14 Aug 23 Monday Briefing
Tweakity tweak
A slight tweak on my Monday Briefing format – a one-paragraph hyperlinked paragraph with the past week’s you-should-not-miss headlines, followed by longer expositions on stuff I think you should read. Enjoy!
SBF goes to jail awaiting trial, for witness tampering – guess that $250m bail wasn’t really needed, Maui burned and Jason Momoa rightly thinks that tourists should stay the hell away for now, TSMC is JV-building a new fab in Germany, Setser thinks the economic data coming out of China is no bueno, and Anwar convinces Tesla to set up its regional headquarters in Selangor (also, more of the status quo after the weekend’s state elections).
Kicking the can down the road…
…seems to be the most commonly applied action when it comes to existential issues such as climate change and the ageing population’s pensions in developed economies – but Longreads has helpfully compiled a list of maybe-you-should-reproduce-but-ethically articles. In Singapore, a country with a reputation not synonymous with lower-wage workers’ rights, heat advisories are being issued left right and centre, probably because penny-pinching towkays have realised that dead/sick workers are a lot more expensive than live ones. Likewise the US, from whom Singapore takes most of its free-market capitalism cues, squawking about heat has become official. “Problem for the next government”, indeed.
A Cold Day in Hell
Long but fascinating read, good insight into the tinkering frame of mind and the wider right-to-repair battle (which some think is overrated). Who knew soft serve machines could be a new cold war theatre.
The Last Lanna Princess
Last week I read about the life and death of the last Lanna princess, Chao Duang Duen Na Chiang Mai. It seems like the fate of modern post-monarchy personalities is in cultural preservation through the arts and crafts (or the rabble-rousing of politics), and she was no exception. In addition to working on an adaptive reuse of traditional architecture in that region, we intend to take our year-end vacation in Chiang Mai, to absorb the very different culture and cuisine despite being nominally part of Thailand.
Fearless Warriors, Excellent Traders, and Even Better Cooks
Who are the Bugis from Sulawesi, and what is coto makassar? Sarafian Salleh, heritage researcher and some-time engineering consultant, decided to dig into his own heritage and write a book about it, available for sale on his blog. I’ve always thought it was a pity that the Buginese (and other native peoples of this region) in Singapore have been largely assimilated into the political category of Malayness, so I’m glad that they are taking steps to highlight, celebrate and publicise their own communities.
Careful what you wish for
Noah Smith is right that on average, and nett-nett, immigration – especially skilled – is a boon. What happens a couple of generations down the line, however, could yield what I’ve called Convert-itis Syndrome (in which converts/the newly-minted) are more vocal, radical and driven than those from the native or cradle populations. Politically, in the US, exemplars include Nikki Haley, Ted Cruz and now, Vivek Ramaswamy. We really should be careful what we wish for. Every generations yields its regressive as well as progressive elements; I’ve interacted with thoughtful-rad Boomers and Alt/TradFem Gen Zs. Age is no accurate indicator of inclinations and, indeed, wisdom.