Why We’re in Love with Apocalypse
In today’s newsletter, how Donald Trump’s pick to lead the F.B.I. whitewashed the J6ers’ political violence. But, first, Arthur Krystal on the comforts of reading about the end of the world. Plus:
What We Learn About Our World by Imagining Its End
Some fear we’ll be buried in brimstone; others expect to be extinguished by A.I. But is there comfort to be found in our apocalyptic visions?
“It’s a mite soon to start grieving,” Arthur Krystal writes, in this week’s issue, “but scientists now project that life on Earth will probably end in about a billion years.” Many people, it seems, can’t wait til then, judging by the mass popularity of stories about the apocalypse. From Mesopotamian mythologies to Y2K narratives and beyond, people have long been telling tales about the end—floods, comets, plagues, and now nuclear annihilation, rogue A.I., and, yes, more plagues. In a fascinating essay, Krystal explores what we might learn about life from this fixation with total death. Perhaps some humility? “While we wait let’s keep in mind that the Earth is an infinitesimal dot on the skein of existence,” he notes. “The end of the world is small potatoes.” Read or listen to the story »
The Briefing Room
Photograph by Mark Peterson / Redux
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Kash Patel’s persecution fantasies: During his confirmation hearing today, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the F.B.I. stated that, regarding the January 6th rioters, he did “not agree with the commutation of any sentence of any individual who committed violence against law enforcement.” But, as Tess Owen reports, Patel’s rise in Trump’s orbit has been closely tied to his championing of the so-called J6ers involved in the insurrection. Read the story.
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The crash of American Eagle Flight 5342: Officials have stated that there are no survivors after Wednesday’s crash involving a commercial airliner and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. During a press conference today, President Trump, citing no evidence, blamed the helicopter pilot, Democrats, the former Secretary of Transportation, and the concept of diversity for the accident.
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Detention at Guantánamo: In a new memo, the White House proposed using the naval station at Guantánamo Bay, in Cuba, to hold “high-priority criminal aliens unlawfully present in the United States.” In 2017, William Finnegan wrote about Trump’s decision to reverse the plans to close the separate detention camp at Guantánamo, and outlined the limits of GITMO’s utility in the fight against terrorism.
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Daily Cartoon
“This is most likely caused by the stress of having your symptoms constantly dismissed, but I wouldn’t worry about it.”
Cartoon by Suerynn Lee
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P.S. In the latest edition of Book Currents, a weekly column in which notable figures share what they’re reading, the best-selling writer Kaveh Akbar recommends four collections by Palestinian poets which consider this moment of exile and destruction, as well as timeless themes such as love, sex, and motherhood. 📚
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