Reads & read-nots. Writes & Write-nots. Thinks & Think-Nots.

This makes me feel even sadder. Paul Graham re: AI "So a world divided into writes and write-nots is more dangerous than it sounds. It will be a world of thinks and think-nots." Ditto for reads and read-nots…

The result will be a world divided into writes and write-nots. There will still be some people who can write. Some of us like it. But the middle ground between those who are good at writing and those who can't write at all will disappear. Instead of good writers, ok writers, and people who can't write, there will just be good writers and people who can't write.

Is that so bad? Isn't it common for skills to disappear when technology makes them obsolete? There aren't many blacksmiths left, and it doesn't seem to be a problem.

Yes, it's bad. The reason is something I mentioned earlier: writing is thinking. In fact there's a kind of thinking that can only be done by writing. You can't make this point better than Leslie Lamport did:

> If you're thinking without writing, you only think you're thinking.

So a world divided into writes and write-nots is more dangerous than it sounds. It will be a world of thinks and think-nots. I know which half I want to be in, and I bet you do too.

Westerners who think Palestinians speak Palestinian

Liberal Americans whine about helping Ukraine while not even being able to point out where Ukraine is on a map — now it’s wannabe antiwar Westerners lecturing the world about the moral virtues of helping Palestine while not even being able to name the language that Palestinians actually speak.

Aug 21

The Men in Dark Suits of American Government

Putin: US presidents come & go, but politics stay the same. When a person is elected, they may have some ideas. Then people with briefcases arrive, well-dressed, wearing dark suits. These people start explaining how things are done. Instantly everything changes. This happens w/ every administration.

Jun 28

Vietnamese sovereignty

‘Vietnam has shown the ability of “balancing geopolitical rivalries with an élan that has eluded other countries.”’

Apr 17

Việt Nam's lessons for Ukraine

But Vietnam didn’t go down that path. Instead, Vietnam’s leadership firmly decided on their priority – their own country’s economic interests, not the desire of any outside power to turn Vietnam into a kamikaze.