Newsletter #8 - CediChronicles
January felt very long.
In the midst of this chaos here are three readings for February 1st that are worth your time.
⒈ Power of the Powerless by Václav Havel
This piece was referenced by Mark Carney in his speech at the World Economic Forum. It’s a political essay on how the communist system sustained itself in part because ordinary people participated in rituals in which they didn’t believe.
Marc Carney’s referenced this essay because he argued that the same can be said with the international rules based order. Basically we all perform rituals pretending it exists, but actually, power has always been the defining factor and it’s time for us to acknowledge it.
Whether you agree with Mark Canrey’s argument or not, it is worth reading Havel’s essay.
You can find the essay here.
⒉ Truth and politics by Hannah Arendt
Hannah Arendt is always interesting to read, but now even more so. You’ve probably seen the videos of ICE shooting Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. If you haven’t, I don’t recommend seeking them out. They won’t bring you anything.
But what I want you to think about is why top officials of the Trump administration used the label ‘domestic terrorist’. Hannah Arendt’s political essay will help you with that.
The text outlines how blatant dishonesty threatens democracy because it destroys the factual ground on which democratic consent is built.
Think of it like this: instead of forcing the MAGA movement to reflect after what happened in Minneapolis, using the word ‘domestic terrorist’ allows individuals that support the agenda of the Trump administration to deny reality. Ultimately, how can we disagree and have constructive dialogue if we live in completely different realities?
You can find the essay here.
⒊ How the Himalayas Shape India–China Geopolitics by Eerishika Pankaj
This article explores the Himalayas and their role in China-India relations. It’s relatively short and explains how the status quo in the Himalayas is changing and how that might lead to increased tensions.
There are probably longer, deeper articles on this topic, but I found this one interesting given that I know little about how this region plays into India-China relations (though I know it plays a huge role). So it’s a good introduction.
You can find the article here.
💭 My takeaway from those last 15 days:
Since I started doing online content alongside my teaching, I’ve realized I’m feeling more anxious about the news.
It probably has a lot to do with my algorithm, but I also think it’s an addiction to news. So I was faced with a trade-off: stop following the news and feel calmer, or keep being informed but feel like every day another disaster is happening. Neither was ideal or really possible given that I teach international relations.
A middle ground I’ve found that works for me has been to make a conscious effort to disconnect at specific times. Especially taking ‘days off’ from the news, then refocusing and getting informed at specific times. It was useful for feeling calmer and less reactive.
Just thought I might share that given that there is an addiction part to news that isn’t healthy. If you follow what I do, you’re probably interested in world politics too, so maybe this resonates.
Also the readings here are more philosophical, so they can be a good way to learn about the world without just focusing too much on the latest ‘breaking news’.
Happy reading. If you have only time for one, I recommend the one from Havel (even if you only read the first 20 pages).