Goodbye 2023

2023 has been a tough year for the world and indeed all those who value freedom and liberty. Inflation still remains high and despite some manicured data the recovery has been relatively sluggish. Illegal immigration is destroying America.

The Hamas attack on Israel that resulted in the killing of over 1200 Israelis has earned the noteriety of being the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. At present Israel is focused on rooting out Hamas, saving whatever hostages are still alive and defeating the Islamist insurgency centered on  Gaza. It is a daunting task especially in a world where the global media appears indifferent to the country's need to defend itself and defeat those, whose sole motivation is the eradication of the Jewish state.

Our Institutions continue to show obvious signs of being broken. The pathos of the presidents of Harvard, Penn and MIT provided evidence of the word games that each would subscribe to, in selectively handling the threat to Jewish students on their campuses. A diabolical moral equivalency has been applied that would certainly found no home in the halls of academy if another victimized minority were in the cross-hairs of a group rage.

In Nigeria we saw the massacre of Christians as radical Islamists continue their hostile demonstrations in many of the Western cities ,with the knowledge that the rule of law has been compromised by a groupthink of guilt-ridden toleration that has rendered common sense obsolete.

2024 will hopefully be better however that may just be my own wishful thinking. Elections will colour the political land scape of the United States and the UK (plus others) and these will likely bring out the worst elements of deceit, obfuscation and double talk. There will be more of the nasty.

Greatest Naval Battles of All-Time

 My Thoughts

My Book Navigating the Chaos

 

My Answers to quick Quora questions?

 Why has China been unable to diversify its economy away from exports?

It still has too much top down control of the economy which reflects a reluctance to fully trust the market. Entrenched business interests working in tandem with the government have not embraced the broader mechanism of market feedback. Such continued thinking weakens economic diversification and innovation.

Why couldn't Feudalism continue after the Industrial Revolution?

The Industrial Revolution brought about a mass movement directed towards urbanization. It also created a more flexible labour market. In short it reduced the domination of the Agrarian economy and the entrenched population base that were necessary for Feudalism to continue. In a further sense it helped spread the ideas of economic liberalism and the individual liberty that are anathema to the rigidity of Feudalism.

If Canada and the US stopped trading between each other what would happen?

It would devastate the economies of both. The US in particular relies on Canada for raw material. Canada would be crushed by the lack of revenue as the US makes up 75% of the countries import and export market. In addition Canada is the US’s 2nd biggest trading partner (just behind China). If trade broke down between these North American nations the US would likely have to rely on imports from far less reliable global sources. Inflation would wreak havoc with the country as supply lines would be stretched and greatly reduced in efficiency. The environmental effect would also be negatively impacted.

Do you think South Africa's genocide case against Israel has merit?

No. Its just a ploy by the ANC brass to ingratiate themselves with various elements of the Arab world, some of its BRICS partners and the radicals in its own party and the EFF. That way they can take pressure off themselves for their mishandling of both the South African economy and its electrical power system. Cyril Ramaphosa is running a government that is riddled in corruption and failing the bulk of the population.

What were the key factors leading to the collapse of the Roman Empire?

 My answer in Quora.

There were a number of factors (not just one). These include the devaluation of the currency, the outsourcing of security to third party mercenaries (barbarian troops who extracted large sums of money and land payments for their services), migration of foreign tribes westward into the Empire (Visigoths, Huns, Franks, Vandals etc), a falling work ethic, poor leadership, the splitting of the Empire into the wealthy East and the poor West, internal strife, the dilution of the notion of the responsible citizen, and conflicting ideological/theological struggles as Christianity replaced paganism.

It is worth noting that the Western Empire collapsed almost a millennium before that of the East Byzantine Empire (476 vs 1453 AD). Many of these factors listed above are more relevant to the West. The East was weakened by the Arab invasion, conflicts with the Crusaders and ultimately the rise of first the Seljuks then Ottoman Turks. There was also considerable infighting between the various Byzantine royals.

If you see any of these analogous trends in today’s contemporary world, Be concerned. Very concerned.

My Podcast with Tammy Peterson

Thank you very much Tammy Peterson. I really enjoyed this.

Hamas' terror is part of the Armed Jihad

Supporters of the Armed Jihad plus the myriad of fellow travelers will never condemn attacks on the Jews. In fact they rejoice in it. For them the attackers are doing the work of Allah with Jews and other non-believers being seen as less than human.

Hear it in their own words.

“ O brother believers, the criminals, the terrorists - are the Jews… They are the ones who must be butchered and killed, as Allah the Almighty said: 'Fight them: Allah will torture them at your hands, and will humiliate them and will help you to overcome them… The Jews are like a [gas] pedal - as long as you step on it with your foot, it doesn't move, but if you lift your foot from it, it hurts you and punishes you. This is the case of the Jews." Dr. Ahmed Abi Halabiya.

Quote source: October 13, 2000, Dr. Ahmad Abu Halabiya, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan Mosque in Gaza, PA Television.

Its getting worse...

As a Jew right now I am really concerned with our community's safety. The rhetoric being deployed against Israel has clearly morphed into an extremely toxic anti-semitism. The media isn't helping by its false equivalencies and advancement of unsubstantiated stories, that in time are revealed to be downright lies.

Video 2 Why do the Russians like their Strongmen?

 A few words on the topic by moi.

Video 1 Why is Physics so difficult?

 My take as a teacher.

Could Napoleon have won if he attacked Moscow instead of retreating?

Napoleon actually reached Moscow and indeed occupied it. However it was a Pyrrhic victory. The Russians had burnt much of the city to the ground denying the Corsican the spoils of war. However this was only part of the problem. As the cliche goes an Army marches on its stomach and the Russian scorched Earth policy had seen to it that the Grand Army’s supply lines were not sustainable. Faced with hunger, General Winter and effective Cossack hit and run strategies he had no option but to retreat. What defeated Napoleon wasn’t Russian military prowess but Mother Nature’s icy hand holding down the scale on the necessities for life.

How did the Soviet Union manage to feed itself?

 (My answer on Quora)

When it was not encumbered by collectivist mismanagement, poor planning, bad harvests and deliberate forced famines it is important to remember the Soviet Union was one of the biggest wheat producers on the planet. Shortfalls in 1971 and 1972 forced the Soviets to import grains from elsewhere .

The US in fact supplied them with subsidized wheat and corn in 1973. At the time the Americans were under the impression that the purchases would go toward the Soviet livestock feed (in reality the Soviet Union was facing a huge wheat shortfall) that they tried to keep secret for propaganda reasons (well done Central planning…).

Later on it was discovered that Global wheat stocks were low and by subsidizing the Soviet purchases the price of domestic food in the US skyrocketed. The entire debacle was described by Scoop Jackson as the Great Grain Robbery.

How did Germany become so technologically advanced after WWI?

 (My Answer on Quora)

They had a strong industrial base to begin with that goes back well into the 19th century. Both the Diesel and the regular Internal Combustion engines were either developed or improved on by pre-war German engineers. Their academies and engineering schools were some of the best in the world and their production ingenuity had been supercharged by the necessity of war and the need for innovation (especially when skirting around the Allied Sea blockades).

Why did the United States beat the Soviets to the moon?

Asked on Quora

(my answer)

The Soviets actually had the first moon landing, however it was a non-manned hard landing in 1959 by Luna 2. The Americans replicated this feat in 1962 with Ranger 4. The Soviets also had the first soft moon landing in 1966 with Luna 9.

The manned moon landing project was more of a PR coup than anything else. JFK needed a project that would energize the public and throw the bulk of public sentiment behind the space initiative. It worked.

The Soviet space program under Sergey Korolev, had a manned moon landing component to it. However after the premature death of Korolev in 1966 (at age 59) and the Soyuz failure in 1967 it fell by the wayside. Instead the Soviets chose to focus their endeavors on the development of space stations instead.

It is worth noting that at one point both the US and the USSR were eager to follow through on a joint Apollo-Soyuz moon project but this collapsed after the assassination of Kennedy

In the News III

Hunter Biden's Plea deal falls apart...as it should. However two tiered legal system still remains. Imagine if Hunter were an ordinary person. The IRS case alone would sink him.Even Wesley Snipes couldn't dodge it,.

It is about time that we learn't nore about the mass killing in the Nashville attack. The identity of the killer is inconvenient to the Establishment narrative.

I don't agree with RFK Jrs anti-vaccine stance but he is doing a stellar job of exposing the establishment and their disdain of free speech. Good for him. For the record he is not an anti-semite. 

Climate change (really Anthropgenic Global Warming) is a tremendous get out of jail free card. You can use it to explain anything. You can also confuse weather and climate with one another if it suits you and if you are on the 'correct' side of the aisle you may even be praised.

Trudeau shuffles his cabinet. He is worried about the election but its difficult to fix a rotten administration. This is likely more showboating.

My new website

 I am setting up a website to market my book - Navigating the Chaos. The website is located at www.gavinkanowitz.com.

Snappy Answers to History Questions VII

Why didn't the crusaders invade Egypt?

They actually did. The Fifth, Baron’s and Seventh Crusades each had a significant Egyptian component to them. The Baron’s Crusade in fact was defeated by the Ayyubid Egyptians at the Battle of Gaza in 1239. The Earlier Fifth Crusade (1217–1221) proved to be a failure and the Seventh (the first of Louis IX’s two Crusades) saw the Crusaders routed by the Egyptians at Mansurah and Fariskur (both in 1250).

Why was John Hus convicted of heresy?

The Czech Jan Hus was one of the early church theologians who was associated with the Bohemian Reformation and the Hussite Movement (named after him). He lived between 1372 and 1415 and was the predecessor to later Protestant reformers - Luther, Calvin and Zwingli.

His main heresy from the perspective of Rome was that he spoke out against Pope Alexander V and the Antipope John XXIII over the selling of indulgences. For his troubles he was excommunicated, exiled, then asked to recant (which he refused), imprisoned and then burnt at the stake. His famous line was "I would not for a chapel of gold retreat from the truth!".

After his death pro and anti-Hussite factions (largely championed by the Catholic Church) would clash in what became known as the Hussite Wars (1420–1431) with the followers of Huss eventually growing to become a majority in Bohemia and Moravia.

Hus was also critical of other aspects of the Catholic church including ecclesiology and the Eucharist.

Snappy Answers to History Questions VI

What were some of the mistakes made by Mao and Stalin?

There were a multiplicity of mistakes that were made by both. Most of which centered around their inability to appreciate their limitations, the innate belief that they were somehow on the correct side of history (like most Hegelians) and the most tragic of all the ransacking of their own countries (read about the Great Leap Forward and the Various collectivization programs in the USSR). Whether this was intentional or not the outcomes were deleterious. Each was a slave to their own hubris with millions of human beings paying with their lives for such such single minded evil.

Did Stalin start the winter war?

Yes he did. He took advantage of his non-Aggression Pact with the Germans and the fact that Britain and France were still engaged in the so-called Phoney War (having done very little to aid the Poles against the twin invasions from both Germany and later the USSR in September 1939) to push for territorial concessions from the Finns. When the Finns failed to comply he authorized military action, that with hindsight would prove to be very costly for the invaders

Why did Mao Zedong kill his people?

Mao espoused an ideology that placed the broader collective and the will of the people before everything else. By necessity this reduces individual beings to material widgets that can be discarded to fit the march toward the respective singularity. Once you strip human beings of the essence that makes them humans genocide is easily rationalized.

Who was the strongest of the Three Leaders; Churchill, Roosevelt or Stalin?

In my opinion Churchill was the strongest in terms of character but he was the leader of the weakest of the three powers. He therefore brought less cards to the table. Roosevelt had the powerful backing of the American economy and military fire power behind him but struggled with deteriorating health as the war ebbed to a close (impacting his judgement). He underestimated Stalin, who was by far the most calculating of the three. However Stalin erred consistently in many of his war decisions and was often baled out by the brave action of his generals (Zhukov, Rokossovsky etc). His propaganda exalted his real status but in reality the people of the Soviet Union paid in great number for many of his poor choices and indecision.

How do dictators misinform their citizens?

1. Selectively report the facts through a state controlled or corporate directed filter machine. Air only approved stories.
2. Decontextualize events to fit a specific narrative
3. Marginalize Dissenting voices. Invite personal and public attacks against said people so that they become persona non-gratis. Declare them enemies of the state. Censor and deplatform.
4. Indoctrinate the youth using the education system
5. Politicize all institutions including the sciences (so that it is no longer a bastion of objectivity).
6. Inundate the citizens with state directed propaganda that promotes cycles of fear. Elevate the state authority as the sole antidote for the fear. Weaponize the surveillance system in the name of protecting people.

If you begin seeing any of this in a free society be very concerned. All of these aspects if not resisted head on will pick up momentum.

In the News II

Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) Collapses

High inflation (government overspending) necessitated  a sharp increase in interest rates. This hits the bond market negatively. Unfortunately for SVB their Risk Assessment group was asleep at the wheel. Joe Biden can often as many reassurances as he wants but  there is no substitute for poor management. Expect the taxpayer to eventually pay the price.

China brokers agreement with Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The US is left watching as the parade passes. Does the nation eve have a foreign policy under the current Administration? Where is Anthony Blinken? Score one for BRICS.

Top Gun Maverick robbed of more Oscars.

Frankly I couldn't care less about the Academy Awards but the fact that 2022's most popular movie was reduced to a single Oscar (for sound) illustrates how out of touch the Academy is with the rest of the country.

Is wealth inequality getting worse in the west?

Yes. Wealth inequality in an environment that protects competition is vital to the economy. However a tipping point is reached if competitiveness decreases and the system moves to a type of oligopoly. This often occurs when excessive regulation and crony corruption stymies barriers towards entry into a field.

In much of the West today we are unfortunately either at this point or heading in that direction. Too much power exists with national governments and their corporate allies. This is made worse by the free hand given to central bankers. Fiat currency has had the net effect of wiping out a great deal of real savings and income. The high inflation that we see today is a function of policies that have radically increased the money supply at a time when production rates were deliberately pulled back (Covid, nonsense regulation etc).

What we have is a top heavy Ponzi system that serves the state elite and their hangers on - who can access the artificial money easier - while effectively increasing good prices for the rest of the public. In a sense this is a sinister way of taxing the middle class while pretending not to.

Bottom line….Never underestimate the power of the state to botch things up.

Is De Santis better than Trump?

 Yes he is. DeSantis gives you all of Trump’s strong policy points but none of Trump’s negative character flaws. He is more eloquent than Trump, far less divisive, resonates better with genuine conservatives, is not riddled with scandals and will likely bring in the independent /centrist vote that the GOP needs to win in Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona and Pennsylvania. He is also a man of action who will focus on what matters instead of defaulting to the Trumpist playbook of name-calling, social media feuds, salesman promises and never ending hyperbole.

Trump has had his time in the sun and it would be best for the nation if he steps aside instead of acting as a spoiler nationally. His continued presence and stifling cult of personality will in all likelihood guarantee a Democratic party victory in 2024. In addition the longer Trump remains on the scene the more he will act as bonfire fuel for extremists on both sides. America deserves better and in DeSantis they have such a candidate.

Snappy Answers to History Questions V

Why did France lose to England in the Hundred Years War? What were some turning points that led to the French defeat?

Actually France won the Hundred Year War (1337–1453). Yes I know they lost many of the well known battles (Crécy, Poitiers and Agincourt) but the war was a marathon not a sprint. England (who certainly enjoyed the lion’s share of early success) was left in turmoil after the death of Henry V in 1422. A French revival was initiated by Joan of Arc at the siege of Orleans in 1429. The Burgundians, a key ally of the English, would eventually desert and this strengthened the French position. Later French victories took place at Rouen, Formigny and Castillon with the Gallic cannons being instrumental such a change of fortune.

At the end of the war England was reduced to one possession in France, Calais, that they would eventually cede to the French in 1558. This was far less territory than that enjoyed by the Plantagenet dynasty of earlier times.

Did Napoleon expect to conquer Britain?

If Napoleon's fleet had succeeded at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805) then I believe that he may have seen conquest of Britain as a possibility. It certainly would have consolidated his hegemony in Europe by ensuring dominance of Bonapartist ideology (a mixture of French Revolution humanism, nationalism and a strong central state) over English Liberalism. However the loss at Trafalgar effectively negated his aspirations in a way that was not too different to the damage done to Operation Sea Lion by Germany’s defeat at the Battle of Britain (1940).

Napoleon saw Britain as a gigantic thorn a thorn that could be extracted later by weakening Britain through his Continental System of blockades and economic warfare. What he underestimated though was the ability of his so-called ‘allies’ to enforce such a strategy as well as the zeal that the British demonstrated (thanks to the Royal Navy and its colonial Empire) in thwarting such ambition.

Did President Nixon ever meet with Leonid Brezhnev?

Yes they met at the Washington Summit in June 1973. The Agreement on the Prevention of Nuclear War was signed representing the peak of Détente. In the Soviet Union the press referred to Détente as a relaxing of tension. The Washington Summit followed on the heels of the Geneva Summit (1955) and SALT I (1972). Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Alexei Kosygin (Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union) were key players in the Washington Summit as well.

Advanced Marketing for my book Navigating the Chaos

We live in a world that is deluged with bad ideas, false narratives and a toxic political tribalism. Science, education and public policy have all been bombarded by a malfeasance that is challenging the essential framework of our vital institutions.   

Navigating the Chaos is the passionate and well reasoned attempt of one man to make sense of the daily insanity and chart a course that re-affirms the necessity of our Authentic Liberal tradition.  

  

The book makes no apologies in taking to task the rot that threatens our society. However, it is not an exercise in pessimism. For as the author emphasizes, clarity fosters an inner strength, that when augmented by the wisdom of others, can energize communities to push back against dangerous post-truths that are harming the shared civilization. 

Snappy Answers to History Questions IV

What were the consequences of Mao's Great Leap Forward?

A Giant Leap Backwards. The Great Leap Forward (1958–1962) resulted in one of the largest famines in human history. Death estimates range from 15 to 55 million. The entire exercise in economic and social restructuring was an unmitigated disaster.

The only positive was that Mao was eventually forced (at least temporally) to allow Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping to proceed cautiously in the future with any future changes. However this did not last long.

Ever the ideologue though, Mao could still not come to terms with his policy failure He placed the blame on the Party’s rightists thus precipitating another round of death in what was to become known as the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976).

In terms of absolute numbers of death it had been argued that Mao topped both Stalin and Hitler.

Having said this I am under no illusion that the myriad of CCP bots here on Quora will try and spin this in a positive light or gaslight the issue altogether.

For number of death re: Great Leap Forward Famine check out.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1127087/ https://www0.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/pyared/papers/famines.pdf

Was a war between the Soviet Union and Germany inevitable?

Yes. Hitler’s focus on acquiring Lebensraum in the East meant that war between these powers was likely to happen sometime in the near future. The Soviets knew this as well but were betting that it would occur at a later date than it did (June 22nd 1941). Some historians (check out the Viktor Surov thesis) have argued that the Soviets would have attacked Germany first had the time been right but this is not a well supported mainstream view. Having said that, one could say that the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (August 1938) was in many ways more of a delaying strategy that benefited both parties than anything else.

Why has Japan produced so many Nobel Prize winning scientists?

They modernized earlier then the rest of Asia (and for that matter a great deal of Europe) and have a general population that has one of the highest gfactor values (general intelligence) for all nations. This means that on a global level they have a large number of people as a proportion of the country above the 120 IQ level (SD=15). This correlates well with innovation, analytic thought and Nobel Prize wins in the sciences.

Why were the French people so poor before the Revolution?

They had a top down class system that restricted upward mobility while foistering on the the 3rd Estate a ridiculously high tax burden. If want block all paths to life improvement both socially and economically, poverty is the natural outcome. The Ancien Regime did both. It was the antithesis of genuine liberalism.

Biden is terrible but he does not bear the sole blame for China and Russia coming together

I am by no means a Biden fan and consider him a dumpster fire of President when it comes to foreign affairs but I don’t believe that you can completely blame Old Joe for Russia and China’s apparent geopolitical embrace.

Such a cocktail of malevolence and incompetence was set in motion and later maintained by all Presidents from the 1990s onward, who empowered China by the gift of Most Favored Nation (MFN) trading status (although Trump pushed back more than the others). This policy greatly strengthened the Chinese economy by allowing Beijing to benefit from the utility of more open trade while selectively flouting what didn’t suit them. China was set on its road to becoming a trading superpower.

Then add on to such an economic transformation the parallel expansion of NATO into the many territories and nation states that were formerly part of the Old Warsaw Pact and you have a second ingredient. From Moscow’s perspective the arrow of aggression was directly pointed at them.

Russia though has oil and natural gas. Lots of it. China needs this for her burgeoning economy and so you have a match made in heaven (or hell depending on perspective). Russia can use China to push back against Western influence (especially when faced with wartime sanctions) while China can exploit the gas station next door. Its a win-win for both. The Ukraine war merely brought what was inevitable to the front.

Ron DeSantis is a far better choice than Donald Trump.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gives you all of Trump’s strong policy points but none of Trump’s negative character flaws. He is more eloquent than Trump, far less divisive, resonates better with genuine conservatives, is not riddled with scandals and will likely bring in the independent /centrist vote that the GOP needs to win in Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona and Pennsylvania. He is also a man of action who will focus on what matters instead of defaulting to the Trumpist playbook of name-calling, social media feuds, salesman promises and never ending hyperbole.

Trump has had his time in the sun and it would be best for the nation if he steps aside instead of acting as a spoiler nationally. His continued presence and stifling cult of personality will in all likelihood guarantee a Democratic party victory in 2024. In addition the longer Trump remains on the scene the more he will act as bonfire fuel for extremists on both sides. America deserves better and in DeSantis they have such a candidate.

Snappy Answers to History Questions III

 (Asked on  Quora)

What was the most powerful country in Europe until the British Empire?

Except for the time leading up to and including the Hundred Years War when English kings owned vast territory in France as a result of their Gallic/Norman connections, Britain has never been a continental power in Europe proper.

Yes they fought successful military campaigns on the continent (War of the Spanish Succession, Peninsular War and enjoyed influence in Hanover) but British strength has always centered around their global holdings. This is ultimately what saved the nation of shopkeepers in their fight against Napoleon.

In Europe itself the Hapsburg branches - in both Spain and Austria - were arguably the most significant powers on the continent for the early part of the Modern era (from the Renaissance to the early Enlightenment). However the rise of the Bourbons (particularly Louis XIV) would shift the locus of strength toward France.

Prussia’s ascendancy under Frederick the Great challenged France (and Austria) but it was only after French overreach under Napoleon and Prussia’s success at unifying German that France’s position as Europe’s primary continental juggernaut was ever in doubt.

In the east one can point to the Ottomans as a great power but their inability to take Vienna and extend into Central Europe doomed them to the periphery. Russian growth westward was limited by the rivalry with Sweden and Turkey and their modernization deficit (which was somewhat improved under Peter the Great).

Which was bigger the Soviet Union or the Austrian Empire? Why?

The Soviet Union by far. It wasn’t even close. At its peak the Soviet Union covered 22.4 million square kilometers (well over twice the size of the United States) compared to the 0.7 million square kilometers of the Austrian Empire (1867).The latter was about the size of Texas. As for the Why?…The Soviets started from a huge base…Russia. WWII also played a key role in supplementing earlier Tsarist ambitions. Numbers Source: Encyclopedia Britannica.

Snappy Answers to History Questions II

 (From Quora)

Did Japan make a mistake by entering World War Two?

For the Japanese WWII began in 1937 with the onset of the Second Sino-Japanese If the Japanese had limited their efforts to China they may have enjoyed some long term success. Their biggest mistake was allying themselves with Nazi Germany and then provoking the US into a Pacific War that they ultimately could not win. It didn’t help either that the Imperial Army and Navy were often at each other’s throats. The internal rivalry was that fierce.

Yes, with hindsight the War was a mistake for Japan. The Chinese recovered all lost territory that the Japanese had gained since the Treaty of Shimonoseki (1895). Japan was left in ruins following a great deal of bombing (not to mention being on the receiving end of two Atomic bombs) with the old order coming to an inglorious end. The leadership had little option but to surrender, with total military and civilian war deaths ranging somewhere between 2.6–3.1 million. 

Why didn't Korea go through an Industrial Revolution like Europe and Japan?

From 1910–1945 Korea was directly ruled by Japan which kept the peninsula on a short leash. Prior to that the Koreans had to fight off domination by the Chinese Qing dynasty. It was only after WWII and the subsequent Korean War (1950–1953) that the South could develop into the economic and industrial powerhouse that they are today (it is one of the Four Tigers).The embrace of Free Enterprise was critical.

Ironically the North, which prior to WWII was actually more industrialized than its southern counterpart, took a turn in the opposite direction. Its authoritarian regime structure and highly managed centralized economy has ensured that the North Korean nation state remains mired in poverty and devoid of the critical elements of human freedom.

Why was the French Revolution a slide into a bloodthirsty madness?

Without constraints on what it wants to achieve revolutions often have a tendency of eating themselves alive. No doctrine becomes pure enough and eventually those who seek to negate eventually negate themselves. This happened with the French Revolution. It needed the ‘other’ to demonstrate forward movement when that option became limited all that was left was bloodshed to keep the Hegelian march off the cliff of sanity going.

In the News I

Starting a new series on global events

Classified Documents found at Biden's Home

Apparently there are many going back to his term in the Senate. Senators don't have the power to declassify and neither did VPs until well into Obama POTUS tenure. tHis still begs several questions: Why did it take so long for this story to break? Why has it broken just after the midterms? Did Biden declassify any of these documents? Why does he appear to be unware of them?  Is there a deeper story behind all of this? Are the Dems trying to throw Biden under the bus prior to 2024? Will Biden receive the same treatment that Truimp has had to deal with following the Mar-a-Lago resort raid? Don't bet on seeing a trustworthy answer to any of these questions for some time.

Another failure of Zero Covid

It has failed wherever it has been tried. Now the CCP is learning this the hard way. It is a pity though that so many will suffer because of elite arrogance. Xi Jinping, if  had any dignity he would step down. That won't happen of course. The blood legacy of the CCP continues.

Tanks for the Ukraine

It is clear that  biggest winnein the Ukranian War has been the Military Industrial Complex. Largest losers are civilians caught in the action followed by taxpayers everywhere.

One more Interest rate hike

From Canada....but this could be true elsewhere. The global elites mishandled the economy during Covid and now we (the people) are paying the price. The shutdowns and supply line issues threw off the supply and demand curve leading to inflation. The Oil and Ukraine crisis added fuel to the fire and now it seems that we are heading into a recession. 70s Stagflation is back.

Electric Crisis in South Africa.

This is what happens in a regulated system where brain drain combines with corruption and incompetence. Rolling blackouts have been the story in South Africa for some time. Recently it has worsened considerably. Will this impact the ruling ANC? Not likely where it counts. They can still rely on Identity Politics to win elections.The grift shall continue.

Snappy Answers to History Questions I

 From Quora (my answers)

What was the cause of  Anti-German sentiment in France? Was it WWI or WWII?

These events certainly worsened the situation but the sentiment likely goes back even further to the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871) when France was well defeated by its Prussian rival. One could even make the case that both sides had sown the seeds of a great deal of mistrust during the events of the Napoleonic Era and the Concert of Europe that existed afterward.

What was the difference between Marat and Robespierre? Why were each considered radical?

Both were radical authoritarians who believed that they spoke for the will of the people. Where have we seen that before? Robespierre was more of a sophisticated lawyer who in his early days could indeed be confused for an authentic liberal (this didn’t last long). Marat was a hard hitting journalist with a particular nasty streak to him. Both had no qualms about using violence to defeat their enemies and bend the will of the nation to their vision. Terror was a means to an end. Robespierre’s demise was that he alienated his own party base. Marat underestimated his opponents and picked and invited the wrong person into his room when taking a bath.

Have France and Britain always despised Germany?

No. Both France and Britain formed alliances with various German kingdoms and states as they saw fit for much of modern European history. This all changed in 1871 when a recently unified Germany crashed the global hegemony party that for sometime looked to be the sole preserve of both France and Britain. Three was way too much of a crowd.

Did the German Empire ever form an alliance with Russia?

Yes. The Dreikaiserbund (Union of the Three Emperors) signed between Germany, Russia and Austro-Hungary between 1873 to 1887. Bismarck actually renewed Germany’s ties with Russia with the Reinsurance Treaty but after he was dismissed from office by the Kaiser the alliance collapsed.France would the move closer to Russia. This would have huge implications in the march to WWI. Worth noting is that Dreikaiserbund had some precedent in the Holy Alliance signed by Russia, Austria-Hungary and Prussia in 1815 (following the Napoleonic Wars)

What was Otto von Bismarck's policies towards France and  Austro-Hungary?

He needed both sufficiently weakened by both war and diplomacy so that neither could stand in the way of eventual German Unification under the auspices of Prussia. The Austro-Prussian War (1866) dealt with Vienna and the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871) put to bed - temporarily at least - the threat from the West.

List of Broken institutions

The following is a partial list of institutions that are definitely in decline. They have grown to be hideously corrupt. Events over the last ten to fifteen years provide evidence for this.

World - UN, WHO, FIFA, IOC, Nobel Peace Prize Committee, European Union

US - FBI, NSA, CIA, DOJ, US Armed Services, Federal Reserve, CDC

The Book is almost fully edited.

I am hoping that my book Navigating the Chaos will be ready for completion for publication by March. I have several iterations of editing and so far it looks promsing. This is definitely the most tedious and least enjoyable part of the entire writing process.

How does the UN deal with dictatorships?

 My answer on Quora.

It largely ignores them unless there is global pressure to do something about them. Even then I wouldn’t hold my breath. Many of these dictatorships skirt around scrutiny of their human rights abuses by making use of the “Like-Minded Group” protection mechanism. Included under this heading are Algeria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe (at least under Mugabe).

For more check out:;“Like-Minded” Dictatorships and the United Nations | Council on Foreign Relations (cfr.org)

Are all Totalitarian governments the same or do they differ from one another?

My answer on Quiora.

They differ with respect to latitude of control, national, geographic and ethnic character, economic policies and societal/political ideologies. What they do have in common though is rule by a selected elite, forced shutdown of opposition, governance by decree, significant manipulation of the press narrative by a the holders of power and a lack of toleration for individual and group dissent. There is also an obvious fusion of the executive, legislative and judiciary into a centralized authority. If you see any of these factors creeping into the policies of a supposed democratic nation be very concerned about the trajectory.