RRR18: America is Drunk on Rage, More Chess, Society of the Snow, Live From MSG
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People in the U.S. are angry. So what’s the solution?
I find myself increasingly captivated by the search for an antidote to the toxic elements permeating American culture.
Political radicalization isn't just lurking in the shadows anymore; it's spilling into arenas where you'd least expect it. It's startling to witness undercurrents of anger in those who are typically fun-loving and peaceful. The prevalence of a defeatist mentality is downright alarming - if a plan to tackle a problem isn't guaranteed to succeed, the loud voices in America often argue that it’s better to not attempt at all.
I previously wrote about the dangers of being angry.
Is there something that can act as a sobering agent for the vast number of my countrymen and countrywomen caught in the cesspool of discontent and fury?
I've often proposed that maybe the solution starts on a smaller scale...
If we, individually, can conjure a resistance to the myriad forces striving to erode our resolve, we might just begin to extinguish the flames surrounding us.
In the long-term, this deep introspection might aid us to raise children who are less prone to anger and more balanced in their perspectives. Maybe our friends will silently admire our composed demeanor when contemplating a problem. Perhaps, they too, will turn inwards to quell the rage within.
Of course, it's reasonable to initially dismiss my suggestion as fanciful, slow, and even ineffective. Yet, let's not forget that we're in an era where ideas travel at breakneck speed.
For every person who steps back from the brink of radicalization in our hyper-connected world, it could mean preventing hundreds, thousands, or even millions of damaging online interactions.
Multiply that by just a few thousand people, and you're beginning to chip away at the stronghold of political and social polarization.
In Recent Times…
I thought I played a pretty good game of chess here, even sacrificing a bishop during the middle game for a decisive positional advantage.
Thankfully, chess.com (powered by the Stockfish 16 Lite chess engine) let me know I played with an accuracy of only 62.9, inclusive of 3 inaccuracies, 2 mistakes, and 2 misses.
The more I make mistakes and play poorly, the more I want to learn and become a better player.
I think choosing things to spend time on in life becomes pretty simple when viewed through the lens of your reaction to failure. If you are discouraged and want to quit, you probably are not going to enjoy getting good at it. Depending on what it is, maybe quitting is the best option.
If you can’t wait to try again, rest assured knowing you’ve found something that is perfect for you.
Content of the Week 📖🎙📺
Society of the Snow - by J.A Bayona
Based on the true story of 16 people who survived over two months in a hopeless frozen terrain, I thought the film did an incredible job of keeping it’s portrayal of the circumstances reasonably measured.
Inevitably, you’re struck by the catastrophe that is central to the plot, but equally, you’re left feeling grateful for the purest elements of human generosity that can reveal themselves in the most dire of situations.
Even though I question whether I would have been able to function and ultimately survive within the confines of such a daunting circumstance, I exited the film feeling thankful that humans are capable of such incredible things. I highly suggest watching for yourself.
Lex Fridman Podcast #409 - Matthew Cox
I’ve been going back to the Lex Fridman well of content a lot recently, and it’s a testament to what a good podcast host he is. He’s able to provide a medium in which his guests feel comfortable being themselves, and that makes for magic on the microphone.
In this instance, I was enthralled for the entire 4 hours (it’s 6hrs long but I listened on 1.5X). Cox is truly a gifted storyteller, and it only serves him that he has such incredible stories to tell. I thought no part of the interview could be better than his descriptions of some of the close calls he had with high levels of U.S. law enforcement, but it was topped by the tales from his life throughout his incarceration. I would say this is as close to a “must listen” interview as you can find.
The Realignment Podcast #449 - Noah Smith
of sits down to discuss the high stakes nature of the 2024 election, the current state of U.S. defense capabilities, and more. His take on the nature of what is on the ballot in 2024 is worth hearing regardless of your political leanings. He also wrote this piece which pretty much articulates most of the same key points.
Additionally, one can always benefit from hearing his expertise on economic realities that exist and how they affect geopolitical proceedings across the globe.
Demographic Challenges Continued…
Back in RRR4 (I genuinely can’t believe this is the 18th full edition), I first introduced my concerns with widespread anti-immigration attitudes in the U.S. and beyond. Here we are again with a look at seismic shifting of age demographics in a highly developed country that can only be bolstered one of a few ways. Only one of those ways can be immediately impactful to problem resolution.
Year of the Renter 🏡🌆
The year of the American renter has officially begun. At $1,496 and $1,847, respectively, the national medians for both one and two bedrooms remain flat over last month. The one-bedroom median is up just three-tenths of a percentage point year-over-year and the two-bedroom median is up 1.4 percent. Generally, rent prices continue to trend downward: The national one-bedroom median is a full percentage point lower than its September 2023 peak of $1,511. The year-over-year change in one-bedroom rent has been under a percentage point for five months in a row and we even saw negative year-over-year growth last month—a far cry from the 12 consecutive months of double-digit growth we saw from October 2021 to September 2022.
Early returns on building more housing in the U.S. ✅.
Yet, the trajectory of housing costs remains as a key policy issue that requires our collective intelligence, cooperation, and bravery.
We have so many tools at our disposal, and this seems like an issue that Americans of all political leanings could unite around, provided it was given the national attention that it deserves.
On the bright side, if you’re a subscriber of this newsletter, you will have heard plenty by now about our cost of housing crisis in the U.S. 😊.
Madison Square Garden 💙🧡
My father is unhealthily obsessed with Nikola Jokic. I got to be the beneficiary of his adoration this week, as he grabbed us a couple of tickets to go see the Denver Nuggets play the Knicks at MSG.
As soon as we sat down in our seats it struck me… I hadn’t seen the Knicks play at the Garden since 2012! Back then, I didn’t feel like I had a lot to root for. Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire were all the rage, but I kind of knew that team wasn’t going anywhere.
Sure enough, the Knicks went down double digits in the first quarter of that game in 2012, and it was never competitive.
What a different experience this time around!
This Knicks team is simply awesome. Sitting pretty at 12-2 since making the OG Anunoby trade, the Knicks absolutely took the fight to the Denver Nuggets from the tip-off and never looked back.
Every Knicks player seemed to be getting into the action on both offense and defense on their way to a 122-84 blowout.
Watching the game in person helped me get a feel for just how rough and tough the Knicks team is. They have so many players capable of playing a physical brand of basketball.
Additionally, Jalen Brunson is providing the offense enough spark to create a nearly perfect balance of juice vs. infrastructure.
We’ll see just how far they can go this season - I suspect it may be very far indeed.
Cheers, everyone, and have a great week ahead. I’ll be back with RRR19 at the weekend!
In the meantime, here are some songs I’ve been enjoying: