The Economist: ‘Born some 20 years ago in Oxford philosophy seminars and Californian computer labs, effective altruism has already changed the world. It has shaped charity, by stressing data-driven giving; hoovered up students at elite universities, who are now ascending some of America’s leading firms; inspired Sam Bankman-Fried, a crypto billionaire responsible for one of history’s biggest frauds; become Silicon Valley’s defining fault line, motivating both boundless enthusiasm and a ferocious countermovement; and played a part in the creation of artificial intelligence—all largely unnoticed by the broader public.
That may soon change. The movement’s long-standing fears of an AI catastrophe make it a villain in the eyes of the Trump administration. “Americanism, not effective altruism,” is the Department of War’s attack line.’

And: ‘On a simple utilitarian calculation, humans possibly ought then to perish and resources go to the beneficiaries.’

Ultimate utilitarianism: no more humans.

Waiting for effective Americanism.

(a sf 2252)

Peter E. Gordon in NYRB: ‘By the time of his [Jürgen Habermas’] death, however, many felt that this principle had grown obsolete. In Germany and elsewhere the official obituaries were fulsome in their praise, but one could hardly ignore the widespread opinion among journalists and critics that he had outlived his time. Some condemned his entire life’s work, vilifying him for his alleged Eurocentrism or liberalism, as if these were the worst crimes imaginable at a moment when the European Union was threatened by Russian aggression and political parties fueled by xenophobia (…) were on the ascent.’

And: ‘Habermas never claimed that we are likely to reach a noncoercive agreement. His point was only that without assuming the possibility of rational consensus we would not engage in giving reasons at all.’

We may not convince anybody with our arguments, but we need reason to keep irrationality a part-time hobby.

(a sf 2251)

Jenny Turner in 2023 in LRB: ‘Jaeggy was born in Zürich in 1940 and writes in Italian, with intrusions from French, even English sometimes, but mostly German, “the language of funerals, of sermons”, and it can’t be an accident that the first bit of German in her most famous book, Sweet Days of Discipline (1989), is the word for “duty”, Zwang.’

Also: ‘In 2021 the New Yorker published an interview with Jaeggy by Dylan Byron, who found her “impeccably elegant in crisp whites and royal blues, her fine silver hair clipped back in a signature tortoiseshell barrette”.’

And: ‘“We retire to our rooms, we saw life pass by beneath our windows, observed it in books and on our walks,” the narrator says in Sweet Days of Discipline.’

According to a Swiss friend, Fleur Jaegy might win the Nobel Prize this year. She deserves it, if only for Sweet Days of Discipline.

(a sf 2250)

Benjamin Mueller and Shaila Dewan in NYT: ‘The execution team went through at least seven needles trying to find a vein suitable for delivering doses of a lethal drug to Tennessee inmate Christa Pike, her lawyers said on Thursday. Ms. Pike, who survived the botched execution on Wednesday night, was left with blistering and burning around the intravenous insertion sites.’

And: ‘During the execution attempt, they added, Ms. Pike even tried to help the staff place the two IV lines.’

As well: ‘The possibility that Ms. Pike had suffered the effects of a nonfatal dose of pentobarbital for an extended period created a risk for lasting brain injury.’

In Georgia in Soviet times, four young men were sentenced to death after their attempt to hijack a plane failed.

Their parents had to pay for the bullets. In one instance they had to pay for two bullets. The first one missed.

(a sf 2249)

Ben Hutchinson in TLS in 2022: ‘Nowhere does Kafka give greater expression to this transcendental homelessness than in his so-called Zürau Aphorisms, written in 1917-18 and named after the Bohemian village in which he composed them. Teetering on the edge of paradox, the aphorisms have a startling, vertiginous power, “a belief like a guillotine, as heavy, as light”.’

And: ‘“If it had been possible to build the Tower of Babel without climbing it”, he notes in another aphorism, “that would have been allowed”. “There is a destination”, he writes in a third entry, “but no path”.’ So it is. No path, just a destination. The remaining question: how to get to your destination without a path.

On Saturday I’ll be in Zürau, now called Siřem.

On Sunday night I’ll be in Prague. Looking for a dinner companion to talk about destinations without a path. All serious inquiries will be rewarded.

(a sf 2248)

Markus Becker in Der Spiegel: ‘The obstacles to Canadian EU membership would be considerable, to be sure, but by no means insurmountable.’ And: ‘What is already the largest joint economic area in the world would not simply grow bigger through Canadian accession. It would also gain considerable political weight. The EU would suddenly be a Pacific and Arctic littoral power, which would put it in an entirely new position vis-à-vis Russia and China.’

As well: ‘EU membership without joining the Schengen, border-free travel area. Which would mean that things would largely stay as they are for travelers.’

An obstacle: ‘The most obvious objection is that Canada is not in Europe. Under Article 49 of the EU treaty, only a "European state" may join the Union. Nowhere, though, is it defined what "European" actually means.’

European means being a member of the EU. Australia may become European in a decade or two.

(a sf 2247)

Haaretz: ‘Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu days before Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack to warn him of signs of an impending assault from Gaza, after two earlier Egyptian warnings went unheeded, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday, citing officials in an Arab government.
The call was one of several warnings delivered to Israeli officials in the months before the attack.’

And: ‘Egyptian officials continued to warn Israel until as late as 48 hours before the attack, the report said.’

As well: ‘A former Israeli official briefed on the visit told The Atlantic that Kamel warned: “Gaza is going to blow up in your faces.” The Atlantic said it remained unclear whom Kamel met with, and that he did not provide a date or concrete details about the planned attack.’

A conspiracy? No. Hubris. Machismo. Contempt for Palestinians. Generation invincible had its comeuppance.

(a sf 2246)