De wereld viel uiteen in twee groepen: zij die sterfte van onbekenden zoveel mogelijk wilden beperken en zij die op geen enkele wijze persoonlijk beperkt wensten te worden door het kreperen van anderen.
Wanneer je dit snapt dan begrijp je de breuklijnen op andere kwesties ook.
@chrisklomp Goed verhaal, Chris. Ik heb zelf van mijn kanker geen nacht wakker gelegen. Het gaat om de kwaliteit van je leven. Je krijgt geen vetleren medalje als je zo lang mogelijk hebt volgehouden. Als je alles hebt kunnen doen in tevredenheid, je talent ten goede aangewend is het prima
Zelenskyy: Europe cannot depend on shifting geopolitical moods. We must unite as much as possible and develop resources, capabilities, and production in Europe as strongly as we can.
So that we truly have a common defense policy and joint European defense capabilities that will strengthen us. 2X
@mjjhoskin@malcolmguite T H White is brillant. I’ve read it 4 of 5 times. Highly recommendable. Not only what looks like a good insight in medieval world, but at times hilariously written. And a lot about the responsibilities that come with power. White was also a falconer and knowledgable about nature.
Re: “What happens when Europeans find out how poor they are?”
Nothing. We found out years ago, had a long hard look at the alternative, and decided we’d rather not.
GDP is what you get when you put Jeff Bezos and a man sleeping in a Walmart car park into a spreadsheet and take the average. It tells you the country is rich. It does not tell you that a hundred million people inside it are quietly not. And it certainly doesn’t mention the bill: nearly forty trillion in federal debt, another eighteen on the households. This is a man pulling up to valet parking in a leased Lamborghini and calling himself rich because nobody at the table has yet asked to see his bank statement.
Meanwhile, on every parameter that matters to a human being who is alive and would like to remain so in reasonable spirits, Europe wins. The food. The streets. The holidays. The summer that contains an actual summer. The Tuesday afternoon that contains an actual lunch.
Keep the GDP. We’ll keep the life.