Briefly noted | Saudi, Masks, Earth, Trans

Saudi Arabia. Friend or Foe? Ally or enemy? I’ve always had mixed feelings about it. Have visited and found it unlovely. In context of Biden’s visit I read somewhere “do we want a Saudi like the UAE, or like Afghanistan”. That nails it. Surely like UAE, which means engaging.

Masks: somewhere in the local press a genius bureaucrat opines “masking should become like wearing seatbelts”. Oh please not. Let’s not normalise things that hinder our breathing and seeing others for what they really, full-faced.

“Half the Earth” by E.O. Wilson. First heard of this on Lex Fridman podcast with Aussie economist Steve Keene. Infuriating interview as Keene is alternating rather smart on China and rather forgiving of Marx. Half the Earth is the idea Homo sapiens should occupy only half the world, be banned from the other half. Right. He had a dream one night and thought it’d make a good book. Which half? And who do you kill, to save the rest of nature?

Trans: everything is trans now. Even skeletons. (And after a famous “Woman of the year”)