen vol. 3
Semi-daily commentary on geopolitics, inequality and philosophy
(Unfiltered version of this intro is on my blog, and fun links are at the bottom!)
Toni Morrison is a devastating loss, but her words are more pertinent now than ever. She never shied away from having America look itself in the mirror. Some of her essays read like prophecies that came to pass.
It’s heartening to hear that she wasn’t published until she was almost 40 years old. A titan of American letters lived several lives before we ever heard her lyrics.
I’ve included some great reactions to her legacy below. If you read a piece that really touched you that I haven’t included below, please share it with me! I’d love to read it.
If you have time, I highly recommend listening to her Nobel acceptance speech.
1993 Nobel Prize in Literature Lecture | Toni Morrison (Nobel Prize)
A tribute to the “beauty and power” of work by novelist Toni Morrison (Nieman)
'Rest, Toni Morrison. You were magnificent': leading writers on the great American author (The Guardian)
The Truest Eye on Love, Writing and The Greater Good (Oprah)
Toni Morrison and What Our Mothers Couldn’t Say (New Yorker)
Toni Morrison, Whose Novels Were Rooted in Black Lives, Dies at 88 (NPR)
Geopolitics
Afghanistan, US ready to withdraw thousands for Taliban peace deal (WaPo) | “The peace deal reportedly includes a cease-fire and a renunciation of al-Qaeda as part of concessions from the Taliban, while the U.S. would withdraw 5,000-6,000 troops. The officials believe the plan could be finalized before September when the Afghan presidential election is held.”
'Accelerate efforts' to end war in Afghanistan (Reuters)
‘Peace’ in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Yemen (CSIS)
Three blasts rock Afghan capital, govt employees killed (France 24)
What Would It Look Like To Replace U.S. Foreign Intervention With Something Smarter? (The Federalist)
With China, Russia in Mind, Pentagon Adding Stealthy Cruise Missiles (D1)
Africa |
Africa’s Cities Are About to Boom – and Maybe Explode (Bloomberg)
Africa's first tech unicorn Jumia files for IPO (Axios)
Africa will be next major battlefield in ‘Cold War’ w/ US and China (The Sun)
African Governments Rush to Hire Trump-Linked Lobbyists (Foreign Policy)
Deploy full potential of AU to realise pan-Africanism (The Citizen)
Germany’s “A Marshall Plan with Africa” (Federal Ministry of ECD)
Growing Middle East ties vital to Africa’s prosperity (Arab News)
Boris Johnson will accelerate the decline of Europe (The Washington Post) | “The main challenge to global stability and order is the assertiveness of powers such as Russia and China. In such a world, Europe, which has an economy second only to that of the US, could play a crucial role in helping to preserve the rules, norms and values that have been built up since 1945. But Europe would need to harness its power and act with purpose. In fact, it is moving in the opposite direction. We are watching the shriveling of a group of nations that have defined and dominated the international stage since the 17th century. Brexit will only accelerate this sad slide.”
Analysts say a German recession "looks unavoidable" (Axios)
Boris Johnson has no intention of renegotiating Brexit deal (The Guardian)
Britain’s Power Play in the Persian Gulf (Foreign Policy)
Can Europe become global player? (Korea Times)
EU, U.S. Find Themselves in a 'Transatlantic Stretch' Over Policy (Stratfor)
EU Strikes Conciliatory Tone With US on Trade, Calls for Unified Front Against China (The Epoch Times)
France details military 'command of space' plans (France 24)
German recession fears after decline in industrial production (The Guardian)
Greece Is Getting Good at Geopolitics (Foreign Policy)
Italian government on verge of collapse (Politico)
The European Union is a liberal empire, and it is about to fall (LSE)
Beijing let yuan weaken past the important level of 7 to the dollar (CNN) |
Careful what you wish for. If China stops manipulating the yuan and ends capital controls it will be a lot closer to 10 to the usd than 6 to the usd https://t.co/jW5cOFgokfChina dropped the price of their currency to an almost a historic low. It’s called “currency manipulation.” Are you listening Federal Reserve? This is a major violation which will greatly weaken China over time!
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump2020 Democrats punt on Trump's China tariffs (Axios)
Can China become a military superpower? (Al Jazeera)
China’s biggest chipmaker is still years behind its global rivals (CNBC)
China confirms it is suspending agricultural product purchases in response to Trump’s new tariffs (CNBC)
China vows to counter US deployment of midrange arms in Asia (AP)
China, Red Flags from Antiquity (Bloomberg)
Congress to China: ‘Stop Stealing Our Stuff’ (Foreign Policy)
How to Choose Between the U.S. and China? It’s Not That Easy (The Atlantic)
How the U.S. Could Lose a War With China (The Atlantic)
Trump targets rivals in call for WTO to reform 'developing' status (Reuters)
US to soon put intermediate range missile in Asia (Military Times)
U.S. Warship Sails Through Taiwan Strait, angering China (SCMP)
Wrong US response to Russia and China may trigger a “new Cold War” (Vox)
India |
Modi Defends Revoking Kashmir’s Statehood as Protests Flare (NYT)
Pakistan halts train service, bans films over Kashmir (News India Times)
Iran: Is Trump Accidentally Triggering Reconciliation? (The American Prospect) | “By signaling, albeit inadvertently, that America wisely lacks the appetite for a war of choice—or even worse, a war on behalf of Saudi Arabia and the UAE—with Iran, Trump may have opened a window of opportunity for indigenously driven diplomacy in the region by simply stepping aside.”
Brazilian court: Petrobras must supply fuel to Iranian ships (Miami Herald)
China might escort ships in Gulf under U.S. proposal: envoy (Reuters)
Ex-Congressmen Took Cash to Help Saudis and Qataris (The Daily Beast)
Iran hints at ship swap with UK amid de-escalation efforts (The Guardian)
Iran wants more Chinese tourists - a whole lot more (Al Jazeera)
The Strait of Hormuz still sits at the center of global conflicts (The LA Times)
The ancient art of making ships in southern Iran (Tehran Times)
Trump accuses France's Macron of sending 'mixed signals' to Iran (Reuters)
Trump Vetoes Bills Intended To Block Arms Sales To Saudi Arabia (NPR)
Japan-South Korea tensions may worsen (Reuters) | “The situation could worsen if frozen assets of Japanese companies in Korea are liquidated to settle a court ruling to pay compensation to South Koreans forced to work in Japanese factories during Japan’s occupation of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945. Japan has said the issue of compensation for its wartime actions was settled by a 1965 treaty and it wants South Korea to seek international arbitration to resolve the dispute.
Washington is also worried that Japan will follow through on its threat to drop South Korea from its so-called white list of countries that enjoy minimum restrictions on trade in high-tech materials.”
Apple, Microsoft, Foxconn sign up to $108b SoftBank Vision Fund 2 (ZDNet)
Japan Started a War It Wasn’t Ready to Fight (Foreign Policy)
Preeminence Or Partnership? The U.S. In The Indo-Pacific (Eurasia Review)
South Korea may begin defense drills on disputed islands (Japan Times)
The Indo-Pacific: What's in a Name? (Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative)
Russia: WW3 will break out when American empire collapses (Pravda) | "‘The economic and political consolidation of Eurasia as a continent is underway. In the past, Eurasia was divided into two different markets - Europe and Asia. Russia was something like a black hole, the Trans-Siberian Railway was hardly ever used. These days, we can eyewitness the formation of joint Eurasia.
For China and Eurasia, Europe is a small peninsula, not the center of the world. China is a 1.5-billion-strong nation, while Europe has a population of 500 million, which is only a third of the population of China. India is a 1.3 billion-strong country. The population of the Earth is seven billion. If we combine China, India and Indochina, we will have a half of the population of the planet.’”
America Needs a New Economic Plan for Eurasia (Georgia Today)
Annexation Of Crimea Is Consequence Of Increased Great Power Competition (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
How DC, Moscow Can Stop A New Nuclear Arms Race (Foreign Affairs)
Rammstein Band Members Kiss on Moscow Stage to Protest Russia’s Anti-LGBTQ Policies (Newsweek)
Jon Huntsman resigns as U.S. ambassador to Russia to return to Utah for possible run for governor (Salt Lake Tribune)
Russia promises more support for Cuba in face of US pressure (Newsweek)
Turkey |
Syria denounces US-Turkish deal on 'safe zone' in Syria (Stars and Stripes)
Turkey ramps up drilling off Cyprus on eve of peace talks (BBC)
Turkey says happy with US talks on Syria safe zones (Al Jazeera)
Turkey to Conduct Military Operation in Kurdish-controlled Syria (Haaretz)
Turkish government destroys more than 300,000 books (The Guardian)
Turkish military chiefs discuss possible offensive in Syria (Reuters)
United States | Grand Strategy (or a lack thereof…)
American doesn’t need a grand strategy (Foreign Policy)
America’s Other Original Sin (The American Conservative)
Bretton Woods Institutions, the second crisis of multilateralism (BWP)
Make environmental damage a war crime, say UN scientists (The Guardian)
Space Force defenses must stretch to the moon (The Hill)
The Future of Conflict is Proxy Warfare, Again (Defense One)
The New Concept Everyone in Washington Is Talking About (The Atlantic)
The US must restore diplomacy and leadership for a safer world (The Hill)
Unlocking the Gates of Eurasia: China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Its Implications for U.S. Grand Strategy (Texas National Security Review)
US freezes USAID funds, $2-4 billion withheld without Congress (NYT)
Inequality
Interview: Daniel Immerwahr on the ‘Hidden’ US Empire (The Diplomat) |
“In 1945, the United States wasn’t just the richest and most powerful country on the planet. It had also spread out all over the globe. If you take all the lands it had occupied and colonized by the end of that year and add their populations together, you get about 135 million. That means that if you looked up in late 1945 and saw the Stars and Stripes flying overhead, you were more likely to see it because you lived in a U.S. colony or U.S. occupied territory than because you lived in a state. Yet 15 years later, there were only 4 million people living under U.S. jurisdiction outside states (and DC). I think there are two reasons. One is that a global revolt of colonized peoples — who got organized and got weapons — drove the cost of colonies up. At the same time, those “empire-killing technologies” drove the demand for colonies down, because they made it easier for the United States to project power globally without claiming large and populated territories.”
An American Tragedy: Empire at Home and Abroad (Anti-War.com)
Are Empires Always Bad? (History Today)
Brown Bodies, the White Gaze and the Rio Grande (Playboy)
Still blocked from Hawaii peak, telescope seeks Spain permit (AP)
The American West as Judeo-Christian Artifact (CounterPunch)
The problem of mindfulness (Aeon)
What are the Enduring Legacies of the American Civil War? (History Today) | “Ultimately, the power of the state to secure its own existence was confirmed between 1861 and 1865, but the uses to which that power was put after 1865 often had a stronger resonance internationally, certainly in the 20th century, than domestically. And military strength, rather than underpinning a strong, positive, outward-looking central state, gradually evolved into an overly defensive, negative, inward-focussed one. In this respect, as in others, the Civil War’s legacy was one of suffering and stagnation. So, far from uprooting and changing anything, the Civil War left far too much the same.”
As new U.S. law frees inmates, prosecutors try to lock some back up (Reuters)
Birmingham NAACP holds voting rights vigil for landmark law (AL.com)
Collecting Stories in the South, This LGBTQ Archive Shows a Thriving, Although Hidden, History (Queer Appalachia)
In 1933, Langston Hughes star wrote a powerful essay about race. It has never been published in English—until now (The Smithsonian)
Ronald Reagan’s Long-Hidden Racist Conversation with Nixon (The Atlantic)
There is no Method to Trump’s Racism (Vanity Fair)
What Americans Do Now Will Define Us Forever (The Atlantic)
Philosophy
At a crossroads? The democratic socialist revolution is going strong (CNN) | It surprises me I can say the words, “I’ve been a card-carrying socialist for almost two years” but it’s true all the same. DSA is the largest socialist organization the States have seen in 100 years, and it’s nowhere near finished. Seen those protests? It’s no coincidence socialism is back with a vengeance alongside labor.
A Response to Noah Smith about Global Poverty (Resilience)
American Decline? We’ve Been Here Before (Wall Street Journal)
Was the Automotive Era a Terrible Mistake? (The New Yorker) | “Every technology has costs, but lately we’ve had reason to question even cars’ putative benefits. Free men and women on the open road have turned out to be such disastrous drivers that carmakers are developing computers to replace them. When the people of the future look back at our century of auto life, will they regard it as a useful stage of forward motion or as a wrong turn? Is it possible that the age of gassing up and driving will be seen as just a cul-de-sac in transportation history, a trip we never should have taken?”
America’s Roads and Bridges Cost Too Darn Much (Bloomberg)
Climate Change Is Taking a Bigger Toll on Our Food, Water, and Land Than We Realized (Mother Jones)
Deep Dive – The Moon (Axios)
Greenland Is Melting Away Before Our Eyes (Rolling Stone)
Harris, Ocasio-Cortez unveil Climate Equity Act (The Hill)
History, led by the forces all around us (Axios)
Startups Are Abandoning Suburbs for Cities With Good Transit (CityLab)
This Land Is the Only Land There Is (The Atlantic)
Wait, 40 percent of white evangelicals support the Green New Deal? (Grist)
Reward for getting this far…
Fun links galore!
11 Years of Top-Selling Book Covers, Arranged by Similarity (The Pudding)
3D: A New Way to See Milky Way (Axios)
20,000 miles up, Earth is a hypnotic swirl of the familiar and the sublime (Aeon)
"His Brand Is Excellence": How Leonardo DiCaprio Became Hollywood's Last Movie Star (Hollywood Reporter)
How Reese Witherspoon Built an Empire Out of Blonde Ambition (Town & Country)
In Alabama, Huntsville Continues To Play A Large Role In NASA's Exploration Efforts (NPR)
Mapping for humanitarian aid and development with weakly and semi-supervised learning (Facebook)
Mapped: The United States of Elevation (Visual Capitalist)
Maps of the Vanished Rails (Richmond Magazine)
Monica Lewinsky on FX’s Impeachment: American Crime Story (Vanity Fair)
Pass the Duchy: Luxembourg’s grand plan to legalize cannabis (Politico)
Robot cage fights and flying taxis: leaked documents reveal Saudi Arabia’s plans for its next megacity (The Verge)
San Francisco Will Raise Maya Angelou Sculpture (Hyperallergic)
Sketching Wakanda: Building a world where Black creators thrive (Scalawag)
The Mesoamerican attraction to magnetism (The Harvard Gazette)
The History of the Barbecue (History Today)
Thessaloniki to Welcome Greece’s Largest Mythology Theme Park (GTP)
You’ll Yearn for Yosemite and Dream of Denali (Atlas Obscura)
