Lots of action, as usual, happening in the United States has thrown a renewed spotlight on how the globe is being run. The highlight, of course, is Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang, who joins the elite list of American technocrats and the super-rich to have an extramarital affair. From Bill Gates to Jeff Bezos, we have seen all kinds of reports. Especially with many American billionaires having a fondness for Epstein Island. This puts shareholders of top public companies at deep risk, but we don't talk about it because capitalism is supposedly our religion. In this case too, the lady, Alice Huang, a former executive of MegaSpeed, is suspected by U.S. intelligence of spying for Beijing. Another top executive was also allegedly romping up with the boss. So were Nvidia's shareholders also being taken for a ride? Or is this a media hitjob to stem support of open source AI?
With Democrats taking the lead in their Parliament, optimists are happy that things might get better. They obviously forget what the Democrats did to Libya and Iraq, and how they supported violence against Iran. It is mostly because everyone pins their hopes on the money these one-sided wars make. The gold that was looted in Iraq (or, to put it in official terms, relocated to America for the greater good of mankind), or the way Venezuela's wealth is now at their disposal, makes Americans happy. Which keeps global trade and the dollar pumped up. So regardless of which party is in power, the weak shall bleed to keep the rich happy.
One of the countries that suffered due to the great greed of Americans and Earth's citizens was Japan. Although it was quite badly damaged during World War II, today it stands with the United States in its agenda against Iran. Weird, but back then America was its biggest threat, and many of its cities had to be rebuilt due to the violence. That's why I find the country so paradoxical. You would think the Japanese would be among the first to speak up for Iran. Instead, they sent their Prime Minister to the White House to show solidarity with the merciless violence in Asia.
Japan as a country fascinates me for its geography, culture, and contribution to the modern world. All these thoughts come to my mind as I watch this new web series on Amazon Prime. James May has captured the natural beauty and culture of Japan beautifully in his series James May: Our Man in Japan. It's funny, it's detailed, and it's well presented, with drone shots and good narration by May.
Speaking of Japan, you might have read my piece on Japanese Literature Trends in India. A major chunk of the books I have read this year are from the Land of the Rising Sun. Recently, I finished reading The Tokyo Zodiac Murders (recommended by a friend) by Soji Shimada and The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa. Another book, The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga, is currently on my reading list.
While The Tokyo Zodiac Murders is your typical murder mystery, The Cat Who Saved Books is a profound coming-of-age story. It's yet another book about books and bookshops, which seems to be a prevalent trend of our times. At least, I am not complaining.
Leaving you all with a thoughtful quote from this book -
“Books are filled with human thoughts and feelings. People suffering, people who are sad or happy, laughing with joy. By reading their words and their stories, by experiencing them together, we learn about the hearts and minds of other people besides ourselves. Thanks to books, it’s possible to learn not only about the people around us every day, but people living in totally different worlds.”
― Sōsuke Natsukawa, The Cat Who Saved Books
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