For some years I have argued that we value leaders' ability to speak more than we should, and their ability to listen less than we should. (Granted, the second is usually harder to judge from the out… (View Post)

Here's the source for that Harari piece: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/10/11/netanyahu-populism-weakened-israeli-security/ (My appologies for omitting it from my earlier comment.) (View Post)

MattW asked: "Do non-Usonians get an opt-out of that? Say if a British or French or Japanese child is at a school in the USA?" Yes they do, and so do American children, since 1943: "Th… (View Post)

Off topic, but about an election: 'After a week of enormous upsets and shocking twists, online voters have crowned 128 “Grazer” as the Fat Bear Week champion. It’s the first title for the fierce moth… (View Post)

In the US, the comparable saying was: "Some of my best friends are . . . ", followed by something racist or anti-Semitic. It was used so often, it became a joke, for many of us. (View Post)