I found out about the end of Roe while on stage in The Hague. It was the last reading of my two-week European book tour and a member of the audience asked me how I felt about the Supreme Court decision. I said, “WHAT?” then stammered on for a while about a renegade court nominated by a coup plotter and so on…
Jul 1, 2022·edited Jul 1, 2022Liked by Gary Shteyngart
Oh man... First: I'm glad for this blog thing of yours, since I'm on Twitter hiatus (there's only so much gloom mixed with self promotion i can take) and otherwise i would miss you. Second: first generation immigrant here, from Brasil, and i have recently felt obliged to tell my daughters that they shouldn't feel bad about looking for a home in some other country (not Brazil, they have elected T*****'s own shit-son there). Yes, my children, the world is yours, don't stay here because of dad.
Where is the red line? When exactly do you pack and leave? Very serious question for me! Clearly Trump re-elected is such a red line. But what if it's de Santis or similar? What if there is concealed carry in the streets of NYC?
And wait until you hear about the SCOPUS ruling that says the EPA is not allowed to ban murderous power plant emissions (thousands of deaths a year, it’s documented). Cheerio from Beijing.
I feel exactly the same way. My attachment to this country, where I was born (in Florida) and came back to in adulthood (New York, then Texas, now Minnesota) is feeling tenuous. And the failed-state aspect is unmistakable; there are elements of farcical absurdity that we seem to have imported from Latin America, along with a few million of their citizens. I'd retire to Switzerland if I could. Ireland, my ancestral homeland, is going hopelessly woke. Good luck to us both, anyway!
One perhaps positive thing that Roe does remind us .. The United States really is a Union of uniquely separate States .. originally intended to be somewhat as the European Union actually is today. You can be happy in Germany regardless of what goes on in Portugal.
Well, Europe (or the UK) is a fast-failing state. Not just the charade of the Tories and Boris Badenov, but see this, from a dude who is (wait for it) the dean of the Conde Nast College of Fashion and Design in HSBC London and who did not, alas, read SUPER SAD. He's joking, but not entirely.
Perhaps it is time for universities to fully embrace the commercial world. The owners of sports stadia have benefited from naming rights for years. We could have the Walkers Crisps University of the East of England, or the McDonalds’ University of Wessex? I am joking, but not entirely.
Oh man... First: I'm glad for this blog thing of yours, since I'm on Twitter hiatus (there's only so much gloom mixed with self promotion i can take) and otherwise i would miss you. Second: first generation immigrant here, from Brasil, and i have recently felt obliged to tell my daughters that they shouldn't feel bad about looking for a home in some other country (not Brazil, they have elected T*****'s own shit-son there). Yes, my children, the world is yours, don't stay here because of dad.
"Ireland ... never helped rich doofuses stash their corrupt money." Hmm, I guess, But also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland_as_a_tax_haven
Almost woke my baby up laughing at those Deutsche Bahn announcements…
I would say come to London, but it’s another sinking ship..
Thanks for your visit and great to get a chance to meet you in The Hague, Gary. Our Dutch doors are open just in case!
Where is the red line? When exactly do you pack and leave? Very serious question for me! Clearly Trump re-elected is such a red line. But what if it's de Santis or similar? What if there is concealed carry in the streets of NYC?
And wait until you hear about the SCOPUS ruling that says the EPA is not allowed to ban murderous power plant emissions (thousands of deaths a year, it’s documented). Cheerio from Beijing.
We didn't even get to be that progressive before the backlash came.
Now I am hesitant to drink stout tonight…
I feel exactly the same way. My attachment to this country, where I was born (in Florida) and came back to in adulthood (New York, then Texas, now Minnesota) is feeling tenuous. And the failed-state aspect is unmistakable; there are elements of farcical absurdity that we seem to have imported from Latin America, along with a few million of their citizens. I'd retire to Switzerland if I could. Ireland, my ancestral homeland, is going hopelessly woke. Good luck to us both, anyway!
One perhaps positive thing that Roe does remind us .. The United States really is a Union of uniquely separate States .. originally intended to be somewhat as the European Union actually is today. You can be happy in Germany regardless of what goes on in Portugal.
Well, Europe (or the UK) is a fast-failing state. Not just the charade of the Tories and Boris Badenov, but see this, from a dude who is (wait for it) the dean of the Conde Nast College of Fashion and Design in HSBC London and who did not, alas, read SUPER SAD. He's joking, but not entirely.
Perhaps it is time for universities to fully embrace the commercial world. The owners of sports stadia have benefited from naming rights for years. We could have the Walkers Crisps University of the East of England, or the McDonalds’ University of Wessex? I am joking, but not entirely.
Bring on the weird
sweet Shteyngart