Here’s a pretty fascinating story about the collapse of the complex, globalized society of the late Bronze Age around 1200 BC. As we’re facing climate change, political polarization, and a raging virus, it’s an interesting listen. 😬
About 3000 years ago, it got bad. There was famine, drought, and earthquakes. And worst of all, the mysterious Sea People were attacking out of nowhere without warning or mercy. ⚔️
But this chaos eventually became a rebirth that led to the alphabet, iron working, monotheism, the Greek and Roman empires, etc. Basically, Western civilization.
The historian notes that, more often than not, civilization pulls back from the brink before it gets toooo bad, so he’s optimistic.
Hats off to the The Daily Show for finding an oddly humorous perspective on the current Afghanistan tragedy. Definitely more succinct and funnier than mine.
What would you change about the following narrative?
9/11 attack on the US from an Afghanistan-based terrorist group
Invades Afghanistan, topple the government, and occupy with an international security force
Provide security, promote democracy, invest in education and infrastructure
Keep nation building
Keep nation building for another year, more dead
Keep nation building for another year, more dead
Keep nation building for another year, more dead
Keep nation building for another year, more dead
Keep nation building for another year, more dead
Keep nation building for another year, more dead
Keep nation building for another year, more dead
Kill Osama Bin Laden
Keep nation building for another year, more dead
Keep nation building for another year, more dead
Keep nation building for another year, more dead
Keep nation building for another year, more dead
Keep nation building for another year, more dead
Keep nation building for another year, more dead
Keep nation building for another year, more dead
Keep nation building for another year, more dead
Keep nation building for another year, more dead
Keep nation building for another year, more dead
It’s not a great story, is it?
It’s unfortunate and ugly, but it was time to go. Would another year of nation building have helped? Were things getting any better?
I don’t doubt the good intentions of the war, and I don’t doubt the skill and courage of the brave people who fought it. I thank our soldiers for their service and give them my utmost admiration for sticking faithfully to the mission despite it’s impossible challenges. 🇺🇸
I hate that the ugly Taliban is taking back over, but their deeds are between them and their own god now. The US Army is out of that equation.
Here’s a clip from a pretty relevant movie that came out 4 years ago about a war that had already been going on for 12 years. Despite some serious overacting by Brad Pitt, it’s a pretty damned good movie and dead on. It shows a good and capable man trying to win an impossible war.
I guess if you’re an island in the far reaches of the North Atlantic, then you’re pretty self-sufficient and can try stuff out on your own terms. Thank you, Iceland’s Association for Sustainability and Democracy 🇮🇸 (hey, we could use one of those! 🇺🇸), for experimenting with a 4-day workweek.
It turns out the reduced workweek is a win all around. According to Mashable, the extra day was shaved off largely by “delegating and prioritising tasks more effectively”, plus fewer and shorter meetings.
Mental Break Town 