The Rules

Tariff Trauma

Chasing the Dragon from the Market China Faces the Same Economic Realities the Soviets Did in the 1980s As the U.S.-China trade war escalates, two starkly different visions for confronting China’s economic might are taking center stage. The Trump administration’s 145% tariffs on Chinese goods, effective April 2025, have already sent shockwaves through China’s export-driven economy, slashing U.S.-bound shipments by 30% and threatening 16 million jobs. Yet, investor Kevin O’Leary’s audacious call for 400% tariffs aims to deliver a knockout blow, targeting Beijing’s alleged trade violations with unprecedented aggression. China, reeling from deflation, a property crisis, and faltering consumer confidence, is…

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Saturday Seriousness

The Lesson of Big Balls Being yourself-authentically expressing your thoughts, values, and identity-takes guts. It’s a choice to stand in your truth, even when the world pressures you to conform. Courage here means embracing vulnerability, risking judgment, and prioritizing inner integrity over external approval. It’s liberating because it aligns your life with your core self, fostering genuine relationships and personal growth. Studies, like those from psychologist Carl Rogers, show authenticity correlates with higher self-esteem and mental well-being. Not being yourself, on the other hand, carries steep risks. Conformity can erode self-worth, leading to anxiety, depression, or a sense of disconnection-termed "self-alienation"…

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Wednesday Wraps

As part of an effort to deliver content and keep my writing wits sharp, I'm going to post a daily series of Quick Takes. Some may carry more weight and be more serious than others.  Wednesday Wraps is a perhaps not so Quick Take. Tariffs The elephant in the room today was the brThe older I get, the more I realize how we make idols out of everything, including ideas.  Lately I've been thinking of my own views and how they have changed the past thirty years of relative adulthood.  I say relative because at the core of every man is…

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Signals

Let’s talk about the bizarre twist of the "Houthi & the Blowfish" Signal chat-a group meant for top Trump administration officials like National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Vice President J.D. Vance to discuss military strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. Somehow, it ended up including Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. Was this the ultimate blunder, a deliberate leak, or something else entirely? I’m not here to break news or claim I’ve got it all figured out-I just want to understand what happened. The administration insists it was a mistake, a simple misdial in the digital…

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See, I told you so.

President Trump gets results.  Immediate results. I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace. None of us wants an endless war. Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians. My team and I stand ready to work under… - Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 4, 2025 From Zelensky the Pimp's full post on X: I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace. None of us wants an endless war. Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as…

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Zelensky is a pimp

Rarely have I seen a realpolitik misread as glaring as this from last week.  It was so bad it needed quoting and a thread about all of the different Laws of Power that Zelensky has no grasp of.  I will try to duplicate the thread here in a single post. At a press conference in Kiev, Zelensky offers to step down in exchange for peace and NATO membership. Putinists simply don’t understand the man. They’re cynical and self-interested, and lose their minds in the face of real patriotism. pic.twitter.com/yxegvgHGMx - Richard Hanania (@RichardHanania) February 23, 2025 Zelensky is a pimp. This…

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The 48 Laws of Power

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene is a book that explores the dynamics of power and influence, drawing from historical examples and philosophical insights. Published in 1998, it distills 48 "laws" or principles that Greene argues are timeless strategies for achieving and maintaining power. The book is often described as a guide to navigating complex social and professional environments, though it has sparked debate for its amoral tone and pragmatic, sometimes ruthless, advice. Each law is presented with anecdotes from figures like Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and various historical leaders, illustrating how these principles have been applied (or ignored) to…

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