Saturday, April 19, 2025

Dear Daily Disaster Diary, April 20 2025

 

Where everything is bad it must be good to know the worst.

- Francis H. Bradley





🌍 Apocalypse Revisited: Humanity’s Stunning Progress and the Specter of Collapse

How far we’ve come – and how fast we’re sliding back


“Things can be both bad and better.” – Hans Rosling
The world is going to hell – but at a higher standard of living.” – Anonymous cynic
“The facts say otherwise.” – The author who dared to revisit Apocalypse Deferred



Thirty years ago, amid a crescendo of global pessimism, a young journalist dared to swim upstream. While Robert D. Kaplan’s infamous 1994 Atlantic piece The Coming Anarchy painted a bleak picture of humanity spiraling into chaos, this journalist’s reply—Apocalypse Deferred—dared to proclaim something radical: things were getting better.

And he was right.

πŸ“ˆ The Greatest Story Never Told: Progress

Since 1994, the numbers speak for themselves:

  • 🌍 Life Expectancy rose from 64 to 73 globally. In Africa, it jumped from 50 to 64.

  • πŸ’‰ Child Mortality rates dropped to historic lows—cut by more than half.

  • πŸ₯£ Undernourishment fell from 18.6% of the world to 8.9%.

  • πŸ“š Education expanded universally—girls included.

  • πŸ“± Technology and economic access exploded. Most of the world now has access to smartphones, mobile banking, and internet-driven economies.

  • ⚕️ Global health triumphs: Polio nearly gone. Smallpox eradicated. Diarrheal deaths slashed. Measles vaccine saved 94 million lives.

These are not the headlines you see on cable news. But they are the facts.

So why, in 2025, does it feel like the world is ending?



😑 A World on Fire (Again)

Because in many ways—it is. For all the progress, the chaos Kaplan warned about is here, just in another form:

  • πŸ’£ Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine drags into a fourth year with unspeakable atrocities.

  • ☢️ Nuclear tensions are back—worse than in the Cold War.

  • 🌑️ Climate change has arrived. 2023 was the hottest year on record.

  • πŸ—³️ Democracy is retreating—Freedom House has documented 19 years of global backsliding.

  • πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ The United States, once democracy’s lighthouse, is now flirting with authoritarian collapse.

  • πŸ’° Trade wars, nationalism, and populism threaten the economic cooperation that lifted billions.

We are progressing and regressing simultaneously—a paradox of our time. Civilization has never been more advanced, and yet the veneer of stability has never been so thin.



πŸ” The Great Regression: Why Are We Sliding?

It’s not just geopolitics. It’s something deeper.

  1. Short-term thinking dominates our politics. We invest in military might, but not public health.

  2. Fear sells. A media and social media economy built on rage, tribalism, and catastrophe draws our attention away from long-term progress.

  3. Power is centralizing—into fewer hands, fewer tech companies, fewer political strongmen.

  4. Climate panic is becoming reality. We've crossed thresholds. Fires, floods, famines are no longer predictions—they’re current events.


🚨 The Real Risk: Losing Hope


Here’s the kicker: pessimism is now a threat to civilization.

When people believe everything is doomed, they disengage. They stop voting. They stop trusting. They stop dreaming. And that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Robert Kaplan wasn’t wrong to be wary in 1994. But he was wrong to assume doom was inevitable. The data proves that we’ve made miraculous gains—because people believed in something better.

Now, 30 years later, we risk losing that belief.


🧠 The Path Forward: Radical Realism


Let’s be clear: optimism isn’t naivetΓ©. It’s strategy.

We don’t need fairy tales. We need clear eyes and fierce resolve.

Yes, democracy is in peril—but it's not dead

Protesters from Turkey to Gaza are risking everything for dignity.

Yes, war is back—but so are peace movements, ceasefires, and international resistance to tyranny.

Yes, the climate is breaking—but the green revolution has begun:

πŸ‡¨πŸ‡³ China is outbuilding the world in solar and wind.

πŸ‡¨πŸ‡¦ Canada runs largely on nuclear and hydro.

πŸ‡©πŸ‡ͺ Germany is decarbonizing faster than ever before.

πŸš— EVs are no longer luxury—they’re inevitability.


Recognize the Marvels. Fight the Tragedies.


We must stop worshipping the “lugubrious conventional wisdom” that says collapse is the only future. It’s not. 

We’ve dodged apocalypse before—through science, cooperation, and vision.

What we need now is unfiltered courage.

🧠 To recognize progress.
πŸ’₯ To expose corruption.
🌱 To protect the planet.
πŸ›‘️ To defend democracy.
πŸ’‘ To tell the truth—even when it’s not trending.


⚰️ Waste Land or Wonder World?


Kaplan’s latest book is called Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis. And sure, the crises are real. But the permanence? That’s up to us.

This isn’t Weimar. Not yet.

This is 2025. The most advanced, most dangerous, most decisive moment in human history.

We’ve come too far to let the world go to hell. Not without a fight.


πŸ“Œ Further Reading:


πŸ“£ Join the conversation. Share this. Debate this. Demand better.
Because the world isn’t doomed. 

It’s just unfinished.


Sincerely, 

Adaptation-Guide

ADAPT OR DIE!

LESS IS MORE!

WE ARE READY! ARE YOU?


Credits: GLOBE & MAIL

Friday, April 18, 2025

Dear Daily Disaster Diary, April 19 2025

 


He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat.

- Napoleon Bonaparte





Opinion: The United States of Fear – Is America Still a Safe Haven for Free Thought?


Once upon a time, the United States marketed itself as a beacon of freedom—where democracy thrived, dissent was protected, and universities welcomed international scholars with open arms. 

But today, under a second Trump presidency, that image is rapidly dissolving. 

We are watching the evolution—or perhaps the devolution—of a superpower into a surveillance state fueled by paranoia, nationalism, and brute digital force.

Just ask RΓΌmeysa Γ–ztΓΌrk.

The Turkish Ph.D. student at Tufts University, who arrived in the U.S. with a prestigious Fulbright scholarship, was recently arrested in broad daylight by plainclothes officers and swiftly sent to a deportation center in Louisiana. 

Her “crime”? 

A student newspaper column that criticized her university’s ties to Israel and labeled the Gaza conflict a potential genocide. 

No evidence links her to violence or extremism. Yet her social media posts, phone data, and critical opinions were enough to justify her detention under laws rooted in McCarthy-era fearmongering.

And she is not alone.

The Trump administration, with support from figures like Senator Marco Rubio, has launched programs like “Catch and Revoke,” using artificial intelligence to mine the online activity of over 1.5 million foreign students and faculty members in the U.S. Keywords like "Hamas" or "terrorism" can trigger investigations, visa cancellations, and immediate deportations—without trial or meaningful oversight. 

Universities now warn foreign students not to speak out about Gaza, Ukraine, or even fellow activists, lest they become targets of the digital dragnet.

This isn’t security. It’s suppression.

Critics rightly point out the blurry definitions now driving these policies. 

Is being “pro-Palestinian” the same as supporting terrorism? 

Is questioning the Israeli government grounds for surveillance? 

In the world of AI-powered profiling, nuance is obsolete. Dissent becomes subversion, and subversion becomes deportation.

But it doesn’t stop at foreign nationals. Trump’s administration has already begun laying the groundwork to tighten voting eligibility for Americans, too—especially poor, rural, or marginalized citizens who lack passports or Real IDs. 

A recent executive order, inspired by Trump’s debunked election fraud narrative, requires proof of citizenship to register to vote. Millions could be disenfranchised.

Who will enforce these rules? 

Elon Musk’s so-called Doge Task Force—a team devoted to “government efficiency”—is already demanding access to IRS, Social Security, and healthcare databases. 

Their stated goal: to scrub voter rolls and federal programs of "undeserving" individuals. 

But history tells us where this kind of unchecked power leads.

In this climate, data becomes a weapon. 

Surveillance becomes policy. 

Fear becomes governance.

The truth is, the U.S. is no longer simply watching its enemies—it is watching everyone

Immigrants. Tourists. Journalists. Students. Protesters. 

And even government officials who dare question Trump’s narrative. With loyalty tests, public doxxing, and threats to defund dissenting institutions, the machinery of intimidation is humming loudly.

Trump has made it clear: power is not about persuasion. 

It’s about fear. “Real power,” he once told The Washington Post, “is fear.” That was not a warning. It was a promise.

Still, there is resistance. Local communities are pushing back. Lawsuits are mounting. Whistleblowers and journalists continue to expose the chaos and cruelty beneath the surface. 

The question is: will it be enough?

As surveillance tech becomes smaller, smarter, and more invasive, the price of free speech is rising. 

But so is the cost of silence.

America must decide—quickly—whether it wants to remain the land of the free, or become the land of the monitored.


Sincerely,

Adaptation-Guide


ADAPT OR DIE!

LESS IS MORE!

WE ARE READY! ARE YOU?

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Dear Daily Disaster Diary, April 18 2025

 

Hateful is the power, and pitiable is the life, of those who wish to be feared rather than loved.

- Cornelius Nepos





Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Dear Daily Disaster Diary, April 17 2025

 

Character is not made in a crisis - it is only exhibited.

- Robert Freeman











Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Dear Daily Disaster Diary, April 16 2025

 

He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money.

- Benjamin Franklin





πŸ‡«πŸ‡· Le Boycott 2.0: France’s Quiet Revolution Against American Hegemony

A digital rebellion from the land that invented revolution.

 

“We are not powerless. We are French.”
Dominique Pipier, 73, Aix-en-Provence


In the age of tariffs, tweets, and tech tyranny, France is once again leading a revolution. Not with guillotines, but with browser extensions. Not in the streets—yet—but in the cloud.


πŸ”₯ The Spark: Trump’s Tariffs and the New Global Tensions

When Donald Trump imposed 20% tariffs on most EU goods weeks ago, he didn’t just trigger a trade dispute. He ignited something far more potent: a cultural and economic uprising. Source: Le Monde

 

“Trump declares commercial war on the rest of the world.”
Le Monde headline


In response, French citizens launched “Le Boycott”, a grassroots digital and economic protest aimed squarely at American brands and platforms. From Tesla to TikTok, Amazon to Apple—no U.S. giant is off-limits.

According to a recent Ifop poll:

  • 62% of French citizens support a boycott of U.S. companies.

  • 32% are actively boycotting.

  • Sympathy for the U.S. has fallen to 25%, the lowest since the Iraq War.
    Source: Ifop / nyc.eu


🧠 Rebellion by Refusal: The French Say Non, Merci

This isn’t the anti-Americanism of old. This is post-hegemony politics. It’s about refusing digital colonialism—where every click enriches Silicon Valley while draining European autonomy.

“The future of Europe was being decided between Moscow and Washington—and I didn’t vote for these people.”
Γ‰douard Roussez, founder of Boycott USA: Buy French and European


Popular boycott targets include:

  • Tesla and X (Elon Musk’s empire)

  • McDonald’s, Starbucks

  • Amazon, Netflix, Facebook, Google

  • WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube


Preferred European alternatives gaining traction:

  • Ecosia (search engine powered by trees)

  • Mastodon (federated social media)

  • Qwant (French privacy-focused search)

  • PeerTube (decentralized YouTube alternative)

  • ProtonMail (Swiss-based encrypted email)


πŸ‡¨πŸ‡¦ From “Freedom Fries” to “Buy Canadian”

Trump’s bullying of Canada sparked admiration in France. According to the same Ifop poll:

  • 72% of French citizens now prefer visiting Canada over the U.S.

  • “Buy Canadian” is seen as a model for European resistance.

“Canadians are the ones on the front line. Actually, we’re all on the front line—but we’re not yet talking about the annexation of France.”
Γ‰douard Roussez


Canada is no longer just “America Lite”—it’s become a beacon of dignified resistance to U.S. economic imperialism.


πŸ’£ Beyond Boycotts: The Empire of Convenience Is Collapsing

We’ve grown addicted to the ease of American platforms—Amazon in a click, Uber in a tap, YouTube on autoplay. But behind that convenience is a power structure that surveils, manipulates, and monetizes us.

By boycotting American tech, the French are doing something radical: reclaiming their agency.

“It’s slow and tedious, but I want to make the effort.”
Dominique Pipier

Revolutions aren’t always fast. They begin with discomfort. Disobedience. The refusal to comply.

A New Kind of Revolution Is Brewing

France is famous for one thing above all: saying no to injustice.

From storming the Bastille to resisting fascism, the French don’t tolerate tyranny—whether it’s from kings or tech barons.


This movement isn’t about rejecting America—it’s about rejecting submission. France is showing the world how to resist domination without dropping bombs. Through economic sovereignty. Through digital independence.

France doesn’t need Silicon Valley. It needs solidarity.


πŸš€ What You Can Do (Right Now)

  • Switch from Google to Ecosia

  • Replace WhatsApp with Signal

  • Use Mastodon instead of Twitter/X

  • Buy from local producers, not Amazon

  • Dump Netflix for Arte.tv


🧨 Conclusion: This Is How Empires Fall

“The revolution will not be televised. It will be decentralized.”
Modern French proverb, probably

History will remember this moment not just as a reaction to Trump’s tariffs, but as the beginning of the Post-American Era. France is lighting the way—again.

And if the world follows?

Then the age of digital colonialism will fall—one boycott at a time.


Sincerely,

Adaptation-Guide


ADAPT OR DIE!

WE ARE READY! ARE YOU?


CREDITS: GLOBE & MAIL

Monday, April 14, 2025

Dear Daily Disaster Diary, April 15 2025

 

I have suffered too much in this world not to hope for another.

- Jean Jacques Rousseau



☀️ Surviving the Next Summer: The Sun Survival Manual

For a World That’s Heating Up Fast


Part 1/25


1. The Illusion of Strength Will Kill You

Tourists pose in front of thermometers showing 50°C+ temperatures like it's a game — some even wear fur coats for the photo. But this isn't a challenge. It’s a warning. At 50°C (122°F), you are not strong. You are not tough. You are at risk.

Stepping out of an air-conditioned car in a place like Furnace Creek feels like opening the door to a preheated oven. Your skin tingles, your lips crack, your eyes burn. Sweat doesn’t cool you — it vanishes.

2. Death by Curiosity

Places like Death Valley — among the hottest spots on Earth — see over 1 million visitors annually. People go there to test themselves. Many don’t make it. 53°C (127°F) on the thermometer? That's enough to kill even the most experienced adventurers in minutes if they underestimate the sun. Heatstroke doesn’t ask questions.

Rule: If it’s past 10:00 a.m. and you’re still outside in extreme heat — you’ve already stayed too long.


3. The Sun: Creator and Destroyer

The sun is life. Without it, there is no light, no warmth, no water, no wind. It shapes time, nature, and emotion. But that same star can also kill.

It burns your skin, accelerates disease, and intensifies climate extremes. It gives, but it also takes. Fast.


4. Reality Check: What the Numbers Say

  • In 2022, 109,400 people in Germany alone were hospitalized for skin cancer — a 75% increase since 2002.

  • Most of this is “light” skin cancer, now twice as common as two decades ago — despite people being more informed.

  • From June 2023 to May 2024, every month set a new global temperature record.

  • The average global temperature was 1.64°C above pre-industrial levels.

  • Heat-related deaths in Europe have surged by ~33% in the past decade.

  • In Saudi Arabia, over 1,300 people died during the Hadj pilgrimage due to heat alone.

  • Wildfires have doubled in number from 2003 to 2023.

  • The annual cost of wildfires in the U.S. alone? Up to $893 billion.

The sun has never been more dangerous than it is now.


5. Sun Survival Tips — Non-Negotiable

☢️ DO NOT:

  • Stay outside between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. in extreme heat.

  • Think that sweat = cooling. In extreme heat, sweat evaporates instantly — you don’t cool down.

  • Assume your fitness level will save you. It won’t.

DO:

  • Wear UV-protective clothing, a wide-brim hat, and sunscreen SPF 50+.

  • Stay in shade or indoors during peak sun hours.

  • Hydrate — and then hydrate more. Dehydration hits before you notice.

  • Learn early signs of heatstroke: headache, nausea, dizziness, confusion, dry skin, rapid pulse.

  • Respect the sun. It’s not a vibe. It’s a force of nature.


6. The Bottom Line

The sun doesn’t care if you’re on vacation, on a hike, or chasing Instagram clout.
This is not the summer to play hero.
This is the summer to adapt, survive, and stay smart.

Because heat doesn’t negotiate.
And next summer might be even hotter.


Sincerely,

Adaptation-Guide


ADAPT OR DIE! 

LESS IS MORE!

WE ARE READY! ARE YOU?

Dear Daily Disaster Diary, May 6 2025

  Vows made in storms are forgotten in calm. - Thomas Fuller Can Carney transform Canada from climate laggard to leader? | Zero: The Climate...