[FRIAM] the world is watching us...

Sat Jun 29 19:20:37 EDT 2024

I remember what it was like doing long bike climbs in my twenties. Those were the days of 180 BPM+ heart rates. And I remember working 18-hour days, or not even sleeping when I had momentum on a project. I can’t do those things now. No, it isn’t all age. Some of those behaviors were just stupid and created volatility in my life for no good reason. (I won’t do some of those things now because they don’t work.) But there is no denying when a 30-year-old athlete passes me like I’m not moving. He or she is faster, stronger, and has more endurance than me. These are things I recognize in my 50s. Why is it so hard for people like Joe Biden to accept that maybe if he can’t walk well, can’t talk as smoothly as he once did, and can’t debate as well as he once did, maybe it is time to pass the baton to someone that can? Maybe it is time to stop having Kamala follow him around like a puppy dog? How did his panel of wise advisers let him do that debate? Sheesh, say he has COVID. Anything! 

Joe Biden in his prime (below). A little bit overconfident and kind of irritating. Maybe less so with age? https://youtu.be/VldsVmeQEpA?t=960 <https://youtu.be/VldsVmeQEpA?t=960> 

From: Friam <friam-bounces at redfish.com> on behalf of Nicholas Thompson <thompnickson2 at gmail.com>
Date: Saturday, June 29, 2024 at 6:13 AM
To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group <friam at redfish.com>
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] the world is watching us... 

Oh, Jochen, 

So much for American Exceptionalism. We rode to greatness on the back of slavery, immigration, expropriation, and genocide, and now, here we are, a geriatric oligarchy, like everybody else. 

Jesus Wept, 

n 

On Sat, Jun 29, 2024 at 4:45 AM Jochen Fromm <jofr at cas-group.net <mailto:jofr at cas-group.net>> wrote: 

In Germany politicians are horrified by the duel and argue that Biden should step back and retire. Both candidates are too old, and the mere thought that Trump - a convicted felon - might be elected again despite all he has done is horrifying. Maybe democrats could give Kamala Harris the chance to become the first female president? But I don't know how popular she is. If president Biden steps back now then democrats have enough time to pick a suitable candidate. He did well but is too old for a 2nd term. We can not risk Trump becoming president again. 

https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/joe-biden-gegen-donald-trump-deutsche-politik-entsetzt-ueber-tv-duell-a-ebf216eb-aa7b-4ce4-904f-e0794f948e4b <_blank> 

Scottish historian Niall Ferguson says the United States look increasingly like the late Soviet Union: senescent leaders who are far too old, a bloated military, a loss of morality and public cynicism about all institutions. 

https://www.thefp.com/p/were-all-soviets-now <_blank> 

-J. 

-------- Original message -------- 

From: steve smith <sasmyth at swcp.com <_blank>> 

Date: 6/29/24 12:06 AM (GMT+01:00) 

To: friam at redfish.com <_blank> 

Subject: [FRIAM] the world is watching us... 

What are our Non-USA members hearing/thinking after last night's 
debate/debacle?

I felt that Biden's Rally today was something necessary for him (and 
Jill and the DNC) to do to demonstrate that last night was some kind of 
anomaly, but it doesn't erase it, just cleanses the palate a little 
bit. I've also been listening to the various "who should the DNC pick 
in his place?" talk which is 'natural' but maybe premature to do publicly?

I did listen to an European channel this morning (can't remember if it 
was England or German, both have British accented commentators) and 
there was a report of a strong "hands-off" response from their 
leaders. Moscow did pretty much exactly what you would expect... I 
haven't heard anything from the Middle East, Africa, India, China, 
Southeast Asia or South America yet, but I would expect the "free world" 
to be disturbed no matter how things unfold down the line.

In the vernacular, I'd like to believe that we could "elect a ham 
sandwich" against the likes of Trump, but that is obviously a biased 
opinion... maybe we *should* but that isn't the same as *can*.

I don't see how the "West" benefits in any way from another Trump 
term... Russia, NK, China maybe? BRICS in the large, maybe some kind 
of wash? Central/South/MX America? Can't look too good?

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