🗞️ The 2025 War on the Rocks Summer Fiction Reading List
“Forget the algorithm — this list was created by the humans who bring you War on the Rocks. Here, they share some of their favorite works of fiction.”
Washington should recognize that rehearsals like Strait Thunder-2025A are a serious form of escalation. Not responding, or not appearing to respond, will invite further escalation. Washington should clearly communicate steps taken in response to Chinese Communist Party actions surrounding Taiwan.
One of the OG bloggers, political or otherwise, Kevin Drum has died. I loved reading his blog and have for decades. But, my son died two days before and so his death hits especially hard. I know how hard his family is grieving. RIP, Kevin.
🗞️ I’m a 17-year-old TikTok junkie. I need this ban
There are other, stronger reasons, for the ban. But she’s not wrong.
Someone bought the GoPros and mobile phones to broadcast the program. Things like this don’t just happen spontaneously.
Susie Wiles will be the first woman Chief of Staff, NYT
Honestly, this is a fine choice. She’ll run a tight ship, and that’s good for everyone—by which I mean all Americans.
You can’t love your country only when you win, you can’t love your neighbor only when you win.
— Joe Biden, November 7, 2024
🐦 Via Twitter, Nate Cohn estimates 157 million voters, matching 2020 in raw votes, but lower % of eligible voters when accounting for population growth.
Musk on Sharks, or, in the words of Alex Tabarrok, “A great little video on over regulation.”
👨🏽🏫 Unfollowing hyperpartisan social media influencers durably reduces out-party animosity
We found that incentivizing Twitter/X users to unfollow hyperpartisan social media influencers improved feelings toward the out-party by 23.5% compared to the control group, with effects persisting for at least six months.
I suspect those trends would hold for other social media accounts as well.
A day of mourning
I prayed the Mourner’s Kaddish every day from last October 7th until Easter. I had a list of names, not all 1,200 to be sure, but any time I read a name of an Israeli in the paper, I added it to my list. Typically the Kaddish is said during a funeral service or during Shiva; I know very little about when and how long one might say that prayer. But Easter seemed appropriate, for me.
Glorified and sanctified be God’s great name throughout the world
which He has created according to His will.May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and during your days,
and within the life of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon;
and say, Amen.May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.
Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored,
adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He,
beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that
are ever spoken in the world; and say, Amen.May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us
and for all Israel; and say, Amen.He who creates peace in His celestial heights,
may He create peace for us and for all Israel;
and say, Amen.
I will say this prayer again today during my prayers throughout the day.
Elon Musk activated free Starlink for areas affected by Hurricane Helene.
🎥 Jocko on 80-years since D-Day, YouTube
📰 More than 200 mayoral candidates have been killed in Mexico during this election season, WSJ (ungated link)
I was randomly contacted to participate in a national survey about the 2024 election. As one who holds a PhD in political science I was more gitty to “look under the hood” than happy to share my idiosyncratic views as a member of the electorate. Lot of interesting survey design questions.
The Three Factions of American Culture (Substack)
The macroculture, it must be emphasized, is nowhere near collapse. I think it will transmogrify, not vanish. But it’s no longer growing. It’s the microculture that is expanding, often explosively.
This is not a value judgement, merely an expression of bare fact.
📰 This Corner of Texas Was Remote. Then Instagram Found It., WSJ.
For decades, this quirky cluster of trailers, hippies and a ghost town was a lonesome one, in a remote corner of Texas near the Mexico border, on the outskirts of one of the country’s least-visited national parks.
Now, the glass of scores of shiny new casitas glitters against rust-brown mountains.
🗞️Rudy Giuliani files for backruptcy, WSJ
From the NYT:
On Wednesday, the judge overseeing the election worker case… ordered Mr. Giuliani to start paying the two women immediately out of concerns that he might “conceal his assets” if he were allowed to wait the typical 30 days.
Honestly, I didn’t have the Colorado Supreme Court on my bingo card.