Intro
Remember that I mentioned I might be getting sick in the last week’s intro? Turns out, I was right. But for the last couple of days I’m in that in between position where you feel like you’re getting better but it’s actually your body messing with you. Which is way worse than being sick because I always fall for it then end up getting worse around the evening.
Greetings from Sangarius. Hope you’re all doing well.
Mission Control
Inbox: 117
RSS Reader: 2376
Upcoming Events/Travel in Next 30 Days: 1
- I’ll be teaching a new class this weekend at a sports comms certificate program so I have to make sure everything is ready for it.
- Looks like I’m bringing back the Turkish podcast I was making for Tuhaf Gelecek this week.
- Also have some other WIP stuff that needs my attention.
From Last Week
- When I was at Future Days last year, we had a really fun conversation about futures cone with Romano Theunissen. Last week he published an article about the subject on Journal of Futures Studies and to my surprise, he mentioned our conversation as a motivation for his article in the Acknowledgments section. (I’m planning to make some time to write my own relationship and approach to the futures cone as soon as possible.)
Check my Now page if you want to see what I’m up to in a more detailed way.
Which Globalism?
Since USA decided the world needs another dose of Donald Trump, one of the never ending talking points is that whether globalism is dead or dying. It’s mostly coming from Americans and Europeans but this has become a global discourse. And when you look at the arguments from surface level it certainly looks that way.
On the other hand, there are so many other things happening around the world. Especially on the more cultural and social level. Like the recent meme/online trend about “Chinamaxxing” or how people all over the world basically united under Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Half-Time Show comments through their common daily experiences and cultural similarities. And don’t forget the new global trade agreements between Europe and India or South American countries.
This made me think about what we’re actually meaning when we say globalism. Because as far as I can see, the global connection (both economic and cultural) is still going strong. Sure there is a global right-wing tendency fueled with fear and conspiracy theories but doesn’t matter how nationalist they might be, people still get angry when you do things that will block the free global trade – like Turkey practically making shopping from Temu and Shein impossible.
There is a major change, though. What we generally call the West and specifically Americans are not the main character of the globalism anymore. Because for that mindset, globalism means everyone turning into Americans and consuming American. The problem is they didn’t realize globalism is a two way street and that influence and economic growth will impact all sides. So, the problem isn’t really about globalism but one part going “I want globalism but not like this.”
I think this realization and the trauma caused by that is the main reason why Americans and part of the Europeans are looking like they lost their minds. They assumed globalism will turn the whole world into their image and we’ll all live happily ever after under their influence. But the world turned out more complex than that and now they feel like they’re losing the control. A perfect example of this is what I call the platform panic: Americans acting like TikTok is a major spying operation and Europeans talking about an independent Eurostack. I thought the internet was supposed to bring freedom for all of us and there was no need for paranoia?
That’s why I feel that secret relief in some of those globalism conversations because they’re realizing what they actually signed up to and looking for a way out. Sure, Trump is causing chaos all over the world but it’s also a great way to get out of the deal. That’s why right-wing politicians around the world also loves him. He gives them the perfect excuse too.
Anyway, all I’m trying to say is that when you hear people talking about the death of globalism, listen carefully to understand which globalism they’re talking about. And whether they’re actually rooting for its death.
Song of the Week
Tigran Hamasyan has a new album out and it’s a really good listen.
Reading Log
“The West’s darkest fear is not that China will become what the West once was. Its darkest fear is that China will reveal what the West has become: a civilisation so attached to its own myth of moral centrality that it cannot recognise itself in the mirror—only monsters.”
Haunted by Its Own Reflection – by Richard David Hames
“Just think about how LLMs see the world. They just sit, weights akimbo, and along comes a bunch of information that creates a scenario you’re meant to respond to. And you do! Because that’s what you do. No LLM has the choice to NOT process the prompt.”
Seeing like an LLM – by Rohit Krishnan – Strange Loop Canon
“One of the striking things about Suicide Rightism is how soy it is, how mewling, wounded, and self-pitying. For all that Russell and Heemeyer are celebrated by their apologists for their (warped expressions of) agency, they are ultimately regarded as victims, men thwarted by an uncaring and corrupt society.”
‘Suicide rightism’ and the penguin – by Max Read – Read Max
Outro
And that’s a wrap for this week. Don’t make the same mistakes I do and make sure you always have time for fun stuff. We all need more of those in our lives.
Take care and I’ll see you around!
If you want to work together to make sense of what’s ahead, Tuhaf Studio is open for new clients. You can also get in touch with London Speaker Bureau Türkiye if you want to hire me as a speaker or panelist. If you want to become a regular supporter of my public work and help me create more, you can chip in via my Patreon.
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