2/2 - that was a week

By Jacob Rosenbacher — 02 Feb 2025

editors opinion:
After reading endless amounts of news, trying to understand all of it, and trying to make personal peace with it all, I believe this phase of American Politics is what makes us the most exceptional nation on Earth. My perspective comes from a lifetime of travel, living abroad (currently), and observing that Americans rate of innovation outpaces every other nation for some reason that is quite hard to put your finger on. This is also why we are one of the wealthiest and most dangerous places to live. Or why income inequality is able to become so stark. It's also why we are able to change it. We are the only developed Western country that enforces rules and laws after the fact (innocent until proven guilty, this is not exactly true but it's a good demonstration of our legal system). This I believe leads to innovation and risk taking instead of stagnation. I optimistically believe this moment could be a step towards innovation. However, it is also not a time to give up on our values as a nation. This is not an endorsement of any current policies or the apparent process, but it is an endorsement of the American ideal of reinventing ourselves. In many ways, that is why we were founded as a country. No, I will not be giving disclaimers on what I like and do not like. You can figure that out for yourselves or call me.

To begin this weeks post I would like to share some spoken word that I think reflects our current moment:

Us living as we do upside down
And the new word to have is revolution
People don't even want to hear the preacher
Spill or spiel because God's whole card has been thoroughly piqued
And America is now blood and tears instead of milk and honey
The youngsters who were programmed to continue
Fucking up woke up one night digging
Paul Revere and Nat Turner as the good guys
America stripped for bed and we had not all yet closed our eyes
The signs of truth were tattooed across her often entered vagina
We learned to our amazement untold tale of scandal
Two long centuries buried in the musty vault
Hosed down daily with a gagging perfume
America was a bastard, the illegitimate daughter of the mother country
Whose legs were then spread around the world
And a rapist known as freedom, free-doom
Democracy, liberty, and justice were revolutionary code names that preceded
The bubbling, bubbling, bubbling, bubbling, bubbling
In the mother country's crotch
What does Webster say about soul?
All I want is a good home and a wife
And a children and some food to feed them every night
After all is said and done, build a new route to China if they'll have you
Who will survive in America?
Who will survive in America?
Who will survive in America?
Who will survive in America? (yes its kanye west)

Sydney's Long Read Recommendation:
Bad Therapy by Abigail Shrier — Shrier investigates why Gen Z’s mental health is seemingly worse than previous generations despite greater access to health care resources, medication, academic and social support, and gentler parenting techniques. She lays blame squarely with mental health professionals and claims that the increased attention on feelings and therapy can come with dangerous side effects and has resulted in a generation that lacks emotional resilience and independence. This book is the antithesis of The Body Keeps Score and while I believe there is likely a healthy medium between these two opposing approaches, Shrier excels at outlining compelling evidence and common-sense conclusions.

How Tariffs work and why the president has the power:
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-are-tariffs

Uygers wage fight against CCP
https://youtu.be/8DRzaZiI8_Q

https://eadaily.com/en/news/2025/01/26/in-china-an-explosion-at-the-shopping-center-dozens-of-injured

Canada needs a path forward
https://archive.is/WaoIV

All aid to everyone is paused except social security and medicare (later maybe reinstated) https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c77rdy6gzy5o

Black women lead the resistance with TikTok University